Buying Advice - Chaparral 1930 SS

[AstrongBoat22]

Hey fellow boaters. I have been riding and driving boats my entire life (mostly my families), but I am finally ready to take the leap and purchase my first personal boat. I would love to get a few opinions on whether or not the boat I am interested in is a good deal. I am young, so budget is important to me at this point. The boat I am looking at is a 1997 Chaparral 1930 SS w. 695 hrs on the 5.7L v8. I have heard this is a good hull that can handle decent sized chop for its size and with a 5.7L it will have plenty of power. The boat does not come with a trailer, so that is a purchase i will have to make - looking for advice on how to go about that as well. I am posting the CL link below. Is it a good deal? I think i have a little room on the asking price. Any worries with this model? All and any advice is appreciated. Thank you all for your input!

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/boa/d/1997-chaparral-1930-ss/6620938639.html

 

[alldodge]

Nice looking but think the boat is around 1500 to much. Maybe 1000 high if in great condition.

Chap makes a good boat, and this one looks in good condition, but need to find someone to look it over for you, someone you can trust.

Trailer for a 19 footer should be cheap enough but trying to find one is the issue

 

[southkogs]

It's priced a little high for Knoxville, especially without a trailer.

That said, if it's in incredible shape (which looks like a possibility) then even paying a little extra may not be so horrible. Some good readin' for ya' HERE.

Welcome aboard.

 

[Jgcrock99]

Good evening,

I actually made the exact same purchase a few years ago I bought a '96 1930 ss and this is my 3rd season with it. Mine is the 4.3 lx mercrusier instead of the 5.7. I have been extremely happy with mine. Other than a few minor cosmetic issues mine was in excellent condition and also without a trailer. It was listed for 6900 and I got it for 1k less and then had to buy a trailer. You can get a boat that year with a trailer for the same price so I would definitely try to get a reduction. My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed the boat. Easily pulls tubes and skiers, plenty of room for what we need most of the time, and a great ride depending on the water. I will warn you that's it weighs as much as a 21' boat so be wary of this when you are looking for trailers. The dry weight of my boat is 3k lbs which is too heavy for many single axle trailers. You put 40 gallons of fuel that's another 240 and then you have anchors, gear, etc. and you're at 3500 or more. Definitely a concern. Long story short, if it's in the advertised condition I would definitely tell you to move forward with it and know you'll be happy but I agree with previous posts to get it looked at by someone. Check bellows, transom, stringers, floor, and compression just for starters .There is an nada blue book for boats so I would check the value of this one against the listing. I happy boating and good luck, again I made the exact same purchase so please let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[tpenfield]

+1 for the price being a bit high. See what you can do, NADA comes in about $6,300. Do check the floor, stringers, etc. There was a rebuild of a Chaparral on the restoration forum within the past year. Maybe check out that thread to get some pointers on what to look for when you see the boat.

Here is the link to the thread.

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...shed-june-2018

And another one :

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/boa...00-sl-sport-floor-and-more-splashed-sept-2017

 

[Leardriver]

The price isn't terribly far off. Around here, a nice boat sells for double the NADA.
The problem is the lack of a matching factory trailer, and the hours on the boat. Let someone else buy it. Boats are everywhere, and starting to get cheap for the time of year.

 

[SkiGuy1980]

Nice looking boat! I wouldn't be concerned with the hours as long as it's evident the boat has been well cared for (maybe a compression check). I don't think the price is that bad for a nice boat... but finding a trailer can be a trick. You might want to scope that out a bit before making an offer on this one (could be a barganing chip for boat price). Best of luck finding your craft!

 

[AstrongBoat22]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The trailer will be a big deciding factor as they truly are tough to come by. There aren't a lot used options out there. I am going to look into what the price would be to purchase a new one that would fit the boat nicely. I will be trailering and traveling the boat often (about 70-150 miles at a time), so I think spending money on a trailer would be worth the "investment". Below is a link to a trailer with potential.. but it would definitely need to be refurbished. For the time being, I can work out transportation through a friend relatively cheap.

https://nashville.craigslist.org/boa/d/21-foot-boat-trailer/6630232395.html

Anyone know of a good place around middle TN to find trailers outside of craigslist?

 

[mr 88]

Make sure you check the floor out from where it goes from fiberglass to rug. Take a flashlight and remove the ski storage hatch, check all the wooden supports and whatever else may be hiding down there. Had a 91 Regal with the same setup and it started to get soft between the consoles as water from the covers had constantly dripped/leaked there.

 

[AstrongBoat22]

Good evening,

I actually made the exact same purchase a few years ago I bought a '96 1930 ss and this is my 3rd season with it. Mine is the 4.3 lx mercrusier instead of the 5.7. I have been extremely happy with mine. Other than a few minor cosmetic issues mine was in excellent condition and also without a trailer. It was listed for 6900 and I got it for 1k less and then had to buy a trailer. You can get a boat that year with a trailer for the same price so I would definitely try to get a reduction. My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed the boat. Easily pulls tubes and skiers, plenty of room for what we need most of the time, and a great ride depending on the water. I will warn you that's it weighs as much as a 21' boat so be wary of this when you are looking for trailers. The dry weight of my boat is 3k lbs which is too heavy for many single axle trailers. You put 40 gallons of fuel that's another 240 and then you have anchors, gear, etc. and you're at 3500 or more. Definitely a concern. Long story short, if it's in the advertised condition I would definitely tell you to move forward with it and know you'll be happy but I agree with previous posts to get it looked at by someone. Check bellows, transom, stringers, floor, and compression just for starters .There is an nada blue book for boats so I would check the value of this one against the listing. I happy boating and good luck, again I made the exact same purchase so please let me know if you have any other questions.

JG, thanks for the input. Glad you are enjoying your boat. From my research, these Chaps seem like quality starter boats. Do you know where the best place to examine the stringers would be for this model?

 

[Scott Danforth]

you can get aluminum trailers down here dirt cheap. New they are only $2300 hop in the car, drive for 1.5 tanks of fuel, buy a trailer, drive home with it.

 

[southkogs]

Boat trailers are typically available through the marine dealers in the Nashville area too. I'd start giving a few of 'em a call and see what they're getting for the newer ones. There are two or three that are even built in the area, so some of the bigger marine dealers can probably get those as good buys.

 

[tpenfield]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The trailer will be a big deciding factor as they truly are tough to come by. There aren't a lot used options out there. I am going to look into what the price would be to purchase a new one that would fit the boat nicely.

When I was buying my Formula 24 footer, it did not have a trailer. So, I went to a nearby boat store and said "Do you have trailers?" They said "Yes we do" . . . "OK", I said, "I need one for a 24 footer". They said "No problem, we'll order one from the manufacturer. It will be here in 2 weeks" I said, "Great, see you then". :thumb:

The trailer was great . . . I didn't have to make any adjustments and never had any problems with it, even dunking it in the salt.

Used trailers are going to be at a premium, and as you mentioned, likely need some work. You might be better off getting a new trailer, since it probably won't be much more $$$ all said and done.

 

[AstrongBoat22]

Update - purchased the boat last night! I got a reliable mechanic to go with me and run a pre-purchase inspection. He was very impressed with the condition and how well the boat had been maintained. I am pumped to finally have my own boat. Thank you everyone for the advice. You all are great.

I am going to run a series of small projects (mostly cosmetic) during the fall. Stay tuned!

 

[southkogs]

No pictures = no boat. Sorry.

 

[AstrongBoat22]

No pictures = no boat. Sorry.

Fair enough! This is all I have for now. Photo shoot to come once she is all polished up.

 

[southkogs]

Congrats! Looks very nice.

 

[Jgcrock99]

JG, thanks for the input. Glad you are enjoying your boat. From my research, these Chaps seem like quality starter boats. Do you know where the best place to examine the stringers would be for this model?

I'm sorry for missing this post but I saw you made the purchase and the boat looks great. I hope it serves you well, mine has been great.