Fixer Upper/Maybe

[cajun555]

Just got back from wrecking yard. Theirs a boat,mtr.,and tlr. 250.00 for the whole mess. Need to id motor. Ser# J-03023 Mod.#125283R. Its a 125 rude, need year. As for the boat Its a Del Magic, I recon about a 16 ft. long, 6 ft. wide fiberglass. Most of the wood is roten, the glass all looks good except for a few scratches, No cracks on transom, Looks like most if not all hardware is there on boat. Trailer is galv., boat fits perfect so its not gerri-rigged. Any input will be welcomed

 

[JB]

Re: Fixer Upper/Maybe

That's a 1972 engine, Cajun.<br /><br />If you have use for 'Rude parts or a trailer that might need some work it might be a decent deal if you have a way to dispose of the hull.<br /><br />If you want an expensive project that might take several years to become useful I suppose it might be worth $250, but I wouldn't buy it at any price.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Fixer Upper/Maybe

Do not be dissuaded by negative opinions about old project boats. Plenty of us has brought old nasty boats back from the dead, but it is a lot of work, but it does not take years to do. In the end you spend less money, but if you place a monetary value on your hours worked, that sweat equity adds up quick. Before jumping in, you have to make some real decisions. Will the finished boat meet your needs? Will it be big enough/fast enough/handle rough water well enough. It is easy to sit back and tell people that they shouldn't attempt a project when they are not in the shoes of the possible project buyer. I have found that those with cash in the bank are the ones to discourage someone from attempting something like this. We are not all well off, some of us have no choice but to go this route to get into a boat (I myself can afford a newer boat, but I enjoy rebuilding to my needs). Your best bet is to go to Project Boats and read through what some of us have done and decide if that is the pain and suffering you want to get into. If you like to do your own work and are of limited means, and the end result will meet your needs, go for it. If you are not a big fan of this sort of work and you have enough money, consider something that needs less work. Good luck...

 

[cajun555]

Re: Fixer Upper/Maybe

Well, I certaintly do appreciate the feed back. I'm supposed to go back and look over the papers and check with the parks and wildlife to make sure no hassles of getting it registered if I do decide to go for it. As far as the work I've figured a couple of years for the repairs. I'm not in that big of a hurry for a boat as I've got 2 already. The wife has been wanting a toon or deck boat. Thats really what this is, is a deck boat. Time is no object since over the last 4 years I've redone 2 66 mustangs. This might be a cheaper project if; the engine is ok. <br /><br />Jason, I just went to your site and checked out your project. Looks great. I've got a question about your hull. Before you fixed the hull could you see any damage to the hull where it was leaking?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Fixer Upper/Maybe

There was no visible sign from the inside at the area of damage, that was why I figured it was okay. Apparantly the actual penetration was quite small, but when I ground the marine tex (or whatever it was) off on the outside, the damage was quite large from the outside. That was why I had to grind all the damaged glass away until all was left was good clean glass to bond to. Exposed moisture damaged glass fibers are difficult to adhere anything to, so you have to grind till its clean.