I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

[polaris500]

I have a chance to trade a dirt bike and one of my shotguns for an 87 glastron 140 4 cylinder, he says it runs fine. I dont know a thing about boats and with the dirt bike and gun combined the investment will be around $1000 range. How much is the boat worth in the summer, i live in central new york so i got the finger lakes, lake Ontario, and Oneida lake. ANY INFO WILL HELP!

 

[Augoose]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Too little info to tell you if its worth $3,000 or zero dollars. Need to examine the deck, transom, engine, lower unit, all the systems, etc....Hop inside and walk every square inch of deck looking for soft spots - inspect the transom for cracks in the gel coat which COULD indicate transom flex - drain some engine oil and inspect for metal flakes or signs of water intrusion - drain some lower gear unit oil and check the same - test drive, no matter how cold- if it runs right and you find no rot, I'd say trade on. Do some searches and check the title requirements for your state and ensure he's going to give you the documentation you need to register everything. Also be sure you are ready to pay the taxes on it.

 

[polaris500]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

ok thanks for the info, i think it might be a CX-19 SPORTSMAN

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

three things determine boat values
1 condition

2 condition

3 condition

If you aren't up to inspecting it in GREAT detail... negotiate getting it to a well known trusted shop and PAY to have it checked out

ANY sign of a soft spot in the floor is almost always a death sentence as 95% of the time it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Make sure the boat has been properly winterized and then un-winterize it for a thorough sea trial... then IMMEDIATELY have it re winterized.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

ok thanks for the info, i think it might be a CX-19 SPORTSMAN

Welcome to iboats OP. Hope you enjoy your stay. :joyous:
I could tell you this. The boat is definitely worth more then $3000 if it turn out to be a nice running boat. If all electrical and mechanical components turn out good then the boat is worth something and your $1000 investment is good. If the boat is completely trashed then it could cost you even more money to bring it to the dump or give it to donations. Try and get more pics of it and pst it here like the engine and outdrive and then maybe we could give you a more precise price on it. Just make sure you tests everything like Augoose stated then you will be in the safe zone. Good luck

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Too little info to tell you if its worth $3,000 or zero dollars. Need to examine the deck, transom, engine, lower unit, all the systems, etc....Hop inside and walk every square inch of deck looking for soft spots - inspect the transom for cracks in the gel coat which COULD indicate transom flex - drain some engine oil and inspect for metal flakes or signs of water intrusion - drain some lower gear unit oil and check the same - test drive, no matter how cold- if it runs right and you find no rot, I'd say trade on. Do some searches and check the title requirements for your state and ensure he's going to give you the documentation you need to register everything. Also be sure you are ready to pay the taxes on it.

Hmm... That weird. I never pay taxes on my boat. I guess maybe it varies in states but OP boats in NY so there should not be any problems. On top of all that i actually get money from the government for my boat. In my state which is NY it says that i can write up my boat as long as it has a full cabin with bathroom and living space. It counts as a another house in my state. I guess your just not that lucky. LOL

 

[dmscarp]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

If that floor and those stringers need to be replaced you will not be happy with that trade. Pay $750 cash, keep the bike and gun...you may need them to hunt him down if you see a rotten mess under that floor....lol....just my 2 cents.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

If that floor and those stringers need to be replaced you will not be happy with that trade. Pay $750 cash, keep the bike and gun...you may need them to hunt him down if you see a rotten mess under that floor....lol....just my 2 cents.

+1 ^^^^^ I like that one!!! LOL

 

[polaris500]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

ok i just asked for pics of the interior he says its not perfect but not bad. lets say the interior has some rips but overall its decent, if the motor runs strong whats a price estimate?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

anywhere from nothing to maybe 3k

You have to get in the boat and look for rot.... if it has a ski locker, put your head in it with a flashlight and look/smell/feel for rot... it is stored inside? covered?


the odds are ALWAYS against an old boat like that.... many many of them are rotten

Also running good means just barely more than nothing... need a good compression test and a good sea trial to know anything


LOTS and LOTS of folks post up here every spring with "it ran good last fall but now the oil is getting water in it"

Another common one is "it ran good on the hose but when I put it in the water it dies when I try to put it in gear"

and the most sickening one is always something like "I have this really small soft spot I found in the floor, how do I fix it"

By the time you own it and ask those questions it's TOO LATE

We can't give you a value even with 1000 pictures because it has to be closely examined IN PERSON.

 

[polaris500]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

the guy got the boat from a trade, lets say i go through it 100% and test for soft spots, i do a compression test etc etc and find out that there are no soft spots, engine runs good and everything else is average for that year of a boat, whats something like that worth. im only going to go through with it if i know 100% theres nothing wrong with it

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

as we have said multiple times.... UP TO maybe $3000

I'm gonna venture an educated guess based on this "got it on trade" business,the interior being "not perfect but not bad" and him being willing to trade for a low dollar bike and a low dollar gun that you have about a 1 in 10 chance of being worth over $2000, a 1 in 5 chance of being worth over $1000 and about a 1 in 2 chance of being worth over $300.

I have looked at lots and lots of old boats and I can usually find rot or very serious mechanical problems within a couple minutes even on boats that look pretty good.

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Smoke's giving you great info!

My $.02...

Personally, I wouldn't worry as much about what the boat is worth, I think that takes away from what it's worth too you?! If all the items smoke and others have mentioned 'check out' then the only question is, would I rather have a boat than a dirt bike and shot gun? Value is often subjective (if not always). That boat's not worth $.01 too me? I have zero interest in owning a mid 80's cuddy-cabin...not to say it's not a decent boat (if in good condition) that's just to say in my subjective discretion I wouldn't buy it!

So unless you're looking to make a quick buck, do your due diligence (as suggested above) and make the trade. If you choose to make the trade and and don't do your due diligence, then I guess that's the price of the education you're in for after the deal's done?!

Welcome to iboats.

~Brett

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

...I'm only going to go through with it if I know 100% there's nothing wrong with it

I find that statement darkly hilarious. There is absolutely no such thing as a boat of ANY vintage, that is going to be in 100% perfect condition! The exception are the boats which have been painstakingly restored to better than factory new condition like some found on this site. Those boats are priceless to their respective owners.

You are glutton for punishment if you believe that with your admitted inexperience, you are going to be able to find any potential problems with this or any used boat. I am not trying to discourage you, because I believe that everybody has to start somewhere; but the saying "If you have to ask, you can't afford it" applies here. The absolute fact of the matter is; even if you pay $100 cash for the boat...there is still the potential for spending thousands of dollars on immediate repairs, annual maintenance, upgrades, storage, water toys and fuel. So, the real question is not "Is this boat worth X?" The question is, can you afford to be a boater?

Take the advice and suggestions of the very smart and experienced folks here to heart. We wish you the best of luck.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

its a BOAT. which stands for Break Out Another Thousand. accept the fact it is probably rotten with a cracked block and bad interior and needs a complete restoration costing you about $3000 to restore and hope for the best.

As smoke said, its value is based on the condition.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

Lots of good advice here. Basically, you have a boat that in the best of conditions is worth a few thousand $$$$. So, let's say $3K max.

The problem is with a maximum value that low, one significant thing wrong with the boat and it is worth $0. So, that is one factor . . .

. . . another factor is that the person selling it does not seem to want it, based on your description of the selling situation. Do they know something about the boat that is prompting them to sell it?

You will have to do a fairly detailed inspection of the boat and engine to determine if there is anything majorly wrong, and it sounds like it will be all unfamiliar territory. So, that is a challenge. Don't go on assumptions, because they often do not pan out.

Do you have any friends that know boats and can assist in assessing the condition of the boat???

 

[roscoe]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

If you are looking to flip it and make money, forget about it.

Thats what the seller is doing too, and he thinks he is getting a deal from you.

Everything on a boat costs big money.

A gearcase, or set of gears, cables, manifolds, risers, bellows, seals, floor, stringers, gauges, a block, fuel lines, fuel tank, sending unit, then theres tires, brakes, bearings.

You could stick 5 grand into it just to make it sea worthy. Then seats would be another grand.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

You haven't mentioned title. If your seller does not have clear title to the trailer and boat, in his hands now, no deal. Period. If he says "all you have to do is..." then run.

when you buy a used boat, in any condition for any price, the amount you pay is only a down payment. Expenses follow rapidly, even with a new one. So be sure you have cash ready NOW to get it in the water--allow at least $1000. And that's if htere are no "readily apparent" issues.

The lower the "down payment" (purchase price) the more you pay later.

Even a well-running boat will present problems that need money to fix constantly.

If he says there are minor problems but "all you have to do is..." then run unless you are an experienced old boat owner.

Since you clearly have no boat experience you need a sea trial with an experienced boater on board. Can you do that now up there? And along those lines, what's it's winterization status and have you had freezing weather yet?

Price your fixed costs now:
storage (or verify that you can legally keep it at home--many cities you can't)
license and initial tax on trailer
license and initial tax on boat
Insurance on both (yes, you have to have liability insurance)
Annual taxes on both
And your start-up:
lower unit and water pump work
a tank of gas
all USCG safety gear
anchor and 150' of line
battery, maybe two
cover

 

[dmscarp]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

I think the lesson here is inspect it and then having the will to accept what you missed. I have 15yrs experience in boat building and thought I would find just a few soft spots on the floor of a searay..here is what I found....again listen to the good advise here....

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: I need your opinion ASAP!!! (buying a boat)

He just might take $100 cash.