Is it worth time and effort?

[TheLilTippy]

I'm looking at purchasing a 1987 17' Citation Caprice 175 with a Volvo aq131a and 275 outdrive. The boat was owned by an elderly couple and has not seen water since 2003. The boat " broke down" and it has sat in a heated garage since. The couple has passed and it's unknown what happened. I got the engine started, couldnt believe it. It smoked and spit black soot out of the exhaust. I. The bellows is ripped and will need replaced. Structure appears relatively solid. It ran, and ran well considering how long it sat. However one of the soft plugs on the bottom of the exhaust manifold had pushed out. Oil looks perfect. Coolant in reservoir looks good. I can see by residue and rust streaks, that when the plug pushed out, it did with some force. I'm thinking it may have overheated on them in 03? Should I be concerned? Its under 800 to buy.

 

[Scott Danforth]

first, welcome aboard

next, make sure there is a legal paper trail on the title/registration

next, its up to you if you want to buy it. the boat is coming up on 34 years of age, about double its original life expectancy. being a mid 80's boat, there are issues that would have popped up in the 90's leading to the "break down"

personally, if you buy it, you should anticipate that the hull needs a full restoration and you may need to sink a fair amount into the motor and drive.

expect to spend time grinding and about $3k out of your pocket for materials on the hull restoration, about $800 just in gaskets, and maintenance items, and if you need to dig deeper into the motor, expect another grand.

 

[TheLilTippy]

Thank you for the reply

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... Welcome Aboard,...... That motor is also obsolete, 'n parts are tough to find now a days,.....