Trying to help Grandpa!

[Pony]

My Grandpa is really big into fishing, but he no longer uses his boat. Now if we go we use my boat, or if he goes with my uncle he uses my uncle's boat. He probably hasn't used his boat in 2 or 3 years and now he is thinking about selling it.

I am going to help him, but I want him to get the best deal possible. Its a 1960's 14ft Alumacraft that doesn't leak and is in really good shape. It has a 1980's trailer that has new bunks, bearings, bearing buddies and brand new wheels and tires. It has some rust spots but is in good shape. The motor is a 1964 18hp Evinrude. It is very clean on the inside and runs well. The outside shows its age pretty well.

Here is the question. Would it be worthwhile for me to fix/paint the motor and refinish the trailer so that he could get some more $ ? I could do the trailer with just a wire brush and some paint. The motor wouldn't be bad as I still have some stuff left over from my 62' Fisherman restoration. Here is a pic of his motor on my boat....

I could redo it to showroom condition like I did the one below for probably less than $25 to 30.

I don't mind putting in the labor to get him some extra money, I am just trying to ballpark what the return would be.

The prices around here are all over the place, but I was thinking of putting it at $1500 (boat, motor, trailer, 3 seats w/ swivels, locator and anchors) before doing any of the cosmetic stuff.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Pony, i would rather buy an unpainted motor, the reason, it looks like someone is trying to cover up something. same with trailer. that is a fantastic set up. have every thing working. the carbs adjusted per Joe Reeves adjustments in the faq forum. be ready to give a test run. my area now is $1,000-$1200.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Yep sounds like a sweet rig for the lakes, and you're in lake country. Check the aomci website, www.aomci.org, and see if the WI chapters or any others nearby are having a swap meet soon. If not, you can list it in their free classifieds and here on Iboats, too. I'd buy it for the price your asking if I needed a nice fishing rig. Might clean, degrease everything and do a bare bones service on the trailer at the very least. Nice job on the Evinrude restoration.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Pony, the market is in the tank this summer.
There is a lot of pressure driving the prices downward on boats like this.
So many buyers have been eliminated from the market.
Boats that sold for $3000 last year, are selling for $1500 this year.

I think you may have a hard time getting $1200 this year.

Take some time to review what is on craigslist, and what has recently sold on ebay.

IMO - restoring the motor will add minimal resale value in the current market.

But it may help for next year.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

I absolutely agree with TD. There are many people who paint motors and trailers just to make them look better, without attending to the mechanical aspects of the item. Beyond that, your grandfather's motor really doesn't look that bad. I would just clean it up, take a few nice photos and place an ad in your local paper and/or online sites like Craigslist.

I also think that the amount of work and money that you would put into painting the motor and trailer properly, would not result in enough of a possible price increase to justify the effort.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Around this area though, that boat would be jumped on for 1500 bucks. You should see the crap being sold for 1000 and 1200.

 

[Pony]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

I have been browsing craigslist for about a week now. Its really tough to gauge what things are going for........I have seen people asking anywhere from $650 to $3000 for pretty much this same set up. I paid $1600 for mine 3 years ago when the market was good.......I think maybe the guy I bought it from had no idea what he was selling.

I am going over there tomorrow to take some pictures.....

Part of me really wants to buy it myself. I know I have a very similar set up already, but I have fished out of his my entire life. My mom fished out of it growing up too.

 

[cordell]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Here is a set up from Sacramento CA

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/boa/736878755.html

 

[Pony]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Yep sounds like a sweet rig for the lakes, and you're in lake country. Check the aomci website, www.aomci.org, and see if the WI chapters or any others nearby are having a swap meet soon. If not, you can list it in their free classifieds and here on Iboats, too. I'd buy it for the price your asking if I needed a nice fishing rig. Might clean, degrease everything and do a bare bones service on the trailer at the very least. Nice job on the Evinrude restoration.

Thanks tmcalavy, I actually got pretty in depth with that motor. I sort of did it backwards though......I restored the outside, and then completely disassembled it and rebuilt it. Now its just as purdy inside as it is outside.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Well if your Mom and you and other family members fished out of it growing up, get a couple of cousins together and buy it from gramps. That's a family heirloom...specially if you have any tadpoles of your own coming up close to fishing age.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Were it me, I'd buy that boat from your grandfather and sell mine, if I had a similar one. Lots of memories are worth a lot to you and nothing to others.

I'm in the MSP metro. Your nice boat would sell here for about $1200 if the engine ran perfectly. Lots of people are asking a bit more more on Craigs List, but they're taking less.

The market, though, for 14' fishing boats is growing, and boats in that category are selling well. Lotsa guys are buying them so they don't have to spend all that money just to go fishing on their local lake with their big bass boat.

Last time I went out to a 1200 acre lake on a weekday, I saw a bunch of small boats and only two big ones. I talked to a couple of guys, and they had just bought them, while keeping their larger boats for bigger waters.

 

[Pony]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

I wouldn't mind buying it from him, just not sure where I would put it. I couldn't possibly sell the one I have now. I have put way to much work into it, and it has more sentimental value than my Grandpa's. My dad and I bought that bought the day he was diagnosed with cancer. Literally on the way home from the hospital we saw that boat and bought it with the intentions of spending more time together. We cherish every trip with that thing.

If it were up to him my Grandpa would keep it, but I think my Grandma wants him to sell it. Who knows, maybe I will pony up and buy it. He will probably wait till next year anyways......the market here near Milwaukee is flooded with 14fters.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Were it me, I'd buy that boat from your grandfather and sell mine, if I had a similar one. Lots of memories are worth a lot to you and nothing to others.

I'm in the MSP metro. Your nice boat would sell here for about $1200 if the engine ran perfectly. Lots of people are asking a bit more more on Craigs List, but they're taking less.

The market, though, for 14' fishing boats is growing, and boats in that category are selling well. Lotsa guys are buying them so they don't have to spend all that money just to go fishing on their local lake with their big bass boat.

Last time I went out to a 1200 acre lake on a weekday, I saw a bunch of small boats and only two big ones. I talked to a couple of guys, and they had just bought them, while keeping their larger boats for bigger waters.

I just snagged my 14' Alumacraft for that reason. My friend has a big boat and I wanted a small simple and cheap boat to drop in all the small metro lakes. the one I bought was $750 for boat, trailer and motor. I snapped it up on the spot. I hook it up and drop it in myself and I can fish all day on a half gallon of gas.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

Yeah. I got rid of my larger boat in favor of the 12' tinny. The largest lake I go on is White Bear, and that only on calm days. I spend most of my time on Bald Eagle, but do visit other lakes.

Maybe we'll run into each other one day. Look for this boat, carrying a white-haired old geezer:

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

no doubt. If you see a skinny guy with too many tattoo's in a boat named "Malpa Morska" (thats sea Monkey in Polish) thats me.

but back on topic. Im more impressed with the mechanicals and a general cleanup of the boat. fresh paint, wiring, lights and bearings on the trailer, fresh service on the outboard, etc. I really dont like to see obvious attempts at "making pretty" you can always tell a well maintained boat over one freshly fixed up one

 

[Fu-Inator]

Re: Trying to help Grandpa!

I'm with the "keep it in the family" crowd. That boat has been in your family for 40+ years, lots of history there. When I told my mom I was getting a boat, she mentioned a boat that we had before I was even born. Even after my parents were divorced for years and my father now passed away, she talked for 45 min about memories and how they should have kept it.

Just a thought. Either way, great job on the engine work and good luck!