Is it worth fixing up this f'glass boat?

[jim_bream]

Gidday all,
picked this boat up for free (yup, in the W'end Shopper - GIVEAWAY!!) Well $80 for a flatbed from Thorneside to Chermside. As you can see the floor is in need of new timber and fibreglass, controls, engine needs a service (prop still turns and feels like decent compression, I hope a service is all that is needed) and finally a trailer. Non essential stuff like lights and seats and steering wheels can come later.
So:
(1) Does anyone know an 'honest' outboard mechanic, I just want an idea on how much I'm gonna outlay. Dont' want to be fed bulldust and sold stuff I don't need/ can't afford. If I wanna get f*#ked I'll go to the Valley on a Sat night...
(2) Do ya reckon I could get away with it for less than $1500- the whole shooting match: materials, engine service + controls & steering and trailer.
I just need to know how much it'll cost to get her water-ready. I realise it's liking asking how long is a piece of string- but if anyone has been through this or could impart some handy info I'd be very grateful.
14' Bertram Carribbean.
Thanks and tigth lines!
Jim

[jim_bream]

Here she is....
man, I'm beginning to wonder if the tree is n't the only things dropping lemons in my garden!!!
There are steering cables & bits, I just dunno if they're cactus or not, need a new fuel line (have 25ltr fuel tank- HAD FEUL IN IT!! ha ha haha back from the good old days of 75c a litre...) Might chop the front off the trailer (tilt trailer) and sell for sundry cash to reinvest into the boat. Rest of the trailer is more rusty than the Tangalooma wreck!
Anyone know a trailer welder bloke?

Partial to slabs of beer?

[jim_bream]

Engine is an OLD Mercury 402.

[Spaniard_King]

Jim,


your budget of $1500 will blow out significantly unless you do all the work yourself. You will be hard lucked finding someone willing to work on that outboard due to its vintage. Sorry but thats my opinion.

[blaze]

I would say yes BUT
Idont think your budget of $1500 will do the job, on the plus side you can rebuild as money comes to hand and will end up with a boat that you may not had, had you not done it.
cheers
blaze

[jim_bream]

Thanks for the honest words, appreciate straight shooters! Well thinking about it in the shed a minute ago I realised that there are two of us (me and a mate) and we can work as funds become available.
And yes, most of the work would be done by ourselves- apart from that which is necessary of professional to oversee. Will let you know how I go, might need another lotto ticket next week....

[BM]

Got any close ups of the engine for me? External, internal. Thanks

[MEGA'bite]

will take up a lot of your time hope you dont have a girlfriend cause you mite not after spending all your time on the boat, we all know what there like. i have done a simalar job before on a steber craft. take the top off the( blue section ) and the motor. Do the transom at the same time as the floor. need any tips pm me. cheers Adz.

[finding_time]

For a boat it would make a good artifical reef in the bay somewhere!! But if you restore it nicely i'm sure there would be a great deal of pride when you take it for it's initial trip!

[finga]

Any overall pictures of the outside??

[disorderly]

For a boat it would make a good artifical reef in the bay somewhere!! But if you restore it nicely i'm sure there would be a great deal of pride when you take it for it's initial trip!

I think finding time is taking the p!ss here but he is right.The novelty of rebuilding it may wear thin once the initial exuberance wears off.
By the time you factor in all the glassing,electrical wiring ,sounder ,gps, maybe a another motor and controls,seats and trailer plus the inevitable other stuff that will be required,then maybe you will understand why it was a giveaway boat.
A 14 ft glass boat is not going to be worth much even once restored.
If you are going to all the trouble of rebuilding a boat I'd do the research and make sure it was a model that was worth something in the end.
Just my opinion though!!

Scott

[Horse]

You would have to evaluate what the finished product will be like. Will it be a boat that you would choose to fish from in the long term? My brothers and myself did a similar project on a 17ft centre console. We did all the work ourselves and it came out much more than $1500 but we have the boat we wanted

Cheers

Neil

[shano]

Anyone know a trailer welder bloke?

yeah i know a good one
but for a boat trailer you will want it to be hot dip galvanised and that alone will cost about$380 and that is my price (cost)! so then add the cost of metal ,labour it all very soon adds up!

[blaze]

dont agree that an older trailer needs hot dipping, would be nice though. IMO an old trailer can be fixed up and then coated with cold galv, it just requires more maintance long term with the brush but will last for years.
cheers
blaze

[finga]

Just buy a second handy.
If your patient a good one pops up every now again for next to nothing.
The one for the 5m Bertie cost a whole $200...and no rust. It was actually for a 6m boat but I got the cutoff wheel going and chopped some off the front.
The one for the tiny tinny cost $300 with 9 months rego and still no rust...just tiny wheels that were changed ASAP. All up $500 with new tyres and all.