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hey everybody,
i am thinking about buying an 87 comp. i want the boat really bad, but i am concerned about buying an older used boat. I have read concerns about motor mounts and stringers. What are stringers?
I plan on test driving it this weekend. Any tips on what i should look for? / listen for? / be aware of?
Your insight is greatly appreciated
Hi,
Stringers are the long structures that support the boat. When they rot out they are tough to replace. They are what the engine is bolted to.
A few questions/comments:
What are you going to be using the boat for?
Do you know the history? Where was it kept?
How was the motor/tranny maintained? Receipts? Proof?
Check everywhere on the floor for soft spots
If you want to post it - what is the price?
How is the vinyl?
Is the ski locker door soft?
How much water leaks in the boat? Can you identify sources? Some are easy to fix. Some not so easy.
Email [email protected] when you respond so I know to see it.
i plan on using the boat for skiing/wakeboarding/tubing, and for general cruising on the lake. I am buying the boat from a friend. He took decent care of it, but it was sometimes stored outside. My friend bought it used about 5 years ago. There has been some trouble with the boat in the past, but most could have been an easy fix if we knew what we were doing. The boat was not winterized correctly one year, and the block was cracked. The 351 was rebilt 1 year ago. My friend totally rebuilt the floor with new wood and carpet, which seems to be in pretty good condition. the vinly is all pretty decent with the exception of the rear deck lid. This piece is missing and will have to be built. The ski locker door is fine. The boat does leak a little. I think it is coming from the shaft housing while the shaft is spinning. I ran it on the lake last weekend and it ran great. It always started right up, idled great and sounded awesome. The prop has a few dings and dents in it, but not too bad.
I don't really want to say the price. What do you think the value of this boat is?
NADA Guides are available at no cost at www.boats.com;
unfortunately, they only go back to 1989. NADA says that an '89 Comp with trailer, average retail, is about 8K. I sold my 89 Conbrio (PCM 351) last year (tandem axle trailer, 375 hours, pristine condition, no rot) for $9500. Given the issues you describe I'd be hard pressed to pay more than 5-6K for this boat. Call your insurance company or bank and see what they think it is worth. Good luck
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