help with comp decision

[blazerman]

I am going to buy a comp soon and am torn. Which would be better, a pre '92 wood boat in really good shape w/low hours or a later model classic/sts composite boat in so-so condition with 700 or so hours (still no salt) for the same money? I have found both but am leaning toward the composite just because of stringer issues but want to get opinions.

[Salty87]

well-maintained hours are nothing to be afraid of. bad stringers are. in fact, low hours can be bad. problems creep up when things sit too long. unused does not equal well-maintained.

[DAFF]

Composite all the way... You can do many repairs to a ugly composite for the price of a stringer job. Just make sure the STS is infact a true all composite boat. Some of these were the exception to the round windshield rule.

[blazerman]

Kind of the way I was thinking too. From what I am reading it isn't a question of "if" but "when" you have to do stringers in the older boats, correct?

The boat in question is a '97, as I understand it they were all composite by then. It does have the old school windshield shape that I like, is wood something I need to watch for in this year?

[DAFF]

No totally sure but I remeber something about wooden stringers in the newer comps of that era... I would find out 100% for sure before purchasing.

[blazerman]

Crap, I thought all of them after 93 were composite. How do I know, is it obvious? The boat is about 2 hours from me and I am going to try to check it out this weekend but don't know what exactly to look for visually.

[Jetlink]

My comp doesn't vibrate at all, loaded down or completely empty, no vibes, no resonating...

I wonder if your driveshaft is slightly bent.

I'm looking at this via my iPhone at the moment so I can't see signatures with boats/years but if your a newer boat as in not a classic vintage, you might have mufflers that deaden the sound. I know I don't and that is the reason at certain speeds my boat exhaust is just ridiculous in the boat. But it's only at that one speed regime and it literally started the moment I removed the Supertrapps and went to straight pipes with flappers.

Also, even a slight driveline issue would be noticeable at all speeds I would think.

[NorCalPR]

It's a 98, with flaps under the teak, 350 Indmar