TOPIC: New Guy, "new" boat.... what have I done???

HI all, my name is Tom, I've occasionally lurked the forum for awhile because i'm a fan of all things mid-century. Also I live in Michigan, and we obviously have lots of lakes. I've always kept the idea in the back of my head that I wanted a fiberglassic someday, way down the road...
Well, there was this estate auction today... I couldn't leave without this-

Untitled by xtombx , on Flickr

Best I can tell its a '58 or '59 Fleetform Commodore.
Pretty complete, even came with the trailer and Evinrude Lark motor
(that needs some love too)

Im embarrassed to admit what I paid for it, is there some sort of price guide for these things?

Nice looking boat and there is no price guide! Personally, I've paid anywhere from free to $700 for a "glassic". It's all in what you feel its worth to you.

Welcome aboard Tom, and congrats on the nice find! Everybody has their own opinion on the price range they're comfortable with, and there are so many variables to take into consideration as well. A complete package, (boat motor and trailer) in decent (somewhere between usable and restore-able) condition with all the hardware present, I usually figure around $500 unless it's something really rare.? Just my opinion, I'm sure others have their own ideas....

Looks like a nice candidate for a restoration... That lark is a great little motor, too.

What is it worth? What you paid for it! Hopefully, you didn't buy it for an investment- But if you are happy with the boat, and the price, then you paid exactly what you should have...

-Andrew

welcome xTomBx, i have a fleetform also and i have owned it 3 times, so iam not going to say what i have into it. lol . i just have to get off my butt and get it done before some one wants it more than i do. they are nice riding boats, i grew up with a friend that had one on the same lake that my folks had a resort on. i guess that is why i wanted one. mine was red and white, and his was black and white, like yours. iam planing to do mine black on white, i just packed all my boats and motors away for the winter, so it will be next spring when i start again. here are acouple pic's i took today on the way to the shed. frog here is a pic of my weather vane.

Welcome aboard, like the man said it's worth what you paid for it. If you plan on fixin' it up for yourself it's still worth the same price. The Lark is an easy motor to work on and parts are still availablle at dealers so you won't have to go searching.

Nice pick!

Hi, a bit off the subject. I've been adding pictures to my new thread, and none are on hear. What am I doing wrong. BTW, Yes sometimes I buy things and pay what they are worth to me. If it makes me feel good.

xTomBx,
Welcom aboard, good to have you here. Very nice looking project and great motor on the back too! Those old rudes run strong and are practically bullet proof. Great find. As far as price goes, who cares as long as your happy with it!

Bob

Tom, nice boat. There are a lot of things that figure in to the price of a glassic. Condition, completeness, rarity, desire and location are just a few. I recently paid $700 for my 59 Glastron hardtop, without motor and trailer. Why? when I first got into this sport, the boat I really wanted was a 1950s Glastron; desire figured in. Rarity; glassics are hard to find, at least in this region, and ones with hardtops are extremely rare. I probably would not have bought it if it didn't have the hardtop. Also, CT is an expensive state; we expect to pay more for things (even though we don't admit to it).

That being said, I paid $3K for my Custom Craft barn find and don't regret that for a minute.

Good luck with you boat. Looks like a good one.

Morning xTomBx,

I have always been of the opinion that some things are worth the money just because they make you happy. Your boat has great lines and looks pretty complete. Since the boat had the trailer and motor as part of the deal, you probably made a good buy - even if she needs a bit of work.

If you'd like to share what you paid, thta would be cool, but not necessary. We've all probably paid more than someone else would have for something but, again, its all about what makes us each happy.

Good luck with your new boat. This site has a some terrific people who are always willing to share ideas and insight.

xTomBx,

WELCOME & NICE rig.

fwiw, that old BIG TWIN is "the cat's PJs".

check with your local NAPA Auto Parts store for MOST of the parts by SIERRA.
(Sierra stuff is good quality & much less expensive than buying it from a marine dealer.)

it has been my experience that a BIG TWIN will esentially run forever with new coils/points/plugs/wires, a carb kit, a new water pump impeller & an electric fuel pump.
(as an example, the FIRST johnnyrude that i ever owned in 1960, a 1955 Evinrude long-foot 35HP, is STILL in use! - i've tried to buy it back, several times, with NO luck.)

yours, satx

welcome tom,very cool boat,you got what you paid for,and thats great,its the fun restoring it and running it that makes it all worth it,john

So xTomBx, you're killin" us!!! I paid a grand! What did you pay?!?

Just kidding. You don't have to tell us a damn thing. But you DO have to post pix with you restoration. Like everyone else here says that if it makes you feel good then you done right pricewise. Good Luck.
Shipster

I paid a hundred bucks...




In hindsight I probably could have gone lower, there were no other bidders biting.
Oh well, like has been pointed out i'm happy and that all that matters.
It was last registered in '77 and has been sitting in the woods since. Im thinking the nose was up because there is surprisingly little rot. Its quite solid really.
If you click on the picture I posted first, you can see some other shots of it on my flickr album.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Welcome....and at $100 a great find!

heck you got a great deal,great find,john

That's an excellent price!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

So, this being my FIRST venture into the classic boat world and being of limited means, what will be my best course of action to get this thing water-worthy. What should I do, what should I look for?

I'm really out of my element here!

It depends on how far YOU want to take it.

As a bare minimum, You need to check the transom, floor, and stringers to make sure that they are solid still and not rotten... Grab that motor- And give it a good, HARD shake... there should be NO flex or movement in the transom whatsoever...

The floors should be good and solid under your feet... Even a little flex is indicative of rot... The stringers are trickier, since they are 'hidden' under the deck. If the transom and floor check out OK, then you might be lucky on the stringers.

Then, you can decide how far you want to go as far as finishes, original hardware, etc...

-Andrew

the transom on these fleetforms are not hard to replace if needed, as they are only about 14 inches wide and 16 inches high. the 2 stringers are 1x4s and do not have a floor on top, they have fiberglass panels that screw to the stringers, no moulded in floor to remove. the top of the boat is glassed to the bottom so it would be alot of work to remove, and not needed as there is no sub floor.as far as checking out the stringers just drill a shallow hole and see how the wood shavings look, if ok just fill the holes with epoxy. they are a very well built boat, i do not think you should fix it up, just keep the motor and trailer and sell me the rest. lol. just kidding , it will turn out to be a fun boat for you. they are rated for a 45 hp motor, i am putting a 50 hp merc on mine, but rudes are a great motor also. keep posting pic's as you work on it, as that may put a fire under my feet. and i'll get something done on mine. frog

Welcome, Tom...great find and an even greater price! My advice (keeping in mind that it's worth twice what you're paying for it) would be to replace the stringers and decking. Any boat that has been sitting in the woods since 1977 needs both and besides, nobody likes a guy who owns boat with a mushy floor. You would be shunned at classic boating events and nobody would offer you a cold beer. The transom may need replacement also. An ice pick should tell you what you need to know. Bottom line: Boats that do not need restoring are not fun. You now have a legitimate excuse to buy more tools, wear sloppy clothes and cuss. Enjoy the hobby!

So, my next round of questions-

I've figured out that the motor is a '60. Does it stand to reason that the boat is a '60 also?
Is there a way for me to figure out its year (I don't have a title, unfortunately)

Not having a title, is it going to be a HUGE hassle getting it legal?

Next, motor question-
Im pretty sure its seized, any resources for me to check out the rebuilding of these things?

It's not uncommon for the boat and motor (originally) to be of a one year difference, maybe even two. I believe many times the dealership selling the boat initially didn't rig the motor until the boat was sold, to suit the owners preference. It's my understanding that the previous year's "leftovers" could often be had at a cheaper price, I know that was the case with my Cutter as I bought it from the original owner. Joe Poole (Jr.) or one of the other dealership guys could probably confirm this.

Getting the boat registered varies from state to state, I see that you are from Michigan? Most states don't require a title, but will accept a notarized bill of sale. We have several members here who can help out with advise on that subject.

There are several sources for repair manuals, Andgott even has some available for downloading from his site! I would advise getting one and begin posting in the JEGO forum for help, great bunch of knowledgeable mechanics hanging around here ready to help at the request. Also some great threads there from folks who have already been down that road, maybe somebody can point you in the right direction.

HTH

Wow. $100 The scrap value of the trailer is probably close to that!

Great find.

If you're in the UP, Wisconsin is an easy reg, Less than 16' you don't need a title. Bill of sale and you get a plastic registration card.

Keep in mind that unlike a car, which you must register where you live, a boat is registered where you are going to use it.

So, you are perfectly within your rights to register it in Wisconson. if you later decide you want to use it in Michigan, simply take your wi registration to mi, tell them you're now using it there and need to register it there.

In fact, after using a boat in a state for a set time, 60 days for most, they require you to re-register it there. It could be a hassle to someone who travels a lot to follow the letter of the law, but sometimes it can work to your advantage.

So, get it registered where you can meet the requirements, then you can move elsewhere. If Wi is easy, go for it.