Need some advice?

[AdamQ]

New to boating period.. And new here.

Looking to trade for a '79 V20 with a '94 Evinrude 150. Don't know a lot about boats. It seems to be in decent shape. My investment is pretty minimal. Can you guys offer some advise? What to look for. I am going to go look at it here very shortly. Maybe what a boat in this condition is roughly worth.


TIA..

[THEFERMANATOR]

Thats not a 94 150. Omc switched to all loop charged engines for v6's by 91 and thats a cross flow engine, so it's 90 or older.

[AdamQ]

Hmm ok, so it's older than he says. Strike 1.

Are they reliable?

[SkunkBoat]

Illinois ,so fresh water boat...if it didn't come from Florida... trailered boat... no bottom paint, 3 big pluses. any motor more than 6 years old is a roll of the dice...more than 20 a writeoff. it will run until it doesn't.

Check transom,deck and stringers for softness.

I think old enough to not have foamed in fuel tank. good . might have saddle tanks??

Old trailers can need more part$ than a new trailer but fresh water so maybe ok.Trailer looks newer than boat.
check for rusted springs,axles, BRAKES, hubs, LIGHTS. Try turning some lugs with a wrench. That will tell you alot.

Pix look good.

[3 Squids]

One of my old V's had an '88 150 cross flow and it was an absolute beast. If you can get your hands on a compression tester that'll give you some insight of how the inside of the motor looks. I believe those old cross flows are good with 85+psi. If you could tap on the transom with a hammer to hear for moisture that'd be a good thing to do, just hard to hear it if you have never done it. I just recently got showed how to check it and I'm still unsure I'd get it right. More or less just tap around and listen for different tones. And echoed sound is good whereas a muffled tap is moisture.

Seems like a beautiful boat just depends on what kind of money you'd have in it just in case you did have to do a transom, or repower.

[AdamQ]

Ok, brought the boat home. Needs some TLC. Sat out without a cover for a while. I was able to hear it run. He had the adapter to hook a garden hose to the lower unit. Sounded good. Couldn't really get on it. But, it fired right up. The trailer is titled as a '90 (homemade) EZ-Loader. Tires are ehh, may need to be replaced soon.

I have about 900 invested. Traded some items that were just collecting dust. It was an even trade, but that was the best cash offer i had for the items that were traded..

Here are a few more pictures.
Couple spots that worry me. Transom seems "soft". Granted its a heavy motor attached to fiberglass(?). Maybe a little give is normal, IDK.. Noticed the aluminum had a crack in it and some oxidation?? What does a transom usually run, ballpark? If it ended does need to be done.






And the keel,hull area. Seems a bit beat up. I hope this isn't as bad it it looks to me? Like rusted out strut towers on a car. Little outsude of my comfort zone..