I bought another one! - looking for some input

[garbubba]

Saw an ad that I couldn't refuse, y'all know what I mean. V20 with a blown 'rude 225, tandem trailer, 45 minutes away & ... $700.

Called right away & was dragging it down Biloxi beach by lunch.

Now it's parked next to my '87!

Looking for some advice, I'm really just hoping to work this out so I have one good rig with a newer engine. My 94 mercury is a runner but I'd love to update it, or maybe repower the new boat, swap trailers(other is AL), & sell the old boat.

The engine has a hole in the case you could stick three big bubba fingers in (that musta been fun) Trim works, starter works, still has the VRO unit, foot looks good, AL prop. I have a guy that can fix it, is it worth it? # E225txcce

The trailer is a Majic Tilt like so many others, it has a sticker but no numbers left on it, anyone know the model #? It's a runner, very little rust, nice drop axles, broke the winch strap three times before I left the guys house! I lightened up my touch & tied a backup line. Good rollers, solid bunks, lights, jack, chains & all - this should get me money back with a little extra if I want, right?

The boat has had a few lives, but two tubs in the back!, all the hatches, no cracks, it seems even more solid than my '87. nice console, gauges all there & light up, lights work, bilge pumps work, good battery.... The hull has some pretty good chips & has been bottom painted. Do most guys just sand & paint or do y'all go back to gel?

I needed this like a hole in my head, I just finished a little wooden skiff & fished in it yesterday for the first time!! :-)

I'd like to blame you guys & this website, but after 25 years my wife ignores excuses!

Looking for some input please y'all.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Unfortunately the windowed block isn't that uncommon. The reeds are prone to breaking, going back, and the rod hits them and pushes them out the block leaving a nice opening. On the plus side, I have seen engines with a hole in the side come home RUNNING, be welded back up on the boat, new reeds installed, and go back out the nest weekend fishing. Due to this problem, I always replace the reeds with fiber reeds. When they break, they chew up and go through the engine without doing severe damage. Pull the intake off, fish out the broken pieces, replace the reeds, and your back going again. As for is it worth fixing, that depends on alot of things. Personally, I would part it out and not worry about getting your money back. The lower unit should be worth $200-300, a good aluminum prop $50, power packs go for $50-75 used, and a good set of 225 carbs with jets will fetch $250 on Ebay or scream and fly normally. If the trim and tilt is good they can be worth $100-250 depending on how clean they are, and I'm sure you can get a few hundred more for the rest. I believe that is also a desireable intake for the high HP builders. If you part it out, try scream and fly as there is alot of guys over there still playing with white engines that haven't all gone to the dark side.

[garbubba]

Thanks Ferm,

I was thinking of parting it or selling it off whole & let someone else do some of the work. Nice to hear prices.

[Coz]

"Called right away & was dragging it down Biloxi beach by lunch."

Biloxi! We are in Waveland fairly often. Not too far from you.

[garbubba]

Used to live in Waveland, until about 9 years ago. Worked in LaCombe, LA back in those days.

[bradford]

Good deal. You can make your money back plus some just on the trailer. Believe it or not I've found you can sell an empty trailer easier and for more than one with a hull on it. Keep in mind trying to get rid of a 20 ft hull with no trailer is next to impossible, so don't sell the trailer out from under it unless you plan on keeping it. I've also found that for me dealing with the bottom of the barrel in the used/project boat market I sometimes prefer to sell a boat that isn't running. When you sell one that runs but still needs a lot of work you get all the dreamers and weekend warriors with no money or boat experience who want get a cheap boat to use the next weekend with all their family and friends aboard. They will want to take it out and test drive it which opens you up for other problems going wrong which means cost to you. If you're mechanically inclined do like Ferm says, fix up the engine good enough to run, take off/swap any parts you may need or want for your V20, switch trailers, and put her back out there while a little bit of summer is left. Keep in mind, for me the best time to sell is between Easter and the 4th of July, so play it by ear. Parting out the engine can be profitable, but sometimes is better to sell the engine whole and deal with one guy vs answer 30 different calls for 30 different people about all your parts asking you a bunch of questions and low balling you. I usually set my prices more than fair with still a little wiggle room for me, and still people want you to GIVE them the stuff. You can always just keep it and have it for added yard decoration and if you or anyone here ever needs a hatch cover, railing, wind sheild, etc. you'll be The Man! Sounds like your Old Lady will be understanding.

Welcome to the Multiple V Hull Owners Club. Go ahead, you can blame it on us.

[garbubba]

Thanks Bradford, I'll let you know how "yard art" works with the wife.

[SkunkBoat]

looks like an 84, which is the best year!

[garbubba]

Guy advertised it as an 84, but turns out it's a 1983. It is nearly identical to my 1987 sitting next to it, other than the red stripes. The rod boxes are bigger in the 1983 & look to be made of different plastic. The '87 has a seat & cushion over the live well with an attached drain, the '83 has a similar setup but the box is loose with tie-downs & no drain.

Went through the boat pretty well today, everything checks out fine, needs a scupper & hose replaced, the cabin door fell off, the glovebox needs rebuilt (been there before on all three!)
Bow rails are AL, with stainless fittings, is that normal?, the '87 is all stainless.

Bimini is shot, frame may be OK. Fish finder screen is sunburned.

One weird thing, went to pull the goofy anchor (oysters growing on it, 18 inch chain & 20 feet of rode!) & the hawse pipe just goes through the deck & not the shelf beneath into the rope locker!? The line piled up on the shelf! Seems it would flood the cuddy when you hauled anchor (if you had any line on it).

Easy fixes mostly & years ago a hurricane delivered an anchor,chain & rode to me that's been sitting around :-)

[garbubba]

I'm selling whole or parting out the motor & plan to spend the proceeds fixing up a few things on the hull & then mounting my '94 Mercury 200 on it & then put it up for sale (after a few trips offshore).

It's at Classifieds - "Blown 225 Evinrude"

Already got new canvas & cover for the bimini on the cheap!

Have a source for a boarding platform.

& maybe another pedestal seat, I took that seat box out today & I like it!

Took out about 100 stray screws & abandoned gadgets today too. Pulling the tank cover next, just to make sure.