New member, looking at a V20

Normspeed · #1 07-11-2013, 01:58 PM

I'm new to this forum but been boating all my life. I've owned quite a few boats from 8 to 23 feet and used the heck out of every one of them. Currently I have a 1958 Glasspar delMar and a 12' sea nymph.

I'm looking at a V20 for sale in a storage yard. So far I haven't been able to hook up with the owner but the boatyard guy has filled me in on some details. It has the Chevy 6 and Mercruiser drive. Also the motor is FWC and appears to be very clean, and filled with coolant, not just water. Not sure yet what year the rig is. It's been up for sale quite a while and current price is $2850 obo. The yard guy showed me 2 receipts from recent years where the owner spent more than that in maintenance. I believe the owner kept the boat well maintained. I'm set for a test ride next week.

I've been reading some posts here and I note that bad stringers are fairly common on V20s. I see I should check the engine compartment for soft stringers, and look inside the floor compartments for the same. I could use any other suggestions on likely problem areas in this model. And, was there ever a year model where Wellcraft went to fiberglass stringers to avoid the rot?

I'll attach a photo of the boat. It came from California and likely had salt water use there but there is no obvious corrosion other than a little on the Mercruiser anode. I suspect the owner retired here to New Mexico, and although it's stored near a large lake, 3 years of drought have drawn the lake down low and boat sales have sorta collapsed for now. I'm on the fence about going for it, but it's a great looking boat, I want something larger than my current boats, and heck the drought won't last forever and this may be a good time to buy. If I go for it, this one will live the easy life in fresh water, here in NM and at the Colorado River.

Any opinions, suggestions or advice welcomed. Great forum!

reelapeelin · #2 07-12-2013, 02:47 PM

Norm it's definately a 70's model...so somewhere between '70 and '77...seems if it ever spent a lot of time around saltwater, the trailer would be in much worse shape than it is, cuz it looks like painted steel rather than galvanized or alum...as for the stringers, yeah you should check 'em out, but if they're bad, it's more due to it being a possibly 40 yr old boat than the fact that it's a V20, if ya see what I mean...look just below the rubrail to the right of the outdrive...the last two numbers in the long serial you'll find there are the year model...

Definately find the bellows and make sure they are leak free and no cracks...bad bellows will sink one...check the foot oil for excessive shavings and burnt oil...looks in pretty good shape...when you wet test, check out your bilge pump, steering and all accessories...go talk to the tech that did all that work according to the bills you mentioned...and make damn sure the engine compartment blowers work as designed and that you evacuate the engine compartment EVERYTIME BEFORE you start the motor or one day you may go BOOM!...

Normspeed · #3 07-13-2013, 10:30 AM

Thanks for all that. On the bilge blower, I'm one of those who always opens the engine box and sniffs for gas fumes too. The boat seems real sound, has fresh seating, although that bimini top is pretty seedy. There's a number of semi-repaired chips in the gel coat up near the bow, just above the rub rail. Nothing awful. I think they're from hauling in an anchor/chain. There's an anchor roller installed up there now.

I believe it comes with a depth finder and a VHF, although VHF use in my area is zip.

I've owned OMC drives but never a Mercruiser. Would you know, is the one in the picture an Alpha one? I understand the bellows are an important item, and also read here that the internal boot in the outdrive is another. The drive seems to be tilted up but not all that far. If this is one of those where you have a tilt position and also a trailering position I'll need to make sure that works.

Anyway, thanks for the info. If the weather holds up, I'll go for a ride next week and then check the bilge for water, as well as checking drive oil, stringers, transom, bellows, maybe compression check, and tilt mechanism. We're starting our monsoon season here, when we normally get a lot of rain from the south. We need the rain but it could delay the test run.
Norm

Destroyer · #4 07-13-2013, 12:33 PM

Hi Norm, Welcome to the site. Everything that Reel said x2. Also make sure the wheel bearings on the trailer have greese in them. Nothing spoils a trip faster than a blown wheel. It's a good looking boat for sure. A couple of pics of the interior would be appreciated. And yes, as far as looks go, the V20 is a classic that ranks right up there with Chris Craft and a few others. Plus you'll be amazed at how well they ride. Timeless design plus great looks are a very reasonable price. Enjoy

Normspeed · #5 07-20-2013, 10:13 AM

Update...I decided not to go for the V20. It's a beautiful boat, but just a bit too large for local use and also a bit large for my tow vehicle (1986 Bronco with 302 and 160,000 miles). Even when the drought ends here, there are really only a couple of lakes large enough within practical driving distance from me. For longer trips, Havasu is a good bet but several hundred miles of desert between me and Havasu. I fell in love with this boat and I think it's a good deal for the price. If I still lived in Florida I'd be on this one like a dog on a bone, but this is what happens when a lifetime boater moves to the desert. Should'a guessed that would happen.

Thanks to you guys for the good advice, good luck and have fun with your Wellcrafts.