1973 42ft- need some advice

[Big D]

Yep, I think you should be OK as long as you can still get reverse rotation cams resonably if it applies here. My thought was that you may have had Ford 427s but that would have been on earlier years and wouldn't have applied to Trojan that I know of unless it was a repower, not as easy to get parts now.

What make, Merc, Crusader?

[murray1886]

here's the scope on this boat. Besides the above mentioned problems and maybe needing the upper fiberglass buffed and a generator tune up, its all there and working. The current owner is kinda stuck, he already bought a new boat and the slip lease on this one is due. He told me he'd let her go for 10k. This sounds pretty good to me..... is it in the ball park? or am I looking at 20k in hull work.

[Torcan]

BTW murray1886

Bg D is probably one of the best people here to answer your questions, as he has a 1969 36 ft wood Trojan

pick his brain, most of us do

What year is the 42 your thinking of buying?

[murray1886]

Yep, I think you should be OK as long as you can still get reverse rotation cams resonably if it applies here. My thought was that you may have had Ford 427s but that would have been on earlier years and wouldn't have applied to Trojan that I know of unless it was a repower, not as easy to get parts now.

What make, Merc, Crusader?

Boy, I couldn't tell you.... what was more common? and how does the trans function on these? is it a simple in and out box?

[murray1886]

BTW murray1886

Bg D is probably one of the best people here to answer your questions, as he has a 1969 36 ft wood Trojan

pick his brain, most of us do

What year is the 42 your thinking of buying?

Its a 1973

[Big D]

here's the scope on this boat. Besides the above mentioned problems and maybe needing the upper fiberglass buffed and a generator tune up, its all there and working. The current owner is kinda stuck, he already bought a new boat and the slip lease on this one is due. He told me he'd let her go for 10k. This sounds pretty good to me..... is it in the ball park? or am I looking at 20k in hull work.

All the other stuff is incedental compared to structural, decking and planking. So "in the ball park" or "10K"? No one but a surveyor can answer that. Then and only then, it will be up to you to decide how attractive that 10k sounds. Can't stress the need for a survey enough. Skimp on this and you may be selling her in 3 three months for 5k.

[Big D]

Are you sure this is a '73? Would have though that vintage would be at least a glass hull by then but it was just around the time they were changing to glass with wooden superstructure. Find an OEM plaque inside with model/serial number and confirm the year.

Blue engines would be Crusader, black would be Merc. What leads you to believe they are 427, owner?

[murray1886]

here's the scope on this boat. Besides the above mentioned problems and maybe needing the upper fiberglass buffed and a generator tune up, its all there and working. The current owner is kinda stuck, he already bought a new boat and the slip lease on this one is due. He told me he'd let her go for 10k. This sounds pretty good to me..... is it in the ball park? or am I looking at 20k in hull work.

All the other stuff is incedental compared to structural, decking and planking. So "in the ball park" or "10K"? No one but a surveyor can answer that. Then and only then, it will be up to you to decide how attractive that 10k sounds. Can't stress the need for a survey enough. Skimp on this and you may be selling her in 3 three months for 5k.

Will a surveyor also give me an appraisal then? Will the boat have to be pulled for the survey, or can they give a pretty good idea from an interior examination of the hull?

[Torcan]

here's the scope on this boat. Besides the above mentioned problems and maybe needing the upper fiberglass buffed and a generator tune up, its all there and working. The current owner is kinda stuck, he already bought a new boat and the slip lease on this one is due. He told me he'd let her go for 10k. This sounds pretty good to me..... is it in the ball park? or am I looking at 20k in hull work.

All the other stuff is incedental compared to structural, decking and planking. So "in the ball park" or "10K"? No one but a surveyor can answer that. Then and only then, it will be up to you to decide how attractive that 10k sounds. Can't stress the need for a survey enough. Skimp on this and you may be selling her in 3 three months for 5k.

Big D

I think it is going to be difficult to do a complete survey unless the boat is hauled at some point.
The OP has mentioned that the hull seems wet, or damp in the engine compartment, the surveyor would want to do a moisture test, it seems to me that it could very well fail at that point. Unless that is normal? You are best able to answer that question.

Also they go around tapping the hull as well. I may be way off base here, but from what I've read and understand from the process, the survey is basically done part out of water and part in water, as a sea trial as well.

Bottom line, murray1886, you will do yourself a huge favour by getting one done, or insisting that the seller provide one. Something I believe all sellers should be obliged to provide. You could negotiate a better price as well if you knew the bottom line of the boat in question. regardless of what you decide, best of luck to you.

[murray1886]

here's the scope on this boat. Besides the above mentioned problems and maybe needing the upper fiberglass buffed and a generator tune up, its all there and working. The current owner is kinda stuck, he already bought a new boat and the slip lease on this one is due. He told me he'd let her go for 10k. This sounds pretty good to me..... is it in the ball park? or am I looking at 20k in hull work.

All the other stuff is incedental compared to structural, decking and planking. So "in the ball park" or "10K"? No one but a surveyor can answer that. Then and only then, it will be up to you to decide how attractive that 10k sounds. Can't stress the need for a survey enough. Skimp on this and you may be selling her in 3 three months for 5k.

Big D

I think it is going to be difficult to do a complete survey unless the boat is hauled at some point.
The OP has mentioned that the hull seems wet, or damp in the engine compartment, the surveyor would want to do a moisture test, it seems to me that it could very well fail at that point. Unless that is normal? You are best able to answer that question.

Also they go around tapping the hull as well. I may be way off base here, but from what I've read and understand from the process, the survey is basically done part out of water and part in water, as a sea trial as well.

Bottom line, murray1886, you will do yourself a huge favour by getting one done, or insisting that the seller provide one. You could negotiate a better price as well if you knew the bottom line of the boat in question. regardless of what you decide, best of luck to you.

I think I'll call some local marinas in the morning and get a quote. The least expensive one of these I've seen in my area was about 45k. Of course it didn't have these problems..... I would be doing the work myself, part of me says there's no way I could come out of this upside down... then again, I have no idea of material cost or the time involved.

[Big D]

Haul her out and have her blocked for the survey. Expensive? yes but neglegable if it saves you from spending 10k on something that is going to cost you 50k to repair. If it gets a good survey, then take advantage of it being on land and prep the seams, then paint the bottom and inspect running gear etc. Insert a hold-back clause to allow for an acceptable sea trial for checking runnability. The holdback will aliow you to retain a dollar value off the purchace price should a major machanical faul be detected, and use those funds for repair. If you are not handy, you may want to have someone do a mechanical check as well; compression etc.

[murray1886]

Haul her out and have her blocked for the survey. Expensive? yes but neglegable if it saves you from spending 10k on something that is going to cost you 50k to repair. If it gets a good survey, then take advantage of it being on land and prep the seams, then paint the bottom and inspect running gear etc. Insert a hold-back clause to allow for an acceptable sea trial for checking runnability. The holdback will aliow you to retain a dollar value off the purchace price should a major machanical faul be detected, and use those funds for repair. If you are not handy, you may want to have someone do a mechanical check as well; compression etc.

Excellent advice Big D. I've build and rehabbed numerous homes over the years, and am an ASE diesel mechanic, I'm thinking (hoping) that I'm up to the task. I will keep you informed. Thank you for all your advice tonight.

[Big D]

Hope it all works out in your favor, and do let us know what happens. Glad you found us and that we could help.

[Torcan]

BTW murray1886

Update your profile with your location, like to know from which part of the continent you hail

[k9th]

Welcome to the forum.