Gator G Posted February 25, 2021 Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 Going to look at 2000 model 1810. I have never looked at 20 year old hull before. I would appreciate any tips on what would be considered normal wear and tear and what would be some warning signs. Thanks for your help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted February 25, 2021 Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 You will know if it has been taken care of when you walk up to it. The big things on any old boat not just pathfinder is the floor, the transom and the compression on the engine. Walk on the flood .. use the anti cavitation plate on the motor push down with your foot. Then check compression on the motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator G Posted February 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 1 hour ago, HoneyB said: You will know if it has been taken care of when you walk up to it. The big things on any old boat not just pathfinder is the floor, the transom and the compression on the engine. Walk on the flood .. use the anti cavitation plate on the motor push down with your foot. Then check compression on the motor. Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichwaysup Posted February 25, 2021 Report Share Posted February 25, 2021 Pay attention to spider cracking in the gelcoat. These happen over time naturally, but sometimes they can be good tattletales for other issues, espectially if they occur in odd places. Corners and angles are generally high-stress areas. A little spider cracking in those isn't necessarily indicative of an issue, since fiberglass flexes and gel coat doesn't. However, when you see spider cracking on surfaces that aren't normal angles, pay attention - these can be caused by impact or flexing that shouldn't be happening - like if a stringer is busted loose! If you can figure out where the bulkheads and stringers are roughly placed, pay particular attention to spider cracking along those lines. Also, bring a flashlight, bucket, bleach, and a rag and try to clean up the bilge area to inspect it. A lot of cracking and problems can lurk underneath all that mildew. A bleachy rag and a little water can reveal a lot of issues. Get a gopro or your cell phone camera and video the bildge area in any access you can find - MOVE THE CAMERA SLOWLY SLOWLY, SLOWLY. Review the video later on a good computer or cast it to a large screen TV. Pay particular attention to stringer angles. Many MBC boats have gelcoat in the bilge - sometimes it was put on too thick and it cracks, no big deal. However, gelcoat cracking in the bilge near stringers . . . look more closely! And finally, pay attention to the sellers house, garage, yard, and vehicle. He might be smart enough to detail the boat to hide years of neglect, but his other property will tell on him. If the boat looks good and you are serious, you might consider doing the following - they are pretty quick items that can tell you a lot: 1) unscrew the bottom plug in the lower unit and see what the lower unit oil looks like. Don't be surprised if water comes out! It happens a lot! 2) Test the tilt/trim and look for leakage around the pistons. 3) Test all the switches - does everything work? 4) Open the hatches - dirty hatches are pretty normal, but very clean ones (along with other indicators) can indicate you have an OCD owner. You WANT an OCD owner. 5) Look at the trailer springs, ask when the hubs were last replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted February 26, 2021 Report Share Posted February 26, 2021 On 2/25/2021 at 7:18 AM, Gator G said: Going to look at 2000 model 1810. I have never looked at 20 year old hull before. I would appreciate any tips on what would be considered normal wear and tear and what would be some warning signs. Thanks for your help. Those are great boats....for $250 or so, after you have completed a sea-trial, tell the owner you want a marine surveyor to come by....unless you are experienced in phenologic hammers for tapping stringers, etc. it could be money well spent... Lots of stuff on an old boat that can go from a good deal to $$$$$ When was the engine last run? Serviced? When you go on a sea trail - run it for 10-15 minutes, starting it on the muffs and the owner says, "see she runs' can hide a myriad of issues....get the engine hot and let the thermostats open.... Basic engine stuff can be done by the surveyor - compression, review of the oil, etc. Trailer as mentioned above - YES - you can drop $$$ on trailer repairs or worse, the trailer axel collapses and you are DOA on the side of the road when you are bringing it home. The Surveyor will give you alot of the good, the bad, and the ugly..... BTW, have fun....I'd love to have one of those hulls ..... dc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HewesYourDaddy Posted February 27, 2021 Report Share Posted February 27, 2021 And lets see some pics of the boat, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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