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PostPosted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 11:16 am 
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Guppy

Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:40 am
Posts: 9
Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana
I am brand new to the forum and this is my first post. I am interested in a 31' Four Winns that has been sitting open for several years. I suspect that water has been sitting in the bilge all this time. It has at least one bad engine and possibly two. No big deal on that. My concern is that the water has been possibly sitting in the bilge and cause damage to the stringers. The boat is in pretty bad shape. The outside upholstery needs recovered, as well as any carpet that may be there and the interior headliner is hanging everywhere. It is big time dirty. I figure if I can get it for the right price that it might be worth fooling with. I have several small block Chevrolet engines but no big blocks. Might be time for a changeover :wink:. Instead of big blocks I can put a couple of 350 fuel injected Chevy engines stroked to 383 Cubic inch. I can build them including parts for $1000 each.
Problem is locating the small block exhaust manifolds reasonable. I have only see this boat in pictures. It is over 1000 miles away. I will have to do some investigating on towing permits and load limits. I thought I was through with boats but this one has some appeal for some reason or another. No one ever accused me of being smart. :)

Ed

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PostPosted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:28 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
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Location: Long Island NY
Do NOT, I repeat, Do NOT start thinking that buying a neglected boat is a good idea, unless you can do wood/fiberglass repair, you don't mind wearing Tyvec suits and respiratiors, and like grinding fiberglass (for hours and hours). Not only is this hazardous to your health it is nasty as all get out..
It is risky to buy something like this unless you can get the structure of the boat inspected by someone who knows how to check for water intrusion (Marine Surveyor). If you can't do those potential repairs yourself the job to fix it can exceed the market value of the boat. Replacing engines and drives is child's play by comparison.

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PostPosted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 8:59 pm 
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Guppy

Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:40 am
Posts: 9
Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana
Yeah, I know. I have replaced a few transoms and holes in the side and bottom large enough to drive a small car through. I had a contract with several of the local marine dealers to do repairs many years ago and what you say is true. BUT, no one has ever accused me of being smart :lol:
I was trying to find out if the stringers were prone to water damage if they were exposed to water over a period of time, even if they are wrapped with fiberglass and resin. I have seen a few Chris Crafts that had soft stringers, don't know about the Four Winns and was hoping that someone could tell me. I don't know if I want to take on a large job like that now or not, getting too tired and too many miles.
I sold my last cruiser and runabouts because I never had time to use them. This one caught my eye.

Thanks, Ed

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Ed in Jeffersonville, Indiana
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:43 am 
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Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:56 pm
Posts: 1046
Location: Millhaven, ON
I think you are looking at the Vista 315 currently on Ebay... It has been there atleast once if not twice before... I am a deal hound too and would not even consider that boat. It should be trashed. For what you will have to put into that boat you could get another one that is ready to use immediately. It has the dreaded OMC drives, it's been open to the weather for years and the outdrives are sitting on the ground :roll:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1991-Four-Winns-315-31-Used-Cabin-Cruiser-Boat-MD-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c1759a437QQitemZ120650834999QQptZPowerQ5fMotorboats#ht_5237wt_958

If it's this boat.... it is only good for salvage, please stay away.

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:06 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
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Location: Long Island NY
The very rare OMC cone clutch ones, not the joint venture OMC/Volvos, and the boat was obviously used in salt water with barnacles all over the transom mounts as well. What a mess!

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
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1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:35 pm 
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Guppy

Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:40 am
Posts: 9
Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana
Interesting! I saw this one. I have taken on much worse projects. Just looking it over, it lists the engines as Crusaders. I know I have been out of boating for a while, but I don't recall seeing Crusaders with stern drives. Looking closer at the pictures, the drive laying on the ground looks more like a Mercruiser than an OMC. Been wrong before though.

Ed

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Ed in Jeffersonville, Indiana
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:21 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:17 am
Posts: 202
Location: Monticello, AR
Those pictures are painful to look at. I can't imagine letting a boat go to waste like that. The owner should be taken out back and shot!

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PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:24 pm 
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Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:03 pm
Posts: 231
Location: East Tennesee
Kvou812 wrote:
Those pictures are painful to look at. I can't imagine letting a boat go to waste like that. The owner should be taken out back and shot!


Thats a donated boat, its possible someone did die years ago and the family is trying to get rid of it without having to pay to tow it away.

I wouldnt take that thing for free but one man's trash..

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 2:23 am 
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Guppy

Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:40 am
Posts: 9
Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana
I thought seriously about buying it. I think it was worth every bit of what it brought. It would scare you to see what I undertake sometimes. Problem is it was over 1000 miles away and I sold my trailer :( .

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Ed in Jeffersonville, Indiana
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:41 am 
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Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 3:18 pm
Posts: 642
Location: Lake St. Clair, Michigan
I too saw this boat on ebay, after doing my daily ebay search of "Four Winns" to see what it resulted.... :lol:

The boat was nice in its hay-day, but in its current state is obviously a capital intensive endeavour that one would likely be much much better off buying a newer/same age boat in good condition, as the money you dump off into that pig is going to far surpass the price of the same boat, same year, in GOOD condition.

I hate seeing boats like that...makes me cringe. Why couldnt somebody just have it re-shrink wrapped? Is that too much to ask for? :(

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:36 pm 
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Nauti Luv

Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:55 am
Posts: 2186
Location: Little Elm - Lake Lewisville TX
[quote="Technologic80"]I too saw this boat on ebay, after doing my daily ebay search of "Four Winns" to see what it resulted.... :lol: quote]

Glad I am not the only one who does this....

The ONLY thing worth getting out of that old boat is the American Flag. The rest is scrap. Even if you had a full machine shop, fiberglass shop, upholstery shop and the rest of your life's worth of time to restore it....I just cant see how it would work out because at the end of the day, all you are going to have is a Four Winns. Its not like its a piece of history like an old Chris Craft or something along those lines.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:45 pm 
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Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:13 pm
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Location: Allatoona Lake, Georgia
hurst01 wrote:
Interesting! I saw this one. I have taken on much worse projects.

Viet Nam Vet (U.S. Army)
Patriot Guard Rider, Disabled Veteran.
Ed


Yes, you have taken on worse "projects". Good luck and thank you for your service to our Country.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:14 pm 
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230 Mike
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Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:59 pm
Posts: 5141
Location: Kansas City, Table Rock Lake
298VISTA2000 wrote:
Yes, you have taken on worse "projects". Good luck and thank you for your service to our Country.


+1. And, coming from the home state of Westboro Baptist Church, the most embarrassing organization on the planet, let me thank you for being a Patriot Guard Rider as well.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:59 pm 
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Guppy

Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:40 am
Posts: 9
Location: Jeffersonville, Indiana
29VISTA2000,

Thanks, I appreciate it.

You know, sometimes you will find that looks are deceiving. This boat may not have been near as bad as the pictures depict. You have to be able to see potential :lol: .
There has been many times that I have heard such comments as has been listed for the auction on this boat when in reality, it could have bee in need of a really good cleaning and some upholstery work. Had it not be around 1000 miles for me to tow it back I think I would have jumped on it. The cost of transporting for that distance would have added greatly to the overall cost and that is what made it prohibitive for me.
Several years ago I had a pretty severe heart attack. I was laid up and unable to get around for quite sometime. I had a 20' open bow runabout sitting out on a concrete slab. The cover had rotted away and when I saw it, I felt the same way a lot of the comments on here say about it being a piece of crap. I eventually started feeling well enough to do something. I hauled to a quarter car wash and sprayed several bottles of Zep mold and mildew remover on everything, carpeting and all. It was full of leaves, mold and mildew and I would have difficulty giving it away.
After investing about $20 in quarters and even more in the cleaning supplies the boat looked almost like new. I fired it up, changed oil and filters and used it for about a year and sold it. In my lifetime I have discovered that you can't always go by appearances.
Let me explain more.... I will be 64 years old in January. I have been around the block more than a few times. I have been shot, crushed by a trailer, run over by a military truck, have had three heart attacks, three open heart surgeries, two strokes and am on my second defibrillator. There has been several times that I would not have be expected to live, but instead of looking at me like I was an old worn out piece of crap, God saw fit to give me a second chance. Actually more like a 7th or 8th chance. He always provided another way that the doctors could keep me alive.
Keeping this in mind, when I see something, or someone that looks as though it, or they, are not worth putting any effort into, I will take a closer look. Sometimes first appearances are not as they appear.
All of my service connected disabilities total to about 210%. I can still out last a lot of people that have nothing wrong with them. I still see the world as being pretty much the same as I look through my eyes (with the right prescription) and I am fortunate enough to have somewhat a clear mind, unless I find myself in a wooded area after dark. It seems like I should still be twenty five years old, but high mileage prevents me from moving like it.
It is very possible that with a good clean-up and an engine refit, that boat might have been fine at a fraction of the cost of a well maintained and running boat. You just would not know it without a closer look.

230 Mike, That is why I am a Patriot Guard Rider. Thanks!
God Bless All.

Ed

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Ed in Jeffersonville, Indiana
Journeyman Machinist
Certified Welder
MSF RiderCoach
Aircraft Machinist USAF (Ret)
Viet Nam Vet (U.S. Army)
Streetrod Builder/enthusiaist
Patriot Guard Rider, Disabled Veteran.


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