Looking to possibly buy a 1979 SRV360?

[tobuy1979]

I am looking to buy a 1979 SRV360 and know a LITTLE about boats but am looking for any constructive advice that anyone can provide.

It REALLY needs cleaned up bad but is at a slip and has been in the water. The current owner has maintained the boat for the past 20 years and appears to have done a good job with that. The outside appears to be unblemished but needs buffed out and cleaned up. The stripes will need replaced. The various tops and cover for the boat appear to be in good shape. The vinyl for the deck seats is showing wear and will need replaced. The galley area looks to be dated but well kept. Looks like the carpet will need replaced as well as maybe replacing the simulated sheepskin roof cover and upholstery on the couch area will need updated. Boat has 450 hours since placed in service and the engines were supposedly overhauled around 150 hours back. The duel station AC and Heater appear to work great. The refrigerator and freezer are a little dated but look to work ok. The teak wood is very weathered but not cracked or chipped so I believe it should clean up ok (Not sure what product to use for this in order to be marine friendly?)

Overall it will require some fixing up but it looks like it could be a nice vintage cruiser once it is complete. I just don’t want to be buying something that is a cash cow and requires $10k to get fixed up. I also am concerned about replacement parts for something that old.

Again, any constructive advice you can provide on what to look for in this boat and what my risks vs benefits are would be deeply appreciated.

Thanks,

To buy, or not to buy?

 

[brains06]

I am looking to buy a 1979 SRV360 and know a LITTLE about boats but am looking for any constructive advice that anyone can provide.

It REALLY needs cleaned up bad but is at a slip and has been in the water. The current owner has maintained the boat for the past 20 years and appears to have done a good job with that. The outside appears to be unblemished but needs buffed out and cleaned up. The stripes will need replaced. The various tops and cover for the boat appear to be in good shape. The vinyl for the deck seats is showing wear and will need replaced. The galley area looks to be dated but well kept. Looks like the carpet will need replaced as well as maybe replacing the simulated sheepskin roof cover and upholstery on the couch area will need updated. Boat has 450 hours since placed in service and the engines were supposedly overhauled around 150 hours back. The duel station AC and Heater appear to work great. The refrigerator and freezer are a little dated but look to work ok. The teak wood is very weathered but not cracked or chipped so I believe it should clean up ok (Not sure what product to use for this in order to be marine friendly?)

Overall it will require some fixing up but it looks like it could be a nice vintage cruiser once it is complete. I just don’t want to be buying something that is a cash cow and requires $10k to get fixed up. I also am concerned about replacement parts for something that old.

Again, any constructive advice you can provide on what to look for in this boat and what my risks vs benefits are would be deeply appreciated.

Thanks,

To buy, or not to buy?

Well you got some issues to tackle so lets get started.

My first comment would be to make two lists. One for "needs" and one for "wants". Needs have to be addressed right now in order to make the boat safe/usable. "Wants" are things that make the experience better but can be done on the fly. There are some things that fall in the middle such as a tune-up which can be overlooked if the boat is running but it'll run like **** till its done. So technically it's a want but I can bet that if youre married...you NEED to pay attention to the fuel bill so tune ups are important.

Now you say the current owner has kept it up and its in the water, how often does he actually take the boat out? Has it been run or just been a cottage? Have the boat surveyed for 300 to get a good idea of what systems are in what condition. Do a full tune of the motors so that YOU know where they stand and youre not depending on his word that the oil was done "around x hours". I've done alot of the same cosmetic work that youre gonna have to do but I didnt even look at that stuff until I had run the boat for about 15 hours at or above cruise speeds and did a THOROUGH shake-down. Check out my gallery for ideas, then look up "brains teak restoration" for info on that. Have the HVAC system serviced so that once again you know its been done and can put a date on it. Does the PO have paperwork for the engine overhaul? If not....its ok, just be cautious. If you can, pull the fridge out and check for rust/rot on the bottom. Mine didnt have any but you never know, also be sure to vacuum behind it and dust off the fins too.
The fact that the canvas is good and the boat has been in the water says that the owner at least took care of that and probably the other big issues. You just wanna do a thorough check to make sure that he's not passing off future big issues on you. Some things are just gonna go wrong on a 31 year old boat, you just need to be aware of what they could be and whether or not you can deal with them. Feel free to hit me with any other questions cuz I'm sure you have em!

 

[brains06]

where are you located?