I have not seen an opportunity like this in a while for someone that is willing to restore an 18. There is a 75 18ft for sale in the classifieds. This is an end grain core boat that belongs to a knowledgeable person that can check the core for you. This is the best 18 to restore because the core is rarely bad. It needs transom, floor, and probably stringers. Located in Iowa I believe. Dynebob has a trailer for it and added it to the thread. Located in IL. I am sure Bob will give you an honest description of it. There is a 99 Johnson 175 in the classifieds that is advertised by a very knowledgeable guy that can check the motor out. This motor is one of the best water ski motors of all time in my opinion. It is very light with tons of power. Located in WI. If you are looking for an 18 to restore, this is it if the core is OK. Sorry if I violated any forum guidelines with this Bryan, I just wanted to point out what a great opportunity this might be. jim
It does look good but the guy did say transom and stringers are suspect. At least he is being honest. Before I would buy this boat I would confirm somehow that the core is OK. Replacing a transom and stringers is far easier than replacing a core.
Bob, If you are speaking of the core, a tap test worked on mine. And, I found bad cores in boats that I looked at before I bought mine. jim
One could also rent a moisture meter for a little less as a DIY. they are kind of similar to a stud detector, slide them accross the core/bottom and watch for variations in the display. See attached link for a company that rents these, I have our field offices use them and they are top shelf for equipment needs. http://pine-environmental.com/search/instruments/4a4b208972e32f9eb320d32cc36e815a/ I had a hose on our washing machine break 6 or 7 years ago in the fall while in the yard blowing leaves and the water flowed into 500 sf of newly remodeled kitchen with oak hardwood flooring (sealed with a product by Bona Keme, commercial sealant for basket ball courts so no big shakes in the end). I checked it with a moisture meter to make sure there was no mold issues and it worked great. Using these types of meters is about looking for variations or anomalies. It is not rocket science. Kevin-
Don't want to shoot down the "tap test" but you gotta love the technical and inovative world we live in. If one were to check this boat out, maybe use both methods (moisture meter and tap test)
Do a little research on using moisture meters on balsa cored hulls before you spend any money on it. jim
Due diligence when buying a +30 yr old boat is a hard concept to put in black and white. There are some basic tools and there are some more technical tools available. I have never had a Hydrodyne surveyed that I have owned (owned three) but they have all been >1973.
