Home Forum Ask A Member 1964 MFG 16′ boat need advice

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  • #8734
    grunt311
    Participant

      Good afternoon
      I am looking at a 1964 MFG 16′ boat with a 1957 or so I am told it’s a 1957 75 horse Johnson on it. Boat comes with the motor and trailer and needs so TLC for sure. The hull and transom look to be in very good shape just need cleaned up. Comes with original seats also. Looks like all original parts are the and intac. Motor was running two years ago and hasn’t run since. Boat has been stored out side for two years uncovered also. The turns free not frozen but I know that doesn’t all tell a lot.

      What is something like this worth and is there anything I need to look for or beware of?

      Below are some pics of the boat

      Thanks for any and all help you guys have always been a huge help.

      Nick

      #67876
      phil-b
      Participant

        V4AL-16D is a 1964 75HP, Electric Shift

        #67879
        grunt311
        Participant

          Ok thank you Phil, good info.

          #67880
          olcah
          Participant

            US Member

            I for sure know very little about fiberglass boats – but- fiberglass is generally laid over wood. If water gets to wood under the fiberglass it rots and it is not easy to replace the wood. I suggest looking on the internet for sites discussing restoration of fiberglass boats.
            Also I it is costly to properly dispose of a fiberglass boat at the end of its life. Betcha I stir up a storm with this..

            #67881
            outbdnut2
            Participant

              US Member

              Prices on boats and motors vary a lot around the country, and it’s hard, even with the photos, to get a good handle on things like hull condition.

              Most of those old transoms have wood sandwiched in between the fiberglass. Hairline cracks you can have trouble seeing let water in and the wood rots – need special skills to replace that wood and glass over it, and it’s generally not worth the trouble. For that reason, on old boats, I stick with aluminum.

              Looks like the boat needs seats. Here in Minnesota, boat costs are low because boats like this with bad interiors are very common – some, without motors or trailers are free. I’d put the trailer at $75-$100 if the tires look good, the motor at $100 unless you can hear it run and know it shifts (you can probably part it out for that if it’s junk), and the fiberglass boat at $50, because the seats are gone, and transom is hard to know if it’s good or not. If the wrong gear oil (you have to use the correct Johnson oil for those electrics shifts) , and/or water has gotten into the lower gearcase, the electric shift stuff could be shot, and that’s an unknown to you right now. Given all that, I wouldn’t pay over $250 for the whole package unless you can try it out on the water first – too many unknowns. If you can try it out, watch for bowing/flexing of the transom when you accelerate and under high speed load. If yu can see the motor run in a garbage can of water, and see it shift, The motor maybe worth another $100 to $150.

              Beware that "ran good last time out, X years ago" is the biggest joke in the old outboard hobby. I’ve gotten motors where this was said and found problems, parts missing, etc., where there is no way it could have run.

              Those old 75s are powerhouses with a lot of low end torque, but they are gas hogs compared to newer 3 cylinder models.
              Dave

              #67884
              fleetwin
              Participant

                US Member - 2 Years

                Like all have said, this is an old boat, engine, and trailer….
                Let’s start with how much does the seller want for this rig?
                This engine has electric shift, so you would want to check the gear lube for signs of water, it won’t shift properly with water in the gearcase. Looks like all the parts are there for the engine, just know that bad wiring/harness/shift switch is a big deal, and there is no way around making proper repairs/replacements….
                You would probably want to do a compression test also.
                You will definitely want to have a close look at that transom to ensure it has not rotted. Tilt the engine up and engage the tilt lock. Now try pushing down on the engine/gearcase while looking to see if the transom is flexing. The trailer "looks OK", but will probably need new lights/wiring and wheel bearing service.
                And, like a car, this boat and trailer will need to come with proper paperwork/title, so it can be re-regsistered.
                This rig will definitely be a "labor of love" and require an owner who is capable of servicing that engine, and perhaps doing some fiberglass work.
                Like others have said, these old V4s drink a lot of fuel, so it will be expensive to run.

                #67886
                Tom
                Participant

                  US Member

                  I’d be willing to bet that the boat has no seats because the wood stringers underneath the floor are shot. The seats came loose because the screws had no bite in the stringers. Being outside, uncovered, with the holes exposed pretty much guarantees that the floor will need to be cut out, new stringers installed, and the floor re-glassed back in. This is based on owning an MFG Niagara Custom, the 14′ version of the boat you are considering.

                  Tom

                  #67887
                  jerry-ahrens
                  Participant

                    US Member

                    As other have said, check the transom first. I like to stand on the lower unit of the outboard, then use your body weight to carefully try to flex the transom, just as the motor would do while accelerating. It really should be rock solid. If it flexes, I would walk away. The transom is the FIRST thing to check on any boat before purchasing.

                    #67897
                    crosbyman
                    Participant

                      Canada Member - 2 Years

                      check out the fiberglassics site for help

                      get the book on fixing up old runabouts
                      https://www.amazon.com/Runabout-Renovat … 0071580085

                      Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

                      #67900
                      amuller
                      Participant

                        Agree with previous comments. Very easy for an old fiberglass boat to look pretty good but be structurally unsound. Unless you know to the contrary, assume deck, stringers, and transom are rotten. All this can be redone but is a lot of work. It may be necessary to separate the hull from the deck molding. The Runabout Renovation book goes into detail. Normally, trailer tires age out before the tread becomes worn. Whether you pay zero or 100 or 300 is trivial compared to what you would have to put into it in time and money, so the issue really is whether this boat appeals to you. Would you REALLY like it when you were finished? If so, get it. If not, keep looking. JMHO.

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