Im thinking of buying 2 or 3 cheap boats and resaleing in the spring.Can youll tell me what to look for and what to check out on the smaller out board moters?I fish out of a inboard out board and dont really know any thing about out boards.Am I crazy to buy a boat with out taking it for a ride?Im just plaining on buying like $1000.to maybe $1500.Doller Boats.Just looking to make a few hunderd bucks and Hobbying.Thanks

Man,
That's a dangerous rabbit trail to think you'll actually make money from, but good luck never the less.

Two stroke outboard is pretty simple actually, it's just an air pump with a spark plug attached.

Compression/leakdown, lower unit inspection, and fire on hose muffs will pretty well tell you 95% of anything which might be amiss.

Visually inspection, checking for leaks which might prove to be worn bearings, or leaky gaskets will finish your inspection.

Pull all the plugs, you want to see dark brown or black plugs, you do NOT want to see one bright and shiny or rusted plug, which would be water intrustion on that cylinder.

The more time you take on inspection, the better your results.

Thanks Pat

Pat is right on the outboard check list. Be carefull. I see a lot of $500to$1000 that end up costing you more money than what their worth, and most of all is the unit marketable?

I've been doing what your suggesting for several years now. Buying older bass boats and restoring them. Mostly Rangers and BassCats. I've learned a few things about them. First, as Pat said, check the motor! That's where the money is. Run it on the muffs, compression test etc. I've made money on a few, lost on a few. The only ones I've made any money on were the ones that had been sitting in the owners yard for years and they were willing to sell them dirt cheap because they weren't being used. Usually a widow, or someone that inherited a boat and had no interest in it. If you have to pay close to top dollar for a used boat in the beginning, you're not going to make any money on it. The boats I haved picked up cheap were the ones that had been left out in the weather, with ruined seats and carpet. The good news is the entire interior of most bass boats can be replaced for a few hundred dollars. Also, most oxidized finishes on fiberglass boats can be brought back with the right rubbing compound, so don't be discouraged by a used bass boat that looks "terrible" on the inside. If the motor is tight, the rest is just cosmetics. If you don't mind a little hard work, it really is a lot of fun to bring a ragged out bass boat back to life. It's risky though. Especially the outboard. 2 or 3 electrical parts such as voltage regulator, stator etc for a large outboard and you can run up a $1,000 bill real quick. Good luck, have fun and take your time looking.
Kenny

I've been doing the same thing in my shop for 19 yrs. Take a hull-motor-trailer and recondition all. I've even built several motors out of 3or4 units that were laying around. A few times i've bought new boats and outfited them with used or rebuilt equipment. I'm a firm beleiver in giving a warantee with any used boat. If I don't give you a warantee then your buying it as either scrap or as parts. I sold one of my boats that I had for 14yrs. for $3500 to a local EMS. With-in 90 days I had to spend $3000 on it. But that is just the way it goes.

Remember a motor can sound good with muffs. But when you put it under a load, if the high speed jets are plugged, the boat will run only at low speed. The guys that can overhaul those carbs. can get by. If you need to have the carbs. rebuilt it can cost 500 dollars plus.

I know quite a few guys in the wholesale boat business, and they are successful at it, but they also have found....

They have their special markets they specialize in, and stay within their comfort zones when they purchase boats.

If you are very mechanical, and not afraid or willing to invest your time in doing a lot of motor/electrical/fiberglass/detail work, the mid-high bass boat market is good, but with all the information available to the potential boat buyer today, you'll have a ceiling that a boat has value to, and that'll be it.

Buying a $300 dollar putt around to sell for $1,200 is probably what you're thinking about, and that market is always busy.

Used bay boats are always hot, but very difficult to find a peach, just a lot of pits, so be careful.