@@jimmcdonald8241 I wish UA-cam had a way to share pictures in the comments, but unfortunately they do not at this point. We've got a Facebook and Instagram page you can message though.
Thanks for commenting and letting us know where you're watching from! Best of luck when you start your project. It's a super rewarding type of project because your hard work will pay off for years and years to come whenever you're out on your boat enjoying it!
In the Town of Rome, Wisconsin at Lake Camelot. Going up to the low 80's tomorrow and mid 80's the next full week. Summer here doesn't end until I take my 20' pontoon boat (set up for fishing) the first week of October! We're originally Michiganders, MSU & WMU, used to having a lot of nice lakes around.
Watching from Upstate South Carolina. With 3 lakes near by pontoons are very popular. I enjoy watching the rebuilds like this one. Good job and nice video.
Great Job as always to you and the wifey , we're in North Jersey enjoying our 2007 sun tracker on a lake. looking to do a full rebuild someday like the ones you do . HAPPY LABOR DAY !
Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend! We’re only growing our content to help make every project a little smoother for the DIY pontoon restoration folks out there!
I boat at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Al. The beautiful Wind Creek State Park. We generally can enjoy pontoon riding through mid December. Love your channel . I have a 1997 Lowe 200 DLX that needs restoration from the deck up. Watching your videos until I get my confidence up enough to tackle the project. Thanks for your help. !!
Very nice long season boating right there...but your summers are WAY hot and humid for me!! Glad the channel has given you some inspiration and confidence to tackle your project. You'll love it when you've got your "new" boat on the water to enjoy for years and years to come!
Tom, another great and very informative video. Since I can’t physically do what you do anymore, I’m happy that I decided to go with a brand new 27’ Avro tritoon/deck for my houseboat. I stumbled on Avro in Toronto when I was searching for a Canadian source for a center toon. Their parent company also does rebuilds. It only took me more than a year to find them. LOL I’ve finally gotten all the RV windows and doors for the 17’ cabin so I can get the sketches to the company that building the cabin shel for me. I’m already looking forward to next week’s video. Have a great holiday weekend!
The machinery needed to build pontoons and nose cones is quite involved which is why it's usually just the big name brand manufacturers doing the building. Glad you found that company though! Glad your project is coming along. Once they get started on the cabin and the deck gets put together you're really going to have a boat to play with!
And you guys get REAL cold over there! Lake Michigan keeps us a little warmer. As soon as most people put their summer toys away we get out the fishing boats and river fish most of the winter!
It's been consistently toasty the last couple of months. Not complaining except for when I'm stuck in the shop with no air flow...Worst days are welding days!! Cool weather is coming though, thankfully!
Most complete restorations like this come in between $15k and $20k depending on the details and options chosen…about half the price of a new pontoon boat.
Very cool! We've got a few projects on the channel that we decked out with fishing gear, electronics, and fishing friendly layouts. Might give you some ideas!
Hey! For all flooring, seating, and consoles I used Pontoon Stuff exclusively. The quality and customer service is so far beyond any of their competitors. They also have electrical components and much more in terms of accessories! I've got a link you can use and a discount code to save 5% when you shop there: www.pontoonstuff.com/tomstoons 5% Discount Code: TOMS5OFF
Something like this is usually between the $15,000 and $20,000 price point depending on exactly which options and seating is chosen. Right around half the price of a comparable new boat!
Since you asked. I live in North carolina. I actually claim to be from michigan. I grew up in fruitport. My dad is from Muskegon and my mother is from the grant area. Her dad was a farmer. I would love to find a pontoon boat and redo it. But I'm always worried about getting ripped off and I'd have to get it past my wife LOL she let me get a boat once but she had pneumonia and didn't know what she was doing 25 years ago
The beauty of a pontoon is that it’s all fixable. Worst case start with a solid base for pontoons even if they need some welding, then add a reliable motor and finish out the interior over time. There’s no rules saying that it has to look like a $50K boat right away!!
@@tomspontoons yeah I can see that I've been watching your videos and then a few other people. I guess my biggest concern is the motor. Because without a motor it's basically at Best a raft. I look at new Motors and well I'm not in the business but it seems to me that that's the majority of cost of the boat. It's kind of like battery-operated yard devices. You might as well just buy the whole thing instead of the battery. But I'm going to look for a deal or at least keep looking
@@javasoccernut I used to sell outboards at a dealer and I always encouraged people to repower an old boat before looking for a new one and paying the premium for the new hull they didn't really need. An older aluminum boat can last decades once restored, so save the money there and invest in a new or newer motor that's going to last a long time and be trouble free too. The new EFI four strokes from 20 hp on up are fantastic engines and are going to change the way boating is for the long haul. Only trouble is that people are going to love their motors so they're not going to be looking to repower and sell...they're just going to run them for a couple thousand hours until they give up!
Aluminum decks are very time consuming. You need to get the deck completely clean and use a solvent based adhesive. Make sure the carpet or vinyl you're installing can be glued with a solvent based adhesive too! The vinyl from Pontoon Stuff works fine with solvent based adhesives.
Have you ever considered building a power catamaran(not a pontoon boat) 30-36 ft with a beam of 18'-22' out of aluminum? Catamarans are very sleek, fast, have a shallow draught, and are efficient through the water and you could have a small 30-60hp outboard on the aft end of each hull. I was thinking a power cat would make a perfect boat for the 6,000 mi Great Loop through the ICW of the Eastern US, Chesapeake Bay, the Hudson River, Erie Canal, Oswego Canal, the Trent Severn Waterway in Canada(connects L. Ontario to L. Huron), across Lake Huron, to Mackinaw, Down Lake Michigan, to the Chicago River, through the city center, out to the Illinois, Ohio and Mississippi, with side trips to Nashville and Chattanooga, Down to Mobile, AL and out to the gulf, along the Gulf ICW and down and around Florida. It is a world class adventure.
We definitely talked about building a large aluminum barge frame if we ever built another houseboat. That ship has sailed though and we have no plan to do so. I love the idea you've got and it would definitely be very safe and efficient. Maybe someday I'll take on a project of that magnitude, but in the meantime I'll keep working on pontoon boats and building some smaller fishing boats.
That pontoon definitely looks night and day different. My question, does the value go back up now that it is technically new again? I know the year is a 2000, but the actually boat is brand new now. Would insurance companies insure it like a new pontoon? Great job.
The value of a restored boat usually goes back up to the amount invested into the project, sometimes more depending on the year, motor, etc. It's very common for the owner to declare the value after investing in a restoration and have insurance coverage for the new updated value of the boat. I've never had it be an issue with insurance companies, and if they question the value I simply provide them with an invoice and photos so that they can understand the scope of the improvements.
It's the Yamaha brand key switch designed to plug into their 10 pin ignition harness. You could give Van's Sport Center a call and let them know what you're after for your motor/boat setup. They ship parts all over the country. Ask for Brad in parts: 616-364-0666
I'll bet you've got more leaves changing color up there than we do here right now. It's sad how short the summer season is for us northern states, but I'll always take my four seasons over insane heat and no winter months!
Great video. Watching down here in Murfreesboro, TN. Finished up my second restoration this summer. Now thinking of converting it to a tritoon. Any thoughts on how to mount a center log to those Crest U shape beams without removing flooring? Don’t want to rip up my new flooring… wife wouldn’t be happy about that.
Thanks for tuning in, and GO VOLS! Unfortunately you've got to create a mounting system by running angle aluminum and bolting through your Crest crossmembers. It's doable and I've seen it done before with success, but it's a lot of work and extra money spend on aluminum and stainless hardware. 1/8" thick 2"x2" angle bolted on each side of the crossmembers and then bolted to the center pontoon is the way I've seen it done.
@@tomspontoons thanks for the reply. I was originally thinking I’d have to weld brackets to the cross members but was worried about the heat with the plywood and flooring. So you think running a bolt through both sides, basically running the bolt through two pieces of angle and the crossmember… hadn’t thought about that. That’s why you’re the man. Thanks for the idea. I will do some research.
@@VolunteerAirsoft I would be a little nervous of the heat from welding too, but if MIG welded it should be ok as the heat is pretty minimal compared to TIG. However, there's still a risk there putting all that heat into aluminum that's contacting the plywood. My first Tritoon conversion was my own boat years back and it had some square tube crossmembers so I had to do the same thing bolting brackets to the square tube. It worked great. The concept can be seen in the video I posted about the underdeck ladder....although you'll need it to be a bit wider to accommodate the mounting brackets of your center pontoon. ua-cam.com/video/m2m3LrpBoss/v-deo.html
@@tomspontoons I’ll go back and take a look. I’ve watched that one before but didn’t pay attention to that. Thank you for all the responses. We still have plenty of boat cruising weather down here, maybe not swimming though. This may be a good winter project. Keep up the great videos.
Y buy a new boat when u can have tht done , too great great stuff , banks is beautiful man , I may be reaching out to u in a month or so for a center toon , we r watching from white cloud , on the river
Exactly! We can make an old boat look and feel new, and the warranty of these products is just as good as the big name brand boats...plus the seats can be swapped out easily if one gets damaged. We're just down south of you and can help out with a center toon addition.
I will double check, but I don't believe so. Usually those go in the garbage. The front corner seats or arm rests would have to be modified to receive that sort of housing.
Would you restore a 2008 Fisher 8 & 1/2 ft x24 ft with a 115 Mercury? The motor runs good and the plywood is good. Floors, panels, seats & Bimini will need to be redone. I am concerned that if I do the motor will start having issues. I assume that I could probably get a Suzuki 140 for around 12-15k and still be ok so I guess my question is are you familiar with the Fishers around 2008 for restoring?
Absolutely yes. Fisher was made by Tracker, essentially the same boats. The motor is always the kicker in the project. I’d restore it and run it til the 115 gives up, then repower and you’ll still be in it for far less money than a whole new boat and have a really nice boat to enjoy.
If you're willing to put in the time and initial investment I think there's some money to be made there. The market has slowed after COVID, but if you can get the right boat/motor combo that needs some TLC I think you can do okay on a flipper project as a side hustle....OR just have two pontoon boats for yourself!!
@@J.W.W. They're out there....and up here in Michigan that time of year for cheap boats to buy is coming! Gotta get those boats that need TLC and the owner would rather sell than store for another winter!!!
Most big restorations like this (floor, railings, seats, electrical) are in the $20,000 range....about half the price of a new entry level boat these days!
Watching from Kentucky!! Getting ready to start my own remodel on my first pontoon!
Awesome! Thanks for tuning in. You've got this, you'll love the project when it's wrapped up and you're out enjoying it on the water!
@@tomspontoons just got to get all of my stuff ordered and installed!
@@CaptainRedbeard Hi where is best place to order like seating , console etc. Thanks in advance
Watching from Reed City, MI, great pointers for putting my boat back together after you replace the floor. See you next week.
Great! You’ll love your freshened up boat when it comes back together. I’ve got the shop cleaned up and ready for your boat’s arrival!
Excellent build. We are heading out tomorrow on our 1965 Toon that we refurbished using countless videos of yours!Cheers from WAY Northern California.
1965!! My oldest to date is a 1971. Enjoy the holiday weekend!
@@tomspontoons I tried to send a picture but couldn't see where to add an attachment.
@@jimmcdonald8241 I wish UA-cam had a way to share pictures in the comments, but unfortunately they do not at this point. We've got a Facebook and Instagram page you can message though.
Watching from up here in Maine. Love the channel. Can't wait to do a rebuild on our pontoon. Keep up the great content. Thank you!
Thanks for commenting and letting us know where you're watching from! Best of luck when you start your project. It's a super rewarding type of project because your hard work will pay off for years and years to come whenever you're out on your boat enjoying it!
Watching from Milwaukee, WI and love this rebuild.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!!
Watching from San Tan Valley, Arizona! Spend half the summer in and around Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. 😎👍
Best of both worlds right there!!
Damn Tom! Keep the vidz coming bruh. Bravo
Just doing what we do over here. Videos will keep coming, don’t you worry!
In the Town of Rome, Wisconsin at Lake Camelot. Going up to the low 80's tomorrow and mid 80's the next full week. Summer here doesn't end until I take my 20' pontoon boat (set up for fishing) the first week of October! We're originally Michiganders, MSU & WMU, used to having a lot of nice lakes around.
Very nice, thanks for commenting! We’ve spent lots of time in East Lansing and Kzoo over the years. Grand Rapids and loving West Michigan!!
Watching from Upstate South Carolina. With 3 lakes near by pontoons are very popular. I enjoy watching the rebuilds like this one. Good job and nice video.
Thanks so much for watching and for leaving a comment!
Great Job as always to you and the wifey , we're in North Jersey enjoying our 2007 sun tracker on a lake. looking to do a full rebuild someday like the ones you do . HAPPY LABOR DAY !
Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend! We’re only growing our content to help make every project a little smoother for the DIY pontoon restoration folks out there!
Watching from Georgia, good job.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment too!
Watching from Kentucky!!
Thanks for watching and commenting!!
I boat at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Al. The beautiful Wind Creek State Park. We generally can enjoy pontoon riding through mid December. Love your channel . I have a 1997 Lowe 200 DLX that needs restoration from the deck up. Watching your videos until I get my confidence up enough to tackle the project. Thanks for your help. !!
Very nice long season boating right there...but your summers are WAY hot and humid for me!! Glad the channel has given you some inspiration and confidence to tackle your project. You'll love it when you've got your "new" boat on the water to enjoy for years and years to come!
Watching from Huntingdon, PA, right near Raystown Lake!
Awesome! Thanks for commenting and letting us know where you’re watching from!!
@@tomspontoons no problem! I have a pontoon I run regularly on that lake and maybe someday I'll restore it when it's in need.
@@JeremyWaiteby then we will have hopefully covered every topic in deal twice over!!
Central Texas; Lakes Belton, Waco, and Whitney. Though I have a new boat I love to watch these videos
Thanks for commenting and for tuning into the channel! Hopefully we have something fun and education out there even for the new boat owners!
Right here. Allendale, Michigan.
Well shoot, you're right up the road from us!!! Thanks for tuning in
Ft. Worth,Tx Another Great build. Looks awesome only need’s a sportier steering wheel.
Year round boating for you! I know...easy upgrade for them once those sporty burlwood wheels are back in stock.
from or close to Myrtle Beach, Sc i have 22 ft 2000 Crest floor and rails you do great work
Thanks for watching!
Tom, another great and very informative video. Since I can’t physically do what you do anymore, I’m happy that I decided to go with a brand new 27’ Avro tritoon/deck for my houseboat. I stumbled on Avro in Toronto when I was searching for a Canadian source for a center toon. Their parent company also does rebuilds. It only took me more than a year to find them. LOL
I’ve finally gotten all the RV windows and doors for the 17’ cabin so I can get the sketches to the company that building the cabin shel for me.
I’m already looking forward to next week’s video. Have a great holiday weekend!
The machinery needed to build pontoons and nose cones is quite involved which is why it's usually just the big name brand manufacturers doing the building. Glad you found that company though! Glad your project is coming along. Once they get started on the cabin and the deck gets put together you're really going to have a boat to play with!
Watching from Tejas
Thanks for tuning in!! We're cooling off up here right now, but I bet your boating season is still in full swing!
Yessir!
Nice build From N.E.Pa
Thanks for tuning in and leaving a comment!
Clare MI!!!!
Just north of us! Thanks for watching!!
😂😂😂😂😂awesome Florida 😊😊😊😊😊😊
Way down south where the boating season never ends!! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Watching from Central Minnesota. Soon as it gets cold put it away for the year.
And you guys get REAL cold over there! Lake Michigan keeps us a little warmer. As soon as most people put their summer toys away we get out the fishing boats and river fish most of the winter!
Howell,MI
Nice! You’re not too far up the road from us over here in Grand Rapids!!
Brother it looks like it’s as hot in Michigan as it is in Illinois
It's been consistently toasty the last couple of months. Not complaining except for when I'm stuck in the shop with no air flow...Worst days are welding days!! Cool weather is coming though, thankfully!
north east Ohio .35 miles south of Lake Erie . Hot humid.
Yep, you're feeling this mid-summer heat and humidity for sure! Thanks for commenting!
24/7-365.... ARIZONA BABY !
Woof! Too hot for me even if it’s “dry” heat. We’ve got 46 degrees for a low tonight and I’m not complaining after the warm weather we’ve been having!
Cambridge City Indiana my Mom was from Trout Lake Michigan.
You’re not too far away!! Thanks for commenting!
Can you going the cost and how to charge for a job like the total rebuild. Thank you from Tennessee
Most complete restorations like this come in between $15k and $20k depending on the details and options chosen…about half the price of a new pontoon boat.
Rancho Cucamonga CA, restoring a 1989 lowe 20 foot pontoon into a fishing boat
Very cool! We've got a few projects on the channel that we decked out with fishing gear, electronics, and fishing friendly layouts. Might give you some ideas!
Vermont !
You're just like us then I bet, get some real hot summer days and then before we know it the leaves are changing and we're preparing for winter!
Hi watching from Georgia, where is a reasonable place online to purchase seating, console etc. Love the content. Thanks in advance
Hey! For all flooring, seating, and consoles I used Pontoon Stuff exclusively. The quality and customer service is so far beyond any of their competitors. They also have electrical components and much more in terms of accessories! I've got a link you can use and a discount code to save 5% when you shop there:
www.pontoonstuff.com/tomstoons
5% Discount Code: TOMS5OFF
Awesome, how much for that full job ?
Something like this is usually between the $15,000 and $20,000 price point depending on exactly which options and seating is chosen. Right around half the price of a comparable new boat!
An hour south of you down 131 😁
You're enjoying this steady heat we've been having too then! This week is more of my style, especially since I'll be welding a bunch!
Since you asked. I live in North carolina. I actually claim to be from michigan. I grew up in fruitport. My dad is from Muskegon and my mother is from the grant area. Her dad was a farmer. I would love to find a pontoon boat and redo it. But I'm always worried about getting ripped off and I'd have to get it past my wife LOL she let me get a boat once but she had pneumonia and didn't know what she was doing 25 years ago
The beauty of a pontoon is that it’s all fixable. Worst case start with a solid base for pontoons even if they need some welding, then add a reliable motor and finish out the interior over time. There’s no rules saying that it has to look like a $50K boat right away!!
@@tomspontoons yeah I can see that I've been watching your videos and then a few other people. I guess my biggest concern is the motor. Because without a motor it's basically at Best a raft. I look at new Motors and well I'm not in the business but it seems to me that that's the majority of cost of the boat. It's kind of like battery-operated yard devices. You might as well just buy the whole thing instead of the battery. But I'm going to look for a deal or at least keep looking
Voice to text. BTW. My fingers are too big for the phone keyboard LOL
@@javasoccernut 😂
@@javasoccernut I used to sell outboards at a dealer and I always encouraged people to repower an old boat before looking for a new one and paying the premium for the new hull they didn't really need. An older aluminum boat can last decades once restored, so save the money there and invest in a new or newer motor that's going to last a long time and be trouble free too. The new EFI four strokes from 20 hp on up are fantastic engines and are going to change the way boating is for the long haul. Only trouble is that people are going to love their motors so they're not going to be looking to repower and sell...they're just going to run them for a couple thousand hours until they give up!
Tom, I got an all aluminum deck sun tracker. Do you think a carpet restoration would be easy?
Aluminum decks are very time consuming. You need to get the deck completely clean and use a solvent based adhesive. Make sure the carpet or vinyl you're installing can be glued with a solvent based adhesive too! The vinyl from Pontoon Stuff works fine with solvent based adhesives.
Have you ever considered building a power catamaran(not a pontoon boat) 30-36 ft with a beam of 18'-22' out of aluminum? Catamarans are very sleek, fast, have a shallow draught, and are efficient through the water and you could have a small 30-60hp outboard on the aft end of each hull. I was thinking a power cat would make a perfect boat for the 6,000 mi Great Loop through the ICW of the Eastern US, Chesapeake Bay, the Hudson River, Erie Canal, Oswego Canal, the Trent Severn Waterway in Canada(connects L. Ontario to L. Huron), across Lake Huron, to Mackinaw, Down Lake Michigan, to the Chicago River, through the city center, out to the Illinois, Ohio and Mississippi, with side trips to Nashville and Chattanooga, Down to Mobile, AL and out to the gulf, along the Gulf ICW and down and around Florida. It is a world class adventure.
We definitely talked about building a large aluminum barge frame if we ever built another houseboat. That ship has sailed though and we have no plan to do so. I love the idea you've got and it would definitely be very safe and efficient. Maybe someday I'll take on a project of that magnitude, but in the meantime I'll keep working on pontoon boats and building some smaller fishing boats.
Georgia
Probably some year round boating down there, very nice! Thanks for watching and for leaving a comment.
That pontoon definitely looks night and day different. My question, does the value go back up now that it is technically new again? I know the year is a 2000, but the actually boat is brand new now. Would insurance companies insure it like a new pontoon? Great job.
The value of a restored boat usually goes back up to the amount invested into the project, sometimes more depending on the year, motor, etc. It's very common for the owner to declare the value after investing in a restoration and have insurance coverage for the new updated value of the boat. I've never had it be an issue with insurance companies, and if they question the value I simply provide them with an invoice and photos so that they can understand the scope of the improvements.
Eastern Shore Maryland
Thanks for commenting and letting us know where you’re watching from!!
Hi Guys, Do you have a Name, Part#, or Link for the ignition panel used for this setup. TIA
It's the Yamaha brand key switch designed to plug into their 10 pin ignition harness. You could give Van's Sport Center a call and let them know what you're after for your motor/boat setup. They ship parts all over the country. Ask for Brad in parts: 616-364-0666
I think I missed you saying it in the video, where did you get the new furniture?
PontoonStuff.com/tomstoons is my channel’s link!!
Watching from central MAINE season almost over ….might stretch it out to Columbus Day we ride a 1995 riveria craft 18 ft.
I'll bet you've got more leaves changing color up there than we do here right now. It's sad how short the summer season is for us northern states, but I'll always take my four seasons over insane heat and no winter months!
Great video. Watching down here in Murfreesboro, TN. Finished up my second restoration this summer. Now thinking of converting it to a tritoon. Any thoughts on how to mount a center log to those Crest U shape beams without removing flooring? Don’t want to rip up my new flooring… wife wouldn’t be happy about that.
Thanks for tuning in, and GO VOLS! Unfortunately you've got to create a mounting system by running angle aluminum and bolting through your Crest crossmembers. It's doable and I've seen it done before with success, but it's a lot of work and extra money spend on aluminum and stainless hardware. 1/8" thick 2"x2" angle bolted on each side of the crossmembers and then bolted to the center pontoon is the way I've seen it done.
@@tomspontoons thanks for the reply. I was originally thinking I’d have to weld brackets to the cross members but was worried about the heat with the plywood and flooring. So you think running a bolt through both sides, basically running the bolt through two pieces of angle and the crossmember… hadn’t thought about that. That’s why you’re the man. Thanks for the idea. I will do some research.
@@VolunteerAirsoft I would be a little nervous of the heat from welding too, but if MIG welded it should be ok as the heat is pretty minimal compared to TIG. However, there's still a risk there putting all that heat into aluminum that's contacting the plywood. My first Tritoon conversion was my own boat years back and it had some square tube crossmembers so I had to do the same thing bolting brackets to the square tube. It worked great. The concept can be seen in the video I posted about the underdeck ladder....although you'll need it to be a bit wider to accommodate the mounting brackets of your center pontoon.
ua-cam.com/video/m2m3LrpBoss/v-deo.html
@@tomspontoons I’ll go back and take a look. I’ve watched that one before but didn’t pay attention to that. Thank you for all the responses. We still have plenty of boat cruising weather down here, maybe not swimming though. This may be a good winter project. Keep up the great videos.
Where can I get the e
isers for the Bimini
Great video as always and nice looking boat
I usually just do a Google search for "Pontoon Bimini Struts" and a few options will pop up.
NE TEXAS
Awesome! Nearly year round boating for you down there I’m sure.
Y buy a new boat when u can have tht done , too great great stuff , banks is beautiful man , I may be reaching out to u in a month or so for a center toon , we r watching from white cloud , on the river
Exactly! We can make an old boat look and feel new, and the warranty of these products is just as good as the big name brand boats...plus the seats can be swapped out easily if one gets damaged. We're just down south of you and can help out with a center toon addition.
Do you still have those Crest bow light lenses?
Love that helm❣️
Fantastic Refurbishing ❣️
I will double check, but I don't believe so. Usually those go in the garbage. The front corner seats or arm rests would have to be modified to receive that sort of housing.
Would you restore a 2008 Fisher 8 & 1/2 ft x24 ft with a 115 Mercury? The motor runs good and the plywood is good. Floors, panels, seats & Bimini will need to be redone. I am concerned that if I do the motor will start having issues. I assume that I could probably get a Suzuki 140 for around 12-15k and still be ok so I guess my question is are you familiar with the Fishers around 2008 for restoring?
Absolutely yes. Fisher was made by Tracker, essentially the same boats. The motor is always the kicker in the project. I’d restore it and run it til the 115 gives up, then repower and you’ll still be in it for far less money than a whole new boat and have a really nice boat to enjoy.
It's weird, I just redid mine and want to buy another to fix up. 😅
If you're willing to put in the time and initial investment I think there's some money to be made there. The market has slowed after COVID, but if you can get the right boat/motor combo that needs some TLC I think you can do okay on a flipper project as a side hustle....OR just have two pontoon boats for yourself!!
I'm still slowly looking for my next rebuild project 😁
@@J.W.W. They're out there....and up here in Michigan that time of year for cheap boats to buy is coming! Gotta get those boats that need TLC and the owner would rather sell than store for another winter!!!
lake Wawasee Syracuse In
Fellow mid-westerner!!
What would a similar job cost in today's dollars?
Most big restorations like this (floor, railings, seats, electrical) are in the $20,000 range....about half the price of a new entry level boat these days!