1948 Gar Wood restoration

[drdage]

I am new to this forum. It looks like a great source of info. I am considering the purchase of a 16 ft 1948 Gar Wood boat. The boat was last restored in 1993 but then was neglected. It now needs to be refinished. My boat refinishing has been limited to a 1928 canoe (17 ft so I guess it was larger).

Am I insane to consider this as a winter project and what is the price range I should pay for this boat. It appears to be all there and without any rot. The owner wants $4000.

Paul

[PAR]

Work on a 60 year old structure, restored or not can be intimidating. The level of restoration preformed 15 years ago and the amount of neglect will determine how much trouble you're going to have. Of course there's no way of "guesstimating" the amount of burden you will endure.

Traditionally built wooden boats can withstand the least amount of neglect. It doesn't take very long at all for major damage to occur, especially if the conditions are just right. I've seen freshly restored boats heading for the land fill 5 years later, from pure neglect.

Since your only experience with this type of effort is a canoe, you have only two options in my view. The best is to have a very qualified boat carpenter or surveyor look her over. There are so many things to look for, that a novice will miss 90% of them, in spite of what they believe is a complete personal inspection. Simply put, you just don't know what to look for. The second recommendation is to run as fast as you can, directly in the opposite direction of this boat. Opening a "can of worms" could very literally be the case, particularly to the novice restorer.

Another option that I didn't list, frankly because it defies logic, is to take your chances and buy it anyway. Many folks "just have to have it" which leads to poor decision making processes. 4 grand isn't a lot of money. If you can "pretty" her up with a little elbow grease and some finishes, then you've gotten quite lucky. I've found in most cases, this isn't true. Most of the time a tired, but seemly sound example has a host of issues, not seen at first blush. Things like control linkages that have been "doctored" together and which you can't get parts for. Ditto the engine, transmission and drive gear. You could easy find yourself with a boat that is constantly breaking down or reliably leaves you stranded on a lake with surprising regularity. This is the price one pays to own one of these "antiques". Then again, you may get lucky and find a rare gem that is in need of a little love. The only way to know, is to bring along a pro who knows his Gar Woods.

[alan white]

PAR's right about the many ways you could go wrong---- especially without a thorough survey by someone familiar with the type.
That boat could be worth a lot if restored (and you might Google sister-ships for sale out there and guess the actual selling price is a bit less).
There's a part of the equation. The next after a survey is a cost breakdown--- how much can your own labor provide, are parts available? etc..
Then recognize that immersion in water and actual use of the completed restoration turns an investment into an expensive hobby. In that sense, maintaining the boat as nicely as it looked when you finished restoring it takes an amazing amount of elbow grease.
So there's a big difference between restoring for the purpose of resale and restoring for use. A rebuilder/dealer who has restored a wooden speedboat will keep the boat in a shed, out of the sun and rain, and definitely out of the water.
You'll want to use your boat, and as soon as you do, you will deal with a huge ongoing commitment of money and time unless you're willing to let the boat go, bit by bit, until it looks a lot like it does now.
Know what you're getting into with one of these old beauties. In the old days, labor was cheaper and owners were comparitively wealthier. Today, keeping such a boat up has to be a passion unless you've got loads of cash.
Even if you do everything right, buy right and sell right, in between, you've got to be passionate about ownership because of the hundreds of hours you will put into simply maintaining the restoration in like-new condition.

[drdage]

Thanks for the sage advice. I am contemplating the commitment and my wifes potential anger carefully. I also am not sure where I might find someone to do a survey up here in MN. I am perhaps foolishly enticed with the challenge of returning this craft back to magnificense with my own hands. I am afraid that I may very much underestimate the effort as you have both pointed out. Thanks for your input.

Paul

[drdage]

Well I went up to examine the boat a final time. I had pretty much decided that it was too big a project for me but just before I got to the sellers pole building another potential buyer beat me there. It was quite interesting how he new almost nothing about the boat or restoration but was so afraid that I was going to buy the boat that he paid a deposit to the sellar after about 15 minutes of casual eyeballling. He was definately a "just have to have it " buyer . Thankyou both for your advice and I will continue to search for a project boat that is inbetter condition.
Paul

[tbweber]

Hi drdage,
I'm a professional restorer in St. Paul. I offer wooden boat inspections and can accompany you to a boat you are thinking about buying. Feel free to stop by the shop.
greatnorthernboatworks@gmail.com