How much is it worth if at all

Hello, I recently purchased a 1952 14' chris craft kit boat. This would just be a runabout boat. It is in decent condition but I am curious to know how much it would be worth on a full overhaul. I enjoy wood boats and always wanted one so I am doing this to do but want it to be worth a half of what I put into it.

Also, currently it has a 35 hp johnson on it, with it also came a 50 hp 1960 motor. Nice looking but way to big. It was on the boat originally.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...rich

 

There are websites with such boats--- Centurys, Chris Craft, Gar Woods, Hackers, etc., all sizes. Are you sure about the condition of your boat, or do you have to do some tearing down?
Just for starters, to get real money, top money for one of these boats, refastening, involving removing 1000 bungs carefully, tightening all the screws, replacing bungs, long-boarding and sanding to bare wood, and revarnishing must be done. It must be as pretty and rugged as a new boat, besides being in original configuration using matching parts and pieces.
Then 12 coats at least of varnish, caulking, striping, paint inside, reupholstering, engine rebuild, chrome restored...

And the bottom must be good, preferably unfastened and the inner planking replaced with 1/4" ply, and the outer bottom planks bedded in 3M 5200 and screwed back on. The inner canvas barrier never survives anyway

...to get top dollar.

It's a hell of a lot of work, believe me. Count on two gallons of varnish.
I'm gonna guess it might be worth 15-20k totally restored, but go and check.
The big shops with reputations sell their own boats, and their prices are the ones to trust. Then subtract 10% for a realistic selling price.

Alan

 

Value is a relative thing. I completed a restoration of a well spent Lyman hardtop last year. It cost next to nothing, required nearly everything and isn't worth what the owner has in it. On the other hand, he's always wanted this style, model and length Lyman. Ever since being a young man, he's dreamed of finding one and making it look like his dream boat. He now putters his dream around our local waterways and as happy as a lively young tornado, in a mobile home park.

To this man, it was worth it. To a prospective buyer, maybe not, certainly the insurance company had issue with his declared value.

I see hundreds of old boats each year. 99 out of 100 are not worth saving, though as many as 15% may be in pretty good shape. Do they have the original equipment, engine and trans? Has it been butchered with holes in the dash of beautiful mahogany, housing 30 year old, unworking depth sounders? Will the hardware rechroming process cost more then the boat's worth? Will you restore the well spent original, less then reliable old engine, or devalue it with a newer, more reliable version? Will you install the 1950's era gaudy upholstery or settle on something the wife can live with? What pedigree does the boat have? Is a well known/liked name/model/year? Was it owned by someone famous or have an interesting history or racing record?

All these things and much more affect the value, restoration and resale of an old war horse. And equally as important, is it's worth to you. Many may not want to restore her, to a perfect example of a 1950's such and such, preferring to have a nice rendition with some modern upgrades. In the end, some hard choices and difficult decisions have to be accessed and made on your part, the new owner. What do you want her to be worth? What do you want her to do? Budget, time, skill, jobbed out labor and repairs, etc. will all have to be evaluated before you can make a reasonable guess at her value.

 

Just finished a '53 Holiday 19', meaning my part in the restoration--- carpentry, wooding, refastening, refinishing. The owner happened across one of the few out there with a great hull and a salvagable deck (except the rear deck which was replaced, and the 3 nose blocks and a bit of one margin plank.
He paid 12 1/2k My part, maybe 6k. 1-2k in materials.
Say 20k, and now comes the upholstry, rebuild engine cover, some chrome, engine top end rebuild, heat exchanger ($1200.00 reman.!), straighten prop shaft, cockpit sole, and a few other sundries.
It would not surprise me in the least if the total bill comes to over 30k, and he's got weeks of his own sweat into it.
Asking price for one this nice? 39k. Selling price, maybe 34k.
You gotta love these boats. Do your own work. Hope you got one that is worth the effort.
They are beautiful boats. But the only way to break even is to forget your own time, and the only way to turn a profit is to know how to work on them, and then find somebody who just got one and introduce yourself.
Kinda like beautiful women...

A.