Don't wanna start no fights...

[bassfisher]

that's not a beat up tracker it's pretty nice from what I saw

[vernon]

On 4/20/2017 at 11:15 AM, 176champion said:

I paid 1300 for my 1989 17'6" champion boat motor and trailer and i have put probably 2,000 in it, it's not the fanciest or prettiest or the fastest boat out there but it works and the best part it's paid for.....lol

"Paid for" sounds great and all but more often than not what it really means is a re-appropriation of funds.

The money that's not going towards a boat payment is instead paying for braces, college, a car, a new driveway, a nicer house, a new roof, etc.......

I just happen to prefer new boats over the alternatives.

Unspent money isn't really worth having in the first place unless you're in the business of setting up endowments.

I happen to be my own favorite charity!

[176champion]

1 hour ago, vernon said:

"Paid for" sounds great and all but more often than not what it really means is a re-appropriation of funds.

The money that's not going towards a boat payment is instead paying for braces, college, a car, a new driveway, a nicer house, a new roof, etc.......

I just happen to prefer new boats over the alternatives.

Unspent money isn't really worth having in the first place unless you're in the business of setting up endowments.

I happen to be my own favorite charity!

No is what it means fixed income...lol

[vernon]

17 minutes ago, 176champion said:

No is what it means fixed income...lol

Been in that situation for four years now!

Pension and social security - can't beat the hours though......

And it still spends the same!

[ryan]

On 4/17/2017 at 8:02 PM, fishinwrench said:

I hate to say this out loud, but I have been working on a couple of late '80's - early 90's Rangers lately, and quite frankly I am very unimpressed.  One is a big ol' 393 battleship, and other than having a thick heavy hull.....Yuck! Totally not impressed. Soft/soggy transom, Plumbed with garden hose and non-stainless hose clamps? Really?  Plain old wood screws and top cap rivets that were never squeezed up tight? Wow.

When I say "working on" I mean I have all the deck lids off, fuel tanks removed, plumbing and wiring removed, ect.   And yeah, when you begin reverse engineering one of these boats you really get to study how it was put together. 

I see things here that I'd be embarrassed about if I was a "top of the line" boat builder.  Rediculous.  

My point:.  Johnny can't hurt this crap at all !    I have a 1989 Tracker 180FS that is built better than that.

Go to the factory and let them take you on a tour.  Watch how triton, stratos and Ranger are built side by side.  There is a difference.  I think boats are like cars these days.  Everyone makes a great boat.  That being said there are differences that any fisherman can see when they step into a boat.  I don't think very many people when being honest step into a ranger boat and say, "Wow, this really is a piece of junk!"  I see a lot of old rangers out there on the water and they seem pretty solid.  Just my humble opinion.

[fishinwrench]

Yeah they're good boats.   I have a surprisingly solid '89 Tracker glass boat that I just can't get myself to part with too. That sucker is put together really well.

 

Here's the kinda stuff I'm talking about. Do you know anything about rivets?

I have two boats from two different year classes where the builder stuck the rivets in the holes....But they never squeezed down.   I guess the dude heard a pop and just kept on going. Never checked to see if the rivet actually bit anything.  If you were a top of the line boat builder would you shrug that off ?  Just depend on some RTV to hold that cap on?  C'mon now.

That's all I'm saying.  True enough the cap didn't move.... But still !  Might as well just save the rivets and use thumb tacks.