New to me 16 Predicator - What to look for, speeds, soft spots?

[Rick_K]

I was looking for a small play boat for the kids and always wanted
a checkmate, so I found one..

Needs interior and a good rub/wax..

(*let me know if the pics dont work, I seem to be having an issue.. )

It's powered buy a 115hp Merc stack 6.

The front seats need to go! and the back seats was rotted out

 

[nathan]

good looking boat

 

[Great East Predictor]

Check for soft spots in the floor, any cracks in the transom around the corners of the spalshwell. It should do low 50's with that motor.

 

[sim]

Check for soft spots in the floor, any cracks in the transom around the corners of the spalshwell. It should do low 50's with that motor.

Ditto. Except I would spell splashwell differently.

 

[Rick_K]

The wife and I did a quick wheel job and the paint came back very nice. I'm pleasantly surprised to say the least.

The rear seat wood was in pretty bad shape so I pulled it and made some new pieces out of 1/2" marine plywood.

The front seats were a joke.. they were some kind of john boat aluminum seat that flexed pretty bad with my 78lb little girl in them. I know a guy who bought a TON of stuff from the thompson boat comp. when they closed. He has low back bucket seats that looked perfect.

I just took the old mounting brackets and re-drilled the holes to match the new seat.

Just need to drop off the seats today to get upholstered.

The floor is pretty good, the transom is questionable to say the least. Over the winter I'll split the hull and deck and restore the boat if I like it enough to keep it.

 

[Rick_K]

Check for soft spots in the floor, any cracks in the transom around the corners of the spalshwell. It should do low 50's with that motor.

50 is a little more than I want the kids to be running.. but it is what it is.

I was joking with the wife telling her I was going to bolt up one of my 2.5OSR motors "just to see how fast it goes"

 

[sim]

Wow,that looks amazing! As for the 50 mph- I think that may be a little optimistic. If the engine was real strong and it was set up right with a high pitch prop it's possible. Otherwise you're probably talking 40's-especially if you hobble it with a low pitch, but watch the rpm's.

 

[atc250r]

I would say if you tuck the motor all the way in so the boat doesn't get much lift you'll be able to limit them to mid to low 40's without an issue and they probably won't have to watch the tach so closely like they would if you went and under propped it. Nice find though. Hopefully one day I'll be able to pick something like that up for my daughter when she gets old enough.

 

[Rick_K]

I know its a loaded question but what are these boats worth?

I paid 1400. for the boat, motor and trailer ready to run. It seemed like a good deal so I took it..



And I don't need to worry about watching the tachometer, I don't have one Only a fuel gauge. But I will be putting a Water Temp and Tach in this weekend if I have time.

 

[atc250r]

Doesn't sound bad to me at all. Nice little boat for the money.

John

 

[Great East Predictor]

Buffed out nice, looks good.
Price sounds about right for that rig.
Put a 2.5 on it and see what she'll do, they handle speed very well for a 16 footer.

 

[OzarkKing]

Nice boat!!!! - I picked up a 1980 with a 'rude 140 hp and trailer for $1650 that required a couple hundred to get purring. Now she runs 55 mph all day and still pulls up a 200 lb+ wakeboarder no problem (I also have a hydrofoil installed). Wouldn't sell it for $3000 at present and I still search Craigslist within 1000 mile radius for other Predictors.