Okay so this guy cut me a deal on this glass boat.

[_tyler_wright_]

He told me 850. It is a 16 foot monarch tri-hull with a 75 horse motor on it. All it NEEDS is a new throttle and new guages. It has a fairly used trolling motor on it. The fiberglass is not in bad shape at all. No cracks or anything that i can tell. But my only problem is that it's a 1975 year boat and i'm afraid of what kinda strength the fribrglass still has in it. I plan on builing new decks and such (building the interior like i want it). What would you guys say? The boat it's self is not in bad shape at all and it has a basically new trailor. Oh yeah and it needs a new trolling motor quick connect plug thing.

[ZEN BASSIN]

Are you looking for a project or to start fishing? You might be spending good money to get the way you want.

[_tyler_wright_]

It's gonna be a project

[ZEN BASSIN]

State your concerns to him about the stability of the glass because of the age and wear and make him a counter offer. CASH IS KING The standard trolling motor plug (both male and female ends)  depending on type cost under $25 easy fix.

[cart7t]

The fiberglass is only a problem if non-finished areas of the glass were exposed to water, IE: gash in the hull under the water line that allowed water to permeate the hull.  

[Popeye]

I know on certain sailboats it's actually better to buy an older fiberglass boat because the thickness of the fiberglass hull was greater than their modern counterparts. I'm just guessing here, but that well may be the case with the older bass boats too. Sure they are going to be heavier and slower than the newer models, but those thicker hulled boats will/should last almost forever if properly taken care of (and be almost indestructibly strong too).

[cart7t]

I know on certain sailboats it's actually better to buy an older fiberglass boat because the thickness of the fiberglass hull was greater than their modern counterparts....

Not necessarily true of bass boats made in the 70's and early 80's.  That era of bassboat building saw a lot of boats built with chopper guns.  Not that that was bad in itself but the quality of the construction was very reliant on how good the gun operator was.  A resin rich boat, which would be heavier, is not a good thing.  I can't say whether Monarks were hand laid or chopper boats.