"I restored this boat to 'like-new' condition adding:

- 24" Tempest Plus
- 10" RapidJack jackplate
- SeaStar hydraulic steering kit
- MotorGuide TE-109 36V foot controlled bow mount TM
- MotorGuide 3 battery Charger w/hull mounted 120V receptacle
- One Group 27 'starting' and three Group 30 'deep cycle' batteries
- Hamby's keel protector
- Boyesen reed valves on 200 hp Yamaha
- Replaced all switches with "Tip-Lites" (great for night fishing)
- Replaced faded dash panel
- All new Perko flush-mount locking hatch pulls (all keyed alike)
- All new fuel filler tubes and Perko filler necks
- All new carpeting
- New trailer bunks
- Two new 'Ranger' seats
- Two new 'Swivel-East' 1 1/2" pedestals and deck-mount sockets

Boat and Ranger Trail trailer completely re-wired.....
-All new lights on trailer
-Four new 'Ultra-Industries' machined aluminum wheels w/radials on trailer,
 (best appearance bang for the buck!)
-Four new spindles w/bearings on trailer (just to be safe)
-Rebuilt original trailer-jack w/all new original parts
-Repaired all gel coat chips and dings, then on the bottom I sanded & polished
  it to a like-new finish (no wax).
-Blueprinted last 2 feet of pad (needed next to nothing as it was almost
  perfectly flat).
Went completely through 200 hp Yamaha regular maintenance check-up
(still 110-120 psi on all cylinders), then tuned and synchronized it to factory
specs (did it all myself).

Now this "old" boat:
- Jumps up like a dry cork
- Runs 65 mph gps @ 5600 rpms
- Idles smooth
- Handles great
- Looks "Sweet"
- Fishes like it always has, great!

The new boats are incredible and I love 'em but, I cannot see the numbers being justified.  My business partner and first cousin, just bought a new 18'4" Javelin with 150 'Rude Ficht for $26,000.  It DOES get a lot better fuel economy than mine, but - it can't compete with my restored 15 year-old 390 V in top-speed,
ride, handling, room, fish-ability, or anything else.
I don't know about anywhere else, but in Northern CA, the $13,000. difference in the cost of our boats STILL buys a lot of fuel, IF fuel economy is the justification for him spending the extra $26,000 clams!
It'll buy 8700 gallons of premium today to be exact!

That should get my 'ol gas-guzzlin Yamaha across the lake a time or maybe even two.  I might add that if loan fees and interest for 7 years were tallied in (they do cost you real money you know), I'm ahead by over 11,000 gallons. WHEW!
I'm gonna need a hazardous material permit to store the stuff.

If you think new boat prices are nuts because once again, in my high school graduate "prune-picker' opinion, they are.....try restoring an old one.

Find a solid hull and motor and get to work.  You'll have fun, save tons of money and have an awesome rig when you're done.  Do it!  It's a piece-a-cake!
Trust me!"

Carl DeGough - CA