how old is to old????

[jeepguyjames]

Ive been kicking around the idea of going to a fiberglass bass boat......dug around in the couch for some change and found a few bucks......Im looking at around an 18ft with a 150hp motor.....found a few rangers in the early to mid 90s model year i could pay cash for....one had a yamaha and the others mostly had johnson fast strike motors......main question is how old is to old? aside from compression and making sure the motor runs are there other problems to look for in a glass boat of this kind of age? I fish about twice a wk and would hate to buy somthing im constantly fighting with to keep running ........any input would be appreciated.....have a great one all, God bless.

[Cane Pole]

My biggest concern about plastic boats would be the transom.

[feelay]

All boats are holes in the water to throw money in. If you a mechanically inclined and motor checks out...go for it. You can generally tell by looking if it has been cared for. Like canepole said... check the transom.

[jeepguyjames]

All boats are holes in the water to throw money in.....

you just described boats and fishing in general........lol.......

[Ranger R61]

I have a 98 Ranger R61 with a 99 Johnson 90 hp. Its a good boat. One thing I would look for is stress cracks in the fiberglass.

[Dutch552]

Ranger boats went to a composite transom after 1989, so if you move to one of their glass boats it will be one less thing to worry about. Check for cracks in the gel coat on the hull and be sure all the switches and electrical components work as they should. Reworking a boat is very doable but it's also very tedious and a pain in the rear. I'm riding in a 1994 Javelin with a Johnson 115 and it catches fish just like the new $60,000 Rangers.

[jeepguyjames]

DUTCH....didnt know that about the 90 and above thanks........my current boat fishes fine (16ft V bottom tin boat)......its just a nightmare in any kind of wind and a little more speed would be nice....ive been pretty blessed to fish out of various diff kind of boats past couple of years, a glass bass boat will fit the types of fishing I do pretty well....

[feeshrman]

Nothing wrong with older boats, just be careful. Check for stress cracks and such, I would also be more comfortable with a boat that has been used steadily over the years and not one that has been sitting up for a long time.

[toofuss]

Those older johnnyrudes were pretty bullet proof. Compression Is the big thing

[T.C.]

Case by case basis like anything else. Some have been garage kept and some have sat out under an old oak tree. You can normally judge a boat by the way a man keeps up his yard and house. Your not gonna find a well taken care of home and yard with an old ratty bassboat sitting in the back yard. These are the type of folks you buy older boats from. A newer boat doesn't really matter, there hasn't been enough time to ruin the boat usually........unless it has seen saltwater and it wasn't cleaned or washed out properly.