What year/value is my tower of power?

[dorelse]

I don't get why it matters that the mold or hull was in Texas 30 years ago?  There's no way you're getting new hull from a new mold.

Find a rotted out blue Metric (yes, you'll probably have to wait for the right one...) then snap it up and marry the 2 together...you'll likely need to do stringers, floor, etc...but that's the trade off for a cheap hull.

[wiliermdb]

No C-500's in the Austin grave yard. If I'm not mistaken, Carlson's (at least mine - 1977) were built in California. That's not the point, though.

If it were me I'd bring it to someone and ask for a quote. Then I'd find out what their price would be if you brought them just the lower portion of the hull with the cap, interior and floor all removed. Do that work yourself and you'll save a pretty big chunk on the repair job if all they have to do is get in there and start the repair. You can probably figure 10 - 12 hours minimum shop time to yank the motor, pull the cap, remove the interior and cut out the floor.

If it's not necessary to pull the cap off and get away with just removing the motor, seats, battery, drain fuel tank and anything that may tumble out, and cut an access hole in floor to get to the damaged area, then you can save quite a bit of money doing that work yourself. They should be able to flip the hull and do the repairs once all of that is done.

Not sure where you live but you probably have all winter to stash funds for the repair.

We could always start a "Save the Metric Fund."

[ski machine]

The CVX16 for $599 is to cheap ...
It most likely has a piece of plywood over a soft floor, a metal plate over a soft transom, painted hull to cover repairs, fishing boat seats, etc. etc.   You might have to drill new holes for your Merc. , not sure what was on it to start with but it wasn't the Force, it looks to new.

The CVX from Fargo is an I/O and would have a cut out for the out drive in transom, if your thinking about using the hull.

Could you mount the Merc on the Larson for next summer ?

I'm guessing that any boat repair shop would look at your C500 and estimate repair thinking that they would have to pull floor out to do a good job on hull.
After talking with shop to make sure that is the case, you could pull the floor out and bring the hull to them.

I'm no expert on fiber glassing or hull repair BUT it sure looks like you would have to do it from the inside to do it right ...
A guess on floor install costs would be $500 to $800 depending on what you used for wood, resin, etc.
Guess is based on my transom/rear stringer/rear floor repair which cost me about $450 ... give or take $100 ... LOL

Got a quick look at this CVX-16 today.
1. Boat HAS been painted (by amateur) so I crawled all over it and found only minor repairs. I think they painted it to cover oxidized or over-buffed original finish.
2. Seats are cracked but solid (no rot)
3. Pounded on just about every square inch of floor and found nothing that "I think" is a rot problem.
4. NO Metal plate hiding weak transom.
5. Salesman told me PO bought a new boat and didn't know what to do with this one so he just left it there for them to 'dispose of'. (true or lie? I think true)
6. Didn't get to check out compression as dealer techs were gone for the day. Tomorrow.
7. Price listed at $599, I have a pretty good feeling that they would take $400 to get it gone (their lot is packed with inventory and customer boats. packed.)
8. Has nice jack plate. I don't believe I would have a problem mounting my Merc tower if that's what I wanted to do. If motor is good, I would leave as is.




Mounting my Merc on the Larson Senza IS one option I'm considering. I would then be able to transfer my new controls and all in on move which I find a little comforting as I just paid $700 for the new setup this Spring.

The CVX I/O is no longer something I'm considering. I must have had a minor stroke or something... why would I ever want to make the restore a bigger job than it already is? If the motor IS good and all, it would be a good project but not for me. I'm swamped with *Censored * I'm not qualified to do lol.

I'm looking for a local shop to get estimates for "hull only" "floor/hull" etc repair packages. (Thanks everyone that suggested this approach!)

[ski machine]

Yea that IO needs a 302 V8 like Kert's rebuild.  I think he's aproaching 60 mph.  Pretty sure the CVX has a different hull.  Definate angle up front while the C-500 is pointed.  You can measure the width at that point.  Only way to replace is make a new hull with the original mold.  Probably made in Texas.  I think our buddy Wiliermdb had pics of a bunch of red C-500s in Austin in a boat junk yard.  That right?  Think they were all red and whiite.
Hard to tell if your LU is broken

I don't believe my LU is broken. When I was winterizing her, she behaved well while on the earmuffs ( I didn't rev her up but I did put her in gear - forward and reverse) No clunks, grinding, chugging or any other behavior to lead me to believe there is any real damage there.

If anyone knows of a Metric hull anywhere closer than Texas or California, I would like to hear from you. I couldn't find Wiliermdb here, is he still around with that metric grave yard? Maybe shipping a stripped hull to North Dakota isn't as expensive as I'm expecting.

[Hyperacme]

Looks like that CVX is worth more then $600 in parts alone !
If you could talk him down to $400 ... The wind shield and side posts, grab handle and ski bar could be sold to cover entire cost of boat ... and you'd still have a boat to use next summer ... If motor checks out ... It has to be worth $500 on CL, if not more ...

HECK ... You could make money on that CVX !

[ski machine]

It also comes with the trailer which needs a paint job but has decent tires and bearing buddies.... I had almost talked myself out of it but now I'm finding myself wondering how much work it would be to remove that paint lol (curious about what she looks like under all that)

[thedeuceman]

That's a good deal...

[GCarlover]

Quote
this one is an 86. damn your quick hyperachme! lol

Is this your year by the SN?  I gave you the wrong numbers.  Give me the number if you don't mind.  I know it's not an 86 with blue decals. GCarlover.
Chances are if you were going slow the prop gave and not the gears.  The hub won't slip with a SS prop, usually.

[V153]

I think I'd be all over that!?

[ski machine]

Quote
this one is an 86. damn your quick hyperachme! lol

Is this your year by the SN?  I gave you the wrong numbers.  Give me the number if you don't mind.  I know it's not an 86 with blue decals. GCarlover.
Chances are if you were going slow the prop gave and not the gears.  The hub won't slip with a SS prop, usually.

I'm not sure where the serial number is, It does have the external trim cylinders with the pump inside the boat.
I was going very slow, idling really, but my prop wasn't a SS. One thing though, when we hit, the motor jumped up (as in tilted/trimmed) when the scag/lower fin hit, then dropped back down and that's when that on blade hit and folded. That shock launched the motor back up again... I killed the motor before it dropped back into the water.
Meaning.. I believe the prop was powered during impact for only enough time to fold the one blade and using that energy to propel the engine in a trimmed up (100%) position.

I hope that makes sense.... Would a good close up picture of the prop help determine whether the prop or the gears gave? I don't really want to fire the engine up after winterizing her if I can help it.

[ski machine]

Went and started the cvx-16's 125hp Force today. It had to be run in a 50 gal drum with water (tech said ear muffs wouldn't work on this model) It fired up very easily, no choke, one squeeze of the bulb, first turn of the key. I was only able to get the tech to put her in forward/reverse for a very short time (seconds) and of course not to any level of power. The motor did engage both ways and sounded very nice.
The techs will not do a compression check for me or allow me to do so simply because of the price of the boat and the lack of time they can spend on a used boat. 'fair enough'

No dice on $400... I told them I'd sleep on it. I'll try $500 tomorrow and see if they blink.

[Retro Performance]

Is that engine a 25 inch mid section?  They had some on Maxums back then.......I wonder if that is the reason for the jack plate?

[ski machine]

I don't know Retro, it did seem like a big rig for that hull... and another thing, the windshield IS cracked in two places on front passenger's side. and the trailer is set up for the rig badly. when I climbed up into the boat, the boat tipped noticeably.I felt like I could very easily flip the boat off the trailer by just pushing down on the rail.scary.

I'm going back this morning when they open.. I'll update later today.

[Hyperacme]

The Force 125 looks to be a 1987 or 1988 by the decals.

Your serial number for the Mercury will be on a plate riveted to the tilt tube in front of motor, just above boats transom.

[Rich_V174SS]

The Force 125 looks to be a 1987 or 1988 by the decals.

Your serial number for the Mercury will be on a plate riveted to the tilt tube in front of motor, just above boats transom.

My serial number for that year is located on a plate on the starboard-side steering bracket, between the vertical steering tube and starboard trim ram. But there may also be a welch plug located on the power head with the serial number stamped into it.

[David CVX-16]

Don is onto something. That Force 125 has the extra long shaft. Note these pictures of a regular 125 Force and the other one that is advertised as extra long. The length of the angled piece is much longer on the 25" section. Note also that they use the jackplate to raise the engine on the boat significantly off the transom.

[Hyperacme]

Sure looks like a XL shaft motor Dave ...

[dorelse]

You may have already mentioned this and I missed it...but did you make sure the gear lube didn't have any water in it before storing? 

[ski machine]

You may have already mentioned this and I missed it...but did you make sure the gear lube didn't have any water in it before storing? 

Yes, I  did. No water found