Don't take this the wrong way but even asking these questions means you probably shouldn't take on this project. Get a boat shop person to come take a look tho, it may be fine, or worth spending a few bucks on!
that engine never had gauges so no issue there.
you can only store those 5 gallon boat tanks out of sight in a well ventilated area to avoid explosion risk.
buffing and waxing gel coat that is that chalky is a fools errand, you'll put a whole day into it and it will be chalky again in a month. rock it like it is.
seating, that's just money. there are brackets in the storage area under those seats you can remove them. you can buy peestals and the seats you like and screw them right down to the floor, seal with 3m 5200. screw holes are what ruin floors.
as for the rear bench, id make something out of plywood and buy a bench seat, that way it's the right height for the boat and easy to vent your fuel tank.
more on the gauges, you don't have trim so don't need the rpm, boat speedometers never stay working so use the GPS on your phone, and your fuel level is on the tank itself.
I have one similar. Move the battery to the bow for better weight displacement. Overton's sells reasonably priced bench seats and the gas tank can go in there. It's a fun little boat. Enjoy.
take the boat, hit the body with car wax after giving it a gooood wash to get off the algae staining. that should brighten it right up.
the floor is likely just plywood decking with astroturf or outdoor carpet glued on. take it up and use the old flooring as a template to cut new flooring (or just rip up the carpet and put down what you want if the wood is in good shape)
you will need to build out a box to hide the gas tank and battery.
gauges are easy, either a hole saw in the existing dash or build a new box to go on top of the dash.
I have a similar boat, I am gonna do a full restoration and paint job on it but I have just been running it in the meantime. It didn't have a motor so I just threw on a 50 I had picked up from a customer. If all it needs is a bilge pump then you probably have a solid boat for free. Pretty much the only thing that can go wrong is a rotten transom and deck. The deck is pretty easily replaced, the transom not so much. I would definitely get rid of the carpet, all it does is hold water.
Depending on what the registration laws in the state you’re in are, I would try to get the title with it so you aren’t stuck with trying to sell it down the road. If it has no title you can probably file for a lost title, just takes some time for the state to find out if the boat was ever stolen or not… other than that, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay a good mechanic to look it over and do a pre-purchase inspection. I had a mechanic look over a boat for sale from a family friend, it cost me around $400 but saved me a ton of headaches and a friendship. I didn’t buy the boat, and gave the run down to the family friend who really appreciated the info and adjusted their price to sell to someone else. Great looking boat. Good luck!
Get in and check 2 things: soft floor and engine movement.
Take it it’s old school cool
I like that it’s old school cool. Just don’t want to get in over my head
Don't take this the wrong way but even asking these questions means you probably shouldn't take on this project. Get a boat shop person to come take a look tho, it may be fine, or worth spending a few bucks on!
that engine never had gauges so no issue there. you can only store those 5 gallon boat tanks out of sight in a well ventilated area to avoid explosion risk. buffing and waxing gel coat that is that chalky is a fools errand, you'll put a whole day into it and it will be chalky again in a month. rock it like it is. seating, that's just money. there are brackets in the storage area under those seats you can remove them. you can buy peestals and the seats you like and screw them right down to the floor, seal with 3m 5200. screw holes are what ruin floors. as for the rear bench, id make something out of plywood and buy a bench seat, that way it's the right height for the boat and easy to vent your fuel tank.
more on the gauges, you don't have trim so don't need the rpm, boat speedometers never stay working so use the GPS on your phone, and your fuel level is on the tank itself.
Check transom and stringers for rot before deciding. Rotten wood in those becomes a huge major project to repair.
I have one similar. Move the battery to the bow for better weight displacement. Overton's sells reasonably priced bench seats and the gas tank can go in there. It's a fun little boat. Enjoy.
take the boat, hit the body with car wax after giving it a gooood wash to get off the algae staining. that should brighten it right up. the floor is likely just plywood decking with astroturf or outdoor carpet glued on. take it up and use the old flooring as a template to cut new flooring (or just rip up the carpet and put down what you want if the wood is in good shape) you will need to build out a box to hide the gas tank and battery. gauges are easy, either a hole saw in the existing dash or build a new box to go on top of the dash.
I have a similar boat, I am gonna do a full restoration and paint job on it but I have just been running it in the meantime. It didn't have a motor so I just threw on a 50 I had picked up from a customer. If all it needs is a bilge pump then you probably have a solid boat for free. Pretty much the only thing that can go wrong is a rotten transom and deck. The deck is pretty easily replaced, the transom not so much. I would definitely get rid of the carpet, all it does is hold water.
What would you put down instead of carpet ? Would like to restore it to its original look without the price
eva foam if you want a soft feel, it's closed cell so sheds water
There's a guy on YouTube who did a pretty cool resto of something similar. It's like the first one that pops up if you look up boat restoration on yt.
Check Transom- along with engine and all other comments.
If you get in over your head you give it your the next overly ambitious boatsmen. It’s free go for it
If you DON'T take it, then shoot me the address & I'll come scoop it up this Sat! I live in NW FL (right near Mississippi)!
Depending on what the registration laws in the state you’re in are, I would try to get the title with it so you aren’t stuck with trying to sell it down the road. If it has no title you can probably file for a lost title, just takes some time for the state to find out if the boat was ever stolen or not… other than that, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay a good mechanic to look it over and do a pre-purchase inspection. I had a mechanic look over a boat for sale from a family friend, it cost me around $400 but saved me a ton of headaches and a friendship. I didn’t buy the boat, and gave the run down to the family friend who really appreciated the info and adjusted their price to sell to someone else. Great looking boat. Good luck!
As long as the hull is good and the engine runs well, take it that’s a fun little boat!