Damaged Lowe L1648MT

[BassBlaster]

Hey all. I havnt been around this site for a couple years, Used to be pretty active here.

Today I got a call from a buddy that's moving to SC. Said he had a couple of tin boats, a trolling motor and a battery to get rid of. If I wanted, I could have them for the grand total of FREE and he would even deliver em. How do you pass that deal up? An hour later he was in my driveway with a trailer full of boats.

First up was an old Myers 14 Pro. Its in pretty rough shape but floats. I dunno if I have any use for it or not.

Next was a 2012 Lowe L1648MT that is badly damaged and dosnt have a title. The story behind it is that the mining company he worked for used it to paddle to and from their dredge. It broke loose one day and got stuck in a mud bank down the way. Rather than take another boat out to get it, they used an excavator that could reach it to pull it out of the mud. The results can be seen in the pics below. It must have been stuck pretty good. As for the title, he said the guy who purchased the boat for the company either had it titled to himself or just never gave anyone a title. He no longer works at the company and since the boat was never leaving their private property, they never cared to look into it. My buddy was given the boat when they were going to crush it and throw it away. Obviously Im going to work on getting a title first. I don't think it will be that big of a deal. Assuming I get a clean title for the boat, anyone think this thing is worth fixing? The large tear is right on a weld seam. I have a buddy that does body work and know another guy who owns a fab shop. I think between the two of them, that torn seam will be no problem. My next question would be the gunnels. Does Lowe sell replacement gunnels? I think if I can buy reasonably priced replacement gunnels, I can straighten this thing out, have it welded and make it look new again. The live well lid is also bent but that's no biggie. Thoughts?

 

[Clint KY]

That's buff out. Seriously, a good welder can fix it so it doesn't leak, but it may not run straight at full speed, but it will be fine. Getting a title may be another thing. I know here in Kentucky that can be a challenge. Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[BassBlaster]

All the damage is from the mid point of the boat and up. The lower side of the boat is perfect so I would think it would track pretty straight but I dunno.

Anyone know for sure if Lowe sells new gunnels? I plan to give them a call on Tues. Im sure they are not cheap and shipping might be pricey but I currently have $0 in it.

Ive dealt with title issues with boats in the past. In can be a lengthy process here in OH but ODNR watercraft officers are very helpful.

 

[Clint KY]

I wouldn't bother replacing the gunwales unless it is a structural problem. Find a size of PVC pipe that will fit over the gunwales, split it lengthwise and with a heat gun soften it, and cover them up. I did this on my 1648 jon to make it a bit easier on my rods when I rest them on the gunwales.

 

[BassBlaster]

If you look at the pic of the live well, you can see a hole in the gunnel. At that point it is cracked all the way around. I suppose it could be welded but it also needs to be straightened as its bent pretty good in that area. Also the other side is bent pretty bad in the same place but not cracked and then the obvious damage at the front of the boat. Also, if you have a look at my past projects, you will see that I am very OCD. If I'm going to take the time to fix this boat, Ill make it right. That's not to say that anyone else's way is wrong. My ways typically take more time and money but it isn't something I can control. Maybe I should see a doctor? Lol I'm really just exploring options now. No decisions will be made until I talk with my body shop buddy, the welder and see about getting a title.

 

[Attwanl]

Nice find, looks fixable. It really doesn't look all that bad. You'll have a lot straighting to do, looks like it got twisted pretty good.
A lot of construction companies never registered thier work boats if no motor was used. Might make it easier to title, might not, just a thought.

 

[BassBlaster]

Today I picked up a trailer on CL. I traded the 14' Meyer boat for it. Trailer is a 1989. Its very solid with only some minor surface rust in a couple of spots. I need to fix one of the fenders that is bent up and the winch tower is slightly askew.



Its a tick too big for this boat but since I don't have a dime in it, Ill make it work. I have to rework the bunks obviously. The boat should sit about 8" further back and about 12" lower when the trailer is done. Just doing some rough math in my head, when the trailer is fixed right to fit this boat and the boat is fixed back to new, I should have about 500 bucks in it. That includes replacing the gunnels. Not too bad for a combo that would cost over 3 grand new!!

 

[RiverLife]

Couple of sharp guys that are experienced in aluminum work could have that thing straight as an arrow. Since it was free I would go for it. Nice score!

Trailer you traded for looks solid too. It should work out. Get it sitting right and hit it with some satin black. Hit the boat with some OD green or a tan. Sweet!

As long as you can get a title. No matter how you slice it should be pretty reasonable to do. Might be a nice flip project. Heck you could run it for a couple years and still make money.

 

[BassBlaster]

Never thought about satin black on the trailer. That might look good. My last project was a camo jon with a white trailer. This boat will go back to the stock OD green with either a tan or grey carpet. Been trying to figure out what color the trailer will be.

I have a buddy who is a body man and says he will get it all straightened out for me. Then Il take it to another guy who owns an aluminum fab shop and have him weld it all up for me. Ive spoken with Lowe and my local dealer about new gunnels. Just waiting for a quote. I have a quote from another marine place in MI for $300 for 36' of gunnel but I have to pick it up. They are 5 hours one way from me. I actually only need two 14' pieces and two 2' pieces but they sell them in 18' sticks.

Im not sure I wanna flip this one. The entire time I was building my 1436, I was dreaming about a 1648 Now I have it, I might keep it!! That is unless I come across a sweet deal on a factory rigged crappie boat like a Panfish 16 or something.

 

[Attwanl]

What a great deal, I've been looking for 16/48 too. Just want to upgrade from my 12/36 for more room.

 

[RiverLife]

I have a Lowe 1448 mod V and love it so far. That boat should be sweet and it is a shame it was abused like that.

Funny you should mention the pan fish boat. I was just at the river this evening and a guy rolled up with a super nice one. I was staring at it. I would love one of those later in life when it is just me and my wife. Right now I have two young kids and need the Jon.

Ya the satin black looks great on trailers. It hides imperfections yet has some sheen to it. I had a trailer I was trying to flip that was blue and it sat and sat and sat. I hit it with satin black and it was gone in an hour. Now all trailers get hit with satin black period.