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Hi, new to the board and was wondering what a fair value is for a 1983 Montauk 17 foot in excellent condition would be. This boat comes on a galvanized trailer and has been garaged it appears most of its life. The teak is all intack. It has a 1990 Mercury 90 horse on it and also a 9.9 Mercury kicker motor. It comes also with a saltwater electric trolling motor, all safety gear, life jackets and sits on a galvanized trailer. Motors seem super clean in and out, but hours are unknown, owner thinks a few hundred. The boat is in Washington State. Owner is asking $12,000

Wondering if this is a fair price? Thanks

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For reference, I paid that for a nice 1988 Montauk with a 2012 ETEC 90 that was still under warranty and a 2012 galvanized trailer 5 months ago. The receipt for the motor looks like it was a little over $9K with the ICON gauges and controls.
I put 140 hours on it (so far) this summer in south NJ and thoroughly enjoyed it.

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That's a bit high for a 24 year old motor no matter what the condition of the hull. In the NE prices tend to be higher than other places and that is high even for this area. A decent 9.9 used kicker can be found for $800-$1000, so subtract that off the top and then see if it's still worth it.

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The age old question of "what is it worth?". A GARAGED Montauk. Is the teak intact or original factory showroom? If any wear whatsoever on the hull, I believe there are better deals out there. Look at the hull as your guide. That motor set up..... very minimal value of asking price. If a perfect hull your question is "....do I want a classic that may need a repower for XYZ or a new Montauk for over $30,000.
Garris

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As another point of reference, this summer I sold a 1988 Montauk with a 1996 Evinrude 90 with low hours for $8,850 in RI. If there is no bottom paint that would add to the value - that is rare here in RI but I know in other parts of the country it can be more common, so might not be so special. Also the little things do add up - if the trolling motor is a Riptide bow mount with remote, for example, I would value that.

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I am not a whaler expert but it appears that it is all original teak. The bottom is not painted. The big question for me is how long will I get out of the main outboard being 26 years old right now? The main 90 horse Mercury is very nice but it is still pretty old and I plan to probably put a few hundred hours a year on it

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Around here (mid-Atlantic) it seems like the majority of Montauks have no bottom paint. They seem to be more likely to have been trailered/garaged than some of the larger models. So hereabouts a no-bottom-paint Montauk, while preferable, is not necessarily a stand-out.

As for that engine -- there's no telling really. It could last many many more seasons, or it could fail catastrophically on your first excursion. So there is some gamble there. Having it inspected by a reputable engine mechanic prior to purchase could give you a better sense of its condition.

Overall, I would say that his asking price is pretty rich. Or maybe they are worth a lot more where you live? But you can take a look on your local Craigslists to see what others are asking. An important thing to remember is that those asking prices rarely hold up in the final negotiation. Most sell for significantly less. Another thing to know is that properly-priced items sell quickly and disappear from the list often within a day or even hours of being posted. So you tend not to see them and are more likely to be seeing ads that languish because they are priced above what the market will bear.

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That is a very, very high price - really no way to justify paying that much for a Montauk with a 26-year-old motor. There are lots and lots of Montauks around, and you should be able to find one with a much newer motor for that price. If you are looking to put several hundred hours on per year, I am guessing that will mean a lot of fishing - for that, a newer, fuel-injected motor will be a huge advantage in fuel economy and trouble-free low speed operation.

My guess is the seller is done fishing for the season and is now trolling for uneducated buyers.

Tim

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That's pretty high, even in California, it would have to be loaded with electronic's,bimini and bait tank. I got my 1988 montauk for $8,000.00 bare bones east coast cruiser set up. But i wound up spending another $4,000.00 to make it fish ready for a west coast set up.My 90hp Yamaha is an 1988 with 250 hours now. But it runs like new, and the hull is in exellent shape.

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I'm also in WA state and I have been tracking Whaler's of this style on Craigslist for a while now, so I can only provide feedback on what I have seen in general. And based on the info you provided, I'd say not competitively priced. Whalers of this age that appear in decent shape with an older motor disappear quickly when asking in the $6K to $8K range. Boats with new motors can obviously justify a higher price. But you see many Whalers like you are describing listed for long periods because they are asking more than many are willing to pay. Just what I have seen ...