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I'm looking at purchasing a 1969 13' Sport project boat. However, I have some concerns. The boat had some repairs done on the transom and the HIN is not visible. The current owner states he has a clean title but couldn't provide HIN because of repairs. Florida Fish & Game told him he would have to apply for a new VIN. Does anyone know if there is another location on the boat with the HIN? My 1989 Montauk 17 has a second HIN mounted on the inside of the bow anchor locker. It is not visible unless you bend over and look inside the back surface since its mounted flush. I don't have any experience with this model. I am about 6 hours from the boat so I don't want to make a 12 hour trip to look myself.
Secondly, with a transom repair what should signs should I look for on this type of repair? I'm concerned as to who performed the repair and is it reliable or will my motor fall off. Sounds funny but it's a great price and the fellow has all the parts on-hand for the renovation.
Thanks for any advice, Gordon