One step closer, gents. I put some 'good faith' money down and offered the eBay starting price. Since there were no bids, the owner accepted, and they pulled the ad.
The boat belongs to one of the yardworkers at a dealer, and the boss is just helping him sell it. I wish I saved the pics before they changed it, but they're pretty representative for the most part. Hull's sound. There's no evidence of repairs and all 'love taps' of the mallet reported solidly. Topsides could use some restoring. The seller's dad is handy w/ woodworking, so he actually remade the rod box inserts out of teak. It's a little dark for my taste, but it looks nice. Deck has some soft spots, but none that need immediate attention. The panel above the gas tank needs replacing sooner, but the plus side is that I can get in to see the gas tanks, stringers, etc. Seller says there aren't any problems with that stuff. (I know, a seller's supposed to say that, but this guy seems on the level. He works on boats, he doesn't sell 'em. Definitely did not get the used-car-salesman vibe.) The compartments at the transom had the liners taken out, so you can see into the bilge pretty well. Looks pretty clean. Cabin is clean, windshield frame is fine, and hatch hardware is good. Electronics will have to be upgraded, but are serviceable.
Story on the motor is that is was rebuilt 20 hrs. ago, but the flywheel magnets need replacing. As far as I know, the flywheel itself is fine, and the owner even offered me the part. Part of the r&r was to replace the stator, and when the magnets went bad, the seller wasn't keen on having them 'glued back on' after dumping a load of cash already. Steering and trim & tilt work. VRO is disconnected and seller has been premixing. Motor looks to be in as good a condition as reported. For the price of the whole rig, I can't expect too much out of the engine, but I'm thinking I can spend less than $1k to get it up and running and will run it until it dies.
That's about it. She needs work, for sure, but I think she's worthy of a makeover. The Admiral was much happier hearing the price than when I was courting that '93 for $9800. I'll probably pick it up and close the deal late next week and will be sure to post pics as soon as I get her to her new home. ;D