R70 Transom... gel coat crack or bigger issue

[Dirtyeggroll]

Very new to the bass boat world.

My understanding is that the late 90’s Ranger R70s have all fiberglass transoms.

I have found 1997 model for a good price and the guys says there was a 2 inch crack in the transom that he had repaired by a body shop. He says that the body shop “only put an 1/8th inch of glass in it” to repair it. He also says that there is no movement in the motor when he applies force to it.

With a wood transom I wouldn’t even think twice and I would run and never look back. However, with a glass transom I am less informed. What things should I be thinking about with a glass transom that was previously patched? Is there still a risk of some sort of rot/deterioration as with wood?

Of course, I would take a look at the boat and drive it before any money changed hands. Additionally, I would just go assess it myself and have a better report but it’s a few hours drive away. Looking for some advice before I decide to go check it out or move on. The price on it is good (but not too good to be true) or I would have already moved on. I am supposed to be getting pics of the area pre and post repair, so I will update with pics if possible. Thanks for your help and advice.

[mikesxpress]

Trust no one.
Get your heavy weight buddy to stand on the cavitation plate, bear hug the engine with the cowling removed, and bounce a bit. (Take the prop off) You watch the crack.

[Rip Bass]

Those transoms are extremely strong,unless there was some type of impact I doubt there is a structural problem. They don’t usually have stress cracks but it’s not unheard of. Example,I have a 2000 518 that I hit a log with and tore then engine completely off and there is no damage,not even a stress crack. I would go check it out. As stated above,have someone stand on the LU and watch the transome as they bounce.I don’t see the point in removing cowling as Mikesexpress said. There should be zero movement. I wouldn’t be concerned about a stress crack though.

[mikesxpress]

Reason for removing the cowling is to give your buddy something to grab onto. Cowl is to slick.

[RangerRic]

+1 on what they said. I have a '97 R70 - doubt the crack you see is a structural issue.

[Screamin_Reel]

While Ranger builds one of the best transoms in the industry (the only one I would put equal to it is the BassCat), they do occasionally fail, so don't just think because it's a Ranger that the transom is good. It could also have been in an accident, etc. I would move on if it were me. If it were thirty minutes down the road, that might be one thing, but investing several hours of drive time just to check out a boat with a suspect transom wouldn't be for me. There are too many good boats out there. The description you gave isn't really clear exactly where the crack is located, width, etc., but if the repair covered an 1/8th-inch wide crack, that's a very significant crack. I went to look at a boat one time and the guy told me on the phone that it just had some cosmetic gelcoat cracks on the transom. When I show up I can see glass fibers inside the crack. He swears his mechanic told him they were just cosmetic. I told him he should get another mechanic.

[Dirtyeggroll]

Thanks for the comments.

[Jeff Hahn]

What bothers me is that he had it repaired by a body shop. They might be good at repairing the glass fenders on a Vette. But, a glass transom isn't the same deal. It had to be right, as it's the heart of the structural integrity of the whole boat. I'd RUN!

[Dirtyeggroll]

Decided to run. Guy was giving me some other red flags as well.

[rangerguyz21]

Smart to run, there are alot of boats for sell, dont buy someone elses nightmare. I actually bought mine from a guy selling on this site, couldnt be happier.