possibly my new boat

[stvhelm]

does anyone know anything good or bad about Thompson boats? I left a deposite on this rig and I'm just looking for some feedback. Its a 1990 daytona 270 with twin 96 305 mercruisers. I was told the company is no longer in business. It seems like a well made boat. I know kaptain Kirks dad has one just wondering if anyone else has or had one. Im gonna be a dad again:D and I just cant be away from boating. This seems to be my only option. But dont worry, Im keeping the STV too.:cool:

[woodco]

Helm ....... Nice choice !!! Thompson boats where well made boats
both in thier cruisers and most of all the fishing line. Everyone
that I have talked to that owns or owned one where very pleased and especially up here they are popular. One of the best
points is they hold thier value alot better than some of the other
production boats on the water.

Good Luck with it !!! ;)

[trbocharge]

Now thats a nice weekend cruiser for the family......just put the euro in tow behind....

Good luck

[Capt.Insane-o]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Run like hell man, those thing are ****. I live about 12 miles from where they were "built". I'll using "built" very loose here. The company has always been in financial doo doo. The "Investers" were a bunch of crooks. If you want a boat with pallet wood stringers, buy a Thompson. If you want a boat with cardboard bulkheads made from engine boxes, buy a thompson. If you want cardboard in your lamination schedule, buy a thompson. If you want a cardboard and pallet wood transom, buy a thompson. THEY ARE JUNK! Buy a bayliner before a thompson. Get in you vehicle and drive as fast as you can away from that boat. The only good thing about them is they are so cheap now and you can scavenge the drive trains and other parts off of them. The bottoms are so flexy on most that they run at a list. I know LOTS of people that will tell you all about their thompsons. Unless you can buy it for $500. RUN. Woodco, you have some nutty people around there. Those boats are the joke of Michigan, you can't give 'em away here. I have never seen a more blatent use of pallet wood, foam and cardboard.

[stvhelm]

would you mind getting into detail as to what problems the people you know had? what should I look out for? I looked into the engine compartments at the main stringers to see if there were any stress cracks and everything looked tight and nicely sealed. I thought everything looked nicely done. I just never heard any good or bad things about them. Im still interested in the boat but I want to learn more.

[woodco]

Thanks Cappy !!!!!! You are shedding some light here . This is
definately info I like to hear ...... Like I said word on the water up
here is nothin but positive but that may change.Actually i'm not
surprised to hear that about the wood and cardboard ..... Kinda
firms my beliefs of any 80's production models.

As for " Nutty " people ...... :D

I try to judge them as slow learners ...... ;)

Some of them still think ownin a bayliner is a privaledge !!! :eek:

[Capt.Insane-o]

An older gent, with a debilitating disease, had a couple more trips around the sun left in him, goes and buys a nice shiny new 23 carrera. He brings it down to the river for the first time. He gets 'er goin up on plane and about rolls over. After about 45 minutes of trying to drive it he comes back to the marina and tells my boss about it. They go out and come back and my boss and could'nt beleive it. He takes the boat back and they did everything but fix it. They put one trim tab on it?!. Built up a wedge on the one side of the hull?! He ended up trying to sue the company for two years and ends up dying, using his boat three times. The boat ended up having 1 and a half stringers, made out of pallet scraps. #2 This guy brings in a 27 footer, keeps burning out the coupler and gimbal, and has a mysteriuos leak. The whole transom was laid up with.........you guessed it, pallet wood and cardboard from engine crates. At this time the company was in bankruptcy, so no legal action could be taken. I charged him $6,000 to put in a new transom. example #3. Guy has the 21 foot fishing model, 1992. Jumps off the dock into the boat after launching it and goes through the floor. Broken ankle and a floor made of paneling with.................cardboard laminated to it. After the recession in 1988 they went downhill BAD. Sold three times, finally to a group who just launderd money through it and used it for a loss. There are still molds out there and someone is building the occasional boat. If your looking for a boat to safely take your new family out in, what you are looking at is not the boat you want. I could go on and on about what I've come across in those things. They used to make good boats up untill about '85 after that you don't want anything to do with them.

[KaptainKirk]

My Dads Daytona I have been personally through again and again guess he got the one good one, I have never seen cardboard or pallet wood ends!!
Lot of bare wood...just go in the aft cabin with a socket wrench with a screw driver bit and take out the cabinets....lots of bare wood, but my dads was always dry....and since I have sealed it all.
Hes owned it since new!!
Inside the dash and the head cabinets dry wood also I have found and sealed!
Worse thing since 89' has been gel coat blister in two spots size of my pinky by the rubrail at the transom and a leaky window in the head.
window was fixed in its 1st year,2 blisters showed 2 years ago and were fixed.
My folks have lived on this boat almost every weekend in season since new!
Never a problem, no listing to either side!
Actually a boat ta be proud of!!
But I guess this is a diamond in the rough from the way you put it.
I will post photos tomorrow night.
K.K.

[Capt.Insane-o]

They were the ones that got a full deposit put down to be built. I know the whole story but it's long and complicated.What I've seen in those things has amazed me.