First time poster, not an owner....Yet!

[Lyndon670]

Good luck, and I concur - it will definitely have the wood stringers, and definitely not have a cored hull below waterline.

But, I have to make a comment - your point "I am hoping it is in really great shape, if so, then it might be worth the few extra $$$". This is untrue and happens when you start to become "attached before purchase". The condition does not make it more valuable, rather it makes it a more viable purchase. In other words, the fact that it might be better than other ones on the market makes it the one to purchase, not the one to pay more for. There are many of these old girls around, don't fall into the trap - it is a buyers market, and the buyer needs to sell, you don't need to buy!

[PCOMT]

Excellent point!
Your comments has 'reined' me in a bit.

The condition does not make it more valuable, rather it makes it a more viable purchase.

The value is the value regardless of how it shapes up against other boats.

In other words, the fact that it might be better than other ones on the market makes it the one to purchase, not the one to pay more for.

I can see myself wanting it bad enough to over look some of the issues and make excuses to make it more than it is.

I appreciate your comments and reminding me of the logic of this.

The advice I have received so far is why I really value forums such as this. All you have to do is ask and others will freely share their opinions. This advice can help make a better choice or at least an informed choice.

Thank You!

[PCOMT]

Well, the survey valued the boat at slightly higher than the asking price. We had the survey and mechanical done, both were satisfactory. The sea trail uncovered a couple of items that I could manage. This allowed a bit of negation room. Bottom line, we amended our offer slightly to reflect the small issues and we are now the proud owners of a new to us 1981 3007 Aft cabin cruiser.

Things I have repaired so far:
Starboard fuel gauge - new sending unit
Nav lights - New sockets on order (cleaned the existing corrosion and they are working, but poor shape)
Galley taps leaking to bilge - Repaired the water line
Potable water pump - Repaired the pressure switch (stuck, would not shut off)
Rewired electronics to separate buss, was running of the start battery circuit and would reset the GPS when starting engines
Various wiring grounds were corroded and not working, repaired with new cconnectors
Port starter wiring, repaired connection - Original connection was corroded and failed first trip out, causing engine to quit
Tightened packing on Starboard shaft seal, lock nut was loose causing packing nut to back off, almost all the way. Noticed an increase in bilge pump action. Will repack next haul out. Inspected the Port seal, it was good
Re-routed wiring to make engine compartment neater and reduce risk of stepping/snagging wiring when accessing engines
Lowered fresh water crossover/fill line to allow even filling of tanks. This was needed as the fill line goes to the Port tank and is tee'd to the Starboard tank. When the Port tank filled up, the Starboard tank was still almost empty. This caused a bit of a list to the Port side. It eventually would level out as the suction line to the pump is also tee'd and it would gravity feed over, but that takes a while, now both takes fill at the same rate and I get 2 full tanks
Replaced horn
Repaired several brackets on the railings, some were cracked, others corroded and looked bad
Filled various holes from previous mounting screws with sealant and screws. This is to prevent water leaking in through open holes
A few other small things,

Overall, we are satisfied that we made a reasonable purchase at a good price. Low enough that we could afford some cash input as required, reasonable enough to try the cruising lifestyle to see if we are boat people and want to continue, if not, we could resell her in a couple of years at only a small, if any, loss.

I look forward to discussions on many topics!