Solid or Cored Hull

[Brianna]

I am considering the purchase of a 1977 Mariner 33 but I have a few questions.
For some reason there are 3 of them for sale in my immediate area. All for $3,500 or less.

First of all, are there some big known problems with the 1977s that they are so inexpensive compared to other Carvers?

With proper maintenance is it likely that the chevy 350s are still in serviceable shape?

Most importantly, does anyone know whether the hull (below the water line) was still solid glass core or was Carver already using balsa core in 1977?
That will be the deal-breaker for me. I can rebuild the interior and rebuild the engines, but I don't want to get involved with a possibly soggy balsa-cored hull.

[Ramsport47]

First and foremost, the 1977 3396 Mariner is a fully cored boat. all the way to the keel. In your question, you refer to Carver as being solid glass BEFORE cored, when it was actually the reverse. When they made the switch to fiberglass, they started as fully cored boats and then, in the 1980's, starting with the new 3007 and 3027, the started the solid fiberglass bottoms. For future reference...any Carver model ending in 6...is a cored bottom, and anything ending in 7 or higher is a solid fiberglass bottom.

[vitmus]

My carver 466 has NO wood below the water line. Composite stringers.

[Ramsport47]

Qr Bbpost My carver 466 has NO wood below the water line. Composite stringers.

This is true. Many Carver models, starting with the 4207 in the mid 80's used a "top hat" stringer system, which was a hollow fiberglass stringer system made on a mold and then fiberglassed into the hull while it was still in it's mold to assure consistency. Later, all wood was removed in that mounting platforms were made out of synthetic material to ensure that not rot would occur in the hull of the boat.

[Viper]

Qr Bbpost .....With proper maintenance is it likely that the chevy 350s are still in serviceable shape?.....

The key is proper maintenance. Not so concerned with the age or number of hours within reason as much as whether they were maintained properly on a regular basis.