Hallett with Panther Jet

[jmbstudios]

Hi,
Still newbie and still looking for my first jet. I have an inquiry about trading my 72 GMC Suburban for an '81 Hallett with Panther Jet. 20ft, 454....
Here are some pics...
I have been doing a bunch of reading about jets and have not come across much info on Hallets yet..
Are there any Hallett owners out there, and can you give me a review on quality of build?
I want about 500.00 more for my Suburban than he would like for his boat, so I want to make sure its a good boat. I have not seen it, only pics, but will check it out before I make the deal, as I am sure he will do with my Burb.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f110/jmbstudios/jet6.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f110/jmbstudios/jet5.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f110/jmbstudios/jet4.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f110/jmbstudios/jet2.jpg

[Cas]

Hallett's are very good hulls. Hallett boats were more of a custom hull meaning they weren't mass produced like some of the others. As far as the Panther in the Hallett, it's one of the few companies that installed them the way they were supposed to. Panther would send out pumps and inserts as a package to be installed together which Hallett did.
Some of the companies would separate the 2, probably for storage convenience, but the pumps wouldn't get installed with the matched insert. I've seen a couple of factory installs where the pump was as much as 3º off from side to side and another that was installed with about 4º up angle....Panthers are supposed to be installed at 0º.
A couple of years ago when I had a Panther Forum, a few of us put this list together for what to look for when buying a boat. If for nothing else, it can serve as a reminder-
1. Manufacturer
1. price
2. hull condition
a. check for stress cracks, if there's a lot, stay away.
b. was the hull painted, find out why. The hull may have been damaged, fixed and then painted. Since you don't know how it was fixed, shy away from it.
c. bring a 4 ft long straight edge to check the bottom for hook and/or rocker. The way to do this check is to lay the straight on the bottom of the boat from the transom forward. If there is a gap between the bottom of the boat and the straight edge, the boat has hook. If the straight edge "rocks" the hull has a "bulge" that is referred to as rocker.
d. bow flex, were there any supports/bulkheads removed under the bow?
e. check the transom and stringers for rot - this can be tough to do since both areas should be covered in fiberglass. Look closely in areas where there are thru bolts ie: motor mounts in stringers, where pump hole is cut. Bolts that are sucked into the stringers or transom are usually an indication of rot.
f. check the keel line - lots of scratches or worn out areas mean the boat was beached a lot.
3. Interior condition, not only the upholstery but check the frames for possible rot.
4. Interior wiring/gauges- check for corrosion, splices and overall condition.
5. Engine condition - fire it off and listen. If I'm looking for a project, the engine sometimes isn't that important as it'll be freshened up anyway.
6. Drive Condition
a- jet pump - crawl underneath and look at the impeller, any damage visible? chunks out of the impeller means possible issues inside. Check the oil for water and check the driveline the best you can.
b- check the nozzle for play. If excessive, it will need nyliner bushings at a minimum.
c-outdrives and out boards- I'm not very familiar with these but have been told to check oil levels, oil color, check props for dings and dents (cracks), check the leading edge of the lower units for evidence of impact and the bottom of the units for major scratching or wear.
7. Cables - make sure the steering wheel turns freely, the forward/reverse and the throttle cables move easily. Any cuts in the sheathing?
8. Trailer - overall condition, tires, wheels, do the hubs have bearing buddies, lights, and wiring.
9. Price - what's the asking price and how much will be needed to put into it to make it a good solid running boat?
10. Who has title to the boat, and is the paperwork/documentation up to date.
Good luck!

[jmbstudios]

WOW, thats a pretty good list.....
I will take that list, and the tools needed, and check it out the best I can.
If I need to put a few hundred into it, thats fine. Im not looking for the perfect boat, just my first boat.
I want to get some experience and then I can learn about what I think I want in a boat. Then start looking.... That would be a couple of years....
I talked with a friend and he also said that they are good hulls.

[Cas]

here's a link to a thread from way back when-
http://www.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16838&highlight=hallett

[bp]

hallets are great hulls. if you remove the floor and look at the hull/stringers of a hallet laid up in the 70's-80's, it will be like new no matter how badly previous owners may have taken care of the outside gel, interior, or engine/pump. they were built a little heavier than most, but were built to last.
one thing i don't see on the list is checking the floor for soft spots. when i bought my 23' hallet last year, i found some soft spots, which was one of the arguments for the guy to lower the price. i stripped the boat in january and had the floor/carpet replaced. while the floor was out, you could see the hull was in great shape, all the way to the bow.

[ck7684]

Sure Is A Sweet Lookin' Ride!!! :D :D