What can one expect for general condition of a Good Old Boat? Bristol 27.

[Atcowboy]

Hi,
I've just started "seriously" looking around for my first boat (meaning going to view them). So far the condition of the boats I've been looking at has come to surprise me. My price point is <$15k. They sure look pretty in the pictures! Not so much in person.

Were these cars, I'd have a great idea of what I should expect. But they aren't, and I'd like to glean some experience from others on what the general condition of an "old" boats is? Something that may be found on https://atomvoyages.com/planning/goo...oats-list.html for example. These "good old boats" with proven pedigree don't seem to be just everywhere (not many listings) so finding what I want in a boat (dirt simple, cheap, sturdy) seems rare. So when one comes around, it seems worth giving it consideration even if it isn't in show condition.

For instance, I just went to look at a Bristol 27. I have a long list of findings from looking over the boat, but in short the wiring is scary and a lot of the furniture and bulkheads (down near the bilge) show water damage. I've attached a picture as an example. So, in a boat from the 70's, is it basically someone has recently refit everything but the hull, or kept it immaculate, or neither of these has been done and it's time to gut it?

The Bristol looks really sharp on the outside (all new bright work), the fiberglass seems mostly solid, and the owner supposedly just had the toe rails rebedded. It looks like he had it done long after it was due though, as the water damage was either from the hull-to-deck joint or the chain plates poking through the deck. There seems to be good value in the bones of the boat so I don't want to ignore it. This particular boat has an asking price of $2,500, and if boats from this era are mostly just like this, I may make an offer based off having to put a whole new interior in it. If this type of damage is an outlier, than I'll just thank the owner and move on.

Thoughts?