Older Doughboy - is it in good enough shape to use?

[Eldemac]

Hi guys,
love the forum! I've got this older ABG pool that came with my house purchase. I believe it may be a Doughboy, because it has a Doughboy skimmer.

I've never had a pool before and have no way to judge if this is still in good enough shape to use, or should I just take it down and get an Intex Ultra?

Here is the current condition: there is a section of the inner wall that has been previously patched with sheet metal. I would need to remove the old duct tape, clean it up and retape.
There is some rust damage by the skimmer, it appears to only be on the outside wall, not the inner.
There are some very minor areas of rust toward the foot of the outer wall.

When I push on the walls of the pool it feels very stable and strong, but I have no way to judge its integrity.
I know you experts can only judge by what I've told you and a few pics. Just wanting advice.

Thanks!

 

[techguy]

I am not an expert, but I have a pool I bought used. As far as I can tell, if the walls are structurally sound, don't have rust perforations and the top rails are solid, it might be worth a new liner.

Do you have local Doughboy dealer you could have look at it? it's really tough to judge with a few phots. The bottom rail, inside and out, would be the thing that worries me and I can see any of it.

 

[Eldemac]

My only concern with contacting a Doughboy dealer is that their first priority would be to sell me a new one.

How would you look at the bottom rails? Do you have to take off the top rails?

 

[Eldemac]

Well, just to close out this topic for anyone who searches in the future, I decided to take it down. I spent most of yesterday dismantling the old Doughboy. I did discover that there was more rust damage down at the ground level, on the outside wall. Are there normally two walls on these pools? Because the inner wall has a blue wood design on it, but it was facing the outside, not the inside like you would think. So far I have everything off and now I just need to figure out how to take down the walls. I was thinking of cutting the metal to get it into manageable sections. I haven't yet seen any bottom rails. If they are there, then they are well buried.

 

[jer7440]

You can just roll the wall up, like a scroll. Tie it up with some rope or bungee cords and haul it away.

 

[techguy]

Recycle yard may actually pay for the steel.