Need an opinion on this boat for sale

[FarmerSid]

Hey all! Please check out this boat advertised locally and let me know what you think.

http://kingston.kijiji.ca/c-cars-ve...r-Bowrider-18-Project-Boat-W0QQAdIdZ354999346

I just talked to the seller and he said it has an alpha 1 gen 2 out drive. He just took it in on trade and doesn't know much more than what the ad says. He's not sure on the engine but thinks it turns over. If you all think it's worth looking at, I plan on taking some tools and doing a compression check. Any thing I should be looking out for with this model? Thanks for the help.

Sid

 

[BonairII]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

Pics are pretty dark and don't show much...makes me wonder what the seller is trying to hide. Been sitting for 5 years, too.

 

[FarmerSid]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

Pics are pretty dark and don't show much...makes me wonder what the seller is trying to hide. Been sitting for 5 years, too.

I know what you mean but he seemed pretty honest about it. It's at a dealer. Not a private sale. Said that things are getting busy for the upcoming season and wants to move it. Trying to find out info on this boat good and bad before I go and look at it.

Thanks!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

My opinion is that you looked at it (in the pictures) so move on.

 

[FarmerSid]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

My opinion is that you looked at it (in the pictures) so move on.

Not sure how to take your reply but I have no problem with a fixer upper. Last spring I did an 85 Doral with a 120 Evinrude that had sat for 5 years. It was a bit worse but we got it running and cleaned up pretty good and enjoyed it all summer. There's not much here on Rinker 182's and thought I'd ask here on the good and bad about this boat and what to look for.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

Not sure how to take your reply but I have no problem with a fixer upper. Last spring I did an 85 Doral with a 120 Evinrude that had sat for 5 years. It was a bit worse but we got it running and cleaned up pretty good and enjoyed it all summer. There's not much here on Rinker 182's and thought I'd ask here on the good and bad about this boat and what to look for.

Sorry to be so brief . . . my concern is the 5 years of no use. The engine could be a more of a problem than you would want. . . and the ad says no trailer. so, I think you could do better.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

I know what you mean but he seemed pretty honest about it. It's at a dealer.
Thanks!

Those two statements don't fit together.

Don't rely on what he says. He's trying to get rid of something. Doubtful he's going to voluntarily tell you about the negatives regarding the boat.

If you're interested, give it a good look-see. Check compression etc etc etc and then come back and report what you found.

Buying a boat without a sea trial is a crapshoot. Not to mention, the dealer has no idea of the history and/or maintenance on the boat. Take that into consideration if/when you ever get to the negotiation phase.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

Something is definitely wrong with it.

What dealer wouldn't even try to start it before trying to sell it?

If all if functional, he could double the price.

Why wouldn't he invest 30 minutes to see if it runs?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

My bet is cracked block, rotted floors and shot upholstery. That's a project boat. You don't pay a couple grand for a project boat (of that size anyway).

 

[FarmerSid]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

I don't doubt what you all are saying and all that has crossed my mind. I don't plan on paying his asking price either. Seller said he assumes engine is no good as it has sat for 5 yrs and has not tried to turn it over yet. He said it might be good too! Doesn't know. Is this a quality built boat? Is the engine and out drive a good unit? Expensive to repair or get parts for? Say the block is cracked, can a block from a automotive application be used?

Thanks again

Sid

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

Seller said he assumes engine is no good as it has sat for 5 yrs and has not tried to turn it over yet. He said it might be good too! Doesn't know.

This means he knows it's cracked.

The 3.0 Mercruiser is a rock solid powerplant. Excellent parts support. No you cannot use an auto engine but a new 3.0 marine block isn't too terribly expensive. Rinkers are middle-quality boats. Your biggest concern is rot. ANY soft spots in the deck is usually indicative of more serious rot below. This is what you're trying to avoid http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=510077

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

I don't doubt what you all are saying and all that has crossed my mind. I don't plan on paying his asking price either. Seller said he assumes engine is no good as it has sat for 5 yrs and has not tried to turn it over yet. He said it might be good too! Doesn't know. Is this a quality built boat? Is the engine and out drive a good unit? Expensive to repair or get parts for? Say the block is cracked, can a block from a automotive application be used?

Thanks again

Sid

Rinker is a low-end boat (sorry Rinker owners), mercruiser is a good engine. Condition of the particular boat is the over-riding factor. That will take a first hand look.

 

[tylermcclintock]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

No good. Almost 3000 for a boat that hasnt ran in 5 years, and probably wont run at this point. No trailer. Save the 2000 or so youll spend getting this boat right, and go buy yourself a 5000 boat. You can get a decent starter boat for 5000 with a trailer that runs. I think if you buy this boat your gonna dig deeper in your pockets than you anticipate. BOAT- Break Out Another Thousand

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

I always love a good project. This is a Project Boat.
Project is the operative word here, NOT Boat!
Anticipation is always better than Realization!

The only good thing I see, is that it actually Appears to have been kept under a cover.
Don't forget to bring some jumper cables.
While checking the compression, Look at the bilge under the motor.
Leaves and dirt are a bad sign.
It looks like a bit of mold on the vinyl, Cleanable, but probably due to being covered. Mixed blessing!

3.0L and an Alpha1 Gen II, is the current engine and drive supplied on new boats.
Parts are available everywhere.

No trailer. Price it assuming the motor is dead and you are buying only the hull. $1000, start at $500.
If it will even crank, your half way home.
Do not let it start! Bad for the motor, and worse for the deal!
If he really wants to get rid of it, he'll take anything.
After 5 years sitting, it has depreciated to Zero!
He has long given up on selling it!
His choice is you ... or pay 50$ to have it taken to the dump.

Better yet, start at $100 and use SMOKE's Technique ...

Bring the wife, or any lady that can act like a wife.
Have her look at if for a while, then say in no uncertain terms, "No Way!"
Then she goes and sits in the car steaming!
Now is your time to make the deal.

 

[evolution1985]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

Better yet, start at $100 and use SMOKE's Technique ...

Bring the wife, or any lady that can act like a wife.
Have her look at if for a while, then say in no uncertain terms, "No Way!"
Then she goes and sits in the car steaming!
Now is your time to make the deal.

jeeze I wish I had of done that for my boat, my misses was telling the owner that she wanted it and was going gaga over it. Mate I think she was trying to tell him she'd pay extra if he let us buy it. Yeah I would def go with that way of buying the boat. It could be a good deal if you can get a good price on it and you are aware that it is going to be a project. It looks like it would come up quite well with a really good clean, polish and a bucket full of "magic erasers" for the vinyl. the mechanical is another storey, it depends on what you are prepared to do in your project. if mechanical work doesn't frighten you, and you get it cheap enough it could be worth while. Im sure you can find a replacement motor cheap enough to make it viable. I would be more concerned about the floor, stringers and transom. if they are rotten it could be a nightmare. as stated earlier its been sitting for awhile a deal may be able to be done.

best of luck mate

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

I wouldn't even try the engine... I would make my offer assuming the engine was junk.... If it was rot free and had decent interior I'd write down my number with a firm offer of $1000 cash and leave. He probably won't take it but hey, he might just call ya..... That's an easy 5k+ boat in good shape and if the engine turns out to be junk I could have it running with a good trailer for under 2k additional for a nice profit. If the engine turned out to be good I'd have it on a trailer for a couple hundred bucks for an even better profit.

 

[lil buggy]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

agreed,
smokes how to buy a boat is topps
you will get the best result avail that way
take the admiral and let her know that she's the bad cop

soo, rinker is a mid grade boat (i own one)
not the best or the worst.

take that cover off completely,
if anything is in the boat move it (ive seen people put lots of stuff in the right spots to hide the uglies
look at the windshield for alignment, not closing easy, one side higher etc,, is a sign of rot
you certainly wana walk around heavy footed checking for rot
especially around the windshield sections
open every hatch get as deep as you can into it, under motor etc
take a screwdriver with you tap soft spots in floor (dealer will get pissed if you stab)around corners etc
also tap the motor mount logs
to check for transom rot use the handle side of the screwdriver and tap from one side to the other up and down
if theres rot you should hear the difference

from the pic the seats look like they are in pretty good shape really just need cleaned up

as far as the engine goes,,,
i agree with smoke bid it like its junk

just so you know,,
i got a bad one mercruiser5.7 cost me 3grand to completely remann at an in house shop!
outdrive round 1 grand to replace (used unit)also bad story
sure you can get a donor boat engine cheaper but your rolling the dice again
and imho crate engines make me nervous (lots use them with no issues)
looks like a nice enough boat from the pics
i'm sure if you post as you go you will avoid common pitfalls(lots o help here)
dont buy with your heart
and remember a bad question is one that isn't asked

drop that sammich and get to work
we want pics
lots of luck

 

[FarmerSid]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

There's the replies I'm looking for! Thanks! I'm supposed to call him this afternoon. He said the trailer it's on is a buddies and he might be interested in selling it. I shall see. Was thinking of offering $2000 with trailer. I explained to him that it's no good to me without one. I trailer all the time. You all may think that my offer would be too high but boat prices seem much higher here in my part of Canada. I found a few identical boats in the States and one was priced at $4600 USD all clean with trailer ready to go. A few others in the $6-9000 range. Up here, I found a few priced at around $13000 CDN. A brand new one locally is priced at around $25000 CDN. I may be wrong but I would think I would have a pretty good boat with a total investment of around $4000. We are a young family fairly new to boating with a limited amount of funds. The kids just love it out on the water in the boat we have now but this would be a big upgrade. I don't plan on flipping it. I currently have an 85 Doral 16' BR with a 120 Evinrude. It didn't run either when I got it. It had sat for 4-5 yrs also. It required more cleaning that this Rinker. My wife redid the seat covers and all vinyl. I had to fix some electrical on the engine, clean and get the on board fuel tank functional, made sure the VRO system worked and a slew of other things. I got her running though! Used it all summer without problems. It still needs the carpet replaced. I had a blast getting it ready for the water. You'd never think it's the same boat.

Anyways, I have tons of hours in it and don't mind one bit the amount of work it takes as it's all worth it when you see the smile on the kids face tubing, fishing and cruising. I have a shop big enough (36'X40') with a 2 post hoist and all the tools need to rebuild the engine if it's rebuildable. It all boils down to price, rot and a trailer. We'll see how it turns out.

Thanks!

Sid

 

[evolution1985]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

hey sid best of luck with it, I know what you mean about prices varying, it can make it hard. what might seem cheap to you or to me may not seem very cheap at all to someone else. I have a 1997 wellcraft excel 21 sx that I paid $16000 AUD for. down here a 21 ft bowrider is minimum $25000 AUD. yet over in the states the nada guide is about $7000 US. Its all relative my friend. But on that token, I have bought at least one boat with rot (haven't gutted this one yet) and it was hell. I will fix what ever needs fixing on this one but I would strongly suggest if it has rot to walk away quickly.... don't look back.... head to the pub..... get a beer and sigh with relief that you found it before you bought it. I do think that it would clean up nice tho, I don't know if anyone else has mentioned it but the magic erasers that you use to get marks off walls work AWESOME on vinyl.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Need an opinion on this boat for sale

If this boat wasn't a basket case or near it the dealer would fix it up and sell it for more money. I'd leave this one alone.