Opinion on an '85 Bayliner

[raven1978]

Hello all....

I am looking at buying an 85 bayliner ciera 2055 w/ penta motor and outdrive. Now after doing some research online i have come to see that people have a variety of opinions on the bayliner name. Some good some bad. My question to you is what are your thoughts on bayliners in general, pre and post 1986 when bayliner sold out to brunswick co. In your experience what is the quality like before and after, and also thoughts on the penta aq125 motor.

Opinions/experiences good or bad are welcomed, just looking for some honest feedback before i decide to buy

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Its an 85 - brand doesn't matter at all. You need to have it inspected in great detail to make sure it isn't a rotted out money pit.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

The Bayliners in late 90s to now are better. Through the 80s they were good boats too, but they were sold with trailers and motors, as packages from Brunswick. There hard to find in good condition, most have rotton stringers. The Volvo 125(120HP)are good motors, but have Alum heads, and are prone to bad head gaskets. The stern drives are good too, but that vintage, only has tilt, NO trim. Parts are very expencive for the stern drive, and motor.

 

[zerobalance]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I have owner 4 Bayliners in my day. some good, some not so good. 80's model Bayliners were built fast, But owners found that they get the most bang for their buck back then. True, they are ALOT better today. But so is Hundai. lol. On those setups the carb can flood between shutdowns. I used to stick a grill lighter down into the intake and light it to burn the gas sitting in the manafold. not really recommended, and you wont find that maneuver in any of the books. Also put an electronic ignition in it to get away from points. as long as water is flowing, and the intercooler has coolant these are almost bulletproof.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Hello all....

I am looking at buying an 85 bayliner ciera 2055 w/ penta motor and outdrive. Now after doing some research online i have come to see that people have a variety of opinions on the bayliner name. Some good some bad. My question to you is what are your thoughts on bayliners in general, pre and post 1986 when bayliner sold out to brunswick co. In your experience what is the quality like before and after, and also thoughts on the penta aq125 motor.

Opinions/experiences good or bad are welcomed, just looking for some honest feedback before i decide to buy

They are for the most part Disposable boats IMO ..

Modern layout .. simple design .. poorly constructed. If they would have spent a bit more time on the details of construction then who knows where they would stand now.

Brunswick just snatched the BL co. up to moderate there main ships ( SR ). Actually they tried to snatch up all competing mfg so they could regulate the sales ( IN house competitive pricing ).

YD.

 

[mickjetblue]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I have an '85 19' with a vp4, and can say that it is a fine combination of boat/motor for cruising.

As already said, a sale "value" is based on the conditions of the boat and motor as is, and not what
any opinions state.

The older points ignition can be an issue humid areas, although not where I live.
If you are in a thick fog area, condensation can be a problem.

I like mine, and highly recommend it for cruising use.

If not abused in the past, they can be a good deal. 26 years is a long time, and much can happen,
but it could still be good. You need to determine that, and a test run would help.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I had a 78 Bayliner Victoria and a 87 Bayliner Capri. The 87 Bayliner was very poorly constructed. I owned it since it was nearly new and and many issues with its construction. I did not have the soft stringer transom issues but I believe that is because ir didn't sit in the water much and it is dry where I am.

I would not buy an 87 to mid 90s one. The ones before that were a bit better. The newer ones, late 90s and above are a lot better.

 

[oops!]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

no such thing as a bad boat........only a bad owner.......if the boat you are looking at was garage kept and well maintained......it could be every bit as good as a two year old boat.

if it was kept outside uncovered......pass. its a rotten mess

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I wouldn't buy one.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Take a look at the Similar Threads below.

 

[jkust]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Agree on the no bad boats only bad owners. I have an 84 Bayliner we bought new in 84 at the boat show. It is all original and the interior defies all Bayliner logic as it looks like an original restoration, even the carpet is in good shape. The outside has its share of dock rash after this many years (all from my sister). It is poorly constructed with poor quality materials by today's standards. As low quality as everything is, it has all held up nicely. All that said, our boat is an outlier as we maintain our stuff to a degree unlike most. I wouldn't buy another nor would I buy a boat older than maybe 10 years in general. The newest Bayliners are constructed to more modern standards however, in general in wouldn't own one as I prefer a more robustly appointed boat.

 

[kemer1]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I had bought a 06 Bayliner 175 brand new as my first boat. It was inexpensive, and came with some features I was needing. The boat never left me stranded on the lake, started every time I took it out, and the kids and I had a blast on every outing. I only kept that boat for a year so I can't speak of it's long term reliability or if I think it rots faster then any other boat. However, now that I'm in the market for another boat...Bayliners are not on the shopping list.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Take a look at the Similar Threads below.

Imagine a Chevette with a Corvette body. Real pretty, cheaply made for entry-level buyers.<br /><br />Chevettes, and B'Liners, are decent for their price, but don't expect them to last without lots of TLC and regular teardowns to replace/fix rot.

Ayuh,... They always were, 'n still are Entry level boats...

It blows me away, that I'm in none of those similar threads below....

Bilgeliners are built with the least amount of inferior materials possible to create the illusion of a quality craft...

Old 1s are usually rotten from abuse, 'n neglect, the newer 1s, will be...

 

[NYBo]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Very nice for a moderator to engage in brand-bashing. Not.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I'd take a well maintained 25 year old bayliner any day before an abused, rotten floor and transom, neglected engine, high end boat of similar length...

Once a boat is a couple years old, completely ignore the name plate on the hull. The ONLY thing that matters is condition.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Very nice for a moderator to engage in brand-bashing. Not.

The OP asked for opinions. Its what he is getting.

 

[high'n'dry]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I would not own anything made by Bayliner, past, present or future. The Bayliner is a disposable boat and the very bottom of the Brunswick Corp tiers of boats, some of which are superb, Boston Whaler, some of which are not, Bayliner. It is intended for the instant gratification crowd and is the boat equivalent of a Walmart bicycle shaped object. In other words, a Bayliner is a BSO, Boat Shaped Object but not actually a boat.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

To answer the OP: 1985 was before the era of Bayliner's reputation for horrendous quality, as has been pointed out. But, as also pointed out, it's all about how it's been cared for the past 26 years.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

I would not own anything made by Bayliner, past, present or future. The Bayliner is a disposable boat and the very bottom of the Brunswick Corp tiers of boats, some of which are superb, Boston Whaler, some of which are not, Bayliner. It is intended for the instant gratification crowd and is the boat equivalent of a Walmart bicycle shaped object. In other words, a Bayliner is a BSO, Boat Shaped Object but not actually a boat.

'ya ever actually been in a bayliner? (i'd be willing to be 'no') Between my own and friends boats, I've spent a lot of time in or behind 6 different bayliners. None fit your description... Most importantly, they all floated, but the quality wasn't that bad either. Sure, its not top of the line, but it certainly gets the job done...

So ironically this weekend I spent a couple hours helping a friend, a first time boatowner, learn the ropes. It was a 1985 bayliner 1755 with a 85 horse Force hanging on the back. It didn't blow up or sink, surprisingly. We put the plug in, dropped the engine down (no tilt/trim), pumped the primer, turned the key with choke and she fired up. The next 6 hours were spent riding around, floating, or just drinking a beer or two. Not really sure I needed anything else in a boat besides that right there. The boat itself was in decent condition for the age. The floor/transom was rock solid, the engine was clean, the seats had been redone with bayliner colors. I can tell you I've seen many, many higher end brand boats that were worthless by the time they hit their 25th birthday.


OP, people on here are obviously entitled to their opinion, take them ALL with a grain of salt... This board tends to have tons of bashing of certain things, it doesn't long to figure out what. (god help the boat owner who shows up with a bayliner AND a PWC!)


(and in a slightly different vein, i DO agree with your comment about walmart bikes! I hand-assembled my mountain bike with XTR components and high end suspension, the total cost the finished product is probably quite a bit more than what some people spend on a boat. (its more than a 1985 bayliner...) But I also have a very specific purpose for the bike, if I did nothing but ride a paved sidewalk at 8 mph the walmart bike would be fine)

 

[southkogs]

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Re: Opinion on Bayliners

Bilgeliners are built with the least amount of inferior materials possible to create the illusion of a quality craft...

Bond-o don't hold that stuff in - if you don't express yourself, it can hurt you

As far as a used boat goes, a Bayliner that is well cared for can be a good inland boat. Like someone else in the thread said, I'd take a well cared for used Bayliner over a neglected "whatever else." But to Bond-o's point, Bayliners are produced to sell at a lower price point. This manufacturer is (I think) still the highest unit production in the industry. Material costs are a consideration in that kind of manufacturing, and the sheer volume alone will produce more defects than in a boat that is manufactured at a slower pace (Mastercraft is one that I know has a lower rate of output).