1994 Sport Nautique????

[John Bell]

Ok so im looking into buying a used 1994 sport nautique, 378 original hours (Owner says), boat has been covered at all times when not in use. Pictures seem like the boat was well taken care of, but i know looks aren't everything are they? The pictures of the outside of the boat looks like its well taken care of and the picture of the motor seem's to look as if it was taken care of (though he did state new hoses and belts were just installed) but again the motor looks clean enough to eat off (almost.) Was asking for 11,500 for the boat and trailer, I have him talked down to selling at $9500. he said the boat trailer has some rust from where the original owner would park it in the lake for almost an hour before loading the boat up while he skied till sundown. but says the trailer is good for short trips and that all lights work. I can post the link to the craigslist ad if need be if someone wanted to look over some pictures and tell me what they thought.

On to my concerns, i know absolutely nothing about boats, and was wondering when going to look at this boat what are the do's and don'ts to buying one of these boats.
I've heard all kinds of things, and have read all sorts of stuff on what to look for and what not to look for. I was just wondering if someone would take the time to break down exactly what i need to know to make a good investment.

Like indicators saying that i shouldn't buy this boat, or signs that i should buy without hesitation.

[t.franscioni]

Check the fluids engine and tranny for cleanliness and proper level on the dip stick both before and after a test drive. Go test drive it before buying that's the best and easiest way to tell if the boat is generally sound or not. If all the buttons work, the engine sounds good and boat operates as it should then I'd buy it. These old boats can be fixed pretty easily. I wouldn't expect everything to be perfect. Your buying a fairly old used boat. But at $9500 for some fun in the sun that might be worth an issue or two when compared to $100k for the same fun in the sun aboard a brand new boat with zero issues. This is about as simple and straight forward as a used boat buying guide can get. Hope this helps. Kind of hard to go wrong at $9500.... Your guaranteed to loose more than than much money just driving a new boat off the dealership lot.

[John Bell]

i understand what you mean, and planned on doing everything you mentioned. But should i let something like a broken gauge or two stop me from buying the boat. Are there any must have's that i should know about. My uncle is a mechanic, and said that i probably shouldn't buy it if the main gauges are not reading correctly or broken. Any comments? I mean i trust my uncle to know what he's talking about, but then again he's not a boat mechanic, but he is still a mechanic lol. I plan on test driving the boat tomorrow or sometime monday or tuesday.

And should I (check the transom??) and how would one go about doing such?

I plan on putting money into this boat so things like seats being faded and such won't bother me, i would eventually re-do the interior and maybe add a custom wrap to the boat if money and time allows me. The boat does not come with a tower, so more then likely i will wait until i have the money to buy a roswell aviator

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/boa/5630013418.html

^link for the ad
if you don't mind telling me what you think?

[2001SAN]

Who ever told you to check the transom was probably thinking of an I/O style boat where a drive leg is mounted to the back/transom of the boat. These transoms are typically wood core and prone to rot that is invisible to the naked eye. Your boat is a direct drive and would not be prone to this issue. Post over on correct craft fan as well and maybe someone who lives near could come with you to test. Nautique peeps are generally very keen to help in these matters!

Good luck,

D.

[John Bell]

no problem, i will do that asap and see if i can't find someone to go with me, that would really put my mind at ease. I was 100% sure on buying this boat after reading everyone's thoughts on the boat and it took one phone call from the good old uncle to put some doubt in my mind. I really appreciate the help and as im pretty sure ill be a future owner i will make sure i brush up on my knowledge of owning a nautique

[kylem03]

Looks like a pretty good deal for a clean, low hour sport. It does still have the old pro Tec ignition which is known to eventually cause frustrations and fail. Fortunately the fix is relatively inexpensive ($500) if you are somewhat mechanically inclined. On your test drive, make sure you warm it up to operating temps and run it at a variety of speeds. If you notice a stutter or hesitation, I'd expect it to be problems with the pro Tec. Also, inspect the engine- if there is an epoxy like liquid leaking out from the coil packs where the plug wires are (leaking down the bell housing), that would be an indicator of the ignition starting to fail. Once again, don't let this scare you but if you observe these signs, know they are totally repairable and use it as bargaining power with the seller. I got the same year sport 3 yrs ago with these issues for $7500 with a tower but that is a little unusual - but it left some room to fix some minor issues. Good luck!

Kyle

[kylem03]

Actually with this boat if the ignition system is going you would have to switch from the fuel injection system to a carb so it would be closer to a $1k fix

Kyle

[t.franscioni]

To answer your question about guages being broken. Anything on these boats can be repaired or replaced so if the price is right and the boat is sound I wouldn't let a broken guage get in the way.

[BoardSkier]

Agree with above. People often overlook the trailer. This one looks good in the pics. A little concerned that the owner says good for short trips only. If you wont trailer it, no worries. Otherwise to replace and/or repair a trailer with a lot of rust, you are looking at something in the neighborhood of $1k and up. $3k for a new trailer. Dont want that clean boat sitting in the middle of the road!


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[John Bell]

ok guy's i just got off the phone with him and will be test driving the boat tomorrow afternoon.
my concerns,
the guy mentioned he had to have an impeller replaced due to it not moving and fitting to tightly, said he had to buy a spray to lubricate the impeller? (doesn't sound to well versed with boat's being a boat owner, and believe his asking price is based on other current models, because he know's nothing of the brand at all)

Also it seems as if the guy is kinda afraid to test drive the boat on the lake, or maybe doesn't have the funds and is why he is selling the boat

Constantly brings up running it at his house on the garden hose and making my decision off that or "IF" i want to go to the lake we can

Said he had to be towed last season a few times, i believe he said it was due to the impeller causing the overheating??????? Comments/ Advice

the boat will come with no cover or anything like that but will come with a bimini top

small crack in observer seat (not to worried unless its really bad)

and as mentioned above, if the boat has the pro tec ignition system (which is believed to be so) then i could be looking at another $1000 into the boat and I don't have the money for that at the moment

[Tryathlete]

If you take another $1000 off, you'll have the money to fix it. Problems are opportunities


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[a0128]

I would approach this purchase very carefully given the seller's lack of knowledge of his boat. Running on a hose in the driveway will mask an issue with the impeller because the water is being forced passed the impeller into the cooling path rather than the impeller sucking the water from the source into the cooling path. Also sounds like he may have the wrong impeller installed. Not a deal killer, but if he can't get the impeller right, what else is wrong that he is either not disclosing or can't be easily seen or diagnosed. I would also be concerned about the overheating comments. Could have potential cylinder head issues if the overheating was serious or frequent. Have a compression test and leak down test performed prior to purchasing.

As previously pointed out, a rusted trailer will need to be replaced and that will be costly (upwards of $4,000 if you need to go new).

The ProTec ignition will likely need replacing at some point and as someone pointed out will also necessitate a change in fuel delivery. Broken gauges, upholstery fixes, etc, etc and the money starts adding up.

Don't be taken in by the low hours. I've seen boats which were absolute disasters and had low hours, and high hour boats that looked and ran showroom new. How much documentation does the seller have? Little or no maintenance records are a red flag.

Finally you said you know nothing about boats. If true have a survey done from a reputable shop.

If I was purchasing this boat I'd make sure I had 25% of the boat's purchase price set aside for the inevitable repairs that will surely be coming your way.