Better buy - 1995 Larson Sei194 br or 2000 Maxum 1900sr

[Matt1021]

Looking at a couple boats for purchase.
1995 Larson Sei 194 br - 5.8l Volvo fuel injected engine with SX out drive 350hrs on engine. $7000

2000 Maxum 1900sr - 5.0 Merc engine carbureted with thunderbolt 5 ignition. Merc Alpha 1 outdrive
51hrs on engine - $8500

Both boats have been well taken care of. Which is the better buy? I’m leaning towards the Larson because of the fuel injected engine.

any suggestions would be very helpful

 

[Newbie@boats]

Not much help here.....but man is fuel injection nice.

 

[QBhoy]

I might be wondering if the 5.8 was the original engine in the Larson. If it isn’t, be wondering if the ratio and or prop has been adjusted properly, as well as the transplant being done well.

 

[ahicks]

Trailers similar and in good condition as well?

 

[Matt1021]

Yes double axle trailer, foldable tongue, surge brakes, chrome wheels, chrome wheels, new tires

 

[3rdtimesthecharm]

Trailers similar and in good condition as well?

The trailer is as important as the boat in my opinion.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Looking at a couple boats for purchase.
.......
Both boats have been well taken care of. Which is the better buy? I’m leaning towards the Larson because of the fuel injected engine.

any suggestions would be very helpful

breaking this up.

1995 Larson Sei 194 br - 5.8l Volvo fuel injected engine with SX out drive 350hrs on engine. $7000

Skip this for a few reasons. this is a Ford 351 marine motor that you CAN NOT get parts for the EFI PERIOD! they are NLA. the boat is 25 years old. boats have a 15 year design life and about a 25 year service life. this boat should be considered a project. asking price is about 3X the actual value. The boat may well be perfect. Keep in mind when something goes awry with the EFI, you will need to open your wallet and either step back to a carb or swap in something other than Ford

At only 350 hours, this boat has sat for a while. a well used and well maintained boat will have about 50 hours a year or more. a lightly used boat will have 20-25 hours per year this boat should have had the impeller and bellows changed at least 8 times following the VP recommendation, and the drive should have been off every year to check the alignment

2000 Maxum 1900sr - 5.0 Merc engine carbureted with thunderbolt 5 ignition. Merc Alpha 1 outdrive
51hrs on engine - $8500

this is a 20 year old boat. boats have a 15 year design life and about a 25 year service life. this boat should be considered a project unless proven otherwise. asking price is about 1.5X the actual value.

Motor is a GM SBC with a Mercruiser carb and ignition. the Ignition will have the old style sensor which is subject to failure. its a $49 part

with only 51 hours, consider this boat neglected. a well used and well maintained boat will have about 50 hours a year or more. a lightly used boat will have 20-25 hours per year this boat should have had the impeller and bellows changed at least 5 times, and the drive should have been off every year to check the alignment

for a 20 year old boat, anything less than 500-1000 hours means the boat sat for many years without service or use or the hour meter was replaced at only 51 hours, my guess is the first year the boat was used for 20 hours (that is 5 outings at 4 hours each, then year two 8-12 hours, then year three 8-12 hours, and it then sat for many years to get the remainder 21 hours.

 

[QBhoy]

breaking this up.



Skip this for a few reasons. this is a Ford 351 marine motor that you CAN NOT get parts for the EFI PERIOD! they are NLA. the boat is 25 years old. boats have a 15 year design life and about a 25 year service life. this boat should be considered a project. asking price is about 3X the actual value. The boat may well be perfect. Keep in mind when something goes awry with the EFI, you will need to open your wallet and either step back to a carb or swap in something other than Ford

At only 350 hours, this boat has sat for a while. a well used and well maintained boat will have about 50 hours a year or more. a lightly used boat will have 20-25 hours per year this boat should have had the impeller and bellows changed at least 8 times following the VP recommendation, and the drive should have been off every year to check the alignment





this is a 20 year old boat. boats have a 15 year design life and about a 25 year service life. this boat should be considered a project unless proven otherwise. asking price is about 1.5X the actual value.

Motor is a GM SBC with a Mercruiser carb and ignition. the Ignition will have the old style sensor which is subject to failure. its a $49 part

with only 51 hours, consider this boat neglected. a well used and well maintained boat will have about 50 hours a year or more. a lightly used boat will have 20-25 hours per year this boat should have had the impeller and bellows changed at least 5 times, and the drive should have been off every year to check the alignment

for a 20 year old boat, anything less than 500-1000 hours means the boat sat for many years without service or use or the hour meter was replaced at only 51 hours, my guess is the first year the boat was used for 20 hours (that is 5 outings at 4 hours each, then year two 8-12 hours, then year three 8-12 hours, and it then sat for many years to get the remainder 21 hours.

Scott

Was thinking the same thing about the 5.8 efi and it’s Ford origin. But struck me unusual to have such an engine originally in this particular model. If I was to take a guess, I’d say it’s perhaps not original to the boat. Not impossible but I know of a couple of these models (if I have it correct). They both have 4.3 GL carbs in them. Big lump of an engine for that boat perhaps.

The maxum. These are very common around here and usually found with 4.3 carbs. I was often out on one owned by a friend. They don’t tend to age too well, being a maxum but by god it was a fast thing even with a 4.3. That stepped hull and a 21” laser 2 let it hit the limiter at right on 50mph gps. Be quicker still with a 5.0.

hopefully not all boats are considered done by the time they are 20 years old, haha. My own wee special Campion Chase is 18 years old this year. She remains without a blemish and her orange, black and white with in gel Chase chequered graphics still shines like the day she was born !
like you say...all about how they have been kept and maintained.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I have a similar Larson - a '97 186 SEI. I believe the '95s were still constructed with wood stringers; in '96 or more likely '97, Larson went with a different pre-VEC process (I believe) that used foam-filled fiberglass stringers and bulkheads and a fiberglass-encased wood transom core. That means the boat is likely to have wooden structure, which means you would want to really check the structure and transom carefully before buying, if you decide to pursue it.

My boat originally had a Volvo Penta drive, I believe, but shortly before I bought it, it was repowered with a Mercruiser 360 Mag V8 and an Alpha One, Gen 2 drive. The small-block Chevy V8 required 1/2" spacers for the front motor mounts, but no other structural modifications appear to have been needed get get the new drive and engine fitted.

These guys here are much more knowledgeable about engines/drives and which ones to avoid, so I would pay careful attention to them. I can say that Larsons of that era were pretty well made, but as others have said, it's still a 25 year old boat. In our area, $7000 would be a little high for a boat like that, although if it ran well, I'm sure they would find a buyer unaware of the issues with that Ford engine.

Hope this helps,
Jim

 

[Scott Danforth]

Scott

Was thinking the same thing about the 5.8 efi and it’s Ford origin. But struck me unusual to have such an engine originally in this particular model. If I was to take a guess, I’d say it’s perhaps not original to the boat. Not impossible but I know of a couple of these models (if I have it correct). They both have 4.3 GL carbs in them. Big lump of an engine for that boat perhaps.

The maxum. These are very common around here and usually found with 4.3 carbs. I was often out on one owned by a friend. They don’t tend to age too well, being a maxum but by god it was a fast thing even with a 4.3. That stepped hull and a 21” laser 2 let it hit the limiter at right on 50mph gps. Be quicker still with a 5.0.

hopefully not all boats are considered done by the time they are 20 years old, haha. My own wee special Campion Chase is 18 years old this year. She remains without a blemish and her orange, black and white with in gel Chase chequered graphics still shines like the day she was born !
like you say...all about how they have been kept and maintained.

Ford motors were used by both OMC and Volvo during the JV years. the motor is original for Larsons in the 94-96 range, so I highly doubt its a transplant. Larson is now owned by Polaris. Prior to that, it was part of the Marquis/Carver/Larson group after being purchased from in 2010. prior to the demise in 2009, Glenmar Holdings owned them who bought the OMC boat group in 2000. Back in 1995, Larson would have been part of the OMC branded boats and both OMC and Volvo would have been the only available drivelines in 1995

The Maxum was a brunswick brand so that would have had Mercruiser in from day one. Maxum was one of the brands that was axed in 2009 during the recession

Design life is the time you can expect a boat to last assuming you follow the recommended maintenance chart
Service life is what you actually get out of a boat and its a combination of the actual maintenance done as well as the quality you started with and how its used/abused.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Both boats over priced here in Canadian dollars let alone USD. I would walk for both. Keep shopping.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Price is so varied depending on location. In our area, mid-90s boats in good shape with serviceable drivetrains can go for about that money, but for an engine with NLA parts, no way.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Up where the OP is you can't swing a cat without hitting boats for sale. There is more water in Ontario than land.

 

[QBhoy]

If you’re up in Canada...get a look at a Campion. Real top quality boats and plenty available up there where they are made. Not cheap new but food value used. Leagues above a maxum or Larson.

 

[Matt1021]

Thank you guys for all the feedback. Update: passing on the Maxum because of the hours. 51 hours is to much sitting time.

The Larson I’m passing on because of what I’m sure is a typical story in used boat buying. Seller was being very passive aggressive in pushing the boat. Giving me the old ok moving out of state so I can’t take it but yet his posting says he wants to trade for a 5th wheel and never once mentioned to me that was the case. Actually told me he buys toys and sells them so I was like hmm. Then when I go to see it he’s giving me the ole someone was just here looking at it with money and they want it but he couldn’t find the trailer registration. .Again hmm but not out the ordinary . Deal breaker for me was him going silent once I said let’s run it on the lake nd if everything checks out I’ll buy it. My gut kept telling me something was off so oh well. The search continues....

 

[HighDesertMan]

Sounds like you made the right call on that one. There are plenty of boats out there, no need to get in a hurry.