1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

[dragos28]

Hi guys, i've decided against a project boat.. and decided to get one that is ready to roll!

Can you guys let me know if this boat is worth $4000, i'm in Ca.

it looks to be in pristine condition, owner says its been serviced and has no problems.

The engine has been upgraded from a previous owner to the 175 hp mercury 1750
I've done a little googling and that engine seems to be from the 1978-79 time frame.

I'll be checking it out today hopefully and taking it on the lake.

is the boat a good deal at 4k? is that engine reliable? its seems soo old....
anything i should be aware of with that boat or engine..

Thanks guys!

 

[ajax5240]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

Interior looks pretty clean, but you never know when the pics were taken. Some people post up 9 year old
Pictures of when they had the interior replaced, and you don't know it till you show up.

Read up on here about how to see if the floor, stringers, and transom are solid or rotten. Also do some research on common issues with that engine. Get a serial number if you can.

If you get through the drive way checks and are still interested. Go for a thorough test ride. Spend entry of time at idle and at full throttle and everywhere in between.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

I can't speak to the value but that is an old motor, and old Mercs can be very temperamental. There are not many mechanics who are good at working on them; you might ask around your home town and see if there is one. But when they run, they run!

If it's a good hull and the boat you are looking for, you might get it and budget to repower. You may find that's a good way to try it out and if the boat doesn't suit you (whether the motor dies or not) you can sell the boat/trailer for about what you have in it rather than repower. IOW if it's running now, it will be good for the summer; at this point you don't want to wait for another boat or the time it takes to get a new one or one that needs work in the water.

 

[dragos28]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

Gentlemen, I thank you kindly..
i just got off the phone with what seemed to be a very knowledgeable boat service man,
and he advised me that this motor no longer has parts available for it and that it will be a nightmare trying to fix it.

from what i've read, i've understood that outboard motors are the way to go, but according to him inboard motors are cheaper to maintain and repair, he suggested that i look for a different boat with an inboard motor, preferably a mercury as it is the easiest and cheapest to service.

do you gentlemen agree with the advice i have been given?

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

he suggested that i look for a different boat with an inboard motor, preferably a mercury as it is the easiest and cheapest to service.

do you gentlemen agree with the advice i have been given?

NO!

As a boat owner, outboards are less expensive to maintain. As a shop owner, a Mercruiser or any I/O is a profit center and outboards are not.

As far as planed maintenance, an outboard really doesn't require much other than lower unit oil, water pump impellers and spark plugs. An I/O requires gimbal bearings, bellows, manifolds, shift cables and various other things on a semi regular basis. More often in salt than fresh water.

An outboard doesn't really require any work to winterize, or at least it won't get destroyed if it should freeze unexpectedly.

When an outboard does break, it can be a bit harder to pinpoint issues and with old ones finding parts can be hard. The thing with I/Os is that their car based engines have substantial volume and parts are pretty easy to come by.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

NO!

As a boat owner, outboards are less expensive to maintain. As a shop owner, a Mercruiser or any I/O is a profit center and outboards are not.

As far as planed maintenance, an outboard really doesn't require much other than lower unit oil, water pump impellers and spark plugs. An I/O requires gimbal bearings, bellows, manifolds, shift cables and various other things on a semi regular basis. More often in salt than fresh water.

An outboard doesn't really require any work to winterize, or at least it won't get destroyed if it should freeze unexpectedly.

When an outboard does break, it can be a bit harder to pinpoint issues and with old ones finding parts can be hard. The thing with I/Os is that their car based engines have substantial volume and parts are pretty easy to come by.

My .02 - it depends on who is doing the work and what their experience is. I prefer to work on an I/O, working on outboards is a PITA.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

inboards may be better for him but not for you! I tell boat shoppers for that type of boat it doesn't matter what kind of power you get as long as it's an outboard!

But as I said, that particular motor will be a problem to have it worked on. I have a 20 HP of that vintage and learned the hard way (and why I am still dedicated to OMC for old motors, as I have been since the 60's.) So his initial advice isn't bad; the rest of it is.

So back to my suggestion--if that one is running well and on a good hull, it's a good start.

Hurry! it's almost July!

 

[dragos28]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

Thank you once again gentlemen, I'm really glad that this is an active forum.
I'm an active member on TundraTalk.net, but that mostly because i'm a truck enthusiast... but at last, i think that there is nothing more i can mod on my truck, lol

I'm also looking at this boat it is a 1999 Stingray 200 CS.... it only has 140 engine hours and they are asking $5000.....
however it has a 5.0 merc inboard engine...

I'm trying to keep the purchase under or up to 5k.... I'm also liking the closed bow, now that i think of it, my kids would be safer playing in there while i put around the water....

i've sent the seller an email, hopefully they will respond... so i can get out on the water!!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

the first boat would be great for $2500 but not for $4000... the second one would be GREAT if you could talk him down to $4000

given both being in excellent condition and IMHO of course

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

BTW If you think there are no more mods for your truck, go hang out at pirate4x4.com for a few hours

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

BTW If you think there are no more mods for your truck, go hang out at pirate4x4.com for a few hours

Not with a Tundra

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

Not with a Tundra

LOL.... maybe not so easy to build as a jeep but nothing is immune there.... Not promising there will be many more original parts when done than the engine and maybe part of the frame tho LOL

 

[kjsAZ]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

I had this OB on my last boat and all I can tell you is RUN!!!!!! That was 10 years ago and some parts were sometimes still available.
My current boat has a Mercruiser 4-banger (3l) with A1G2 and is a pleasure compared to the OB. Sure, there are a few more things you have to change and you also have to watch out for fuel in the bilge to avoid a boom (run the blower too) but overall an I/O in fresh water is good to have. In salt.... not so without closed cooling.
Don't worry about the kids, they learn fast and in hot weather they won't stay under deck. Have them wear PFD's whenever they are close to the water. Mine all dropped in once and then never again. If you and the admiral wear PFD's too they won't complain.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

Here ya go!
Tundra Evolution - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

or here you can buy one with one or two more mods LOL
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/vehicles-trailers-sale/1003691-raisin-toyota-v8-rock-buggy.html

Ok I'll stop...... back to boats

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

I'm also looking at this boat it is a 1999 Stingray 200 CS.... it only has 140 engine hours and they are asking $5000.....
however it has a 5.0 merc inboard engine...


I'm trying to keep the purchase under or up to 5k.... I'm also liking the closed bow, now that i think of it, my kids would be safer playing in there while i put around the water....

No. don't buy a closed bow so you can kennel the children. they need to be boaters--topside. And that, sir, is not a boat. Get open seating, outboard, seaworthy hull design, low maintenance and one made for outdoor use.

 

[carey965]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

Bow riders are the way to go for a first boat. My son loves sitting up there when we are cruising around

And as far as the outboard vs i/o debate. When i was looking for my boat i wanted an outboard as well but really if you have a little bit of mechanical ability you can work on anything and sbc's last forever

My only advice is ditch the tundra and buy a real truck lol

 

[batman99]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

My first boat is a bowrider (re: 1996 Bayliner 1700LS @ http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w251/Spike99-Pictures/Boat Pictures/IMG_0014.jpg ) and we love its open concept and its Outboard motor design. After initial engine tune-up (that all engines need once in a while), its simply runs. Feed it gas and away we go - for tubing or cruising. For our 1st boat, we didn't go BIG or BIG. re: Big boat or big engine. We simply calculated what we would use most of the time and bought it. Then, had to perform initial maintenance & fixings tasks - the previous owner didn't do. For example: boat guides, transom saver bar, tilt/trim switch on the motor, etc. etc. For us, a boat is only a 3-5 year usage thing. We drive it for 3-5 years and during that time, we decide what we'd like or don't like "for our next boat". Then, our next boat would be our dream boat (if we want to still enjoy boating in the future). For me, I don't like working on car engines. Thus, I stayed away from Inboards. For my next boat, I'd probably go with a 4-stroke Outboard engine. And, still keep a bowrider / passenger comfort design (compared to bowrider / fishing boat design). Going "too big" means harder on fuel. Need larger size Tow Vehicle and one has to avoid the shallow waters.

Hope this helps...

 

[dragos28]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

Wow this thread quickly turned into a Tundra hating party :lol:
Should i go with an "American" truck like the GM or Ford which are both made in MEXICO?? and have them in the repair shop 80% of their lives, or a BUILT in TEXAS USA TUNDRA thats faster stronger and better looking, and never needs to be in the shop
:joyous:

at over 400hp naturally aspirated it'll eat up your truck
lol JK! before someone gets all mad!
(i know i know, there are those with diesel that are souped up to hell)

anyways, back to boats.... my son is 2 and my daughter is 6 weeks old.... I figured it would be safer with a closed bow, in case the water gets choppy...

do you guys think the Stingray (or similar boat) will be ok to take out on the Pacific? My dad and i would like to get some fishing done also.....
i hope i didnt ruffle anyone's feathers with the truck, i'm all about a good laugh and have rhinoceros thick skin
let the truck flaming commence

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

I've never owned a bowrider... no plans to either

agree that the kids won't spend much time in there tho

I LOVE having the secure storage, weather protection, and sleeping space of a cabin tho....

It's nice when she says, "honey I'm cold n tired" and she goes below instead of demanding you go home.

I generally prefer an I/O (mercruiser only) because they can be fixed or replaced (used) cheaply and generally run great forever as long as winterizing is done properly (it's not the nightmare some would have you believe) Also water sports such as tubing or skiing CAN be done with an outboard using a tow bridle, or pole, but it is SOOOO much nicer to not have to deal with the engine being in the way of the tow rope. And a full width swim platform is also very nice to have.

Outboards can be great too and I have a mercury 115 that is even older than the one you pictured on my 20' center console fishing boat.

In the end it's all about what YOU want..... I suggest that you look at several styles of boat and even get the wife and kids in a few of them.... the whole group inside the boat for 15 minutes might show you just how much room you don't have

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 17' Is it a good deal?

do you guys think the Stingray (or similar boat) will be ok to take out on the Pacific? My dad and i would like to get some fishing done also.....

Better than the bowrider but not the right kind of hull for big water.....

I admit that I'm a bit partial but for ocean use and dual purpose, family/fishing you might look into a wellcraft V-20 or V-21... They came in Center console like mine, dual console walk through, and cuddies. and both I/O and outboard configurations. They have a wide flared bow that does great in rough water and most had self bailing decks.