'93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

[abillmann]

I'm looking at a 1993 Four Winns 190, complete with a 5.0 litre OMC Cobra. The boat itself is in very good condition, always stored indoors, and has had yearly winterization/dewinterization done by a qualified mechanic. Hours are unknown. The engine has never had a major rebuild.

This is my first boat in a long time (15 years) and won't be a huge investment... $5000 or so. Still, I don't want to buy a potentially huge problem.

My preference would be a Merc Alpha-1, but I'm not sure where OMC Cobras stand in the ranks of the knowledgeable. (That would be YOU guys, here in this forum!) From what I can tell, they're not exactly held in high regard.

So, given all this, would you:

1. Not worry about it, given the boat's good history and regular maintenance;

2. Be EXTREMELY cautious, knowing it's risky, expecting to spend big money on repairs;

3. Run fast, run far from anything with an OMC logo.

Any insights--however short or long--greatly appreciated!

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: '93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

There's nothing wrong with a well running Cobra and most parts for a regular Cobra still seem to be available but you have to ask yourself???

Do you want to buy something now that is obsolete, parts are getting harder to locate and more costly and where would you have it serviced unless you are able to do most of it yourself.

I'm not going to trash OMC like some on here will since I have 2 Cobra's now and have had Cobra's since 1988 however if I were in your shoes today I would look for Merc or Volvo.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: '93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

Howdy,

That 93 Cobra is actually the one model you absolutely DO NOT want mainly because it's a "Dog-Clutch" type drive. Not because there was a lot wrong with them (mine went nearly 20 years with little problems) but there's just not a lot of people around now that are able to or want to service them..... There were models of the Cobra sold in 93 that were the transitional cone clutch (but still not identical to the VP SX drive yet) and you don't want them either.....Mainly because there's some parts that are just not available.

If you have an EFI model in those years some of the "show-stopper" parts for the EFI/electronic ignition are either listed as N/A or "Please Call" meaning that they'll probably find you a new old stock one at double the original cost etc....


$5000 is a LOT for a boat that old with any OMC drive


Your best bet if you want to get a good boat with an engine/drive that can be readily serviced by most marine shops and have no problems finding parts, would be to get one with a Merc/Volvo Penta drive and engine.

It's the end of summer. There's going to be a lot of them out there....


Regards,


Rick

 

[abillmann]

Re: '93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

Great information -- thank you! So... given that I'm looking at boats that are about 15 years old, if there was a hypothetical order of general engine preference, would it be something like this?

1. Outboard
2. Merc Alpha-1 I/O
3. Volvo Penta
4. OMC


Again, thanks for ANY insights. Just trying to do the best I can to not throw good money after bad!

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: '93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

Great information -- thank you! So... given that I'm looking at boats that are about 15 years old, if there was a hypothetical order of general engine preference, would it be something like this?

1. Outboard
2. Merc Alpha-1 I/O
3. Volvo Penta
4. OMC


Again, thanks for ANY insights. Just trying to do the best I can to not throw good money after bad!

I'd modify the above list:

1. MERC or VP I/O,

2. Outboard. (nothing wrong with outboards....the newer ones)


Differences and reasons for choosing an outboard vs I/O and vice-versa are probably out of the scope of this I/O repair forum......

 

[Bondo]

Re: '93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

3. Run fast, run far from anything with an OMC logo.

Ayuh,....

 

[skeat]

Re: '93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

Well here we go. Having to chose between a well maintained OMC or a beat Merc, I would chose the OMC. I have a 1989 OMC 4.3 Cobra (original no rebuild) that runs perfect. Just the normal I/O maintenance. Of course given 2 equal boats at the same price maybe the merc is the choice. Merc's, they say, get a premium so why pay more for a less perfect boat? I would rather not have to replace parts on an OMC then have to buy parts for a Merc (even though they are more readily available). On that note I have been able to get anything I needed from carb kits, bellows, transom seals and gaskets, and shift modules etc from both the OEM and aftermarket (Doug Russell and Crowley carry OEM and Iboats has aftermarket). If it needs a lower unit or manifolds why buy it? Do your homework but I wouldn't pass up a great boat just because it has an OMC. Plus nothing can match the pleasure of showing up at the ramp with a Cobra and seemlessly launching and powering away

 

[JustJason]

Re: '93 OMC Cobra 5.0: Good? Bad? Ugly?

you can't compare i/o's to sterndrives, that's comparing apples to oranges.
Its not that there's anything wrong with 1 or the other. They both have their positives and negatives.
Really what you should be asking yourself is how many people do i see having on my boat at a time, what activities do i plan to do with my boat, and where and in what kind of water do you plan to boat.

this may be a better conversation for the dockside.