Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

[ajg8tr]

I am in the process of buying a 1978 21' Mako with an average condition hull. A lot of people say that in general, 1978 was a great year for Mako, but some say not to touch it because of the age. There are several issues with the boat: (1)the engine is for some reason mounted on a hydraulic jack plate that is inoperable - I want to have the jack plate removed and have the engine mounted directly on the transom; (2) the gas tanks are originals and are reportedly in satisfactory condition although it has been suggested to me to just go ahead and replace them; (3) the wiring is in bad condition and needs to be "redone". Can anyone give some thoughts on this purchase and these issues? How about pricing for this? Should the hull be priced based on NADA low retail/average retail? Where in that range should it fall assuming everything else is in decent shape including no wood/stringer rot and a gel coat in decent shape? Is there another way to come up with value?<br /><br />The boat has a 225 hp, 2001 EFI Saltwater Yamaha which gets at why I'm buying the boat: it has new power and a good hull with which I don't have to put up with depreciation the second I drive away with it.<br /><br />Your comments are appreciated.

 

[prockvoan]

Re: Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

For around $300 you could have it surveyed.That should give you a great price on what to pay for the boat.

 

[AntsGrady]

Re: Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

the motor is worth some cash depending how many hours are on it. As far as the boat I would say just by opinion it can't be worth more then 2,000. Sounds like it really needs some TLC.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

i just bought an older grady with newer power. if you find the right combo, i think this is one of the best ways to buy a boat you would normally not be able to afford.<br /><br />if the hull is sound- no rot, cracks, etc- you should be fine. wiring is one of the easiest things in my book- something you can take your time with and don't need any special tools to accomplish. can be done sitting in your driveway on a saturday morning. with a little effort, you can remove the jack plate and remount the engine yourself- but just read up on the process here and make sure you know what to expect. what type of tanks are they? if you open all the access panels and don't smell fuel, and you don't see leaks, i wouldn't jump to replace it. good luck-

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

dude...its a 78 mako. they dont get any more bullet proof than that.<br /><br />if it were a newer mako, i would be more concerned, seeing as to how they were bought out by merc's parent company, brunswick.<br /><br />get a survey and get fishing!

 

[Luna Sea]

Re: Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

Ditto on the survey, I know it's easy to try and save money and have a friend or something look at it. But a boat that age could have stringer or transom issues, that could be why the motors on a bracket. If it checks out, that's a great package. You don't wanna have to start out with any huge projects on the new boat. Look around in the project boat section of this forum. It's a great brand, more than likely it's a good deal, but there is always a chance. Let us know how it goes............

 

[Osprey]

Re: Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

Here is a link to the Classic Mako website. Lots of good info for any perspective project Mako owner.<br /> http://classicmako.com/ <br /><br />I agree with Matttt above buying a used boat and doing as much of your own work as possible is the way to go. I purchased a 1995 21' Grady 208 about a year ago. At the time it had not been off the trailer in almost three years. After some hours of swet equity she's cleaned up great and I have a boat that I know inside and out. The same package new today is about 70K I have about 25K in the project.<br /><br />A few tips from my experience. Wiring will be an issue. Do it right, get the proper tools for crimpimg wire lugs etc and replace everything that is suspect.<br /><br />Something else to consider is how accessable is everything that will likely need some work, wiring, fuel tanks, bildge pumps, thru-hull drains etc. If you have to start cutting into the deck to gain access things start getting complex.<br /><br />Plastic thru-hull fittings - If the boat has any plastic thru-hulls at or below the waterline, replace them with stainless or bronze. They will crack and fail with age.<br /><br />The fuel tanks should be considered suspect due to age. Fuel tanks can be custom made. Although my boat turned out not to require replacement it would have been about $650.00 for an 82 gallon custom alum. replacement. Here is some contact info for a tank builder.<br /><br />Florida Marine Tanks Inc.<br /> FL – (305) 620-9030 <br /> MO – (314) 624-5926<br /><br />On Mako's one thing to check for is transom rot. See the above website for more info.

 

[navigator336]

Re: Concerned about buying a 1978 21' Mako

I had a 78 21' a few years ago. It's a great boat. Mine only had a single tank mounted below the console. There is an access panel but it involves some work to get it out. If you can get the jack plate to work, it would be nice to keep it. The transom height makes it tough to set the outboard at just the right height given standard shaft lengths. I had to set mine a little high in order to minimize spray. The only real concern is rot. The forward hatches should have latches put on them because they tend to bounce in heavier seas. The boat only weighs 2100 pounds, so it will be very fast with the 225 on it.