I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

[Mark42]

Been looking at lots of used outboards, and used boats with good motors. Seems like every single motor I looked at was not as the seller described. Or the boat was in much worse condition.

For example, after a few days of conversations on the phone about a bass boat with a yamaha 90 motor I am looking for, I decided to go look at it. Seller says boat is in great condition, I look up the make and model and its a high quality welded aluminum bass boat . Owner says he bought it new in 2001, and used it 3 times a year. He is in his seventies, and can't launch it anymore by himself.

So i drive three hours to go see it bringing cash in hand. When I get there, the motor looks good, but compression is only 105- 110. A little low, the stainless steel prop is full of rock impacts with quarter size chunks missing ("that prop runs just fine"), and the boat has been left sitting outside uncovered for the 6 or 8 years. Once the original cover went, he didn't bother to buy another. The original spark plugs were in and super carbon fouled, he never changed the water pump.

The boat itself looked like crap, with rotting stained carpet, faded gauges, faded dash, crazing on the gauges, cracked vinyl seats and a rusted painted trailer with one flat. The hull had a few big dents, paint scratched off, decals partially rubbed off, big dents in the rub rail and soft floors (as I lean on the soft spots he says "there are no soft spots in the floor"). The rod lockers were full of leaves, some rod mounts broken, I asked him what he bottom dollar was an he told me "I sold it last night, but told them I was holding it for you to see first". So I told him that was fine with me, sell it to the other guy, and I took my tools and compression tester and walked to my car. Guy has a cow. Stomps off to the house, yelling at his wife that I didn't buy it. I guess he really didn't have another buyer. I started the car and left and he was still stomping around the driveway all pissed off.

Too bad. Too bad he wasted my time telling me what a great boat it was and it was in "perfect condition" used "two or three times a year" and "there were no problems with the boat" and "it was always covered".

Why do people lie when selling something? Did he not realize I would see its crap when I got there? So I wasted 6 hours and half a tank of gas today.

Some people just suck.

I'm done looking at other peoples crap. I'm going to buy a full rebuilt outboard with one year warranty and be done with it.

 

[Rudi2]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

Take a deep breath, maybe have a cold one -- better now? I think most have been there and feel your pain.


I've found you have to make a list and ask VERY specific questions. Explain you are driving XX amount of miles and need to ask a lot of questions. If they get mad and don't want to answer your queries, or give you the old brush off answer "you'll just have to come and look at it" then say thanks and move to the next one. But Then some people are just liars, they'll tell you anything.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

Hang in there Mark. Buying used is a game of percentages, effort and most all patience.
Keep looking, keep calling, keep asking.....it's out there and you have to find it. Thing of how many posts there have been regarding 'what a steal!!', simply hang in there and you'll be one of those.
My two bits.
BP

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

I have given up, even going to look at it without some pictures up front, in focus and exposed properly and that is if I am driving 5 miles or 500 miles, in this day and age, everybody has a digital camera or knows someone with a digital camera, I won't even respond to ad's without pictures anymore..

I have driven to many miles over the years to only be disappointed when I arrive..even if it a paper add, I always call and ask them to send me a picture, if they won't, then I don't...

 

[Triton II]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

Sorry to hear that Mark. Best of luck with your "recon"... I decided years ago that boat motors are one of the things I'd only buy either new or reconditioned with warranty... just for my own peace of mind and the safety of my family. Cheers,

TII

 

[pecheux]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

Been there .. done that. With time I found that investigating the 'real' reason for selling the boat is sometimes the most important information that leads to a good condition boat.

Why ... because people that have a good boat need a good reason to sell it. Otherwise sellers with fuzzy reasons are prone to selling something unworthy of keeping or fixing.

 

[Mark42]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

Been there .. done that. With time I found that investigating the 'real' reason for selling the boat is sometimes the most important information that leads to a good condition boat.

Why ... because people that have a good boat need a good reason to sell it. Otherwise sellers with fuzzy reasons are prone to selling something unworthy of keeping or fixing.

Thanks. Good Point!

 

[Wingedwheel]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

Don't be discouraged Mark. I bought a boat last year that the seller had hidden some problems very well. Because of that I got the boat and motor for a good price and on faith. I ended up replacing all the wood in the boat this year because he re-capped the soft floor with new wood and carpet, but because I did the repair myself I made out in the long run. I should have known after calling him a few weeks after I bought it to inquire if he had a spare tire for the trailer and after talking to his wife she expressed amazement that I had already taken it out a few times. The motor repairs were minimal ,the rotted transom and stringers just didn't make themselves known until this spring. All in all most people are basically honest they just have no clue about the actual problems. Educating yourself about what to look for is the best buyers tool you can have. Good luck, I know you'll stumble across a jewel if you keep looking.

 

[Mark42]

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

Don't be discouraged Mark. I bought a boat last year that the seller had hidden some problems very well. Because of that I got the boat and motor for a good price and on faith. I ended up replacing all the wood in the boat this year because he re-capped the soft floor with new wood and carpet, but because I did the repair myself I made out in the long run. I should have known after calling him a few weeks after I bought it to inquire if he had a spare tire for the trailer and after talking to his wife she expressed amazement that I had already taken it out a few times. The motor repairs were minimal ,the rotted transom and stringers just didn't make themselves known until this spring. All in all most people are basically honest they just have no clue about the actual problems. Educating yourself about what to look for is the best buyers tool you can have. Good luck, I know you'll stumble across a jewel if you keep looking.

Thanks for the encouraging words!

In 2006 I went to look at a 1600 Bayliner Cuddy that had been for sale for a while. It was exactly what I wanted, space for the kids to sleep, seating for 4 adults, and a deep V hull to handle chop (unusual in most small boats). After a month or so after the craigs list ended, I called the seller and he still had the boat. I drove about 2 hours from north NJ to south NJ to see this micro Cuddy Cabin. Turns out the reason it didn't sell is the motor didn't run well. The boat was garage kept and was in very good condition, especially the floor and transom. The bilge was dry as a bone, and so was everything else I checked out. The motor ran poorly, and I bought it for about $1750 for the boat, motor, trailer, new canvas custom cover, and OE navy top that was never used. Turns out one of the floats in the carbs broke free, and a drop or two of solder put it back together just fine. Been running OK ever since.

That is the boat I built the hard top for, put in the new Deco Dot vinyl floor, and will replace the old Force. It turned out to be exactly what I wanted, the base for my best project yet, and a boat my family actually ASKS to to out on. Next will be new vinyl seats. Will probably change the layout, but that is a topic for another thread.

Who could ask for more?

Just sick of this used motor BS.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: I've had my fill of looking at used outboard motors.

The photos on line always look better than the real thing.

If you tell them you are driving a long distance, they figure that by the time you get there you are invested in buying, which you are. So it's hard to know whether to tell them.

The whole CL process is out of whack. From the buyer's point of view, things are misrepresented, or sold when you get there. From the seller's, the buyers don't show up, show up late, and then back out after wasting time. Too many bad experiences and everyone is on edge.

Lots of sellers don't know what they have, and often their standards of "good condition" or whatever don't match the buyer's. But just as often as the seller's standards are out of whack, so are the buyer's.

It is essential for both sides to assign dollar value to their time. If you work by the hour, it's easy: if you make $50 an hour, the six hour trip adds $300 to the price. Likewise, spending an hour with six potential buyers knocks $300 off (which is why the suggestions for thorough testing don't always work, or why "as is" means "as it is sitting there"). Even if you are retired, or using time off, there is dollar value to it: ask yourself how much would a stranger have to pay you to sit in a room for 6 hours on Saturday? $10? $100? $1000? Find the number and that is what your free time is worth to you.

But it's the prospect of the great deal that keeps everyone coming back.