noob who needs help

[greatestfisherman]

hi Guys, Im new to this forum and is new to the boating world. I am planning on buying a 1986 17ft pro line with a mercury optimax offshore 135hp built in 1998. Boat also has a hard T top... My question is am I getting a good deal? Everything works fine and by the looks of the pictures, is in tip top shape... seller is asking for 2 grand. Is the engine a good brand? Also from a boater's perspective, how does the pro line brand stand? Is it a good Brand? Sorry for all these questions but all the info I got are from manufactures and you know how they alway boast their products of being the best...


Sorry, I tried to do a search but came up short.

mod: please move to correct forum thread if needed...


thanks in advance....

 

[Grand Larsony]

Re: noob who needs help

Nobody here can answer that question. Too many unknowns. Read the hundreds of threads to get a better understanding of what to look for and how to approach the purchase process. If you have more specific questions in mind please post them.

I'm sure somebody will chime in with opinions on Proline \ Optimax OB but they aren't worth much when dealing with a boat of that age... unless there were some really big problems that are well known.

For $2k you should expect it to pretty much suck and break very soon or it's a CL scam to get your email address. A boat of that type that runs well and is dependable, regardless of age, should be about 2x-3x that much money (more like $6k).

Just my opinion: If you only have $2k to spend, you'd better plan to spend a whole lot more or wait.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: noob who needs help

For $2k you should expect it to pretty much suck and break very soon or it's a CL scam to get your email address. A boat of that type that runs well and is dependable, regardless of age, should be about 2x-3x that much money (more like $6k).

Please pay attention to this part of his post. It may not be just a scam to get your email, it may be a scam to get your money.

Have you seen the boat yet?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: noob who needs help

Those were the early years for the Merc Optimax engine and they were not the most reliable engines on the planet so make sure you understand what you getting into. Evinrude at the same time had the "Ficht" direct injection at the same time and certain of those had issues as well. What you can see, hear and touch will tell you all you need to know about the boat. Condition, condition, condition. As for the motor, it is records, does it run, can you do an on water test, and what's it's history. Follow that with lots of online search such as doing a Google search for "Mercury Optimax problems" should give you enough information to make an informed decision. An Optimax motor is not one a novice (and in many cases techs) can troubleshoot and service with any confidence.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: noob who needs help

pro-lines are good boats and at that price, think of it as just buying a hull, then drop another $4K into a new used motor. Check the hull for soft spots and the basic wiring; plan to replace all of it (and budget for that).
Same with trailer--if it's old and salty, plan to replace the axles/springs unless you will seldom use it on the road.

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

ok.... i decided to pass on the boat due to the engine being known for way too many issues.... However, i found another it's a 18ft 1984 sea ox 18od model with a 1988 yamaha 2 stroke carb motor.... boat looks clean and seller is asking for 5 grand.... please advise... boat does not come with anything beside trailer which is 2001 galvanized, boat, and engine.... is this a good deal? I understand that I have to do some fixing to get everything tip top shape but currently boat runs and its has always been use for saltwater since its saltwater motor.... What should i offer? I like the Boat a lot and will use it for fishing commercially... boat has lots of open space, dual console and open bow... the engine like i stated runs but will need a tune up... please advise.... thanks all

 

[ezmobee]

Re: noob who needs help

That's SERIOUSLY overpriced. A 20 year old 18' used in mostly saltwater? Maybe 2 grand TOPS if it's immaculate.

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

thats what I thought... I did a research on nada and its less than 2g value.... I am trying to negotiate the price with the seller right now... any tactical advice will be much appreciated...

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

hey guys... again... i need your expert opinions... the sea ox boat situation did not turn out so well so again im looking for options and have found a really good looking proline... 1989 17' proline with a 1994 115 johnson motor with new trailer for 4000.... what you guys think?


http://hartford.craigslist.org/boa/1475848772.html

 

[QC]

Re: noob who needs help

What does this mean? "Boat has been used once"

 

[ezmobee]

Re: noob who needs help

Yeah that's kinda weird. Nice boat though. Definitely worth checking out. A good condition galvanized trailer is a plus and you can't beat a V4 JohnnyRude.

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

not sure... but I emailed the guy and he stated that he has all paperwork with it....

"I will try to get you more pics, although the boat is in good shape. I actually just started the motor the other day, and it ran for a good 5 minutes. I have only used the boat once 2 yrs ago, for about 5 hrs. I had the motor winterized right after that. Before that the boat was slipped at a marina in Westport and was winterized annually at Atlantic Outboard in Westport."

how much would you guys pay for this boat?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: noob who needs help

A hard-core bargainer (which I am not) at this time of year would surely throw him an offer of $2500 and see what he comes back with. A more conservative guy would throw $3000. I'd probably be willing to pay $3500 for it. I would want to do a compression test on the motor and check the deck and transom CAREFULLY for rot.

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

3500 is my price too... last couple of questions ... any preferred methods of checking transom, deck etc for rot?

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: noob who needs help

Jam a screwdriver into it. You want to see it the wood is solid or if it is wet.

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

hey all.... i have found another proline 1990 with an omc motor... my question is how reliable are these engines....? I tried searching and the only thing I can find is that they went bankrupt and envirude bought them... any advice...

thanks all

 

[ezmobee]

Re: noob who needs help

It's not an OMC SeaDrive is it?

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

yes its a 1.6 omc sea drive motor...

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: noob who needs help

yes its a 1.6 115hp omc sea drive motor...

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: noob who needs help

Yea you probably want to stay away from the sea drives....anything goes wrong in the bracket /hydraulic piston area and parts are getting harder and harder to find....If you're up for the challenge boats with sea drives usually have a full transom and are prime candidates for adding a bracket and an outboard....fulltransom + outboard power is highly desirable....but that makes the boat more of a project.