176 BR Purchase??

P

pcoliver

New Member
Aug 24, 2008
9
Holly Springs, NC
Boat Info
Bowrider 176
Engines
Mercruiser w/Bravo
Hi all,
New to the forum and hopefully... soon...a new boat owner. I have what looks like a good deal on a 2003 176 BR with the 3.0L engine. It has 157 hours on it and well maintained. I wanted to check the compression myself and am looking for help on what the compression should be as I can't seem to find the spec. Thanks for any help and looking forward to being a part of CSR!

Patrick
 
Hey Pat. You know,I considered a boat w/a 3.0. I'm very glad I stepped up to the 4.3(still small but better IMO). Last weekend,we took our boat out to SML. The outdrive grenaded. To salvage the weekend,we rented a boat(Glastron 185 GT w/a 3.0). The lack of power was immediately noticable and made getting up on skis quite the challenge. I'm not saying don't buy the boat-just keep this in mind:you will never regret too much power,you will always regret not enough. GL and keep us posted.
 
i prefer the 3.0L on our 180. cheaper to maintain.. cheaper to run.. with a 19" prop the hole shot is great and get to just under 40knts. considering its less weight.. may even chew less fuel.. also easier to work on.. what more can you ask.. the 4.3L would be more to buy, more to service, most likely use more fuel.. harder to service.. heavier etc.. depends what your after i guess.. if your not after top speed.. get a prop for a better hole shot, and stick with the 4cyl
 
I'm content with my 3.0 in a 185. No troubles getting anyone up on skis. The 4.3 does have a better resale value.
 
Hi, Patrick. I just sold my 2003 176BR/3.0L a few months ago. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. I also still have plenty of pics, .pdf versions of manuals, etc.

John
 
jhild said:
Hi, Patrick. I just sold my 2003 176BR/3.0L a few months ago. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. I also still have plenty of pics, .pdf versions of manuals, etc.

John
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for your suggestions/comments. I got a good deal ( I think at least) on the 176 and although I always like more power this seemed like a great starter boat. My 2 boys are 10 and 7 and we had a blast tubing today. I know I'll want a new boat in 2 years and this boat will help me decide what I really want in a boat.(size, engine, etc)

I did notice that the engine knocked after turning it off almost every time.
John what octane did you use in your boat? I also notice that the hole shot is not that great. Maybe related to the lower octane? I also tried a 4 blade stainless that I bought used. I kept with the same pitch and diam as the stock aluminum. That one was too beat up to use. I did have the boat fully checked out by the local sea ray dealer. Passed no problem. Boat is in great shape and only 127 hours. Don't like carpeted floor but can live with it for now. Anyway looking forward to getting out again tomorrow!
 
On the knocking are you letting it run for a couple of seconds in N prior to turning off. If you pop it in neutral and immediately turn the motor off it will diesel for a while however if you let it sit in N for 5 seconds prior to turning the key it will not do it. Just a thought
 
Hi guys,
Don't mean to threadjack this, but I am in a similar position. Several of you seem to be happy 176/180/185 owners. My wife is nervous about such a small boat in the ICW and sound areas here (coastal NC). What is your experience in some chop and rougher water? For anything much larger (although we also have our eye on a 215 EC) we will have to get a different tow vehicle. Thanks for indulging me here.
 
I think you would have problems on all but the calmest days in the ICW, especially if you encounter wakes from the bigger boats.
 
ruf1967 said:
I think you would have problems on all but the calmest days in the ICW, especially if you encounter wakes from the bigger boats.
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I have to agree. If I was running for long distance and in chop and large boat wakes I would not be happy with the 176. I'm using this primarily in lakes for pulling tubes and skis so the "rough" ride is not an issue. If you are buying for comfort and don't want to be bounced around you'll need to go bigger. I also struggled with the larger size and the added costs of bigger storage, towing vehicle etc. This boat will let me build up to that point. I'm happy with my purchase.
 
TimB said:
Hi guys,
Don't mean to threadjack this, but I am in a similar position. Several of you seem to be happy 176/180/185 owners. My wife is nervous about such a small boat in the ICW and sound areas here (coastal NC). What is your experience in some chop and rougher water? For anything much larger (although we also have our eye on a 215 EC) we will have to get a different tow vehicle. Thanks for indulging me here.
Click to expand...

A few weeks ago,we got passed on the port side by a huge offshore boat(at least 40ft. I'm guessing) on the ICW. Twas not a pleasant,peaceful experience. Honestly though, I don't think it would have mattered much what size boat we were in(economy bow rider,17-24 ft. range)the wake that that dude was throwing was pretty mean. His wake was at least 3ft and breached my bow once or twice. I'm happy with my 200 but,its no match for a 410 etc.
 
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