Thinking About Buying a Used Sea Ray

[Sundancer]

Keep looking! I'm late to this thread but the 3.0 just isn't enough motor for the boat. Sluggish with only two in the boat is a bad sign! If you intend to ski and have more than two people in the boat you will be disappointed. The fuel burn difference isn't that much and you will be a lot happier with a 4.3. Next time you test run a boat, check the WOT (Wide Open Throttle) to make sure it reaches it's suggested RPM. The prop is similar to a gear and can limit a boats ability to hit that rpm range. Under propped and over propped cause their own problems and running it at WOT is the best way to discover any issues with the engine, cooling system or props. You don't need to run it very long at WOT to find out either.

The other issue to look at is the age of the tires. Each tire has an age date on it. If they are originals RUN! Tires that old are questionnable at best just due to deterioration of the compounds.

The advice above is right on, but there are a TON of boats for sale. It's a buyers market and very soon folks will panic that they aren't going to be able to sell their boats. Then you will have people begging you to buy their boat! Check Boattraderonline, craigslist or any other reputable online place to see many boats in your area to compare prices. I'm sure you will find one at a great price. I have an 89 and it's in great shape. I'd bet it's more reliable than many newer boats that have been poorly maintained.

Find your own surveyor. Ask around and see who people like and then prep him that you will need his services in the near future. Ask if he has any suggestions or if he knows anyone selling a boat similar to what you are looking for. He probably knows someone!

 

[mwph]

You should congratulate yourself on doing the homework. With this site and what you learned from your first sea trial you are well on your way!

Keep up the work & it will pay off.
Happy hunting!

 

[tdappleman]

If the boat is sluggish it could be due to many things - but all of the things you point out says it's probably a lack of proper maintenance. Keep in mind the 3.0 is not a power house - as Todd mentions you would probably be better off with a 4.3.

Now you have this one out of the picture - have you decided how you will truly use the boat - what are your requirements vs. 'nice to haves' ? It took me several years to decide on our current boat and it meets our requirements - the upside for us is we had another boat to play with while we were looking for the cruiser.

The Raleigh boat show starts today - you should go and look at all of the offerings. They typically have a lot of new smaller boats on display as well as you can meet some of the dealers in NC. Most of them also display some of their used inventory so you can get an idea of what else is available.

http://www.raleighconvention.com/boatshow/

 

[Nehalennia]

Keep looking! I'm late to this thread but the 3.0 just isn't enough motor for the boat. Sluggish with only two in the boat is a bad sign! If you intend to ski and have more than two people in the boat you will be disappointed. The fuel burn difference isn't that much and you will be a lot happier with a 4.3. Next time you test run a boat, check the WOT (Wide Open Throttle) to make sure it reaches it's suggested RPM. The prop is similar to a gear and can limit a boats ability to hit that rpm range. Under propped and over propped cause their own problems and running it at WOT is the best way to discover any issues with the engine, cooling system or props. You don't need to run it very long at WOT to find out either.

The other issue to look at is the age of the tires. Each tire has an age date on it. If they are originals RUN! Tires that old are questionnable at best just due to deterioration of the compounds.

The advice above is right on, but there are a TON of boats for sale. It's a buyers market and very soon folks will panic that they aren't going to be able to sell their boats. Then you will have people begging you to buy their boat! Check Boattraderonline, craigslist or any other reputable online place to see many boats in your area to compare prices. I'm sure you will find one at a great price. I have an 89 and it's in great shape. I'd bet it's more reliable than many newer boats that have been poorly maintained.

Find your own surveyor. Ask around and see who people like and then prep him that you will need his services in the near future. Ask if he has any suggestions or if he knows anyone selling a boat similar to what you are looking for. He probably knows someone!

You should congratulate yourself on doing the homework. With this site and what you learned from your first sea trial you are well on your way!

Keep up the work & it will pay off.
Happy hunting!

If the boat is sluggish it could be due to many things - but all of the things you point out says it's probably a lack of proper maintenance. Keep in mind the 3.0 is not a power house - as Todd mentions you would probably be better off with a 4.3.

Now you have this one out of the picture - have you decided how you will truly use the boat - what are your requirements vs. 'nice to haves' ? It took me several years to decide on our current boat and it meets our requirements - the upside for us is we had another boat to play with while we were looking for the cruiser.

The Raleigh boat show starts today - you should go and look at all of the offerings. They typically have a lot of new smaller boats on display as well as you can meet some of the dealers in NC. Most of them also display some of their used inventory so you can get an idea of what else is available.

http://www.raleighconvention.com/boatshow/

I agree. I'd walk, and try to find a 185 with a 4.3. There are so many boats out there right now. You still have lots of time, but I really think a more powerful engine will make you happy.
All of the 3Ls I've been on have that noisy tone to them, almost like they're rumbling along. The 4.3s have a smoother running powerful sound and the torque to go with it. The 4.3 is essentially a 350(5.7L) Chevy with 2 of the cylinders lopped off.

Best of luck, but I'd keep looking.

 

[On Holiday]

I have a 01 180 BR with a 3.0L. As far as the speedo not working, my intake on the lower unit sometimes gets clogged by debris in the water thus making hte speedo not work. As far as some other gauges, my fuel gauged stopped working and was fixed by easily tightening the ground wire. I have gotten myself and another person waterskiing from a deep water start on both skis, it can be done but you also need to help the boat as well. The 3.0L will not win any races but it sure does make for an efficient boat fuel wise. When I ski, BTW I am 160 soaking wet with one ski on, I have the spotter sit in the bow to help with the weight distribution as well as having eye contact with the captain. I get up on one from a deep water start with no problems. The one issue you will find with a a 176 or 180 is you will not like going out in some chop as it will beat you up pretty quick.

I am wanting to upgrade myself to a 220SD so my boat is unofficially for sale.

 

[NCCamper]

Hi Gang,

Time for another update! Let me say, this has been a learning process. I've learned more about boats in the past few weeks, than I have in my lifetime. After walking away from the '98 Sea Ray 180BR that started all this, and looking at Four Winns and Chris Craft's of slightly larger size, we have come full circle to this:

It is a '93 Sea Ray 200BR SS, which has seen nothing but dry storage when not in use, it's whole life. It is powered by a Mercruiser 5.0LX, with a Thunderbolt Ignition. From what I can gather, this is a 4bbl carbed version, correct? And the Thunderbolt Ignition (not the "V" version) - what does this mean? Is it electronic ignition? We are going for a trial run this Saturday, and have already been through every nook and cranny of this boat. I am going to try and link some photos for you all to check out. But i would really appreciate your opinions, please. If anyone has owned a 200BR of this vintage, I would really like the input. As you can see in the photos, the boat is in excellent condition. I have looked at much newer boats, that don't look this clean. I would almost say it's pristine.

Thanks,
NCC

Here is a link to the photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/NCCamper/1993SeaRay200BRSS?feat=directlink

 

[douglee25]

Now that boat right there is probably a winner. You can plainly see that it was cared for and the boat is 16 years old! It looks damn good. Get it surveyed and if it surveys well, strike a deal. Good luck!

Doug

 

[Sundancer]

I sat next to a GMC engine warranty guy. Of course, we talked engines for 2 plus hours and I'm sure he regretted every second of it! What I learned from him was that the 5.0 has WAY fewer issues than any other motor GM produced. He couldn't explain it. They expect a certain percentage of all motors will go bad early due to something in construction. The 5.0 was statistically WAY better than any of the 3.0, 4.3's, 5.7's and 7.4's. He couldn't explain it and it was across the board in all applications from industrial engines, cars, trucks and boats.

A friend of ours has the 5.0 in a similar sized boat and it's a great running boat. Has more torque than the 4.3 and is a good match for the boat size. The pictures look awesome and that boat might even be cleaner than Todd's 260! I believe Todd's family routinely eats in the engine compartment, but I'm not sure! :grin:

What is the asking price?

 

[NCCamper]

The asking price is $6500. Normally I wouldn't even consider that price for a 16 year old boat. However, given the near-pristine nature of the boat when I did my inspection, I consider that price a good starting point. The boat has been stored in a dry stack at a local marina when not in use for the past 12 years. Next comes the 'sea trial", and we'll see how it performs. I suspect it will perform solidly, and I would also expect that the owner will be able to produce receipts for service work performed. It looks like the drive unit has been replaced recently, as I can see hardly any wear on it, and there is a bar-code sticker on the fin.

Thanks for the input on this. Keep it coming!

NCC