Looking at buying a 1999 Sunsetter

[Arctic Slalom]

The VLX, that guy has the exact same board I have, lol. I'm a little hesitant about that many hours, though.. Anybody know how much an engine rebuild costs (to have someone else do it)? The way I grew up on all our boats, anything over 500 hours was a lot, though I don't know if them being i/o's makes a difference...

500 hours is nothing on these boats.

agreed. our '89 5.7 carby has 550 hours (i put 250 on the past two summers) and it runs like a top!

....my brother has a '08 silverado pickup (vortec 5.3) with 1,850 hours! never been in the shop, once! he's a vet in rural MN, and runs all over nasty, nasty rural gravel, snow, feedlots, fields, pastures, etc.

500 hours is barely broken in!

CR

[ryanmt]

Thanks a lot guys. I really appreciate the input. I've been looking at boats for the past 2 months now. Its tough; I keep seeing something I like, and then the owner thinks its worth way more than NADA does. I'm just so d*** timid to pay more than something's valued at. I called the guy, left a voice mail, and he called me back, but I was on the driving range hitting golf balls w/ a lot of wind and a lot of beer, and didn't wanna sound easily intimidated haha. Oye, my gf is getting mad at me for taking so long to make a decision, swallow my pride (and wallet) and go w/ something. I hope the final product will be worth it.

[Arctic Slalom]

be patient.

in the fall is when you will find some really sweet deals.

you'll likely keep your new boat for several years, so waiting a few more weeks/months to find the right one is the correct choice.

there are plenty of great ones out there, just keep looking.

[JohnDoe]

The VLX, that guy has the exact same board I have, lol. I'm a little hesitant about that many hours, though.. Anybody know how much an engine rebuild costs (to have someone else do it)? The way I grew up on all our boats, anything over 500 hours was a lot, though I don't know if them being i/o's makes a difference...

500 hours is nothing on these boats.

agreed. our '89 5.7 carby has 550 hours (i put 250 on the past two summers) and it runs like a top!

....my brother has a '08 silverado pickup (vortec 5.3) with 1,850 hours! never been in the shop, once! he's a vet in rural MN, and runs all over nasty, nasty rural gravel, snow, feedlots, fields, pastures, etc.

500 hours is barely broken in!

CR

Agreed. Heck I have a John Deere with more than 6,300 hours! Yes I know a diesel tractor is different, but those motors are tough.

[Darwin]

I've got a 96 Sunsetter LX and I love it! I bought it with 400 hours and I've put about 150 hours on it. Runs great and haven't had any engine problems. I don't have the wedge though. I agree with the comment about getting a v-drive if you care about ballast. Having sacks all over the floor kind of sucks. But I still have a ton of fun with the boat so I don't really mind. I wanted a v-drive but at the time I purchased my Bu, I couldn't find any in my price range. The market is definitely better now. If you're not in a hurry, you might be better off waiting until Fall to purchase. Many people pay for storage and someone trying to sell their boat won't want to pay for storage over the winter-- therefore they may be more willing to come down on price.

[ryanmt]

Yeah, its just hard for me to be patient on this, even though I know it'd be a wiser decision. Darwin, being in norman, you board at thunderbird or what? I live in OKC, moore pretty much.

[the_dude]

IMO a 98+ VLX for under $17K in great shape is a very good deal. I bought a 97 VLX last year near the end of summer so it was before things really tanked economy wise. Mine was not in good shape but had a new motor in it and 660 hours. I paid less than $15k for it.

Sadly due to a broken throttle cable pivot and panicked driver the motor was ruined. I installed a brand new longblock myself for about $3k. $2,500 for the engine and another $500 for all the little things replaced and or fixed while the motor was out.

My biggest regret is not picking up a 98+ with the wraparound seating. I wish I could add it cheaply.

[ryanmt]

The guy w/ the 99 Sunsetter LX is a little too firm on his price. He's asking way too much for that boat, so I'm blowing that one off. That 97 VLX in north carolina that you guys were nice enough to point out has caught my attention even further. especially, since you guys don't think that 660 hours for a 12 year old boat is very much. I hope to hear back from him soon.

[JeffS]

One good opening question for sellers is "is there a lien on the title?"

If the boat has a lien - especially something 10+ years old, then it's probably better than 75% likely that the owner is upside down on the loan. People who borrow to buy a boat often don't put much down, spread the payments out on an 8 or 10 year note - and don't come close to covering the annual depreciation. Saves some time knowing that info. If the seller has a lien and not much owed, they may even volunteer that information. Someone who bought a boat 2 or 3 years ago for $20k - probably would still owe $17. If the boat is realistically worth $15 - the seller is screwed unless they can find someone to overpay. That may be one reason the seller of the boat you looked at is pretty inflexible.

[ryanmt]

Update: VLX in NC was sold for dirt, 11k

Sunsetter LX in Tulsa, he lowered his price a little bit but I'm not sure its enough. Still over a grand over NADA average...