2005 V Ride question?

[WakeVA]

I am seriously considering making an offer on this boat: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/05-Malibu-I...=item3ef91e4937

I think it a repo and the seller knows little, my question is what were the upgrade packages available on this boat new? I can't tell if this is a bare bones version or not. Any help or direction appreciated. Hoping to officially join the Bu family soon. Also, I'm undecided on the color but hoping I can get a deal.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Nice boat. But there are some odd things about it.

- In the Vehicle Info section it lists "upgraded Indmar Assault 350 5.7L V8". I believe the base engine in the 05 Vride was the 320 hp LCR & the only upgrade available in the Vride was to the 340 hp Monsoon.

- FL tags & it's in TX?

- I would ask for the inspection report from Manheim Boat Inspections.

- Titan III tower..... strong & nice lines. But I don't recall if that was the base or the option back then. My 05 has the Titan II. And I thought the only option was the Illusion.

- Dash is pretty cooked.

- Has mid & rear ballast

I'd say anything under about $35k & it's a good deal. No more than about $38k.

Edited October 9, 2009 by Bill_AirJunky

[shawndoggy]

no perfect pass?

A flush pro and FL tags probably means salt water?

[Ndawg12]

Nice boat. But there are some odd things about it.

- In the Vehicle Info section it lists "upgraded Indmar Assault 350 5.7L V8". I believe the base engine in the 05 Vride was the 320 hp LCR & the only upgrade available in the Vride was to the 340 hp Monsoon.

- FL tags & it's in TX?

- I would ask for the inspection report from Manheim Boat Inspections.

- Titan III tower..... strong & nice lines. But I don't recall if that was the base or the option back then. My 05 has the Titan II. And I thought the only option was the Illusion.

- Dash is pretty cooked.

- Has mid & rear ballast

I'd say anything under about $35k & it's a good deal. No more than about $38k.

I would definitely have it looked at by professional of your choosing. It was used in salt water (unavoidable in FL), you can tell by the intake flush port that was installed on the transom. Not a deal breaker but HAVE A PRO LOOK AT IT!!! I was in your shoes exactly about a year ago, I bought an '06 Vride from FL, it was repo'ed and the guy knew basically nothing about the boat. I'd still buy the boat again but............

[SoDakSooner]

It has been for sale forever, at least it seems so. I thought about it as well but have my eye on a 2003 vlx. Color had kind of grown on me the more i have looked at it. It is different. Wouldn't exactly match my burgandy tahoe.

[rater1979]

IMO owners that let the interior get cooked like that havent done proper maintenance. That thing may have never even had the oil changed until the other day, but thats a risk you take with a used boat. I drive by their dealership when Im working in Texas, but unfortunately Im up in ND for the time being or I would take a closer look for you. I would look towards an individual rather than a dealer. Seen a few immaculate '04's lately about $4-5K more that I would feel much more comfortable with.

[Ndawg12]

IMO owners that let the interior get cooked like that havent done proper maintenance. That thing may have never even had the oil changed until the other day, but thats a risk you take with a used boat. I drive by their dealership when Im working in Texas, but unfortunately Im up in ND for the time being or I would take a closer look for you. I would look towards an individual rather than a dealer. Seen a few immaculate '04's lately about $4-5K more that I would feel much more comfortable with.

That's what I always worried about with mine. If they didn't have time to take care of their finances then they probably weren't maintaining the boat either. BTW $28K is not really a screaming deal on that boat either. The OP can PM me if he wants more particulars on my deal.

[johnsvt]

That has the LCR

Upper 20's would be all I would offer for that boat. If that boat was in the 30's then I gave my 06 away.

I would look for something a little closer imo.

Being able to touch, feel, and demo is worth a lot of money.

[MaddMaxx]

Either the owner moved from FL to TX and never changed the registration lettering or the dealer bought it at an auction and trailered it to TX. I rather doubt they are selling it on behalf of a bank. I have seen situations where a seller would move their boat to a location outside of the home port area because it had a "history" that locals know about, which would make it difficult to sell for a price that they want. For me, personally, there's too many red flags waving in the wind on this one.

[Ndawg12]

That has the LCR

Upper 20's would be all I would offer for that boat. If that boat was in the 30's then I gave my 06 away.

I would look for something a little closer imo.

Being able to touch, feel, and demo is worth a lot of money.

What!! John are you boatless??

[johnsvt]

That has the LCR

Upper 20's would be all I would offer for that boat. If that boat was in the 30's then I gave my 06 away.

I would look for something a little closer imo.

Being able to touch, feel, and demo is worth a lot of money.

What!! John are you boatless??

yep...guy liked boat and made a good offer

[Ndawg12]

That has the LCR

Upper 20's would be all I would offer for that boat. If that boat was in the 30's then I gave my 06 away.

I would look for something a little closer imo.

Being able to touch, feel, and demo is worth a lot of money.

What!! John are you boatless??

yep...guy liked boat and made a good offer

This is bad news!! You're the only I can think of off the top of my head that had basically the same boat as me I hope it was a good deal, so what are your future boat plans?

[johnsvt]

That has the LCR

Upper 20's would be all I would offer for that boat. If that boat was in the 30's then I gave my 06 away.

I would look for something a little closer imo.

Being able to touch, feel, and demo is worth a lot of money.

What!! John are you boatless??

yep...guy liked boat and made a good offer

This is bad news!! You're the only I can think of off the top of my head that had basically the same boat as me I hope it was a good deal, so what are your future boat plans?

malibu - 06 VLX...before mux switches and rider presets, blah, blah, blah

[Ndawg12]

That has the LCR

Upper 20's would be all I would offer for that boat. If that boat was in the 30's then I gave my 06 away.

I would look for something a little closer imo.

Being able to touch, feel, and demo is worth a lot of money.

What!! John are you boatless??

yep...guy liked boat and made a good offer

This is bad news!! You're the only I can think of off the top of my head that had basically the same boat as me I hope it was a good deal, so what are your future boat plans?

malibu - 06 VLX...before mux switches and rider presets, blah, blah, blah

I should have known, you want the comfy seats

[Bill_AirJunky]

So went back & looked at that ad. No PP is a bummer, I guess. But I hear it's not so hard to install either. And you can replace the steering wheel with a nice Isotta for like $150.

The way the Ebay auction is setup, their top asking price is $29k. Thats over $10k under what I paid 2 yrs ago. And it was supposedly a descent deal at the time. I'd say get your own mechanic in there to inspect it. And make them a low ball offer..... maybe $25k?

Assuming there is little or no salt damage, that would be a steal.

[boardnxtx]

The sellers are legit. They buy repo's and sell them locally. I've seen tons of boats go through them, and even talked with them about an X2 a while back. They are good people. Check out their website for info (www.texascars.net).

Now, as far as that boat goes, who knows. Florida boats are hit or miss. I wouldn't discount all repo's though. I personally bought an 07 VLX that was repo'd. Yes, mine was bare bones when I got it cause the previous owner knew the repo was coming. But, it has been mechanically sound since day 1. Not sure where they keep their inventory, meaning inside or out. But it has been like a monsoon here in the DFW area for the past month with more rain than clear days. Hopefully they keep their stuff covered and out of this mess (looking out the window and it still looks like its night time at 10:45am). If you are serious about this boat, I would have them take the boat to Waterski America (local Malibu dealer) and have them inspect the boat. They are a good 3rd party inspector that should shoot you straight. If these guys want to sell the boat bad enough, towing it a few miles for an inspection should not be a problem...

[Ndawg12]

So went back & looked at that ad. No PP is a bummer, I guess. But I hear it's not so hard to install either. And you can replace the steering wheel with a nice Isotta for like $150.

The way the Ebay auction is setup, their top asking price is $29k. Thats over $10k under what I paid 2 yrs ago. And it was supposedly a descent deal at the time. I'd say get your own mechanic in there to inspect it. And make them a low ball offer..... maybe $25k?

Assuming there is little or no salt damage, that would be a steal.

Just keep in mind your resale, if you admit that the boat was a repo (if it actually is) and was used in salt water before you owned it, you will be in the same position as this guy is. No matter how well it's flushed or how well you clean and maintain, saltwater exposure is a depreciator. I got a decent deal on mine, if I use my boat as a benchmark and compare the equipment side by side I would suggest these prices:

less than or equal to 23k = screamin deal

23-24k = good deal

25k = max

[Bill_AirJunky]

Seriously Nemire? Every Vride price I have found is $36k - $44k. The only exception to that is another FL boat on Ebay where the starting price is $25k, and the reserve hasn't been met.

I realize salt water use will drop the value. But isn't most of FL brackish at worst? When I lived in Seattle there were always quite a few boats that got used in the Sound.... which is not brackish, but full on, Pacific Ocean salt. And if the boat was taken care of (flushed & covered), then the value was typically just below that of a non-saltwater used boat. But not + $10k or 25% of it's value.

No doubt, get an inspection & see just how bad any salt damage is...... IF there is any.

[johnsvt]

25K sight unseen

29K if a demo went well

I would get an 04VLX before an 05 vride...just a thought

[Ndawg12]

25K sight unseen

29K if a demo went well

I would get an 04VLX before an 05 vride...just a thought

Wow, you're making me feel like a crook for the deal I got!! Dont forget the MSRP was only around $40k 5 years ago.

[shawndoggy]

Seriously Nemire? Every Vride price I have found is $36k - $44k. The only exception to that is another FL boat on Ebay where the starting price is $25k, and the reserve hasn't been met.

I realize salt water use will drop the value. But isn't most of FL brackish at worst? When I lived in Seattle there were always quite a few boats that got used in the Sound.... which is not brackish, but full on, Pacific Ocean salt. And if the boat was taken care of (flushed & covered), then the value was typically just below that of a non-saltwater used boat. But not + $10k or 25% of it's value.

No doubt, get an inspection & see just how bad any salt damage is...... IF there is any.

There were a few in Norcal for 32-34K recently. Seem to be off of CL now. But one of them had been listed at $32.5 all summer (05, so no perfect pass). I think the market was saying it was overpriced. Around $30K seems reasonable for a low hours (say 200 or less) freshwater boat with cruise control and a known history.

I'd start subtracting for boats that don't have those "features". Note no tower speakers on the OP boat either.

[Bill_AirJunky]

25K sight unseen

29K if a demo went well

I would get an 04VLX before an 05 vride...just a thought

Agreed. Anything under about $33k is more than fair.

04 VLX is the same boat, first year for the Gorilla fins. Also could have bow ballast. Prices also seem to be a bit less. Under $30k is not uncommon.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Seriously Nemire? Every Vride price I have found is $36k - $44k. The only exception to that is another FL boat on Ebay where the starting price is $25k, and the reserve hasn't been met.

I realize salt water use will drop the value. But isn't most of FL brackish at worst? When I lived in Seattle there were always quite a few boats that got used in the Sound.... which is not brackish, but full on, Pacific Ocean salt. And if the boat was taken care of (flushed & covered), then the value was typically just below that of a non-saltwater used boat. But not + $10k or 25% of it's value.

No doubt, get an inspection & see just how bad any salt damage is...... IF there is any.

There were a few in Norcal for 32-34K recently. Seem to be off of CL now. But one of them had been listed at $32.5 all summer (05, so no perfect pass). I think the market was saying it was overpriced. Around $30K seems reasonable for a low hours (say 200 or less) freshwater boat with cruise control and a known history.

I'd start subtracting for boats that don't have those "features". Note no tower speakers on the OP boat either.

Heres a list of Vrides for sale today. Note 2 Norcal boats for around $36k. Maybe they are overpriced..... no clue what has sold & what has been for sale for a long time.

There was also a guy in the midwest who had a Vride for sale forever..... at least 2 winters. Blue/white, Titan III, somewhere in MI I think. I thought about going to get it but it was a bit more of a drive than I was ready to do. I believe it finally went for around $35k.

Also note that California is one of those markets where things are really cheap now. Car & boat dealers from my area are making trips to LA, Phoenix & Vegas every week, buying cars, trucks & boats at low prices & bringing them north to sell for profit.

Edited October 9, 2009 by Bill_AirJunky

[Ndawg12]

Seriously Nemire? Every Vride price I have found is $36k - $44k. The only exception to that is another FL boat on Ebay where the starting price is $25k, and the reserve hasn't been met.

I realize salt water use will drop the value. But isn't most of FL brackish at worst? When I lived in Seattle there were always quite a few boats that got used in the Sound.... which is not brackish, but full on, Pacific Ocean salt. And if the boat was taken care of (flushed & covered), then the value was typically just below that of a non-saltwater used boat. But not + $10k or 25% of it's value.

No doubt, get an inspection & see just how bad any salt damage is...... IF there is any.

Damn Bill calm down!! That's just my opinion based on what I got my boat for, I guess I got a better deal than I thought. Don't forget about the possible repo issue that OP mentioned, that's not just based on salt exposure. I guess if it checks out mechanically then I would say it's worth $32-35K.

[johnsvt]

Seriously Nemire? Every Vride price I have found is $36k - $44k. The only exception to that is another FL boat on Ebay where the starting price is $25k, and the reserve hasn't been met.

I realize salt water use will drop the value. But isn't most of FL brackish at worst? When I lived in Seattle there were always quite a few boats that got used in the Sound.... which is not brackish, but full on, Pacific Ocean salt. And if the boat was taken care of (flushed & covered), then the value was typically just below that of a non-saltwater used boat. But not + $10k or 25% of it's value.

No doubt, get an inspection & see just how bad any salt damage is...... IF there is any.

Damn Bill calm down!! That's just my opinion based on what I got my boat for, I guess I got a better deal than I thought. Don't forget about the possible repo issue that OP mentioned, that's not just based on salt exposure. I guess if it checks out mechanically then I would say it's worth $32-35K.

My 06 was sold at the upper end of that range..with 2 pair of HLCD tower speakers, 2 pair lift racks, fully automatic ballast system, and heat.

04 VLX is the same boat, first year for the Gorilla fins. Also could have bow ballast. Prices also seem to be a bit less. Under $30k is not uncommon.

The 04 VLX will be more plush...