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Info on 97 Sunsetter LX


SBR

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I am looking at buying a 97 Malibu Sunsetter LX. Is there anything in particuler that I want to look at closely on the boat? Any common problem areas in the boat? It has a Monsoon 320......any problems with these motors? How many gallons(gas) does it hold? Pros....Cons?I am just lookin to get any general info on these boats. Thanks

Edited by SBR
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I can't speak directly to the boat you're looking at but Malibu's made during this era were very high quality. I have a 320 Monsoon in my '99 Sunsetter and its been trouble-free. I believe there's a check list somewhere in this site to use when buying a used boat - dig around a bit. Good luck.

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I just recently sold my 97 Sunsetter LX that I had for 11 years (bought it in 99). The boat was a workhorse. When I sold it it had 1080 hours on it (same engine as the one you are looking at) and still ran like a champ. In all that time the only thing I ever had to replace was a MAP sensor a couple years ago (it wanted to stall when idling). We used it strictly for wakeboarding and regularly had about 2000 lbs in it (and the wedge) and the engine handled it without a problem. The only reason I sold it is my neighbor gave me a deal on his 2005 VLX that I couldn't pass up.

I can't really come up with any negatives. It handled everything my family and I needed without a problem and was super dependable. If the previous owner was dedicated with the routine maintenance then you shouldn't have any problems with it.

Oh yeah, the gas tank in mine held 38 gallons...

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We had our '98 Sunsetter for 11 seasons with 1000 low hours when it sold last year. Fantastic boat that does it all very well. Two biggest things you need to look for are, 1. make sure the original equipment stainless steel prop has been replaced as they are known to throw blades for no reason and 2. HDS leaking is a common issue with these years. You can search both problems here.

97's are not going to have the servo driven speed gauges or rack and pinion steering. Wedges came out in '98 and '97's could be retro fitted.

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Thanks for the replies. I have done a bunch of searching looking for info on the 97 Sunsetter on here and diff. web sites and haven't really found that much info on them. Are there different models of the Sunsetter....I think I have seen the LX and LXI. What are the differences? What is the HDS.I know these might sound like stupid questions.....Thanks again for the info

Edited by SBR
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Not sure if you've checked this out - http://www.themalibu...ions/specs_main - there is some good info available for comparison of different Sunsetter models. If you click on 1999 you will see the Sunsetter LXi vs. the Sunsetter LX.

The HDS is Malibu's lame hydrophonic dampening system that supposedly reduces vibration by having the shaft run through a water-filled box. They are prone to leaking - lots of info on the site if you search "HDS".

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I have a 99 Sunsetter lxi and love it. In my 4 years of ownership I have replaced the steering cable and starter. I believe your tank will be 35 gallons. How many hours are on it and what’s the price?

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