Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Buying 1st Pure Ski Boat


NovaSkier

Recommended Posts

Hey Folks, I'm buying my first pure ski boat almost solely for slalom and some cruising around between skiing when I happen to be on a large lake. I've had a couple of runabouts (Glastron 19' & 21') in the 70s, nothing since. Apart from pure owner loyalty --- why should I look at Malibu instead of Mastercraft. There are a lot of great running really crisp '88-'94 MC for $5-10k that can get me going for a first pure ski boat. WHY Malibu insteaad of a ProStar 190?

I appreciate the feedback.

Edited by NovaSkier
Link to comment

Hey Folks, I'm buying my first pure ski boat almost solely for slalom and some cruising around between skiing when I happen to be on a large lake. I've had a couple of runabouts (Glastron 19' & 21') in the 70s, nothing since. Apart from pure owner loyalty --- why should I look at Malibu instead of Mastercraft. There are a lot of great running really crisp '88-'94 MC for $5-10k that can get me going for a first pure ski boat. WHY Malibu insteaad of a ProStar 190?

I appreciate the feedback.

what malibu models are you looking at so we can compare. mastercraft changed hulls in I recall early 90s. new hull will have great slalom wake but will pound you on abig lake (not that any ski boat won't).

Link to comment

I don't think there is one glaring issue with either boat that would steer me away. I have a Malibu and my brother has a 91 Prostar.

MC uses Ford motor blocks, Malibu uses Chevy in that era.

1993 and up Echelon is all fiberglass, MC has been all glass for all the years listed.

Well maintained resale should be similar. Either one will bottom out aroud the $10k mark in good shape. I bought a fixer-upper for less than that, but prepare for at least some work for perfection.

If looking at Prostars, 91-93 are the most desirable. 90 and older had the "fighter jet" style top and the old hull back to at least 85 (the top changed but it sat on the same hull). 94 had fuel injection, but it was a throttle body injection that many weren't happy with. 95 would be a newer body again and out of that price range.

Echelons were Mercruiser Chevy 350 carb. which is a very common engine and parts are readily available.

Many say the 91-94 Prostar is the best slalom machine of all time, but I recently had a 39-off guy behind my Echelon LX (open bow) and his comment was that other than speed control, there hasn't really been a significant improvement in wakes since then. In other words, he was very happy with the Echelon wake.

Both will SUCK in chop. Super rough ride and wet from the spray. These are not rough water boats by any means. My brother says mine is better than his in waves, but he's only been in it a couple of times.

My advice is find the best deal on a boat that is in good/great shape and go for it. This may not be a popular opinion on this site or the other one, but it's mine.

Edited by jk13
Link to comment

Last year I was in the same boat. Looking for a great used ski boat for a good price. I looked at different models and price ranges. From old old boats to newer ones. My step brother works for a boat dealership and he was very helpful in my search. I decided against the really old boats due to the wood in the hull and reliability. I searched for the internet and onlyinboards.com to get an idea of price etc. I had looked at four boats test drove one for a weekend when I found a 98 Response closed bow with 230 hours. The dealer that sold the boat took it in on trade and it was local.

It was so nice I quit looking after my brother in law said Malibu was well build and trouble free. It is like a sports car on the water.

If I were looking now with what I know now and the experience with my Malibu. I would look at the 3-4 main brands and buy the best boat you can get for the money. Don't buy a fixer up and if at all possible buy the Malibu they are well made.

Link to comment

Bought my Malibu because it was a good friend's boat, and he was upgrading to a newer one and I knew this boat very well.

Will you be doing the maintenance or will a dealer? If you will be taking it to the dealer then that should guide your decision, you want a good shop to work with that knows your boat (Nautique, Mastercraft, Glastron, Four Winns, whatever).

Link to comment

Yes, I love my Malibu but as a former Mastercraft salesman I can tell you the prostar 190 is a great boat. Go for the best deal on the cleanest boat.

Edited by windy1
Link to comment
....

If looking at Prostars, 91-93 are the most desirable. 90 and older had the "fighter jet" style top and the old hull back to at least 85 (the top changed but it sat on the same hull). 94 had fuel injection, but it was a throttle body injection that many weren't happy with. 95 would be a newer body again and out of that price range.

Echelons were Mercruiser Chevy 350 carb. which is a very common engine and parts are readily available.

Many say the 91-94 Prostar is the best slalom machine of all time, but I recently had a 39-off guy behind my Echelon LX (open bow) and his comment was that other than speed control, there hasn't really been a significant improvement in wakes since then. In other words, he was very happy with the Echelon wake.

....

Many do say that & if they're being fair they'll throw the '98 Ski Nautique on the TSC hull in with it. One other boat you may want to look at is the MB Sports Boss 190. It's built on that same '94 Mastercraft hull. Mike Brendel bought the molds from MC when they changed the hull in '95, so that would be another one to look at.

Link to comment

I don't think there is one glaring issue with either boat that would steer me away. I have a Malibu and my brother has a 91 Prostar.

MC uses Ford motor blocks, Malibu uses Chevy in that era.

1993 and up Echelon is all fiberglass, MC has been all glass for all the years listed.

Well maintained resale should be similar. Either one will bottom out aroud the $10k mark in good shape. I bought a fixer-upper for less than that, but prepare for at least some work for perfection.

If looking at Prostars, 91-93 are the most desirable. 90 and older had the "fighter jet" style top and the old hull back to at least 85 (the top changed but it sat on the same hull). 94 had fuel injection, but it was a throttle body injection that many weren't happy with. 95 would be a newer body again and out of that price range.

Echelons were Mercruiser Chevy 350 carb. which is a very common engine and parts are readily available.

Many say the 91-94 Prostar is the best slalom machine of all time, but I recently had a 39-off guy behind my Echelon LX (open bow) and his comment was that other than speed control, there hasn't really been a significant improvement in wakes since then. In other words, he was very happy with the Echelon wake.

Both will SUCK in chop. Super rough ride and wet from the spray. These are not rough water boats by any means. My brother says mine is better than his in waves, but he's only been in it a couple of times.

My advice is find the best deal on a boat that is in good/great shape and go for it. This may not be a popular opinion on this site or the other one, but it's mine.

This is a great post and worth a second read. When I bought my Bu, I drove three boats that day the one I bought was not on the list to be driven and I didnt know about it until I got to the dealers. They had just taken it on trade. I came home with a Bu when I was looking at different brands. The brands you are looking at will all be good, if well maintained and cared for.

REW

Link to comment

I owned a 94 Prostar 205 for a number of years, with very few issues & no complaints. I'd say test drive/ski some various boats mentioned. You'll find some things you like/dislike about them. Might be simple things like the dash layout, or storage. And the boat you buy may be because it's a good deal on a well cared for boat. I'm not really on board with the whole brand loyalty thing.

Have some fun with it too. Ask the seller ahead of time if you can ski behind the boat. Bring a friend or your wife along (so you have a 3rd). Offer to pay the seller for gas. But be good about it. Have your gear with you & ready to ride..... and don't bring a cooler of beer along. :Doh:

Link to comment

For pure skiing, 90 - 94 MC 190, 93 + Echelon or Response, Nautique with TSC, you can't go wrong with any.

MB ProBoss 190 - very good except when they put the trunk in they got a little kick at 22.

Pre 2000 era Pure slalom boat = Crappy rough water ride. Take it or leave it, that's part of the deal. On a newer boat you get a little better ride due to the bigger sizes, but not much.

a crossover will give you a better ride but you will give up wake and handling.

Link to comment

For pure skiing, 90 - 94 MC 190, 93 + Echelon or Response, Nautique with TSC, you can't go wrong with any.

MB ProBoss 190 - very good except when they put the trunk in they got a little kick at 22.

Pre 2000 era Pure slalom boat = Crappy rough water ride. Take it or leave it, that's part of the deal. On a newer boat you get a little better ride due to the bigger sizes, but not much.

a crossover will give you a better ride but you will give up wake and handling.

Thanks, gotta have the MINIMAL wake -- not too worried about a GenPurp boat - - this is 90%+ for slalom. Wakeboarding kids can live with a slow-boat wake of whatever this boat leaves behind.

Edited by NovaSkier
Link to comment

Many do say that & if they're being fair they'll throw the '98 Ski Nautique on the TSC hull in with it. One other boat you may want to look at is the MB Sports Boss 190. It's built on that same '94 Mastercraft hull. Mike Brendel bought the molds from MC when they changed the hull in '95, so that would be another one to look at.

Didn't mean any disrespect to CC. I've heard that about them as well, but figured a '98 SN would be way over the 10k price listed. Great boats nonetheless. The die hard debate will rage on, I'm sure.

This is a great post and worth a second read. When I bought my Bu, I drove three boats that day the one I bought was not on the list to be driven and I didnt know about it until I got to the dealers. They had just taken it on trade. I came home with a Bu when I was looking at different brands. The brands you are looking at will all be good, if well maintained and cared for.

REW

Thank you, sir. :salute:

Link to comment

I had a '93 ProStar for nine years and now have had a 2001 Response LX for eight years. They are both great boats. Here are the advantages of the Response LX.

1 EFI

2 Rear trunk/sundeck

3 Less spray at shortline

4 Roomier

5 Easy throw storage in the open bow

6 Noticably better ride in rough water

The advantage of the ProStar is it is easier on the driver in slalom.

Link to comment

Didn't mean any disrespect to CC. I've heard that about them as well, but figured a '98 SN would be way over the 10k price listed. Great boats nonetheless. The die hard debate will rage on, I'm sure.

Oh I didn't think that you had, just had to add that one to the list for the OP just in case he wasn't aware of it. You never know what people will be willing to step up to. :)

One clarification on the Prostars. The early 90's Prostars that are generally regarded as one of the better ski boats out there are the 190s. If it's 90% skiing, you shouldn't even consider a 205. I'm pretty sure that the OP is aware of that, just want to be sure. :)

As far as Malibu's offerings, I would think that you could get into a '98 Response (diamond hull Response) for close to this kind of money. At a certain point most of these ski boats bottom out in resale, particularly the good ones that are in good shape that happen to be built from all composite materials.

Link to comment

A few more items on choosing a slalom boat. You can see what I own, although it is far from original an am very happy with it.

Skiing: I have been able to compare a Prostar 190 directly to a Response & Echelon and a Nautique 196 all in open water and in the course. IMO, the Echelon / Response wake is slightly better at shorter line lengths (32 on down) and the longer line length wake the Malibu has a taller but slightly softer bump. The Prostar has a serious spray at 35' off and shorter (I always wore goggles behind it because it feels like bb's hittig yur face) where the Malibu and Nautique are clean but the short line wakes of the 190 are still very good to excellent. If you are serious about slalom as primary concern I would strongly suggest staying away from the 205 MC, 210 CC, and Sunsetter. If you think you might barefoot, the Malibu is clearly the better boat of the three for that, the SV23 hull is a top notch footing boat. The SV23 hull is what put Malibu on the map as a top ski boat and basically changed the top 2 to the big three.

Powertrain / Handling: Certainly biased, I much prefer GM power, one big reason is parts availability. GM currently has the market cornered in tournament ski boats, basically the only offering is now from GM. The MC 190 PS handles the best of the three options, it spins on dime and corners flat as a pancake, a very fun boat to drive. Tracking in the course is good for all three, but rudder torque has a lot to do with that and you will adjust it to suit your taste (with a grinder to the rudder). The Nautiques are the most solid of the three, also the heaviest.

I would highly suggest taking your ski when you go look at any of the boats you are thinking about buying, make sure you ski behind them all and use that as a major decision making criteria.

Link to comment

Where are you located? A friend is selling a 92 Prostar 190. He was originally asking $12K (which was too high), he recently dropped it to $10K but he told me today that if someone showed up with $8K he'd take it. The boat's in Nor Cal. I'll try to get some pic's and more info.

Edited by NorCaliBu
Link to comment

Hey Folks, I'm buying my first pure ski boat almost solely for slalom and some cruising around between skiing when I happen to be on a large lake. I've had a couple of runabouts (Glastron 19' & 21') in the 70s, nothing since. Apart from pure owner loyalty --- why should I look at Malibu instead of Mastercraft. There are a lot of great running really crisp '88-'94 MC for $5-10k that can get me going for a first pure ski boat. WHY Malibu insteaad of a ProStar 190?

I appreciate the feedback.

Before '93 I'm not sure I can say Malibu was the boat that would be at the top of the list. When the Echelon came out that all changed. I regularly ski behind two '94 Prostars and a MB 190 (newer but same hull). The boat handling and driving experience in the MC's vs. the Echelon/Response imho isn't as enjoyable nor as easy. The PS 190's have a nasty rooster tail and a harsher wake. These boat do hold up over the years just as well as the Echelon, the old computron in the Echelons was a great system but support and parts when the way of the dodo bird leaving many to come up w/ other options.

The MB will get you into a newer model year compared to Malibu and MC, but the fit and finish to me just aren't on par. The wake characteristics are very similar to the MC but I'd bet the boat weights more as the top deck is much larger (higher) than the MC's. The tracking fins are the particular boat I ski behind are not aligned correctly and therefore the boat don't track as good as it could. Personally the '98 Response is the best driving/handling and most importantly slalom boat period....imho even the RLXI fails to compete w/ this model.

At the end of the day ski behind each model/brand and get the driver experience to assist you w/ your purchase.

Link to comment

Guy's what is the skinny on a 95 prostar 190, bad hull, good hull?

Found one nearby w/ the LT1 for $9k, seems like a pretty good deal, any thoughts (besides buy a Malibu)

-Chris

Link to comment

I am a competitive slalom skier and have been skiing behind Malibu, MasterCraft, and Nautiques (both new and old) for many years. Just this spring I finally got to a point that I could buy MY first boat. I went through this same situation. Here is what I came up with:

- You can't go wrong with any of the big three when it comes to quality (Malibu, Mastercraft, Nautique)

- I really wanted a fuel injected engine. Malibu had an option around 93 or 94 (I think), Mastercraft started in 94, Nautique had an option in 96 or 97.

- 91 to 94 Prostar 190s have a great hull design and I ski behind a 94 weekly. I would stay away from the 95 and up hulls, especially with the LT1 enging. The LT1 Corvette engines had tons of power, but had a closed cooling system and had some mechanical issues.

- My 94 echelon has a bump at 22 off, but then goes away. Even the bump isnt bad. I think it tracks in the course better than any boat I have driven.

- Nautiques are great, but can be priced higher for something in the mid 90s.

*** The biggest thing is look for a boat in good condition, ask for maintenance records, look for low to medium hours, and ski/drive them. Also, shop around. You will find that people have no idea what boats are worth. You will find the same model and hours priced thousands apart. Look for a good deal.

For what it is worth, I love my 94 echelon. I got a good deal and have been really happy.

Link to comment

I've experienced some serious spray from the early model prostar but otherwise like skiing behind it (mostly if there was any upwind action)

My '90 Supra comp with the ford and gear reduction was a quality boat, worth considering, you'll find one for 8'ish. Bump at 22 off but handled like a race car. (no knock on the Bu's at all but the supra could be a deal worth considering).

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...