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Might be looking at a boat this weekend


TheBoy82

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Found an '05 Wakesetter VLX single owner, 192hrs, Titan tower, tandem axle trailer. Looks very clean. I know the basics when it comes to looking at a used boat, but is there anything specific to that model year that I should watch out for? Thanks, PJ

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Hope your planning on driving the boat. Gets tough to do this time of year due to winterizing the boat. But it's an absolute necessity in my book....... put it thru all the motions, forward, reverse, high speed, fill & drain the ballast, go thru all the electronics, etc. Probably not necessary to have the engine checked out with that low of hours, but I'd look over the motor for anything that looks funny. Also go thru the trailer, check the brakes, tires, etc.

Sounds like a good boat. Good luck on the test run. :rockon:

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If you are looking for an LSV there appears to be a really nice one on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-Malibu-Wakesetter-23-LSV-like-new-condition-/250942332281?pt=Power_Motorboats&hash=item3a6d541d79#ht_1938wt_1165 Just thought I would mention it.

That looks like a great boat. 8 months too late for me...bummer.

I prefer the Titan tower personally, and have had no problems with mine on my 06.

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Hope your planning on driving the boat. Gets tough to do this time of year due to winterizing the boat. But it's an absolute necessity in my book....... put it thru all the motions, forward, reverse, high speed, fill & drain the ballast, go thru all the electronics, etc. Probably not necessary to have the engine checked out with that low of hours, but I'd look over the motor for anything that looks funny. Also go thru the trailer, check the brakes, tires, etc.

Sounds like a good boat. Good luck on the test run. :rockon:

Yeah I'm trying to figure out how I am going to handle the "testing" part. I'm not going to purchase a boat without hearing it run at least. I'm figuring if it gets to the point where I know that I want to buy that boat, I'm sure we'll be able to work something out.

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Yeah I'm trying to figure out how I am going to handle the "testing" part. I'm not going to purchase a boat without hearing it run at least. I'm figuring if it gets to the point where I know that I want to buy that boat, I'm sure we'll be able to work something out.

Could a fake a lake work. I realize its not the same as having it in the water but just an idea.

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Obviously it is a bit too cold to be taking a boat out in northern Ohio (especially with constant rain over the last several days).

Run it on a Fake-A-Lake, check everything you can, and get a bottom dollar price, as this is off-season and hard for someone to sell a boat right now, mainly because you can't water test it. The risk you take in no water test should be reflected in the price.

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Obviously it is a bit too cold to be taking a boat out in northern Ohio (especially with constant rain over the last several days).

Run it on a Fake-A-Lake, check everything you can, and get a bottom dollar price, as this is off-season and hard for someone to sell a boat right now, mainly because you can't water test it. The risk you take in no water test should be reflected in the price.

X2

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The lake isn't ice yet even in Ohio. Heck I was wakeboarding in Western PA two weeks ago. You could certainly do a lake test if your ready to throw down money. Just be sure to winterize that day or keep the boat above freezing until you can do it.

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Is the boat in Ohio ? Maybe you could wait till late spring to do the purchase if need be.Steve B.

It's in SW Michigan. I thought about waiting or at least working something out with the guy a long the lines of giving him X amount of $ to hold it and agreeing that the sale is contingent on a successful water test in the spring.

He asked about problems specific to that year. Isn't that the damper plate year?

I read that somewhere else but never found a full explanation.

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It's in SW Michigan. I thought about waiting or at least working something out with the guy a long the lines of giving him X amount of $ to hold it and agreeing that the sale is contingent on a successful water test in the spring.

I read that somewhere else but never found a full explanation.

I am a little unsure as to how frequent the problem does occur. By no means are you garuanteed a failure if you buy an 05 but it does happen. This is yet another reason why you should lake test it. Listen for any rattling noises.

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Whatever you do don't post the ad (or even too much info about the boat) here. Don't want the boat swooped out from underneath you. It has happened here before.

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Whatever you do don't post the ad (or even too much info about the boat) here. Don't want the boat swooped out from underneath you. It has happened here before.

HAHA...this was a on the side of the road find. No ads.

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Part of test driving the boat, that is NOT possible on a Fake-a-lake, is the actual "test drive" where you put the boat in gear & run up the speed/RPMs in forward & reverse. This test drive can show problems like the damper plate shudder/rattle, bent prop or prop shaft, leaky hull fittings, problems with the ballast, etc.

I have an 05 & have never had the damper issue. But I had it on an 89 years ago, which ended when the damper shattered. The thing made a lot of noise before it came to that though.

Maybe you can find a local shop that can give you a good price on helping you with the test drive. I'd rather pay $100 to have them look it over, then re-winterize it, rather than risk tranny or v-drive failure. And I'd be willing to bet the seller would take $100 off the price of the boat rather than drop the price $3000 to compensate for any risk.

BTW, I test drove mine in October in the rain on the Willamette. We waited around for the rain to stop & picked a few minutes when it wasn't so bad. Wasn't the best test drive in the world but gave me a chance to put the boat thru the motions. And besides, it's a boat, it's made to get wet.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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I'm in SW michigan.

The lakes here typically don't freeze until end of December, and this year has been warmer than normal.

You could surely lake drive it, and then winterize it right after the test.

Just an idea.

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Test drive is a must. I would do a sale contingent upon test drive. If you are serious about the boat, I would offer to pay to have it re-winterized one way or the other. Maybe you could talk to your local dealer and see what they would charge to do a compression test, look the boat over, and winterize. Being a slower time of year, I bet they would work with you. We are talking about a big purchase. Not sure what the going rate is on winterizing, but spending around $200 on a 40K+ purchase is a no brainer.

I bought my boat in January. The seller had no problem doing a test drive then re-winterizing. He had a somewhat seasonal job, and worked for our local dealership during their busy season/his slow season and new the ins and outs of winterizing...he even showed me how to do it properly. Plus having the owner show you have everything works is really nice. Not that anything on the boat is complicated, but you can also get somewhat of an idea how he cared for/treated the boat.

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Being a person that is currently doing through the boat buying process, definitely drive it on the lake. I found several issues that needed to be addressed that I would not have caught with a fake-a-lake. There is no substitute. If the seller says no, then tell him you need a 3 grand buffer in case you find issues in the spring. If you're handy, you might actually find some benefit to that.

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