picking up 02 wakesetter vlx this weekend

[southernfried]

Hello guys, new to the forum and wanted a few opinions. I'm looking at an 02 wakesetter VLX 21' with 260 hours.  Indmar Monsoon 325HP.

 Really great condition inside and out. Brand new Vinyl job done a few weeks ago. The gel coat is in great condition. The test drive is this weekend, pending everything goes well I'm buying it. It has 2 wet sound speakers up top, few amps also. I talked him into throwing in another battery. New staintless steel cup holders in the boat. I've got him down to 27k. I know there are a few cheaper setups out there but without getting on the road and driving 350mi+ we think this is the one(3 hours from us). Really hoping to get a few coppers worth of opinions and advice/check list when doing the test ride/drive this weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bill_AirJunky]

Looks like a nice boat.

Depends on your own mechanical ability, but I'd either go over it very closely yourself or hire a mechanic to do it for you. ie; Compression test, leak down test, test drive & go thru every system, stereo, ballast, PerfectPass, bilge pump, blower, interior lights, drive it at high speed, and in reverse, listening for anything odd. Look over the amp rack/battery compartment making sure everything powers up correctly & no burnt smells. Check for cracks in the tower welds or the fiberglass where it's bolted down. Check the circuit breaker panel for any that have popped (below the throttle). Open the seats & look for any issues inside.

Spare tire is missing. Air cleaner is missing a nut too.

Good luck!

[Sailvi767]

I traded in basically the same boat last fall. Find out if the water pump, starter and alternator have been changed in the last few years. If not they are more then likely going to fail sooner rather then later. They are easy do it yourself projects and the cost for parts is very reasonable from DIM. Make sure on the test the engine temp is 170 or below. Should be a 160 degree thermostat. If it's higher the water pump is going. Also make sure the starter turns the motor over briskly. If not or it starts to crank slow and picks up its also failing. New starter is about 90 bucks.

Overall it is a great all around boat with a great hull. The price is online with the market.e

Edited April 18, 2016 by Sailvi767

[southernfried]

I'm hoping to find a mechanic in the area and pay him a nice little piece to go with me or look at it prior. Thanks for the replies guys, anymore are more than welcome. I've made notes on what to look for in case it's just me and the seller. 

[TURNITRED]

Looks exactly like my first BU', seriously, EXACTLY.  Good luck. 

[Pnwrider]

Looks like a fair price for both parties assuming everything is in good working order and the vinyl work was well done. 

[robbennett]

Looks great! Yeah they can be had for cheaper but that boat is way nicer than a cheaper one. That interior makes it look like a brand new boat. Gel looks like it's been recently detailed too. 

Good luck I hope it works out for you! 

[Ndawg12]

In exchange for all the good advice you're getting please get some details and contact info for who ever did the vinyl work, it looks fantastic!!

[southernfried]

thanks guy, feel free to keep the advice/comments coming. I'm going to also check the oil before and after the test. The guy seems legit, I believe it's a small dealership as there are other boats lined up. What recourse, if any do I have buying a used boat if something happens the first time I'm out? That might be a dumb question in case "all sales are final".

[southernfried]

20 hours ago, Sailvi767 said:

Make sure on the test the engine temp is 170 or below. Should be a 160 degree thermostat. If it's higher the water pump is going.

Sorry for the confusion but can you elaborate a little more? What would the water pump running signify?

[Cap305]

If you have a mechanic look at it I'd recommend having someone who could hook up to the Malibu MEFI (boat version of OBDII) and do a full computer diagnostic to see if there are any codes stored.  I think I paid the Malibu dealer $200ish for a compression test and full diagnostic when I purchased mine a few years ago.  They even printed out the number of hours spent at each RPM range (500-1000, 1001-2000, 2001-3000, 3000+).  It gives you an idea of HOW the boat was used.  Definitely worth the peace of mind.  Also, I'm just guessing here but I think the reference to the 170+ temp above was more of a warning about the water pump possibly getting ready to fail.  Good luck with the purchase!  

[Pnwrider]

41 minutes ago, southernfried said:

What recourse, if any do I have buying a used boat if something happens the first time I'm out? That might be a dumb question in case "all sales are final".

None unless the seller offers you a warranty.

[Sailvi767]

4 hours ago, southernfried said:

Sorry for the confusion but can you elaborate a little more? What would the water pump running signify?

Water pump is going out. Failing

[Bozboat]

50 minutes ago, Sailvi767 said:

Water pump is going out. Failing

Raw water pump pulls the lake water in to cool the engine,  The raw water pump has a rubber impeller that will fail if run dry, fail if you have a boat full of people and are on vacation etc. impellers are not expensive, as boat parts go, and are not that hard to change out even if you are on the lake. When the rubber impeller goes you will find pieces of rubber blocking the transmission cooler, another easy fix. Finally the raw water pump itself has a Bearing that can fail and leak water. Some are able to rebuild this pump for cheap, others like me can feel mechanically satisfied by just ordered a new one and swapping it out.

The boat also has an engine circulation pump, what the Chevy dealer would call the water pump. The pump bearing can fail and leak water out its weep hole or more rarely the bronze impeller can break in half. Which is harder to diagnose, but still not an expensive part and takes about an hour to swap out on a direct drive. Longer on a V drive as the engine is stuffed in backwards making it harder to service.

5 hours ago, southernfried said:

Sorry for the confusion but can you elaborate a little more? What would the water pump running signify?

See the elaboration above. 

[Wilbur]

My friend had that same boat and I can say that it has a great hull with the ability to throw up a solid wake if you put some extra weight in it.

[southernfried]

14 hours ago, Bozboat said:

Raw water pump pulls the lake water in to cool the engine,  The raw water pump has a rubber impeller that will fail if run dry, fail if you have a boat full of people and are on vacation etc. impellers are not expensive, as boat parts go, and are not that hard to change out even if you are on the lake. When the rubber impeller goes you will find pieces of rubber blocking the transmission cooler, another easy fix. Finally the raw water pump itself has a Bearing that can fail and leak water. Some are able to rebuild this pump for cheap, others like me can feel mechanically satisfied by just ordered a new one and swapping it out.

The boat also has an engine circulation pump, what the Chevy dealer would call the water pump. The pump bearing can fail and leak water out its weep hole or more rarely the bronze impeller can break in half. Which is harder to diagnose, but still not an expensive part and takes about an hour to swap out on a direct drive. Longer on a V drive as the engine is stuffed in backwards making it harder to service.

See the elaboration above. 

thanks for the info, it definitely helps a lot. i actually look forward to learning how to fix things on this boat. i don't mind things wearing due to age as long as i have a good hull to work with. i'll keep this thread updated once i go look and test drive it this coming weekend. 

 

cheers

[lukehartwig]

This isn't in the Fort Worth, Texas area is it? I was looking at a boat very similar to this one in that area. Same year/make/model/color. I ended up going with a Blue 2002 Malibu Wakesetter VLX from Waterski America (North of Dallas).

ENJOY IT!

Edited April 21, 2016 by lukehartwig
Spelling Error

[southernfried]

20 hours ago, lukehartwig said:

This isn't in the Fort Worth, Texas area is it? I was looking at a boat very similar to this one in that area. Same year/make/model/color. I ended up going with a Blue 2002 Malibu Wakesetter VLS from Waterski America (North of Dallas).

ENJOY IT!

Aledo, is this the one you looked at?

[racer808]

I have the same boat & we love it for what it is.  The only problem I've ever had with mine is when the fuel pump out.  A few ground issues I traced down & fixed but other than that, solid.  I am upgrading however since surfing is my primary goal & we are in a position to spend more than I should.  But if I wasn't I'd still be happy as hell on my 02

[Slurpee]

I loved my '01 VLX.  Some minor issues to fix now and then, but otherwise is ran great all the time.  Like Racer808 we're surfing more and in a position to spend more than we should.  So I sold it for a new boat.

[racer808]

I should point out, the boat will surf well with a lot of weight, just not as good as the newer hulls.  A ghetto gate will also make the wave a lot better.  Wedge down, 1000 pounds in surf side locker,  500 on surf side seat, center sac full, 600 in the bow, 500 or so pounds non surf side rear locker, ghetto gate & the wave is legit, tons of push, lots of height, it's just not a long enough pocket to learn tricks.  However, we ride at 10.3 mph, going faster make the pocket longer but I found it hard to stay in when going 11mph.  The upside is you're not spending 50k plus just to get a better wave.  wakeboard wake is sick with some extra weight

[southernfried]

Hey guys, slowly updating the thread. I picked her up. We took the boat out for a test ride, it ran great. I didn't get to check everything on my list(still haven't checked the perfect pass) but I have confidence in the seller and think I got a great boat that will last me. I've found small things after slowly going over it but still have things to do. I took it out the day after I got it and the radio deck would not power on whatsoever. I flipped the music power switch on and nothing, amps turned on, speakers hissed but no deck power. Got her home and tried again, worked instantly. I tried for an hour flipping it on and off while on the water, no dice. It worked fine when I got it home and it worked on the initial test drive, I'm stumped until it does it again. The trailer will need some love over the season, I plan to powder coat it next winter and possibly rhino line the tower(unless this is a horrible idea). Also will tint the windows eventually. I just want to go inside and outside of her and slowly clean her up in the next few weeks. I will also get a spare tire as it didn't come with one. The steering wheel doesn't have an emblem either.

 

Regarding the vinyl people were asking about, he got it done at Finley's Boat Restoration does his interiors. I believe he commented he usually charges around $3500.

Finleys Total Boat Restoration

5023 NE 28th St

Haltom City, TX 76117

817) 726-9998

 

Pictures:

 

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2016 by southernfried

[90oldskool]

Do not let Todd work on your motor , had a bad experience with him last November.  

[southernfried]

1 minute ago, 90oldskool said:

Do not let Todd work on your motor , had a bad experience with him last November.  

Can you elaborate? NO idea who he is. Assuming he works at the place I mentioned above?

Edited April 26, 2016 by southernfried

[90oldskool]

he is the owner of Finley's. If you look up my topic on "motor vibration " it explains what happened at his shop.