1999 Wakesetter VLX

[Waykbrdr]

Hey Guys! I’m new here and am currently looking at buying a 1999 Wakesetter VLX

I’m an experienced wakeboarder with over 15 years of riding cable. Due to the current Travel restrictions I’m switching over to boat riding (hopefully)! Being a cable rider I am completely lost when it comes to the value/reliability of boats in the industry. By no means do I have alot of money, I’ve been saving for years and this is a huge investment for me (laugh all you want haha) so I’m just looking for some guidance from people who Know their stuff.

I’ve got my eye on a 1999 Malibu Wakesetter.
The engine just got rebuilt (less than 100hrs on it). It comes with trailer, wakesurf shaper, kicker speakers, 2 ballast bags equaling 2200lbs. Here is a link to the ad 

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-powerboat-motorboat/markham-york-region/1999-malibu-wakesetter-vlx-21-8/1514292739

I primarily will be using it for wakeboarding. What can I expect From the wake on this thing as far as pop goes? Is this a diamond hull or wake hull? The seating looks weird to me, is there normally seating at the back and/or side of the boat? They are asking $20,500 Canadian pesos for it... the equivalent of 15,340 USD. Is that a reasonable price? Sorry for all the questions but I look forward to hearing from any of you! Thanks in advance !!!

 

[UWSkier]

Welcome to the site!  That boat is a wake hull but it's not a Wakesetter VLX.  That's a standard Wakesetter, which means direct drive, which means engine in the middle, which means not as good for wakeboarding.  It'll get the job done fine (I mean, you're used to NO wake, right?) but there are a few red flags about the boat.  It's not in very great shape, and there are some oddities about the engine.  The transmission cooling lines look completely strange, and it looks like it's been tapped for a plug on the starboard manifold.  Those manifolds shouldn't have ports there so I'm curious why that one is.

I think you're on the right track boat wise.  The Wakesetter VLX (if you can locate one) is a great option, as far back as they make them.

[Nitrousbird]

7 hours ago, Waykbrdr said:

Hey Guys! I’m new here and am currently looking at buying a 1999 Wakesetter VLX

Keep looking.  The boat you linked is not a VLX, as it is a direct drive.  VLX is only in a Vdrive.  

That boat is a Sunsetter LX with the Wakesetter package on it.  At that time, Wakesetter was not a stand alone boat but just an option package on a Sunsetter.  In 2000, Wakesetter became a stand alone boat on the VLX and Escape platforms, but not for a couple more years on the Sunsetter LX platform.  That is on the wake hull.  Diamond wasn't available until 2000 and was on the Sunsetter LXI.  

If you want a VLX, you need to up your budget as at VLX in that price is going to be a piece of garbage and need a ton of money to make it right.  You can still wakeboard off this LX, but the wake won't be as good for sure.  Ski wake will be better though...

 

[Waykbrdr]

Thank you both. Ill keep looking. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond!

[Mb911]

I thought 99 the diamond hull came out? Thought I read that in the response pamphlet?

[Mb911]

Oh and for 15 usd I don't think its a bad deal.. Probably about the right price. 

[UWSkier]

1 hour ago, Mb911 said:

I thought 99 the diamond hull came out? Thought I read that in the response pamphlet?

98 technically but yes. They didn't start putting it on v drives until 2001

[Nitrousbird]

1 hour ago, Mb911 said:

I thought 99 the diamond hull came out? Thought I read that in the response pamphlet?

Not on the Sunsetter DD.  That was 2000 I believe.

[Eagleboy99]

1999 Sunsetter had the SV23 Diamond hull.  Al ot of things were added to the 98 and on boats, lke the Medallion gauge system (too bad about that one, eh?)