1996 GTS, What To Look For When Buying?

[SaltyDog251]

Hello, new guy here. I've been keeping my eyes open for some used PWCs for the wife and kids. I found a pair of 96 GTSs with a trailer asking 3k.

Supposedly less than 100 hours in fresh water but who really knows. Can anyone give me some pointers on what to look for with these models

Thanks In Advance
Ron

 

[spx787]

Number one thing-Meet them at a body of water and water test them. I made the mistake of buying my first one without doing that. It ran great on the trailer but as soon as I got it in the water, it began to bog down. I ended up having to do some work on the fuel system and now it runs great! I would have negotiated a lower price had I water tested it at the time of sale. Look at the fuel lines. If they are gray Tempo brand lines, they will need to be replaced with regular, automotive fuel hose and more than likely, you will need to clean out the carbs. These lines react with the ethanol in the fuel and cause some green snotty gunk to form that clogs the system.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

96 gts X2 on a trailer for 3K ?

I think you need to keep shopping around....they would have to be MINT MINT for that price in Florida.

I agree that a water test is a good idea, you'd be shocked at how many people don't do it (90% in my experience) As a seller myself i'm not too keen on a total noob test riding a ski for sale, but it hasn't been an issue, so many people never ask or just ask to see if you'll say Yes, but never follow up on it.

as far as what to look for, I'd suggest a clean ski inside and out, an "informed" owner that knows a little bit about ski's, used the right oil, flushed the ski after use, recently did some basic maintenance and upkeep like changing out the fuel lines, carb/pump rebuilds, trailer bearings, etc... I've seen too many times where people underestimate the cost's involved with getting a ski "up to snuff" with a lot of assorted issues.

What part of Florida are you in ?

 

[spx787]

I also agree with Spimothy that 3K is a bit up there in price. Don't know how the FL market its but here in Texas, it's amazing what people think these skis are worth.

 

[Coastiejoe]

3 grand is a bit high. That said, it is a pair on a trailer and that alone is worth something. In most cases, a pair of skis are often lower in hours and well maintained compared to single skis. Their initial investment was higher so they tend to take better care of them. So,,, if they run fantastic and the Grey Tempo lines have been swapped out already, it isn't a horrible numnber. To be clear, it is priced to high, my point is, if they are 3 grand and you have no issues for the next 100 hours (200 is the normal range where you need to do 2 stroke work), then the money isn't bad.

Do some more shopping and then give this seller the info you found, they will likely lower their price.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

or just show up and start by offering 2200 and work up from there. I've purchased 25-30 ski's in the last 5 years, I have only paid asking price 3 times, MONEY IN HAND TALKS. Many CL sellers get quickly frustrated with lowballers, no-show's, tire kickers, guys that want a joy ride, etc...

Showing up with a truck with a hitch on it and a stack of $100's has an amazing effect on the sellers attitude, because the last 3 guys that came bye brought neither with them.. (crazy but true)

quite difficult to accurately assess the value w/o actually being there and looking at it so the best we can all do is make our best guess based on personal experience and what we've seen.

CJ does bring up a good point,,, overpaying a little bit now in exchange for a couple seasons of trouble free performance means you probably underpaid. If you don't do you own work even simple stuff can quickly add up at a shop... $3-400 is nothing for repair costs even for some relatively little stuff, so buying something cheaper but more likely to break down could quickly and easily end up costing more in the long run.

 

[SaltyDog251]

I live in Cape Coral but they are in Massachusetts. I took a look today and they certainly need a good cleaning. They also had grey fuel line. One had a grey plastic box on the battery in front of the engine, one didn't.

The owner was at work so I couldn't start them. He said the were running two days ago. I told him 2k if they run good and he said $2500. I'll have to think about it. Anyone know what a compression test should read? Anything else I should look for?

Thanks

 

[Coastiejoe]

150 is perfect, 120 is to low. They will run at 120, but work is in the near future.


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