Good buy?

[noviceskier]

Seller wants $1000 for mercury 210 with bad motor, other than that boat looks to be in great condition. What are you alls thoughts on them?

 

[emspjay]

Do you mean Sea-doo boat with Mercury 210 jet motor? What model and year of boat?

 

[noviceskier]

Do you mean Sea-doo boat with Mercury 210 jet motor? What model and year of boat?

Looks like a seadoo challenger 1800, I'm guessing 01? not in the listing, waiting for seller to respond

 

[emspjay]

So NADA is saying value for a 2001 challenger 1800 with trailer is low retail $5800 and high is $6600. The cheapest I have seen a rebuilt powerhead for the Mercury 210 jet engine is about $3300 plus freight shipping. So if you do all the work yourself in removing and replacing that powerhead you will be in it for about $4000 just to get it running again with all the other consumable items you need to do the powerhead swap. So then $1000+$4000, and then I bet the canvas needs to be replaced so that will be about $1000-1200, and then tires and work on the trailer another $200-300. So you now have about $6500 into this boat and that is only if the interior vinyl is good! if not add another $1500-2000 for a total of $8000-8500. Boats get expensive real quick, if you want a 18ft boat get one with a I/O 3.0 mercury engine in it, they last longer than one of their jet engines and a rebuilt one is only $2300 vs $3300. And most 18ft boats with a Mercury I/O motor you can pick up cheap in great running condition! I got a 30ft Searay and just maintenance and storage fees cost me anywhere from $3000-8000 per year with me doing all the work, that's not my fuel cost. I restored a little 16ft Bayliner last year, paid $1100 for boat, motor and trailer, cost me $900 for new cockpit and bow canvas (done at a professional shop), $200 for Bimini top, about $500 for all new seats carpet and vinyl doing all work myself on that, and about $300 on engine maintenance and other things to get it into a great running and looking little boat again. So I put $1900 into a running and driving boat that I paid $1100 for so my total was about $3000. I wanted a 18ft boat but I can't fit it in my well with my 30ft without the association complaining it sticks out in the canal so that is why I fixed up my 16ft Bayliner. Boats are a whole different game than jet skis, hope this gives you some insight on boats.

 

[noviceskier]

So NADA is saying value for a 2001 challenger 1800 with trailer is low retail $5800 and high is $6600. The cheapest I have seen a rebuilt powerhead for the Mercury 210 jet engine is about $3300 plus freight shipping. So if you do all the work yourself in removing and replacing that powerhead you will be in it for about $4000

I'm going to try and lower the price as much as possible with this. I'll have to see the boat in person/tear the motor apart too see what is salvageable for the rebuild. When i see it in person, what are the main things I should be looking for besides a hole in the side of the block lol? Any known problems on these boats?

I don't see many of these where I live, and I've been wanting to get one for awhile now since I remember going to a dealership way back when looking at one lol. Probably a bad thing right haha?

 

[emspjay]

If it's not in good shape cosmetically and has bad or no canvas I would walk away. The engine rebuild alone is going to cost a lot. They look like fun boats.

 

[noviceskier]

If it's not in good shape cosmetically and has bad or no canvas I would walk away. The engine rebuild alone is going to cost a lot. They look like fun boats.

It looks fantastic from the pictures I've seen, although it may look different in person. We will see