Thoughts on Ranger 375v

[crazyjoeclemens]

So, In my quest for an upgrade from my beat up old Jon boat, I've found a Ranger 375v for sale.   The owner says its a 1996, but I can't find any record of them being made that late.  Anyway, its powered by a Mercury Black Max 150 and the hull seems to be in good shape.   The only work it really seems to need is some new carpeting.  Can anyone give me more info on this model?  Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[webertime]

Look at the hull # (should be on a plate on the transom) & call Ranger for specifics on the boat.  

That model was made from 88 to 94.  If it is an 89 or newer it is guaranteed to have a glass transom.  88 may have a wood one, but probably not.  The Mercury is probably an XR4, not a bad motor, hates cold mornings.  Get it checked out before you buy.

I have an 88 374v (same hull) it's a great little boat. Paid $3000 2 years ago, a stupid good deal and way low.

[crazyjoeclemens]

Thanks for the info.  I'll definitely check the hull number and give Ranger a call.  Just out of curiosity, what would be the difference between a wood and a glass transom?  Which one would be preferable?  All the sources I've looked into say they're not necessarily the fastest hull, but they're solid and stable in the water.  Would you say that's a fair assessment?  The owner has offered to meet me on the lake for a test run - is there anything in particular I should look for on it?

[webertime]

Wood can rot and fail much faster than a glass transom.  Look for brown "snail trails" on the transom around any of the holes/bolts, one of the tell tale signs of rot.  Bounce on the outboard to see if it moves.

 

Your assessment is very fair.  It's a 52-58mph boat, depending on the load and prop.

Ask him for the hull ID # and call Ranger to find out it's specifics.

 

Got any pix?

[Cmiller]

I own a 1984 330v, fairly similar boat, just 10" shorter. The ranger hulls are very overbuilt in comparison to other boats of the era. The mercury black max outboards are some of the most reliable outboards ever made, with clean carbs and good fuel they will run forever. 

[WIGuide]

The 375V is a nice boat. The 300 series hull is a very well built hull. The 375 has the lounge seats in the front which can be nice if you're planning on using the boat occasionally for tubing/skiing but still maintains the functionality of a bass boat. Only down side to the 300 series is the consoles are low to the floor. If you're a normal size human you might find them a little tight. If you've got go go gadget legs like I do, it's tough to fit under them. Also, the owner could be wrong on the age, but it's possible it could be a 96. Since Ranger hand builds their boats one at a time, you can order whatever you want. They keep all their old molds, and if you want one, you can order a model not in production anymore. I'm sure it doesn't happen all that often, but it's possible someone wanted that boat and had it made in 96. If you look at the HIN number (little tag on the back right side of the boat) the last two digits are the year of manufacture. 

[crazyjoeclemens]

OK, so I got some details from the owner.  Sorry for the delay, but I was stuck in a truck for 9 hours today.  Anyway, it turns out the owner was just confused on model year.  Its a 1991.   The owner actually removed the lounge seats and extended the front fishing deck all the way back to the console with an aluminum plate - carpeted and everything.  I'm not too sad that the seats are gone, because I'm actually not a normal sized human.   I'm 6'5", and those seats would have been more or less useless to me.  The only issues I see with it is the carpet under the console is totally worn out, and the livewell aerators don't seem to work.  Neither of those are deal killers for me because 1 - carpet can be replaced easily enough and 2 - I don't do any tournament fishing.  Even if I wanted to give it a try, i could always look into fixing those later.  Other than that, batteries are fairly recent and the motor was rebuilt 2 years ago.  I called the shop that did the work, and according to their records, they inspected the lower unit and replaced the water pump at the same time.  Is there anything else I should be looking at, and does anyone care to suggest a rough price range?

[Cmiller]

Biggest thing would be to bounce the motor around and watch for the transom to flex. Also not a bad idea to test the compression on the motor and make sure all the cylinders have even compression. 

I paid 3,000 for my 3 series, but it needed electronics, trolling motor, and some work on the trailer. A decent ready to use boat would bring around 4-5500 in the Midwest. 

[webertime]

I'm 6'5" too.  If the boat has a hot foot make sure you can actually use it as the consoles are low.

[crazyjoeclemens]

Well, right or wrong, I went ahead and pulled the trigger. Stay tuned for pics.

[FishHard247]

nice work! #yolo

[crazyjoeclemens]

There she is.  Now I can play in the deep end of the pool with the rest of the adults!

[S. Sass]

Welcome to the deep end. 

[fishnkamp]

If the engine runs well you did real good! Congrats and it is fun here in the deep end for sure.  That is a nice rig enjoy. Bryan would be proud.

Bob

[Further North]

Good looking boat - enjoy it and your improved fishing.

[Cmiller]

Enjoy! Looks like you found a well maintained one.

[crazyjoeclemens]

Well, I took it out on the lake for the first time, yesterday afternoon.  Gotta say, I am outright impressed - its one smooth-riding boat.  It was windy (10-15, gusting to 25), and the lake was cut up with wake from those big powerboats.  That Ranger handled it extremely well, even up on plane.  It was choppy enough out there, I don't think you could have gotten my old Jon boat up on plane without beating every last rivet out of it and causing yourself serious back injuries.  The Mercury Black Max 150 felt like it had plenty of power for the hull.  It jumped up on plane quickly, and stayed up there - even if I backed off the throttle quite a bit.  One thing I did notice - it does love the gas.  Fortunately for me, I don't run a guide service, so bottom line isn't all that important.  I'd sure hate to feed that beast on a daily basis.

[WIGuide]

Glad you like it!

[S. Sass]

3 hours ago, crazyjoeclemens said:

Well, I took it out on the lake for the first time, yesterday afternoon.  Gotta say, I am outright impressed - its one smooth-riding boat.  It was windy (10-15, gusting to 25), and the lake was cut up with wake from those big powerboats.  That Ranger handled it extremely well, even up on plane.  It was choppy enough out there, I don't think you could have gotten my old Jon boat up on plane without beating every last rivet out of it and causing yourself serious back injuries.  The Mercury Black Max 150 felt like it had plenty of power for the hull.  It jumped up on plane quickly, and stayed up there - even if I backed off the throttle quite a bit.  One thing I did notice - it does love the gas.  Fortunately for me, I don't run a guide service, so bottom line isn't all that important.  I'd sure hate to feed that beast on a daily basis.

I don't know what your boat weights but mine with a 115 Johnson gets up on plane quickly, and stayed up there as well. I would think a 150 would make mine have wings.  I did check my 18ft SeaArk with 2 full live wells, and all of the fishing gear, a family size cooler, and two grown men, on slightly choppy water did 44 mph without pushing it to the extreme max rpm.  It felt really good and I know you enjoyed the nicer ride as i do in these little bigger boats. Glad everything is working out for ya. 

[Bnbd]

I am looking at a Ranger 375v with a Johnson Fast Strike 150hp. Can anyone tell about this outboard?