Potential 1st Boat ('94 Ranger R70)

[BrianMRetter]

Hey guys, I've been fishing out of a kayak for too long and have an opportunity to purchase a 1994 Ranger Sport R70 with a 115hp Mercury Mariner. The boat is owned by my wife's great uncle (who I haven't met yet). He is original owner and supposedly kept it in mint condition (will know more when I go see it). He is "thinking" about selling it, so I don't know how much he wants. If this boat is in great shape, what kind of price should I be looking at? Also, I've heard not to go with a 2 stroke, which I assume the 1994 mercury is. Are there any major problem with 2 strokes I should be concerned with, or even this motor in particular?  I really appreciate all the help you guys can give. Kayak fishing frustrates me and would love to get into a real boat

[fishnkamp]

Brian forget the 2 stroke warning! Many of those old engines were very reliable, not nearly as good on gas, but reliable. That boat probably has an Merc XR6 or a Johnson/Evinrude. Many had the 88 special and that engine kicked but. I have a friend that owned that exact boat and loved his. He sold it only to get a Ranger 20 footer.  Here is a terrific article on buying an old boat and you will see he loves that vintage machine.

Check this out, find a nice comfy seat and a glass of your favorite beverage. Bryan delves into all the info you will need to know to make a more informed decision, regardless if you are looking at aluminum or fiberglass. Let me know what you think after you read it. Good Luck in getting a great first boat.

http://www.baybass.com/node/200

 

[BrianMRetter]

Thanks @fishnkamp! That was a great article that clears a lot of things up. The motor on his particular boat is Mariner 115 (I think made by Mercury). If everything checks out, I just may take it home! Hoping he decides to sell it

[fishnkamp]

Mariner motors basically are Mercury motors. They share the same parts.  That allowed Mercury to have two dealers networks.  When I wanted to custom order a ProCraft 20 foot fish and ski back in the 90,s ProCraft sold Asto and ProCraft out of the same manufacturing plant. They determined which engine by which dealer I ordered from. I wanted the Mariner, but my closest and only dealer in MD was a Merc dealer. He told me it would have a Merc or no engine on it.  

Bryan is a good friend and mentor to me! He is one of the two best sticks I have ever shared a boat with, and I take lots of guides.  The other great stick was a guide I used in TN. He fishes professionally on the FLW circuit.

After you get a boat take some time to read through his fishing reports going back a few years. Not all at once but since we will soon be spawn and post spawn read through some of those.  I realize he gives really accurate reports for MD and VA but his reports are in depth explaining what he uses, how he uses and what conditions he uses it under. You may not fish the Potomac River but I bet you can find similar downed wood or grass beds or rock/sand etc. in your local waters.  If he or his pro staff says this is what we did, they did it that way.  Thast is the whole purpose of baybass.com. Hi is a serious teacher of the sport. 

[th365thli]

The link FishnKamp sent you is really good. I used that when I bought my boat. 

 

I have a 1987 Yamaha 2 stroke and every mechanic I took it to says she sounds great. You can do some basic checks yourself. Things like checking compression, spark plugs, gear oil. These won't guarantee a great motor but will let you know any red flags.  

 

http://fishingoutdoors.org/fishing-information/saltwater-fishing-articles/781-how-can-i-tell-if-the-used-outboard-motor-i-m-buying-is-in-good-condition.html