prodigy1290 Posted May 5, 2010 Posted May 5, 2010 Champion 21' Yamaha 225 Champion 21' Yamaha 225 Runs Great! Minn Kota 74lb Lowrance X-102 What do you guys think? What's a good offer. First boat. Quote
Osprey39 Posted May 5, 2010 Posted May 5, 2010 What kind of shape is the boat in? Are you going to have to do stuff like re-carpet it? Live wells work? etc. How many hours are on the engine? Is the engine also an '83? Those are a few questions you need to ask among other things. When you've asked all the questions you want to ask, check out www.nada.com and see what the value of the boat is. Take into consideration the answers to your questions and adjust that value accordingly. Personally, I wouldn't buy a boat that is almost 30 years old. You can spend a tad more and get something newer. I don't care how well a vessel was taken care of, the older it gets the more work you're going to have to do on it. That's a fact. Work more often than not = $$$ spent so that low buying price might not be as affordable as it first appears. Quote
Super User cart7t Posted May 5, 2010 Super User Posted May 5, 2010 That would be a 201 Champion. One of the best driving/riding boats ever put out but your obvious concern is the condition of the hull stringers and transom. Champions are bonded cap to hull boats so even if you wanted to do a cap off resto (if it was needed) the job isn't a doable deal. The motor is obviously significantly newer than the boat as Yamaha didn't start making 225hp motors till the 90's IIRC. Have the thing checked over. If the boat checks out and the hull/transom is in good shape along with the gelcoat that's a good price. Keep in mind all those little things like electrical switches, wiring, pump motors, hinges, etc, etc that start failing on a boat that old. Expect to put some money into that boat if you buy it, things always seem to break. Quote
prodigy1290 Posted May 6, 2010 Author Posted May 6, 2010 What about this one?? 89 Bass Champion 19Ft. 175 hp Mercury 2 strock board out to a 200 hp. $4000 Quote
Osprey39 Posted May 6, 2010 Posted May 6, 2010 What about this one??89 Bass Champion 19Ft. 175 hp Mercury 2 strock board out to a 200 hp. $4000 Where do you live at? I'm pretty sure standard 2 strokes aren't allowed in California inland waters. I'm not sure about other states but those regulations have a nasty habit of working their way east from Cali. Something to keep in mind. Quote
prodigy1290 Posted May 6, 2010 Author Posted May 6, 2010 Ok, very true! Honestly, I am a college student looking to get a first boat. I have $3000 saved up as of now, and still going. What type of boat should I be looking at? I am going to want to be able to fish some team tournaments with it, here and there...and to do some pre-fishing. Any ideas? I live in CA, Bay Area. Quote
Osprey39 Posted May 6, 2010 Posted May 6, 2010 Hey, I know just how you feel. I bought my first boat of my own a couple of years ago. I'd always had to borrow my dad's before that. You're kind of in the same situation that a buddy of mine was in as far as your budget and I'll give you the same advice I gave him. You need to understand that the purchase price of the boat is just the beginning. Not only are you going to have to put gas and oil in it, but you have to register it and insure it and those things will run you a few hundred dollars each. I have also found out over the last couple of years that boats, even newer ones, require a lot of upkeep. That's more money. I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just letting you know that if you spend everything you have saved on the purchase, you might not be able to afford to run the thing once you have it and that would truly suck. My best advice would be to look for an aluminum bass boat with a smaller engine around 90HP. Not only is that going to save you money on the initial purchase (fiberglass rigs cost considerably more because they are heavier and need bigger motors to push them) but you'll also save a bunch of money on fuel. I have a Tracker PT190TX with a 75HP Optimax on it and I can usually fish for several days before I need to put gas in it. Obviously it isn't the fastest boat on the lake but who cares? It's a fishing tournament, not a boat race. Would I like a bigger, faster boat? Sure, and I'll get it eventually but this one fit my budget at the time and for a first boat, I'm more than happy with it and it's really cheap to operate (comparatively speaking.) My other advice would be take your time and find something that you'll be happy with. When you get that boat fever, you want to BUY NOW! but don't jump at the first thing you see. This isn't a great time to be looking for a boat normally because most people don't want to sell when they can actually use the thing but in this economy, all bets are off on that. Just take your time and keep saving money until you find the right one. The more you save, the better boat you can get. One last thing I'd add is keep resale value in mind. When you finish school, you're probably going to want to upgrade. An older boat is going to be harder to sell and you obviously won't get as much for it when you do sell it. Quote
Super User fishfordollars Posted May 6, 2010 Super User Posted May 6, 2010 B.O.A.T.= Break Out Another Thousand. Quote
Super User burleytog Posted May 6, 2010 Super User Posted May 6, 2010 I have a Tracker PT190TX with a 75HP Optimax on it and I can usually fish for several days before I need to put gas in it. Obviously it isn't the fastest boat on the lake but who cares? It's a fishing tournament, not a boat race. Would I like a bigger, faster boat? Sure, and I'll get it eventually but this one fit my budget at the time and for a first boat, I'm more than happy with it and it's really cheap to operate (comparatively speaking.) A 75 on a 190? No offense, but I bet that thing is a dog. Quote
Osprey39 Posted May 6, 2010 Posted May 6, 2010 I have a Tracker PT190TX with a 75HP Optimax on it and I can usually fish for several days before I need to put gas in it. Obviously it isn't the fastest boat on the lake but who cares? It's a fishing tournament, not a boat race. Would I like a bigger, faster boat? Sure, and I'll get it eventually but this one fit my budget at the time and for a first boat, I'm more than happy with it and it's really cheap to operate (comparatively speaking.) A 75 on a 190? No offense, but I bet that thing is a dog. None taken. I bought it used and that was what was on it with only 11 hours. I'm planning on getting a bigger motor if I keep the boat but I just got laid off from work Friday so it's gonna have to wait either way. It does about 36 mph and gets me where I need to go so it's fine for now. Quote
Super User burleytog Posted May 6, 2010 Super User Posted May 6, 2010 I have a 90 on an 01 185, 41-42 GPS. Wish it was a 115. Quote
BassThumb Posted May 6, 2010 Posted May 6, 2010 I have a Tracker PT190TX with a 75HP Optimax on it and I can usually fish for several days before I need to put gas in it. Obviously it isn't the fastest boat on the lake but who cares? It's a fishing tournament, not a boat race. Would I like a bigger, faster boat? Sure, and I'll get it eventually but this one fit my budget at the time and for a first boat, I'm more than happy with it and it's really cheap to operate (comparatively speaking.) A 75 on a 190? No offense, but I bet that thing is a dog. None taken. I bought it used and that was what was on it with only 11 hours. I'm planning on getting a bigger motor if I keep the boat but I just got laid off from work Friday so it's gonna have to wait either way. It does about 36 mph and gets me where I need to go so it's fine for now. There's nothing wrong with this at all. 36 mph is just fine for most lakes. This is a better combo than most peoples first boats, because you can actually stand and fish with it without distractions. Quote
Super User cart7t Posted May 6, 2010 Super User Posted May 6, 2010 What about this one??89 Bass Champion 19Ft. 175 hp Mercury 2 strock board out to a 200 hp. $4000 Not sure a 191 was made in '89. It's quite possibly a 184. If the inner wood structural support and transom are in good shape there's nothing wrong with a 20 + year old boat.... but.. Just like a 20 + year old car they are also prone to break down at just about anytime and they will break. If you just have $3000 saved up I'd suggest looking into aluminum. The last thing you want when you're on a limited budget is a boat that's gonna keep you off the water because it's nickle and dimeing you to death because of repairs. BTW, I'd be really leery of any OB motor as old as that second boat with a hot-rodded motor. That's just asking for trouble. Quote
goodolboy Posted May 11, 2010 Posted May 11, 2010 I've got a 1999 17' Xpress with 90HP merc and I run 50mph and get great mpg. Quote
prodigy1290 Posted May 11, 2010 Author Posted May 11, 2010 What year and up should I be looking for? Should I wait and save up some more money? Quote
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