www.iFourWinns.com

I'm looking at a 1993 24.5 Vista - but am very skeptical about the OMC drive. Researching it, I have found the outdrive to be troublesome and with the company bankrupt - others have indicated that parts will be harder and harder to come by in the future (and more expensive).

Did Four Winns manufacture the Vista with a different engine/different outdrive around that timeframe? When did they switch?

I had a '93 Sundowner215 with the OMC drive for 11 years, and never had a problem with it, but I would be concerned about the availability of parts at this point. I would talk to the local mechanic and see what he says about getting parts to service the drive.

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'04 FW 268Vista "Andiamo"

we have 1995 vista with a omc (volvo sx is what I'm told) with 5.8L (ford 350) v8


no problems

I had the lower unit replaced with a re-built (ran it aground and dinged it up) for $1900

PS. from what I have read you need to stay away from the King Cobra

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1995 258 Vista

They were available with Merc drives too but most were sold with OMC because OMC had bought them in 1986 or so. If it has the cone clutch drive OMC made before the joint venture with Volvo (started in 1994) they are hard to get parts for, I'd look for a newer one with a Volvo. I have not had problems getting what I needed for my 88 Cobra but some items are hard to find (exhaust manifolds) although aftermarket conversions are available. BTW I have found that a properly maintained Cobra drive is fine, too bad OMC is not in business, I'd have no qualms about buying another.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II