www.iFourWinns.com

My dad has had this boat in a barn for 20 years and covered in the driveway the rest of the time. It has a 4.3ltr Omc cobra no changes have been made to the boat,it's been in the water (salt)a handful of times and has been sitting unused since 1990. My question is should I bother taking this boat in for repairs or is it too outdated. I would split any repair bills with him but not willing to go in more than $2000 on my end. The boat was running well last time it was used but obviously I don't want to start it until it's been tended to and I'm not confident in my abilities to tackle this job alone. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

_________________
1988 sundowner 205 4.3 omc cobra. Sitting Under a tarp.

2014 GMC Sierra SLE

I guess I would start by asking questions:
1. Where are you located, and what type of weather do you have? Storage in a dry, warm climate might not be as bad as a salt water or humid environment .
2. Was the boat winterized or preserved prior to storage?
3. How was the boat operated, maintained, and stored? Are there rust issues in the engine or wood rot issues?
4. After sitting that long, fluids would need to be changed, and the likelihood of leaks is higher.
5. The carb and fuel system will probably need to be rebuilt and cleaned, with new fuel.
6. The outdrive should be pulled, checked, and serviced.

There are many areas to look at with a boat that has been idle that long. There are a lot of variables, so it is really hard to say what might be needed, and what the cost might be. There is one way to find out.........look in to it.

_________________
Surface Interval: A scuba diving term for that time between dives to relax and prepare for life's next great adventure.

Current boat: '02 FW 268 Vista
Previous boat: '95 FW 190 Horizon

The boat was located on Long Island,n.y. for 7 years where it was used for only 30 hours, it was then stored in southern Quebec,Canada until present. It was winterized prior to storage but hasn't been maintained in any way for all these years. I suppose I'm just looking for an opinion from as to if I should spend the time and money to go further or is this boat too hard to work on or get parts for to even bother having a mechanic get involved. The boat has been in a barn from about 1995-2010 and now sits outside under a tarp which is covered with snow at the moment. Will check further on the condition of the boat next month when I can take the tarp off. My father was the original owner so it wasn't abused other than what I already mentioned. Thanks for taking the time to respond Surface interval.

_________________
1988 sundowner 205 4.3 omc cobra. Sitting Under a tarp.

2014 GMC Sierra SLE

If the boat was used in Long Island that's salt water but very low hours. This is a Cobra drive system, I have the same engine and you can still get most of the parts except those one piece exhaust manifolds .
If it really has not been used since 1990, here are the issues you will face.
1. The gas tank will have to be drained and cleaned out.
2. The carb will have to be rebuilt
3. Unless the engine was very well fogged the piston rings can be rusted to the cylinder walls. Don not try to crank over the engine with the starter unless the spark plugs are removed and penetrating oil is sprayed in each cyl and allowed to sit and dissolve the rust. I would do this 3-4 times over a few weeks. Then try to turn the engine by hand first.
4. The drive has to be pulled and the bellows and impeller have to be replaced, both will be dry rotted by now.
5. All fluids replaced of course.
It really depends on the climate (damp or not) and if it was fogged. Hopefully the inside did not get wet because if the boat had carpet over the plywood deck that can trap moisture and cause wood rot. I had a lot of this and replaced the deck in my boat about 8 years ago. Some of these boats had a fiberglass liner but most probably had the carpeted decks which is prone to wood rot in the core (plywood).

It is a nice boat great running and riding hull I'd try to get it going. My 88 H-200 has the same hull and its a great riding true deep vee hull, very stable and I've had it out in Long Island Sound many times.
There is a company in Canada that specializes in OMCs and sells many of the parts....
http://www.sterndrive.info/

_________________
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

Thanks LouC, I'll get her uncovered in the spring,will inspect the deck and see if I can hand turn the engine. If I can free it up I guess I'll take a shot in reviving her. I'll take some before photos and post them before I start. In the meantime,if any one else has further advice I'd love to hear it. Happy boating off of Long Island, Lou. I know I miss it,was a great place growing up. I'll be boating on lake Champlain this summer I hope.

_________________
1988 sundowner 205 4.3 omc cobra. Sitting Under a tarp.

2014 GMC Sierra SLE

Where abouts did you boat on Long Island?
I do all of mine on the North Shore of Western Suffolk County. Salt water is a challenge but we never have low water levels. You just learn the finer points of corrosion control.
Lake Champlain is beautiful, I was there years ago on the way to Canada...
You can use Kano Kroil, or PB Blaster to spray in the spark plug holes and then let it sit for a while. Do this 3-4 times over the course of a week or so. But keep in mind that you REALLY must have the gas tank professionally cleaned, and the carb must be taken apart and cleaned as well. You may have to replace the fuel pump as the rubber diaphragms may be dried out and may leak if you try running it. Those engines are not hard to work on and most repairs are quite simple compared to modern I/O powerplants that have electronic fuel injection and cat converters.
Other things....if it seems to use oil, the valve seals could be dried out and cracked, a mechanic can replace those with out much trouble. If you need OMC parts and can't find something, Sea Way Marine in Washington State has a large stock pile of obsolete OMC parts. The standard parts you replace regularly such as raw water impellers, driveshaft bellows, drive to pivot housing gaskets, spark plugs, points n condensors, distributor caps are all out there. OE and after market. Any BRP dealer that sells Evinrude outboards can order OE parts from BRP. Hard to find are the one piece exhaust manifolds (but with only 30 hrs even salt use they should still be fine) and the trim rams (but they can be rebuilt by a hydraulic shop). I got the 3 tools needed to adjust the Cobra transom shift cable and learned how to do it myself. That is the main issue on the Cobras, and not that many mechanics know how to do this.

_________________
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

Some good info LouC thanks. I boated with friends growing up,never owned my own. We used to go out on the south shore,sometimes used the public ramps in Wantagh - Seaford or from the canals in Bellmore. A lot of fire island runs over the years. Almost sunk just out of the Jones beach inlet in a little 18 foot bow rider once, scary rough.

_________________
1988 sundowner 205 4.3 omc cobra. Sitting Under a tarp.

2014 GMC Sierra SLE

Yes the ocean and the Sound both can be dangerous. I limit my boating in the Sound to calm summer mornings, in the afternoon when the wind starts to kick up it gets rougher than you want in smaller boat. Even the bays here can get rough if the wind goes against the tides....
Never boated on the South Shore but we go there a lot to go 4 wheeling on the beaches with the Jeeps. We go to Democrat Point on Fire Island, and also Sore Thumb beach at the eastern end of Jones Beach Island. Sore Thumb is pretty challenging with a lot of hills, deep sand and varied terrain....
A lil vid my son took driving the 98 Jeep....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-BBVhFURZU

_________________
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

Looks like a nice spot he had there, did a bit of surf casting I'm guessing. I've only boated the sound once,out of northport,twice if you count my montauk trip but I think we entered block island sound. Northport is beautiful with all those bluffs. Just have to block that smoke stack out of the picture ; )

_________________
1988 sundowner 205 4.3 omc cobra. Sitting Under a tarp.

2014 GMC Sierra SLE

That spot is where Fire Island (Democrat Pt) and Jones Beach Island (Sore Thumb Beach) kind of overlap. Great spot fun place to learn how to drive on the sand. Very different than traditional off roading. Its all about floatation, big knobby tires are not your friend. Mild ATs or even all seasons are better. We run 10-12 psi there. We see posers with big lifted trucks and mud tires all the time. Stuck lol. Lil' Jeeps just roll around em on 10 psi. The local tow company (only one that will go out there) charges $400 an hr to go on the beach. So you gotta know what you're doing. I can tell the posers when the pull in and ask, '' gotta air down?" well yeah, if you don't want to dig a hole to China lol.....

Northport and Huntington are where I do most of my boating, if you are out in the Sound at night and the smoke stack lights line up one behind the other you are heading due south...
Its only about 8.5 miles from the tip of Eaton's Neck to the Conn. coastline but there are a lot of rocks, both on the Eaton's Neck side right in front of the Coast Guard station and on the Conn side. Got to be really careful.

_________________
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

$400/hr, ouch! Those are sea tow prices. Enjoy the season,you guys get a bit longer out of it then we do up here. I'll start a new thread if I decide to fix this baby up. Thanks for the advice and links,I appreciate you taking your time to help others.

_________________
1988 sundowner 205 4.3 omc cobra. Sitting Under a tarp.

2014 GMC Sierra SLE

Hey, just wondering if you ever got around to working on your boat? I bought a 88 205 last March and had a great summer with it.

_________________
88 205 Sundowner 4.3/OMC

Being "outdated" is completely subjective from a style point of view. I still like the 70's and 80's styles a lot.

From a functional point of view, these older 20' boats are considerably bigger than a 20' of today. Lower floors and higher sidewalls give more freeboard height. Straight transoms and no swim platforms to count as part of the length means more length of actual real hull.

These engines have the potential to last a very long time, with the exception of the exhaust manifolds which should almost certainly be replaced before sending water through them. ($600-700 for set of aftermarket manifolds).

The only deal breaker in your budget would be rotten floor and/or stringers. That is a costly repair. If the floor is solid, I would definitely follow the steps LouC listed above and bring her back to life. You could easily have a good boat for another 10 years.

Ray

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings