www.iFourWinns.com

Hi All, i am new to the forums but have been lurking/dreaming for some time. I have an opportunity to get into a used 2002 180 OB with a Evinrude, but wanted to get some perspective on things to watch out for. This would be our first real boat so I would not want to get into something that ends up impossible or simply too costly to repair.

There is some serious rot damage to the deck, as in some sag in two spots. It is clear this boat did not get the care it deserved and will need some work to get her back in shape.

I guess my questions are:

How easy is it get parts from this time frame? For example there is bad cracking in the seats and some of the other surface material throughout the boat. Much of the vinyl needs work.

If i can get it for really cheap ($2500 with trailer) without the ability to test it out is it worth the risk of a full rebuild? I would hate to end up having sink in tons more than it ends up being worth once repaired.

Without being able to perform an on the water test is there anything I should really look at? I checked the hull and there is no visible damage, plus the engine oil looked clean.

Supposedly the boat was in the water a year ago and runs well, but the owner had health issues and could not keep up with the maintenance or protect it as it should have been.

I am pretty handy and would not mind a project to bring her back to life if folks think the overall investment and risk is worth it for a boat in this condition.

Thanks very much for any suggestions and advice. I greatly appreciate it!

The serious rot damage alone will disqualify it in my book. That is just the tip of the rotted iceberg so to speak. I did a job like this on my boat 10 years ago and I would not do it again. Keep saving for a boat that has been maintained properly is the best advice from someone who has been there done that and got the pix to prove it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e316zo94sig9y ... r.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v24fgzc4yvwm6 ... W.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ds48pon6ov5tz ... 1.jpg?dl=0

A lot of work. Still solid now. These pix are from 2006-2007.

If all the seating is trashed, that's also expensive to fix, unless you can re-cover them yourself.

_________________
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 very much for the reply and the pictures. Based on what I can see this rot is not quite as bad as what I can see in your pics but this is without ripping up the carpet.

The top of the bench seating is what needs the most work and I think I could do that myself.

To complicate things more they just dropped the price in half.....

it never looks as bad as it really is once you start taking it apart.
they dropped the price because the other buyers know what they are looking at...

_________________
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

Good points thanks.

That looks great Lou!

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Current:
2000 Sea Ray 380 Sundancer "still Livin the Dream"

Past
2002 268 Vista 5.7 GXI "Livin' the Dream"
1996 Rinker 192 Captiva. "The Simple Life"
1999 Yamaha XLL 1200 Waverunner.
1976 Mercury Marquis tri hull 120 hp

It turns out it is a 1989 and not a 2002. I found a youtube 2 part full rebuild for a 190 from the same year which ended up really nice.

I would blue book it and see what it would be worth in good shape. I bet it's about 4-5k ... I don't think it's worth the head ache. I sold my 1996 rinker 192 captives that blue books for 6500 for 5 k. I know it's a less of a boat, but it has the extended swim platform cockpit/bow cover and full custom mooring cover. New captains seats, test if the interior was done in the last couple years, new gimble ring and bearing, new u-joints. Solid floor.... the list goes on and on.... I would save a couple extra bucks and wait a year l and save the head aches....

Here is a 170 in stlouis
https://stlouis.craigslist.org/boa/6000908953.html

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Current:
2000 Sea Ray 380 Sundancer "still Livin the Dream"

Past
2002 268 Vista 5.7 GXI "Livin' the Dream"
1996 Rinker 192 Captiva. "The Simple Life"
1999 Yamaha XLL 1200 Waverunner.
1976 Mercury Marquis tri hull 120 hp

If you look on the resto forum over at Iboats people do these rehabs all the time, but they are very time consuming, you need a covered place to work and have to learn General carpentry and fiberglassing skills. Messy, potentially hazardous work. Due to the presence of fibergkass dust and the resins you have to work with. I can tell you from taking apart my '88 that F/W's glass work was very poor. The main stringers were not even glassed all the way up. The deck was fastened to the stringers with a few hundred nasty rusted staples. The gas tank supports were untreated pine!
As bad as a Bayliner in terms of rot resistance. Don't do this to yourself!

_________________
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 again. I have the carpentry skills but will take the advice and back off this one and wait for something else. Is the general consensus that the best place to find a used one is craigslist? Yes bluebook is about 5k.

I once had some "Minor" rot in the floor of my 1987 Chaparral Cuddy. My the time the rot was cut out, the boat was gutted all the way to the cabin. Cost was about $3000 plus a lot of my labor not counted. Without knowing for sure, you have to assume it needs extensive work. The only exception is if the only soft spot is only in the fiberglass cover over the gas tank. I've heard of them getting overstressed and delaminated and weak. That cover could be replaced.

Redoing all the vinyl seats is probably worth more than $2000. So with a book value of $5k, it has a present value of $0.00 In reality, it has a value of at least what the engine and trailer could be sold for on craigs list. A real shame for a 2002 boat

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"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

Glad you passed on this one. Keep saving try to get the newest best condition boat you can find.
Not sure Id get a boat from Craig's list; you have to be careful because there's a lot of junk there.
Some years back after I re did the interior and deck of my FW i almost bought an '89 Steiger Craft 23' Miami. This one looked good; it had a new crate 350 with a Volvo 280 drive. Then I started thinking....still an old (but much better built) boat....could have rot (this was before Steigers went all composite)....and old school Volvo drive (some parts NLA, not many mechanics know them like the same issue with Cobras).
After all this thought for the next boat, I felt by themI want close to new and outboard power. I'm getting to the age where the I/O maintenace is something I will not want to keep doing in the not so distant future....

_________________
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