www.iFourWinns.com

Hello All,
I am looking for a first boat for the family. I grew up around outboards, but now i am looking at I/O's. We did find a 1997 Horizon RS with about 200 hours on it. It still has the original prop on the boat and it looks brand new. Here are the specs:
5.7GLI fuel injected V8 Volvo Penta
Volvo SX/Cobra outdrive
Also it has been winterized at the dealer that it was bought from every year.

Is there anything to look out for with this engine and drive combo? I am going to call the dealer and see if they remember the boat. Thanks in advance for your help.

Welcome. Can you post a bit more about where you'll use it, your style of boating, etc.?

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Sure,
It will be used on local lakes in Minnesota, primarily with a family of 3. But i am sure that we would find others to family to go with. I guess usage would be 50% cruising, 25% fishing and 25% pulling a tube or others on Skis. I am a big person, so that is why i like the idea of the 5.7.

I can so relate.

I'm not very Cobra knowledgeable - Lou will be along hopefully on that. I'm not sure when the changeover from Cobra to Volvo happened but it sounds like it's actually a post-changeover Volvo which is good. I believe my neighbor's FW is a '97 with a Cobra SX (Ford motor) - he's the original owner and has had no trouble at all with the drive. I'd want the engine to be pressure tested before finalizing the deal, and personally I'd want to see the maintenance records. There's certainly nothing wrong with a 13 year old boat if it's been maintained well. Other items I'd check carefully (some of this almost needs to be done by a trusted shop, or a surveyor):

Bellows
Gimbal bearing
U-joints
Drive alignment
Condition of anodes
Tilt/trim function
Blower function

What kind of shape is the trailer in?

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

The trailer and the rest of the boat look in great condition. Here is the link to the ad:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/b ... 45185.html

So please no one steal the boat

The drive looks identical to mine, which was a post-changeover and uses Volvo parts. Have the things checked that Mike referred to, and see if service records are available. If not, at least put in a new impeller and have a tune-up done to give you a point of reference for future service.

FYI...a 5.7 in that hull is more than adequate and the back to back seating make for a lot of floor space, making it seem to be bigger than an 18'. We usually have 7 on board and no one complains.

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated. We are going to see if he can bring it in for a compression test. The wife did call the dealer, and recommended the compression check. Also it looks like the user did not do an oil change last winterization. So is it best to change the oil each year, or after a certain amount or hours?

Thanks again for all your help.

Oil, oil filter, and fuel filter/water separator should be changed annually, and my vote is to do it at winterization time so you don't have acidic oil sitting in there all winter (which is 11.5 months out of the year for you ). Same for drive lube.

That boat does look very clean and in great shape from what the pictures show. If the current owner has always stored it inside like that, to me that would be a HUGE plus for it.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

That boat looks to be in really great shape and that engine is incredible power for that size boat. Looks like a really nice first boat. Good luck and welcome!

_________________
Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

Yes that is for sure a joint venture model but its the Volvo Cobra SX which is really the same as the Volvo SX...looks like new...the joint venture drives came out in 94 but some 94 boats may have had 93 drives on em....the pure OMC Cobras had a flat top and the joint venture ones had the hump on top like the SX...what Volvo did was take the basic Cobra transom assembly and gimble design and re-engineered the shifting from dog clutch in the lower unit shifting to cone clutch in the upper unit shifting...Using the Cobra transom mount (same pattern as Merc) made it easier for boat companies to install Volvos using only one cut out design. The older style Swedish Volvos (AQ series) had a bigger and totally differnt cut out than Merc...

_________________
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

Well it looks like it is back to the hunt for a boat.
We wanted the sellers to meet us at a dealer to get the compression and lower case pressure tested and would pay for it. If everything checked out we would pay full price for the boat and be done with it. But in the last email they stated that they had others coming out to look at the boat and if they had it in the spring they would let us know. Oh well, now i just have to look at the pictures of the beautiful boats here. Tanks again for the boards help with my questions.

That's too bad; that looked like a very nice boat. However, remember that you're in the driver's seat and the best buyer's market for used boats that has ever existed. And, now you're better armed with what to look for and know ahead of time what to get checked out. You never know, he might come back and beg you to buy it after all, after the other people offer him half his asking price.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

If they didn't want to give you the opportunity to have the boat checked out, you're going to be better off in the long run. Especially if you're offering full price, pending an inspection.

When he comes back and asks to make a deal, make him pay for the testing

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Too bad....Sometimes you just have to strike while the iron is hot... I would have bought that boat just based on those pictures.... there is a slim chance that he was hiding something but it looked way too clean. Sometimes your gut feel is the best indicator. Once you have bought and sold several boat (and yes it will happen!) you'll learn what to look for to see if it deserves a second look.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Just a side note that I purchased my boat in the middle of winter and did not have the above tests done. Since I bought from a dealer, they gave me a warranty period after I first launched. This gave me a chance to run it and have it checked out and have any repairs done (a few minor things) during the warranty period. I realize this may not be possible with a private party, but may be something to negotiate in with a dealer.

I agree the pictures make the boat look like it was never used and the owner may not have wanted to take it out on the salt covered roads for a deal that is not 100%.

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX