My 99 Funship 254 is going back. The engine is a mess. It is getting tons of water into the oil. No visible or audible sign of a cracked block, but at least bad head gaskets and probably other damage. There is also water in the trim reservoir. This boat, or at least the back half of it has been on the bottom of a lake. I think it was a hurricane victim from North Carolina. However, the NADA boat report did not show any issues. My guess is that the original owner had no insurance and wanted to just get rid of it. My dealer in Kansas says he will refund my money, so we'll see what happens. I've got an attorney waiting in the wings for plan B, in case the dealer balks. I he knew this boat had problems when he sold it to me. He knows I've got the resources to give him a real bad time, however, so I believe he'll live up to his word. If he doesn't, its going to cost him much more than returning my money.
The worst part is that this boat looks awesome and would have been perfect for my family.
If anyone knows of any 254 or 264 Funships, or even a 234 for sale within a day's drive from central Indiana, let me know. I'll be in the market again in about a week and a half. That's when I can get this thing back to Kansas to get my refund.
I'm sick over it. Lesson learned. I should have had a mechanic lined up to look it over when I went to pick it up, but circumstances didn't allow it. I took a known and calculated risk, and it didn't work out. If I get the money back, then I won't be too much worse for the wear. If I don't, then there will be an interesting story of a law suit that I'll be able to tell you about when it is done.
Take care, and I'll let you know how it goes, if there's anyone in the Funship section reading about my misery.
I had some big dreams for this boat.