www.iFourWinns.com

Hi All - I am new to this forum and was looking for a little input. I am just getting back into boating after a 25 year absence and am considering a 1994 258 Vista with 640 hrs on it. (my last boat was an 84 Checkmate with twin 125 outboards)Interior is as clean as a whistle. The owner is asking just under 20K. Can anyone share any likes, dislikes, pro's or con's I should be aware of.

Thanks
Mark

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Previous
1984 Checkmate - Twin 125HP Merc's
1967 Starcraft Holiday - 40HP Johnson

Check for any leaking in the port lites. Known issue with mid to late 90's 258's. What engine and drive does it have? OMC ?

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Yes, an OMC 5.7 Cobra.

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Previous
1984 Checkmate - Twin 125HP Merc's
1967 Starcraft Holiday - 40HP Johnson

Welcome

Be careful when looking at the drive....

If it looks like this:


You are OK since parts are still available since this is essentially a Volvo Penta SX unit. The tell tale factor is the hump at the top of the housing. I think the 20K price is way over the top. $12K (no trailer)-15K is more reasonable.

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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

Thanks for the pricing info. Does the other drive have a different shape to the hump? Rounder? If parts are scarce for the OMC drives I guess the only option is to completely replace them? Edit - I did some research and found out you were explaining it right, I was just reading it wrong. The hump is what I want to see, which indicates a Volvo-style "cone clutch". If it's flat on top then it's the dreaded Dog-clutch style.
I have to thank you for the "Stern Drive 101" lesson.

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Previous
1984 Checkmate - Twin 125HP Merc's
1967 Starcraft Holiday - 40HP Johnson

I would be very careful with a 17 year-old motor, especially if it's raw water cooled and has been in salt. The hours are not a big deal, it's age you should be concerned with. If it's been in fresh water or is FWC, then it may still have plenty of life in it if it's been well cared for. I agree, the price seems way high.

Yes, it has been strictly in fresh water. It's at a marina on Lake Simcoe. The dealer did email me back yesterday and corrected the hours. He got mixed up between the 258 and a Sunrunner we had inquired about. The hours are 320. I'm not sure if it makes a big difference but I do agree that the pricing is quite high.

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Previous
1984 Checkmate - Twin 125HP Merc's
1967 Starcraft Holiday - 40HP Johnson

1994 was the first year of a joint venture between Volvo and OMC. The drive, on your perspective boat, should be a Volvo Sx with a cone clutch. I have them on my boat and they are excellent. If the boat has a 5.0L Ford, I have 1100 hrs on mine. I am a big fan of FW boats, they are stylish and very seaworthy. Make sure the boat is dry, if the bilge is wet when it is in the water then there is a problem. On both FW boats I had, the transom seals were a problem.

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Current Boat: 1994 278 Four Winns Vista

Thanks for all the info guys. I'm going to be looking at the boat tomorrow......with all my new found knowledge.

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Previous
1984 Checkmate - Twin 125HP Merc's
1967 Starcraft Holiday - 40HP Johnson

Well, what's the verdict? Did you buy her at a reduced price?

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

Post a pic of what the drive looks like. A 94 boat may have a 93 model year drivetrain in it which would be a pure OMC Cobra. The pic Mark posted it the rare, cone clutch OMC designed drive, the parts for them are hard to find. Look at a pic of a Volvo SX, if it looks like that, then it's a joint venture OMC and it is the same as the Volvo. If looks like the pic above DO NOT buy it. I'd rather have a dog clutch OMC than that one, most parts for the dog clutch models are still out here, no so for the very rare cone clutch OMCs......

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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

Haven't been able to get up to Orillia to see the boat yet. The day I was supposed to we got squalls in from Georgian Bay, then the dealer went on a cruise. He just got back on the weekend so hopefully can get up there this weekend.
Now just to clear up a bit of confusion, if the drive looks like the one in the pic that millhaven_nice_guy posted I should walk away? I understood him to say that would be the prefered drive.

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Previous
1984 Checkmate - Twin 125HP Merc's
1967 Starcraft Holiday - 40HP Johnson

I am confused also... The drive I posted a picture of is off the 1993 Vista 245 I bought a couple of years ago. I thought it was the good drive since it is essentially the Cobra SX before it got painted silver and labelled as such. LouC is the resident expert on the OMC drives so i have to leave his opinion as correct. I thought the flat top OMC's were the bad ones to have...If it had a hump then you were alright. My understanding is that the older Cobra drives that came with the 4545 and 460 engines are the ones to stay away from.
We really need a complete picture tutorial to differentiate all the drives and describe/rate them accordingly.
Here's a Cobra SX-- looks similar to what I posted

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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

Here's a website I have come across before that tries to explain pre 1993 OMC drives
http://www.hastings.org/~stuart/cobra/

Here's where we will start to get into trouble....



So without some concrete images of exactly what these two look like there will be confusion.

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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

Hmmmmm OK, I think I may have it now.
If it's a black drive without the hump, it's a regular Cobra dog clutch.
If it's black with a hump, and says "King Cobra" it's a pure OMC cone clutch (stay away from)
If it's silver with a hump, and says Cobra SX it's a joint venture cone clutch

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Previous
1984 Checkmate - Twin 125HP Merc's
1967 Starcraft Holiday - 40HP Johnson