looking at an 89 180. Need advice.

clerick44 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:32 pm **Posts:** 2

I'm in the market for a boat that the kids and I can spend time on. I'm hoping to teach them some new skills as well as show them the pride that comes with a job well done and enjoy the fruits of their labor. That being said I don't want something that will be a continuous nightmare or too daunting a project.

I ran across an 89 FW 180 Horizon that seems to fit the bill. Pictures show that there is work to do but nothing major (as far as a picture will show). It has a 4.3 OMC Cobra I/O. Definitely needs some TLC but the seller is asking a very low price with a bunk trailer included.

I'm looking for pro's and con's for this model. Specific areas to look out for. I've heard the OMC's can be hard to find parts for and/or very expensive when you do. Motor swaps are ok with me.

Thanks in advance.

GottWhat · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:56 pm

Buying a boat in good working order that was well cared for that might cost a bit more money without the need of a lot of TLC might save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run. My parents went through this not long ago and their $3,500 boat quickly turned into a $7,000 boat after expenses. They would have been better off buying a $5,000 to $7,000 to begin with.

Regardless, good luck!

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:37 pm

Honestly I'd keep looking, and get something newer, with a power plant from a company still in business. I like my OMC, I actually prefer it to a Merc, because certain maintenance jobs are actually easier (bellows, impeller) and when set up right it shifts better. But it is hard to find a tech who knows how to set them up and the dog clutch model (86-93) has not been made in over 20 years. But for a new boater, I'd stick with whatever is easiest to get serviced where you are located.
Another thought in a boat that size is an outboard powered boat, but one with a newer 4 stroke engine. They are lighter, perform better, safer, but certain repairs can be more expensive. For my use at least an outboard is superior, there is no way I'd get another I/O and I learned how to do just about everything on this one, including the tricky shift cable adjustment (can do it in about 45 min now..)
The other thing about old boats, is that they are really wood/fiberglass composite. That means that the wood coring in the deck, stringers, and transom can rot and then you are in a huge repair (did the deck replacement and stringer repair).
You don't want to have to do that trust me.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v24fgzc4yvwm6 ... 8%20FW.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g1rnp0kl1gqpz ... itting.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c6vzzl6er8h59 ... mounts.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ds48pon6ov5tzvw/Boat%201.jpg

It was a LOT of work....

rpengr · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:28 pm

I am partial, but I really like the Horizons in the 1996 to early 2000 range for style, price, handling, and you can find them with the Volvo SX drive.

Late 80's boats: you are looking at fairly high chance of rot in the floor and stringers. Very expensive repair.
Late 90's boats: you could also have serious problems if not cared for properly, but much more likely to find one in decent condition.

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:37 pm

There are a couple of aspects of the older boats I do like better, one is simple design, easier to remove rear seats etc for maintenance, the other is that the 'glass lay up on the hull is definitely thicker, I have noticed the difference in new boats at the boat shows, the hulls seem to flex more.
Buy the newest thing you can afford in the best condition. Even things like re-doing seats etc gets expensive.

ric · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2014 7:59 pm

Don't want a lot of work? Buy a boat made at or newer than the year 2000.

clerick44 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:32 pm **Posts:** 2

I really am torn on this. The point of the boat IS the work to get it ship-shape. A bonding experience of sorts. Put it in the garage and get to work fixing what needs fixing and come out next spring with something that we did as a family and enjoy the heck out of it. The fact that the engine manufacturer is gone worries me a bit but for $1000 boat and trailer how much headache am I willing to put up with? That's what I'm stuck on.

I'm confident enough in my abilities that I'm certain that most or all of the work can be done by me of under my supervision so the expense of mechanics etc shouldn't be needed. I need just enough work to make it a challange but not so much that it becomes discouraging. I hope that makes sense.

Thank you again.

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Jul 03, 2014 11:54 am

Did you look at my pix, those are my '88 H-200...the deck was rotted and so were the stringers. This is NOT a fun family project, I'd put fiberglass repairs in the toxic waste category of jobs. Unhealthy dust, using dangerous tools, resins that you can get allergic to, etc. I did a fair part of this myself and at the time my son was about 10-11 years old no way I was letting him get near that mess. Tyvec suit, series 6000 3M respirator. That's if there's rot. If the boat is solid, well then you could have lot of other stuff do to. As far as parts availability, you can get most of the parts you would need, but the one piece exhaust manifolds are NLA (there is a conversion kit out there to a 2 piece design), some of the drive parts are hard to find but the ones you'd typically have to replace are out there. Then there is the tricky Cobra shift cable adjustment, which I taught myself to do (using the 3 OMC tools that make it much easier) but many shops have no idea how to adjust these and the younger guys working now, most have not ever worked on a Cobra.
Firstly,
Check the boat VERY carefully for rot. The deck, ski locker, seat mounts, engine mount stringers and whatever of the transom from the inside that you can see. The problem with these is the lousy construction. If you build a boat with plywood cored decks, then put a thin skim coat of 'glass over it, cover it with carpet that holds moisture, drill holes that are not filled to mount seats, that is a perfect recipe for rot. The rot starts wherever a hole was drilled and the carpet (which has no place in an open boat) holds the moisture there so the rot can start. You will notice my boat has no carpet on the deck at all, only that small piece in the bow that I did not have to replace. If its carpeted it never dries out.

rpengr · **Posted:** Thu Jul 03, 2014 12:11 pm

clerick44 wrote:

I really am torn on this. The point of the boat IS the work to get it ship-shape. A bonding experience of sorts. Put it in the garage and get to work fixing what needs fixing and come out next spring with something that we did as a family and enjoy the heck out of it. The fact that the engine manufacturer is gone worries me a bit but for $1000 boat and trailer how much headache am I willing to put up with? That's what I'm stuck on.

I'm confident enough in my abilities that I'm certain that most or all of the work can be done by me of under my supervision so the expense of mechanics etc shouldn't be needed. I need just enough work to make it a challange but not so much that it becomes discouraging. I hope that makes sense.

Thank you again.

I would not worry about the fact that it is OMC. Pretty much any part is available for the OMC Cobra through aftermarket sources like Sierra and GLN, and the prices are not unreasonable. Some parts are interchangeable with Volvo. You just might need a forum like this one to tell you where to look.

If the boat is structurally sound, then you might be getting what you are looking for. Anything can be fixed on the engine and outdrive.

The items that are big money are: Rebuilding a rotted floor or stringers or transom ($3000+). Also, having all the upholstery re-made is expensive ($2000+), unless you can do that work yourself. Another big item is the trailer...if it is a Four Winns Painted Steel trailer, then they rust from the inside out. Painted trailer might be in sorry shape even if it doesn't look that bad. If the items in this paragraph don't scare you, then go for it.

Experience tells us that the money you put into an old boat will never come back to you. Only spend what is worth it to you for your own usage of the next few years. The math is something like this... Buy at $1500 boat, put $3000 into it...sell it for $2000 if your lucky.

www.iFourWinns.com

looking at an 89 180. Need advice.

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