1000 hours on a malibu????

Found this boat for sale, has 1017 hours. Any serious concerns? Hers the desc.:1996 Malibu Sunsetter LX 350 Mag V8 EFI, 1017 hours, 21’ walk through open bow competition ski boat. Custom Wakeboard Tower with Collapsible oversized Bimini, Loud Liquid wakeboard rack, removable CD Stereo, mid engine, four blade prop, depth gauge, dual batteries with Perko switch, lockable glove box, cooler under jump seat, adjustable driver's seat, tilt steering, storage under front seats, rear seat will sit on floor or in elevated position, 750 pound fat sac with a hidden storage compartment behind rear seat, custom cover, teak swim platform, magnum tandem axel trailer surge brakes and new tires, boat is in great shape inside and out, fresh water only.
$13500

What do u think?? Pics look good also.

I know a guy with over 2000 on a response... still running good

I have about 550 hours on mine, and document everything from new props to oil changes. Just ask to see the maintenance records and request that you take it to a good mechanic to check the transmission and engine before you buy it. Anyone who is serious about selling it should have no problem with that. Also test drive it with someone who knows boats. 13 grand is still a lot of money to buy someone else's problems.

Hows the price he's asking?

Loved my 96 sunsetter, sometimes I wish I had it back...

At 60 miles an hour that's only 61K miles if it were a vehicle.

Check compression in each cylinder, ask for maintenace records. If oil and tranny fluid has been changed regularly, it should be good to go.

JT

At 1000 hours, and $13k I would want to see every maintenence record he has. If he did the work himself, you take the seller at his word. He could be telling you the truth about what has been done and what may need to be done, but he could also just be blowing smoke. Go drive it and if possible, try and take it by a dealer or shop you trust that knows boats for an inspection before buying. The hours aren't really a big deal as long as things have been properly and timely taken care of.

More records of maintenance the better.

sold my 97 at 720 hrs running strong. Always used mobil 1 and did regular service. I got 17500 for mine 13k or less is a good deal if the compression is good.

TXSurf (bac)

You bring up a good point about taking the seller at his word on his own work. I do all my own work, log everything on a spreadsheet, and even have a file where I keep the receipts and scan a copy of them to add to the spreadsheet... At the end of the task I feel like I have done a better and correct job than if I paid someone. But hey I worked as a Sales/Manager in a car repair shop in my younger years so I’ve seen some things…

Anyone think this would be sufficient enough???

wheres it at? Ill buy it. That is a great price. They were asking for about 20k in AZ, maybe a little less. The hours are decent for that year.

Drive it. If it feels good and everything works, then I'd have it checked over by a mechanic. I'd want to get a compression test and have a good look at the spark plugs for signs of oil burning and weak rings. Check the trans fluid, too. Make sure it's been serviced. It should be nice and clean. If it's burnt I'd be concerned.

IMO you can't really compare hours on a boat to miles on a car. My truck is showing 30k on it right now and has 700 hours on the motor. But that's low RPM, easy hours compared to a boat. I'd say the equation would have to equal twice the wear on a boat as a car. They are usually running close to 4k rpms and frequently see full throttle, especially if it was loaded with people or weight. Not that this kind of hours would scare me away, I'm just bringing up a point.

I also know someone that has over 2k hours on a SAN and it still runs/looks great.

thanks guys, only problem is the boat is like 5 hours away. Im gonna talk to the guy more. One more question, how loud is the motor being in the middle of the boat like that?? I really like a smooth quiet ride.

mine is pretty quiet, not loud at all. 5 hrs is not a drive, go get it. (do double check everything) Sounds like a steal. throw some pics up bro.

Sold our 99 Sunsetter LXi with 610 hours and it ran like new!

also just found a 979 sport nautique open bow, good cond. besides a couple seats need to be redone. 750 hours. otherwise seems great.$12999?????

1996 sunsetter 1017 hours

Just hit 1100 on my 98vlx and it runs great

you guys are convincing me to pull the trigger on this one.
it would be my first inboard!!!Thus being so nervous and having lots of questions. always had i/o and know what to expect.

(Message edited by jixxxer on July 11, 2008)

With that motor cover it will be a couple decibles louder than a v drive. A little weight and that thing will put out a nice wake. Score on the bimini

damn that boat looks good, someone redid that interior.

still not many can beat my VLX I got for 16k with 150 hrs a few years ago.

sounds good to me. the only thing that worries me is you said something about that fat sack being in that back storage area behind the seat. that is directly on top of the gas tank and those tanks were not made to handle weight on top of them. it is possible to crush that gas tank with that much weight on it.

besides that...that was my families first inboard boat, ours was a 97, but it was and still would be a great boat if it hadnt been run aground at lake mead a year ago. we typically ran about 4000 pounds in sacks and lead and it ran like a champ. had about 800 hours before the accident

I got 860-some hours on the DeathStar, changed the oil every 50 with mobil 1, trans fluid every 100 and keep it dry and clean. Runs like a champ.

Also, I hardly ever have a need to run it WOT, its probably done between 23 and 25 mph for 750 hours and the rest is idling around for pick-ups or docking.

If the boats taken care of and the price is right, hook it up.

I'm pushing 700 hrs on my 96 VLX (Monsoon 320). The 350 Mag EFI is a Mercruiser multi-port injected, right? Those did have some vapor lock issues IIRC, but I'm pretty sure you can retrofit the in-tank booster pump which will cure it. With that amount of hours, though, the booster upgrade has probably already been done.

You really don't have to start thinking about a rebuild on these motors until you're pushing 2000 hrs. I'm pretty sure I've heard of some ski school boats going near 4000 before a rebuild.

Mine has given me zero problems since I got it in 01 with about 220 hrs on it. It had a little bit of a rough idle when I pulled it out of storage this year, but it cleared up with some Seafoam. I replaced the plugs for the first time ever, and the old ones were a perfect shade of tan.

The rest of the boat is holding up great as well. I also really like the simplicity of all the big 3 brands from the mid to late '90's. They are just really well built, no-nonsense, reliable boats.

Ive got 1100 on my malibu response. Still runs ok.

trace, what method did you use for the seafoam ? Just in the tank or did you do something more ?

Two cans on a full tank. You got a smokin deal on your rig.

My team has an 01 response lx with somewhere in teh neighborhood of 4-5000 hrs on it. Horrible maintenace. Since i've been around, with regular service, oil changes, etc, it runs like a champ.