On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 08:44:10 -0400, Peter Orban
wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I am looking at a '86 of the above boat in our neighborhood that is on
sale. The boat has the OMC Cobra out drive with the 4.3l V6 engine. The
seller is asking C$8k.
Any opinion on the boat, good or bad?

The boat looks clean and maintained from the outside.

This is what I learned from the seller: The seller is the second owner
for the last 7 or so years.
He claims to be a mechanic and working on his boat himself and he says
that the boat is running well and does not have any mechanical problems.
He did not know the actual hours on the boat, but he claims to have used
the boat little. The exhaust manifolds, bellows, water pump impeller (if
there is one on the out drive) have not been replaced by him. The boat
was only used in freshwater (Ontario).
He claimed the motor to have 180 HP and the boat 50 mph max. speed (both
sounds too good?). He did not know the fuel consumption and the size of
the fuel tank.
The boat is on a dual axis trailer with no brakes. The aluminum prop had
lots of small nicks.

Looking around the net, I could not find much on the boat itself (at
least Doral is still around), the engine seems to have good reputation,
while the drive seems to have had its problems.

If I decide to consider this boat seriously, I will have it surveyed by
a marine surveyor.
I am just wondering that with the age of the boat, and the apparent lack
of preventive maintenance, if some of the components/mechanicals would
need replacement/overhaul soon.

Any comments appreciated!

Thanks, Peter

As to the "used the boat little". Many things on a boat go bad from
lack of use, not use. Waterpump impellors for one unless carefully
lubed.
Mark E. Williams

Don't know much about the boat itself, but as to the 4.3l V6, the
power/speed may be accurate. I have an 18' Regal with a 4.3l Volvo V6 and
they advertise it as 190hp. On smooth water it will top out at just under
55mph, which I have verified with a GPS that tracks speed.

On a boat of that age make sure you check the deck out closely. If it is
wood covered with fiberglass look for soft spongy areas which would indicate
the wood is rotting and may need to be replaced. I went through this a
couple years ago when a friend of my wife's got divorce. She had bought the
family boat and it was in her name. It sat for 2 years uncovered and unused
so she gave it to us. I thought it just needed a deck replacement, but once
the deck was off. the 4x4 with the forward engine mounts was completely
rotten as well, all the stringers were wood and gone, the entire foam fill
was water logged, etc. If I didn't know better I would have thought the boat
had been capsized.

"Maynard G. Krebbs" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 08:44:10 -0400, Peter Orban
wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I am looking at a '86 of the above boat in our neighborhood that is on
sale. The boat has the OMC Cobra out drive with the 4.3l V6 engine. The
seller is asking C$8k.
Any opinion on the boat, good or bad?

The boat looks clean and maintained from the outside.

This is what I learned from the seller: The seller is the second owner
for the last 7 or so years.
He claims to be a mechanic and working on his boat himself and he says
that the boat is running well and does not have any mechanical problems.
He did not know the actual hours on the boat, but he claims to have used
the boat little. The exhaust manifolds, bellows, water pump impeller (if
there is one on the out drive) have not been replaced by him. The boat
was only used in freshwater (Ontario).
He claimed the motor to have 180 HP and the boat 50 mph max. speed (both
sounds too good?). He did not know the fuel consumption and the size of
the fuel tank.
The boat is on a dual axis trailer with no brakes. The aluminum prop had
lots of small nicks.

Looking around the net, I could not find much on the boat itself (at
least Doral is still around), the engine seems to have good reputation,
while the drive seems to have had its problems.

If I decide to consider this boat seriously, I will have it surveyed by
a marine surveyor.
I am just wondering that with the age of the boat, and the apparent lack
of preventive maintenance, if some of the components/mechanicals would
need replacement/overhaul soon.

Any comments appreciated!

Thanks, Peter

As to the "used the boat little". Many things on a boat go bad from
lack of use, not use. Waterpump impellors for one unless carefully
lubed.
Mark E. Williams