Muskieman Posted February 12, 2014 Report Posted February 12, 2014 I'm about to pull the trigger on a new to me boat ... 2007 Alumacraft 165 Dominator Sport / 2007 Merc 115 Opti Max... the boat is in excellent condition comes with a camper top , new 24V Minn Kota , safety gear and a Lowrance GPS plotter, 12,500.00... Does anyone here run a similar set up , what should I watch out for and what should I expect ? I have a week to make up my mind. Thanks gang ! Randy
Cosmos Posted February 12, 2014 Report Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) Randy, Take a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyk14Qkrl1Q It's a review of bigger one - 185 Dominator, should be not much different from yours. Alumacraft are awesome boats. Edited February 12, 2014 by Costa
porkpie Posted February 12, 2014 Report Posted February 12, 2014 Sounds quite reasonable, and a helluva boat! PM me if you pass on it please, I have a friend that is looking right now LOL, good luck!!
lookinforwalleye Posted February 12, 2014 Report Posted February 12, 2014 I had a Navigator model and it was great...don`t know what made me sell it to buy a bass boat!!!
captpierre Posted February 12, 2014 Report Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) good boat, fair motor, great price IMO trailer? Edited February 12, 2014 by captpierre
Muskieman Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Posted February 12, 2014 I have friends that own them , they speak highly of the brand , I had a choice between a comparable Polarkraft / Yamaha and an Express /Suzuki , I didn't like that they came with a 90 , although the fit and finish was nicer than the Alumacraft , buying a riveted boat has become difficult , thanks for the input ..
Muskieman Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Posted February 12, 2014 Yes , comes with a matching trailer
BillM Posted February 13, 2014 Report Posted February 13, 2014 Alumacraft are killer boats, can't go wrong, especially with a 115 mill on the back!
moxie Posted February 13, 2014 Report Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) Disengage the safety and PULL THE TRIGGER!!!! WHATCHA WAITIN' FOR?!?!?! Not a merc fan but given the year, brand of hull, Hp's and options it's more than fair value as long as it all checks out. Edited February 13, 2014 by moxie
irishfield Posted February 13, 2014 Report Posted February 13, 2014 Great boat... make it conditional on Giesler Marine going over the motor before money changes hands. Be well worth the $300 or so spent for a couple hours in their shop.
Old Ironmaker Posted February 13, 2014 Report Posted February 13, 2014 Do a leak test on it besides running the engine.
irishfield Posted February 13, 2014 Report Posted February 13, 2014 I don't think the local YMCA would be too happy with Randy floating her in their pool...
wormdunker Posted February 13, 2014 Report Posted February 13, 2014 Hey Randy, There's an Aluma craft dealer in Sudbury if you wanted to do a comparison to a new one. I was impressed with Aluma craft but went with my Lund - no regrets on the Lund.
Old Ironmaker Posted February 14, 2014 Report Posted February 14, 2014 Put a hose in the bilge and run the water. It's tough this time of year but wouldn't buy a boat without doing it. When I was looking 2 boats leaked that I was considering. Bad leaks.
Steve Posted February 14, 2014 Report Posted February 14, 2014 when i bought my boat in the winter, i put a deposit of 50%, cash, then left the boat at the sellers until march when we could put it in some water. i wanted to see it float, no leaks, and see the engine run. it all did....and i paid the next half. all worked out.
spincast Posted February 15, 2014 Report Posted February 15, 2014 X2 to what Wayne & Steve said. Compression test, look over and a sea trial on soft water. Did it with mine 4 years ago and have been flawless so far. If the seller has nothing to worry about he'll take the deal. If he hums and haws, well, that'll maybe be a hint something isn't quite what it should be? Hope it works out for ya. Post few pics once the deal's signed.
Andy Posted February 15, 2014 Report Posted February 15, 2014 I have a 2006 90 hp Optimax. It's been a great engine for me. I'll give a rundown of repairs I've had to make over the years. 1. I forget what it was called (cars have them too, or used to, each cylinder has one), but it I had a resistor/solenoid or something similar replaced a couple years ago, it was an electrical problem. I think there was a recall for it. I've only had one replaced, the rest were tested and still good. It was not an expensive fix. 2. A compressor belt blew up. I didn't even know it existed until it went. It was not an expensive fix. 3. Impellor changed out once. It was working fine, I just felt it was time to change it out. 4. The seal in front of prop needed replaced. I hit a rock one summer with the prop and that fall I noticed the lower end oil looked a little milky. Is the prop in good shape? I'm obviously no mechanic, but if I were buying your engine, I would consider having a mechanic look over these possible issues before the season starts. Good luck, Andy.
Dutch Posted February 17, 2014 Report Posted February 17, 2014 I would never buy a boat without being able to water test it and have it gone over by a good mech. Winter sale combined with a quick decision and a boat that seems to be priced very well - something seems off.
fishindevil Posted February 17, 2014 Report Posted February 17, 2014 Great boat... make it conditional on Giesler Marine going over the motor before money changes hands. Be well worth the $300 or so spent for a couple hours in their shop. just like what Wayne said !!!!' Well worth the $300 and be worry free and piece of mind and then you will be happy and no more wondering if you made the right decision .... It's a no brainier man !!!!
Muskieman Posted February 17, 2014 Author Report Posted February 17, 2014 It's coming from my local Alumacraft dealer , he'll make sure it's water ready ,and even offered to keep it in storage until ice out at no extra charge , Why so cheap ? It's a repo ( divorce thing ) and I know the previous owner well .
woodenboater Posted February 17, 2014 Report Posted February 17, 2014 A friend's repo ? he's going to be REAL happy seeing you in that boat come spring lol
BillM Posted February 17, 2014 Report Posted February 17, 2014 First trip in your 'new' boat with the previous owner will be interesting.
LesCulpJr Posted February 17, 2014 Report Posted February 17, 2014 Sounds like a nice rig:) Like others have said just make sure you get the motor looked at. If the guy is a dealer he should have no problem printing you off a report from the engines computer which will show everything the motor has been subject to (overheating, coil or injector issues etc.) There can be issues there that the prev. owner did not even know about. A compression check is also always a must when buying anything with a used motor. Can be a god idea as well to see if the seller will offer some kind of limited warranty (i.e. cover some of the cost of any unforseen major repairs). FYI An engine diagnostic with compression check should cost no where near 300 bux . About 150 actually should you not require any fluids or parts
Muskieman Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Posted February 20, 2014 Well , we've decided to not pull the trigger quite yet , we've found a house on the river that comes with a 20' Pontoon 4 Kayaks and a paddleboat a few more weeks will tell .
Roy Posted February 20, 2014 Report Posted February 20, 2014 Good move, mon ami. Bad = buy fast and pay long. Good = save slow and buy right.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now