is a four winns horizon 200, yr 2000 a good boat?

Leardriver

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Oct 7, 2008
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Nobody used the phrase "used up." I like newer, lower hours better than well used higher hours, regardless of how excellent the maintenance is.
​Boat prices are tanking, and will hit a low before Christmas. Patience is your friend.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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560 hours on a 17 year old boat is low hours. that is only 33 hours per year. average hours would be 850 - 1700 hours.

to make a comment on boat prices tanking as a blanket statement is also false. boat prices in Florida just risen as we get into "snowbird" season. In Iowa, there is probably another few weeks prior to all boat ads running out since it is end of season. time for snowmobiles
 

Leardriver

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Oct 7, 2008
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Boat prices where there is a non-boatable winter have tanking prices every year at this time. No need to twist words or come up with a rare exception when you would make the same statement. I watch boat prices every day of the year, and am a lifetime cheapskate/bargain hunter.

If the OP would like help finding a great boat, just say so, and I will help him.
 

jwilkey84

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Jun 26, 2005
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524
I would LOVE help. But it must be under $10k, not too far from Iowa, have a v8, and be 19-21' long with a swing away tongue to fit in my garage, no back to back seating 😊 Thanks
 

bruceb58

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Mar 5, 2006
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and be 19-21' long with a swing away tongue to fit in my garage
This boat will likely not fit if you are trying to get it into a garage. Maybe if you take the drive off. How deep is your garage?
 

jwilkey84

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Jun 26, 2005
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I'm not home now but garage is like 24'I think. That's why the removable four winns tongue is nice
 

bruceb58

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I'm not home now but garage is like 24'I think. That's why the removable four winns tongue is nice
Many garages get built 20' x 20' around here so just wondering. You have enough height? That actually could be a bigger issue.
 

jwilkey84

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Jun 26, 2005
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I'm waiting for a Bargain boat, Leardriver. I did not go buy this one today. I'm too busy and will be busy for a couple weeks. So you have time to find me the perfect boat!
 

superbenk

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Oct 27, 2008
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I'm waiting for a Bargain boat, Leardriver. I did not go buy this one today. I'm too busy and will be busy for a couple weeks. So you have time to find me the perfect boat!

Curious why you ended up not buying it?
 

jwilkey84

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Jun 26, 2005
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I just don't have time to go look at it till I get back from Colorado in 10 days. We had family in town all weekend and the seller was gone as well; except for late in the day. We are gonna do it in the daylight so we can take it out and drive it etc. So I guess if it's still for sale in 10 days I'll go look at it. At this point boating season is over in Iowa so as long as it doesn't get too cold at night and the seller doesn't winterize it; I guess time doesn't matter. If it sells.....as my wife tells me....there will always be another "good" deal. And I guess she's right but this boat seems to fit the profile of everything I think I want.
 

bruceb58

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Don't fall in love with one boat. Keep your eyes open. When I bought my Wellcraft, I wasn't even looking for that exact boat and I ended up looking at it on a whim. Ended up getting it WAY below NADA. It was off season in CA but in not as off season as it is in Iowa.
 

jkust

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Aug 2, 2008
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So many good comments here. You asked how you know when someone is talking TBI or MPI...well if it is a small block v8 or a v6, a 2002 and newer engine will be MPI. MPI was around in the big block v8's for several years prior. Having moved from Carb to now MPI on my current boat, MPI is the bees knees (having just returned from England, I can say that for another day or two). I won't ever own a carb again even if you gave the boat to me but said I couldn't sell it. People love them for their simplicity and inexpensive repairs...I am not in that camp.

On the hours comments, as I am in MN, and it is not uncommon to have ultra low hour boats because summer is 3 months long, less rain, less kids activities, less busy schedule, less wife/husband doesn't want to boat that day, less you were sick, less you didn't feel like boating, less you mostly just floated that day, and boats get used consistently but many times have low hours. My take is I will seek out the lowest hour boat in the closest thing to new condition as is possible for the lowest amount of money. Fall only makes that mission easier up until all the boats go into storage. That of course is regional and MN tends to already have higher prices for used boats anyway. The hours on a boat don't just affect the engine but the wear and tear on the rest of it....of course as mentioned, someone could have low hours because they just floated all the time....doubtful but possible. My current boat that I just bought this past spring had 330 hours on it which was about 130 more than I had hoped for. People will call me crazy but it is my paradigm. When you start to get picky and very specific about what you want and you have an exact list that you won't deviate from, you have to start to acquiesce on the low hours so you can get the rest of your list.
 

Leardriver

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Oct 7, 2008
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I would enjoy helping you find a boat that makes you happy. It can be a fun challenge, and finding a nice boat at a great price is worthy endeavor..
​PM me and we can discuss your criteria, price range, how far you are willing to drive, etc
I just spent 4 month researching skid steers, educating myself on pricing, and bought one 2000 miles away. Shoveling snow is for people with better knees.
 

jwilkey84

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Jun 26, 2005
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So the bad news is that the boAt owner already had his boat winterized...the good news is he told me to keep his number and come look at the boat in the spring! So the way I see it, he is storing the boat for the winter while I shop around a bit more! I think I will go and see the boat and check it out, just not drive it at this point. Heck if he'll store it all winter for me and still give me the same price in the spring it's a good deal. Leardriver...ill pm you when I get more time maybe in the next day or so
 

Slip Away

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May 11, 2010
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Should be less expensive in the spring, it is already another year older. Not a good deal at the same price 6 months later. Keep looking.
 

Lou C

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F/W makes a good boat, I have owned mine for almost 15 years and its nearly 30 years old now. For a boat that size they ride well, due to the steep deadrise and the hull is stable in rough water. With a boat that age , the first thing I'd do is check for rot and other hull damage, if it checks out then look at the mechanicals. For checking for rot, I would look it over well and look for cracks:
On the outer transom round the transom mount
On the inner transom mount in the engine compartment
On the engine mount stringers which are usually wood
Inside the ski locker, often you can take a bright led flashlight and a mirror and look all round in there, as far up as you can see, for dark spots on any wood you can see. On the deck, first make sure there is nothing sharp around to cut your feet. Then take off your shoes and walk around on the deck, springing up and down, see if it flexes anywhere. Flexing is a sign of rot in plywood cored decks. And keep in mind, even if it has a full fiberglass liner, it is likely cored with plywood. While this is much better than a wood cored deck with carpet glued on it (the absolute WORST construction you can have do NOT buy a boat built like that) you can still have rot if the boat's cover leaked and it was stored in a damp climate. Then grab the seats and see if you can flex them, look at the deck while doing that. If they are loose, or the deck flexes a bit when you do that, there could be rot. Look all around the underside of the hull, along the strakes, etc for stress cracks, this can be evidence of weakness (rot) in the hull stringers.

If it passes all these tests, do a water test and mechanical inspection. I'd rather do mechanical work any day, than fix rot in a wood cored fiberglass boat. I had to do that on my '88 and while it came out good, never again! That was 10 years ago and its still solid now. It had the lousy glued on carpet, I had to replace the deck and some of the stringers, from the helm seats to the engine compartment. When I put in the new deck in, I had the deck gelcoated in non skid gelcoat, and threw all that carpet away. Then sealed every single hole drilled to mount seats. That's how you make a wood cored deck last. Sealed holes, no carpet so it dries out.
 
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Lou C

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Nov 10, 2002
Messages
11,803
old floor.jpg fitting new deck .JPG


Here are some pix of the resto, you can see in the pic of the old deck the rot plainly started around the holes for the pedestal mount.
This was done between 2005-2006 was finished in 2007.




foam in.jpg 8-2007 110.JPG
 

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