1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Hi guys,

I'm looking for some wisdom. I found a 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta . for sale for $1500.... owner says "Upholstery was redone about 5 years ago. Fish finder. Open bow. Radio. Swim deck on rear. Comes with cover and 2 person towable. Boat and trailer new tags/registration. Runs good, engine is clean. It needs new throttle and shifter cables"

Is this boat worth it (if its as stated)? I'm going ot look at it tomorrow and could use some thoughts on things to look for and opinions on this boat if your willing.

Back ground on me
I am/will be a first time boat owner, trying to get the family on the water to play for the summer wife & 2 kiddos under 8yrs old. I'm very mechanical and not afriad to get dirty and sweat.

89 barretta3.jpg89 barretta2.jpg89 barretta1.jpg89 barretta4.jpg;
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

for 1500 you cant really loose.......even parted out, you could get that.

a 19 with a 4 banger and a vp is a good package.

with the loss of the b2b on the driver side...the kids might fight over seats.....the bow is kinda windy.

but all in all,,,,not a bad package.

possible problem areas are a soft floor.....and a wet transom...

pull open the ski locker, and look for rotten wood under the deck.

but at 1500 that is about the best deal for a 19 you will find.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Looks like a nice deal for $1500. As mentioned, check carefully for rot. ANY soft spots usually indicate bigger trouble below.
 

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Thanks guys for the help, heading to go look at it right noe and I will let you know what I find
 

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Ok fellas, just bought the boat. It needs steering and throttle cables- any suggestions on where to get these and about how much they will cost?
 

The Rooster

Ensign
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
936
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Ok fellas, just bought the boat. It needs steering and throttle cables- any suggestions on where to get these and about how much they will cost?

Thats pretty fast, "Carp", less than 1 hour. Looks good. I don't guess there was time for a water test, but were you able to crank it on muffs ? Shop "iboats.com" for your parts. Good luck !!!
 

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

We were able to crank it on muffs and it ran nice and smooth...... Checked everything out I could without splashing it (tilt, trim, radio, etc) had to move fast because the last two sold real quick.

I'm still looking for the cables, my question is are these boat/motor specific? Or would all these universal (by length) cables work?
 

airdvr1227

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
1,666
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Most definitely motor/drive specific. What combination is in that boat?
 

daveywonder

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Feb 21, 2012
Messages
38
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

As long as the engine runs smooth and up to RPM's, that's a decent price. I buy good used boats that size every 4 or 5 yrs. just to save $ and not worry so much if I get a scratch or two on her, and you will...lol! Engine is EVERYTHING.....Daveywonder
 

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

airdvr - It is a volvo 4cyl and by looing I think it is a 2.5 (red block) gonna check a little deeper into that.....any suggestions where to dig for info?

Davey - yep it ran good and steady all the way up....it already has it share of scratches which are fine for now. We'll get the mechanical ironed out this season and the cosmetics (interior and paint)can be tackled over the winter
 

captmello

Captain
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
3,826
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Does it have a single carb or twin carbs? Pics of the engine and outdrive would help.

Nice to see another Baretta owner on this forum. There is lots of help in the VP i/o section for mechanical help.

Regarding the cables, I replaced my shift cable a couple years ago. Its just a matter of knowing what type of ends the cable s have and their length. I found numbers on my cable, it had the length printed in inches among a bunch of other numbers.
 

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Does it have a single carb or twin carbs? Pics of the engine and outdrive would help.

Nice to see another Baretta owner on this forum. There is lots of help in the VP i/o section for mechanical help.

Regarding the cables, I replaced my shift cable a couple years ago. Its just a matter of knowing what type of ends the cable s have and their length. I found numbers on my cable, it had the length printed in inches among a bunch of other numbers.

It has twin carbs, I plan to get into it a bit this weekend and I'll take some pics to share too. I hope I'm as lucky with the cables as you were because that would make my life easier.

I'll have to check out the vp/io section.... I'm sure I'll need some help before long.
 

captmello

Captain
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
3,826
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

It has twin carbs, I plan to get into it a bit this weekend and I'll take some pics to share too. I hope I'm as lucky with the cables as you were because that would make my life easier.

I'll have to check out the vp/io section.... I'm sure I'll need some help before long.

Twin carbs means you've got either a late version of the AQ151 or a model 250. They are pretty much the same, Volvo just changed their model names right about the time your boat was built. That setup is rated at 146hp. Or possibly, you could have the aq171 aka model 251 which is a dual overhead cam engine that puts out 167hp.

Nice!
 

Maclin

Admiral
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

You will find all the help you need by posting stuff in the Volvo Penta section :)
 

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Ok here some additional pic's. Of the motor/drive...need to identify this for sure.
motor top.jpgDrive side.jpgdrive tag.jpgmotor numbers.jpgmotor right .jpg
 

seizethecarp

Cadet
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
28
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Might have found a couple of issues.....yippie


1. Looks like the transom has a soft spot all the way back under the motor that reaches up about 4-6inches. Its not soft or weak from outside or anywhere else, no flex..... how to fix/patch?
2. Water pipes...... is that caulk?
3. Throttle cable - luckily I think if I loosen the clamp and slide that brass sleeve back down it will stop hanging, maybe??


lower transom inside.jpglower transom outside.jpgthrottle cable .jpgwater pipes.jpg
 

captmello

Captain
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
3,826
Re: 1989 Barretta 18.5 w/ 4cy 120hp volvo penta - Good starter boat?

Yes i think you are correct. the soft transom has made it hard to seal around the transom shield, thus the large amount of caulk around the bottom. The clamp around the cable is clearly an added item. It looks to me like the previous owner was not a "fix it correctly guy, instead, he just tried to make it work...The caulk around the water pump tubes is most likely from someone not wanting to buy the correct seals for those fittings.

I would recommend ending this thread and continuing with your new thread in the i/o section.
 
Top