New to the forum, opinions on Crownline 196br

94formy

Recruit
Joined
May 1, 2014
Messages
2
I'm new to the forum although I have been lurking for a couple years reading posts and researching different boats. Our last boat was a 1972 Slickcraft SS204 with the OMC electric shift stern drive (aka problem causer). Dad bought it in 74' and we got rid of it about 13 years ago after the lower unit went out again, so I have been out of the boat business for awhile. I have looked at different older boats over the years, Sea Rays, Centuries, even a Mark Twain but all of them had your typical older boat problems, soft spots in the floor, needing upholstery work, the list goes on. I came across the chance to buy a newer boat (by my standards) a 1994 Crownline 196br. The boat has a 5.0 with the Mercruiser alfa one outdrive. Has a stainless steel prop with a, what I call a whale tale, on the outdrive. Has 250 hours on it with paperwork in hand. Has been stored covered on a covered boat lift during the season then covered and stored inside during the off season. Comes with a tandem axle prestige trailer with good tires and lights. The boat is on its 2nd owner and I have known of the boat for about 12 years as well as know the current owner very well. According to the owner the only thing it needs to go to the lake besides serviced is a solenoid for the trim motor. 3 or 4 years ago the transom was rebuilt by a reputable boat and fiberglass shop. Information about this boat is limited online so I figured I'd ask the experts what they knew about it. Anything particular to Crownlines that I need to look for? What is a fair price to pay for a boat of this age, book value and what people are asking for boats seems to be quite a bit different. I would probably only get to use the boat 4 or 5 times a year so it won't be getting a ton of hours on it. Thanks in advance for the replies and I look forward to getting more information from you guys.
 

Natesms

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 8, 2012
Messages
464
Re: New to the forum, opinions on Crownline 196br

I have a 1992 crownline 196 BR and it's a great boat. It's a bit wider than most, you sit down in the cockpit a little deeper than most which keeps you out of the wind. My family has had a boat (or boats) for the last 30 years and this is probably our favorite runabout. I have the 5.7 Liter in mine which provides all the power I need, I think the 5.0 should be ok as well.

That said, brand doesn't really matter once you get to this age, it's all about condition. Read the link at the top of the forum for a boat buying checklist.

The transom rebuild - that's your biggest concern. I had to do the floors and all that in mine, like many boats of this era they rot out. If it is truly solid and you have proof of the reputable work done then you might have something. I also had the rear bench and bow seats rot out. Those were easy DIY fixes. Be careful on the trim as well, that stuff gets expensive quick.

Price is subjective. Depends on where you are. With a good trailer and being turn-key (this one isn't) where I live $5K ish if it's in good shape.
 

94formy

Recruit
Joined
May 1, 2014
Messages
2
Re: New to the forum, opinions on Crownline 196br

Thanks for the reply. I have looked the boat over pretty close and the floor appears to be solid as well as the area around the motor. The interior does show a little age in a couple spots but very minimal, I would give it an 8 out of 10. I probabally should have been more specific about the trim solenoid being out. When you go to raise the out drive out of the water or put it down it just clicks like a stuck solenoid (according to the owner). I guess I'm not too familiar with mercruisers so I just assumed the trim motor was what performed that function. There is paperwork for the transom rebuild although I need to look at it closer and maybe talk to the company that did it to make sure that everything forward of that was good, seems to me like if the transom needed redone then its likely that the stringers and such would have rot in them as well. I could be wrong though, I'm new to this.
 

Natesms

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 8, 2012
Messages
464
Re: New to the forum, opinions on Crownline 196br

It's very possible that the stringers were rotten as well. Hopefully if they went through all the work of the transom they replaced everything that was bad. In my boat the middle - rear section was what was rotted. There was actually a lot of good wood in there so they might not have had to do the entire thing. I had no reason to pull the wood from the front seats up other than to just get it done while I was in there.

It is an older boat, so don't expect to get 20 years out of it without doing another restore. If the price is right, you can probably get a good boat with several years of use left in her.
 
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