need expert advice please

I am new to boating, have never owned one, but recently acquired one that is in worse shape than I thought.

Its a very long story & wont bore you with it, but the boat doesn't have an outdrive. I would have never taken possession of it if I had known, I thought it was in storage, truth comes out that it is not to be found.

The block was cracked, so the engine was taken apart & a used 4.3 truck block was acquired to build back. The guy went through a divorce & everything got stored, engine dismantled, and outdrive obviously got carried away through the years.

It's a 92 Sunbird Corsair. The boat interior is complete, just needs some TLC, floor is in great shape, no rotted spots. Body is great. All the engine parts are here, manifolds, marine heads, etc...and have a 4.3 truck block to replace the cracked marine one.

But the complete OMC Cobra outdrive is gone, upper & lower unit. I don't know boating lingo all that well, so I was hoping some of you experienced guys could help me figure if it was worth trying to find a used one & rebuild it, or a lost cause. I hear they are kinda hard to find. I dont know which ones will interchange, or anything like that.

Since I have $0 invested in the boat, and the body is in good shape, what do I need to do to determine if it's worth sinking any money into?

Thanks to anyone who can chime in with advice

Re: need expert advice please

Yes, they are hard to find,,,
even if U do find one(used), they are expensive.
I've seen them go from 1000~1500 on CL.
Great opportunity to slap a new SEI conversion.

Re: need expert advice please

see, I dont know this terminolgy, what is a SEI conversion?

Re: need expert advice please

http://www.sterndrive.cc/

Re: need expert advice please

so this is just a company that makes new outdrives? Looks like $1,500 is the goin' price. That seems cheap. You cant usually find a used OMC for that price. What am I missing?

Re: need expert advice please

The rest of the parts you need:
http://www.sterndrive.cc/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9D-116&Category_Code=Cobra

Re: need expert advice please

Ok, say even $2,000. Is this gonna be better than buying a reman OMC, or a used OMC & rebuilding? Also, please realize I have nothing, just the housing thing back there with the 2 struts, thats it. I will take some pics tomorrow & post to show you guys what I'm dealing with.

I really do appreciate the help & suggestions guys.

Is this boat you think worth sinking $3,000 into?

The engine is completely disassembled, I have to rebuid it, then replace who knows what. Like I said, its solid, the floor is solid as can be, which surprised me, because it sat in a field for about 5 years. cosmetic stuff doesn't matter, seat upholstery, etc...I just dont want to sink a ton into it if its not worth it

Re: need expert advice please

bump

Re: need expert advice please

Is this boat you think worth sinking $3,000 into?

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Nope...

Re: need expert advice please

No way.

Re: need expert advice please

so how much would a 92 corsair be worth if it ran? So you're saying I could buy the same boat for less? But this will have a brand new drive

Re: need expert advice please

Ayuh,... Sunbirds were an Entry-level boat,... Key word is Were...

In Showroom condition,... $3500....In Showroom condition,...

Re: need expert advice please

But what could I buy for $3000-$3500 that would have a new outdrive is the question? I may just say hell with it

Re: need expert advice please

I worked at a SolarChicken dealer for a couple of years and I can say from firsthand experiance they WERE NOT worth $3000 when new. Don't waste a penny on it.

Re: need expert advice please

bryanboonelake said:

But what could I buy for $3000-$3500 that would have a new outdrive is the question? I may just say hell with it

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There's no way anyone here can know prices of used boats regionally worldwide. If you are in Edmonton, you might be best to dump cash into what you have, because boats are very expensive there.

If Great Lakes area, you might have to spend $4K or $5K to get a well maintained older runner, but if you can go out and water test something, you'll know exactly what you have to begin with.

You already know that you can to get cheap Mercruiser replacement drives.

Re: need expert advice please

Howard Sterndrive said:

There's no way anyone here can know prices of used boats regionally worldwide. If you are in Edmonton, you might be best to dump cash into what you have, because boats are very expensive there.

If Great Lakes area, you might have to spend $4K or $5K to get a well maintained older runner, but if you can go out and water test something, you'll know exactly what you have to begin with.

You already know that you can to get cheap Mercruiser replacement drives.

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Given the username bryanboonelake, I'm assuming the name is for Bryan on Boone Lake. The only Boone Lake I'm aware of is on the Boone Dam in Tennessee. If that's the case (a big if but at least a logical conclusion), decent boats are a dime a dozen in his area. Scrap that sucker and pick up something you can water test from the get-go.

Re: need expert advice please

Not to rain on your parade but do really know what you are getting into? Questionable truck engine in pieces, missing outdrive (OMC at that) and old hull? Just how mechanically inclined are you? Since you have 0 dollars invested...why even bother?

My 2 cents...just find a boat in decent condition with a motor and outdrive that is still in production today. Pay for a survey and go boating. You can easily find a nice boat in that price range.

Re: need expert advice please

bryanboonelake said:

I am new to boating, have never owned one,

....

Thanks to anyone who can chime in with advice

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If you are mechanically inclined and like projects, then you could buy a used complete transom assembly and switch over to a Mercrusier set up.

BUT - and no offense intended - it doesn't sound like you are.

It would be cost prohibitive to hire someone to do the modifying etc needed to do the switch, and it would also be foolish to try and find good used OMC stuff. Even the conversion using the Sterndrive Engineering unit will require quite a bit of work - expensive if you cannot do it yourself.

If you are set on this boat, and can do the work yourself, then go for it! If not, I too would suggest passing and finding another boat.

Re: need expert advice please

That 's what I'm wondering too,,, Are U set on this boat?
Already purchased?
If it is your already then possibly look for a donor boat.