First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Never owned a boat before.

Thinking hard about buying a 1988 Stingray SVB 198 XLS with a 3.7 liter 4 Cylinder. 19.3'

Boat looks to be in good shape in the pictures, guy says he replaced the motor with a " new remanufactured engine and a new intake manifold over the winter. Also had a new voltage regulator installed"

Anyone know of these boats? I'm scared to death i'm going to get screwed on this thing.

Advice?

Barry

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Welcome!
How many people do you plan on putting on the boat at what activities do you have planned? I'd be concerned it may be underpowered at 19' with only a 3.7.
Have you inspected the deck and trasom for rot? Considered a marine surveyor to give it an inspection?
What's the price? What kind of drive does it have? Stingray makes great boats but there is a LOT to consider.
There is a lot of good info in past threads about what to look for in used boats.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Welcome to iboats! I hope that there are other boats that you can look at... That 3.7 (470 mercruiser) has got many problems. I don't think a newb would want to jump into all the problems that could exist. But, there are some perfectly functioning engines that are out there. So, if you are set on it... go take a look and if you like what you see, ask if the seller will let you go for a test ride. But i would suggest looking at several boats before buying. I know boats in the $5000 and less move pretty fast this time of year so be prepared to have some sold before you get there. Goodluck!

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

I agree - look at several boats and defintely don't buy w/out a test ride. This time of year is also bad for buying as you're paying $500 more now than you would have 4 mos ago. Nadaguides.com is a good starting place to compare prices as well looking at equivalent boats on craigslist and ebay.

You don't mention where you are located but in my area I wouldn't pay more than $2,000 for that boat- and for $2,000 it would have to be darn near perfect.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Welcome: listen to these guys at iBoats - they won't steer you wrong

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

R Socey said:

Welcome: listen to these guys at iBoats - they won't steer you wrong

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Yeah, I live around the Lake of the Ozarks, MO.

the boat is about $4000, and again, looks great cosmetically (in pictures, it's 150 miles away, thinking about Saturday).

And again, the guy said he put in a new remanufactured engine last winter. But i'll be honest, been reading about this motor all night, cant say there have been a great deal of positive reviews.

The thing is a 180 HP, I was thinking that was plenty for a 19' boat, but I don't know squat about boats so maybe thats wrong.

Lakes are abundant here in MO, I live within an hour of Lake Ozark and Mark Twain. Table Rock is about 4 hours, boats are abundant in this area, honestly there are many to choose from in this age and price range. I have always thought the Stingray was a great looking boat, I really like this one.

The mercusier 470- didnt take long to find post about this engine, Is it really that bad? Or can it be operable.

5 persons in max i'd ever want to have in the boat, and I'm just looking to cruise, not worried about how fast the thing goes really.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Don't do it. NO 3.7/460's. You'll pay your purchase price again in the next three years just keeping up with it. A 4.3 or better is the way to go.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

$4000 for a 1988 vintage..... that is tip top dollar. And it better come with a trailer. I would think there are a ton of boats to look at if you are close to Ozarks. For 4 grand you can bet there will be something that fits your needs.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Stingray makes great boats.... but as you will read thousands of time on here, once a boat is more than 10-15 years old the make of the boat really doesn't mean all that much... obviously it does mean something i.e. 80's bayliners, but the state of the boat and how it was cared for means a lot more than make. check the entire boat for rot. expecially the floor, stringers, motor mounts and transom. If it has a ski locker on the floor these are an easy way to get a general idea of the structure below the floor. Stick your arm around ski locker and feel for dampness or soft wood. If you feel anything I would run. In my area $4k would buy this boat twice over... but thats here. I would think there are better boats out there for less money.

Also like it is said a thousand times in this forum, if your new and don't know a whole lot about boats, I have two bits of advice. Read the heck out of these threads... take a peek at the restoration forum to get an idea of why you need to be so picky, and the second is to buy a boat with an OB. Inboards are nice because they are quiet and they look nice when covered but they are a lot harder to work on and MUCH harder/pricey to winteriz.
just my .02

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

90stingray said:

$4000 for a 1988 vintage..... that is tip top dollar. And it better come with a trailer. I would think there are a ton of boats to look at if you are close to Ozarks. For 4 grand you can bet there will be something that fits your needs.

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Well you guys sure know how to talk a guy out of his dream boat.. LOL

It comes with a freshly painted tandem axle trailer, and a custom fit two year old cover.

There are a ton of boats to look at here, and I think you may be right, $4000 seems a bit high, but he wont come down anymore because he basically sank that much into the re-manufactured engine last winter (or so he says).

Late 80's boat around here, are going for this price. You cant get anything but early 80 (mostly Bayliners) and late 70 model boats for less than $3000. and alot of the $4000 boats have interiors with torn seats. I did find an 88 Four winns 17' with fresh paint all around from a dealer for $3500 that looked great, Sold last sat. =( , of course the salesman said he'd find me somethin.

How bout a 96 Searay 175 Bowrider for $5000?, has a 3.0 Merc I/O. Boat and motor looks very clean, like it's barely touched the water. Trailer is a bit rusty looking. $5000 is more than I should be spending tho, it's all the money I have for this, i'd have to pay the sales tax out of my paycheck.

I love all the advice I have gotten here, and I am much better prepared to look at boats than I was even two days ago.

I am thinking I should let the Stingray go, if it had a different motor, i'd buy it Saturday.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Yup, its hard but I'd let that one go.
A 96 17.5 with the 3.0 is better, but its still a case by case depending on condition, rot, etc as to what its worth. If it has no rot and is in good condition, that one would be a contender.

Have you considered traveling a bit to find something? I went half-way down Florida on a 7 hour drive to get a '99 Chris Craft, 20' with the 5.0 for $4,500. The deals are out there you just have to keep looking and be prepared to turn several boats away.

You didn't say where you were but I just did a quick craigslist search under Kansas City and I saw lots of candidates for around $5,000. Another option is to look at boattrader.com or here on iboats under the used section.

Couple of inspection notes:
1)do some searches and learn how to do a compression test - then pick up a gauge at a local auto parts store.
2) Water test. Always. No excuse not to and don't buy a boat you don't test. And no, running on muffs is not the same- I already made that mistake.
3) pull the engine dipstick and check the condition of the oil. Look for signs of water penetration. If it has been changed recently, ask why. Could be normal service, could be hiding something.....
4) drain a little lower gear unit and look for excessive metal flakes or signs of water intrusion. If it has been recently changed, again ask why.
5) tap everywhere around the boat looking for rot- look inside the ski locker, up on the underside of the deck, inside storage areas, engine area, etc. Tap around the transom as well. Does it sound like a dull thud or a nice solid tap?

Just a couple of suggestions...good luck!

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Downforce6 said:

How bout a 96 Searay 175 Bowrider for $5000?, has a 3.0 Merc I/O. Boat and motor looks very clean, like it's barely touched the water. Trailer is a bit rusty looking. $5000 is more than I should be spending tho, it's all the money I have for this, i'd have to pay the sales tax out of my paycheck.

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That is the same year and model boat I recently bought, a few hundred bux more but I have the 4.3 Alpha I. Im very happy with it. I'd go that route if I were you. $5000 seems like a fair price.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Downforce6 said:

$4000 seems a bit high, but he wont come down anymore because he basically sank that much into the re-manufactured engine last winter (or so he says)

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Just because he dumped a ton of money into in, doesn't make it worth so much more. I had almost $7000 in my stingray before i sold her. I got $5000 out of it... that's what is was worth. It's a hobby ... not an instrust earning investment.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

mklawz said:

That is the same year and model boat I recently bought, a few hundred bux more but I have the 4.3 Alpha I. Im very happy with it. I'd go that route if I were you. $5000 seems like a fair price.

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It is I think, NADA has it listed as $5300. (the Stingray is at $2700)

But I cant do it. It's too much. I have Sales tax, license, we have no equip like jackets and the such. I cant spend the entire $5000 on the boat. If I do one thing right its live within my means, its the only reason I have money to get a boat in the first place. $4000 is my limit really, I might could go a little higher for the right boat, but not all the way to 5K.

I know 4K ain't gonna buy much, but I think I will find somthin if I look hard enough, I think Sat I'm headed to Lake of the Ozarks. See what I might can find.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Downforce6 said:

It is I think, NADA has it listed as $5300. (the Stingray is at $2700)

But I cant do it. It's too much. I have Sales tax, license, we have no equip like jackets and the such. I cant spend the entire $5000 on the boat. If I do one thing right its live within my means, its the only reason I have money to get a boat in the first place. $4000 is my limit really, I might could go a little higher for the right boat, but not all the way to 5K.

I know 4K ain't gonna buy much, but I think I will find somthin if I look hard enough, I think Sat I'm headed to Lake of the Ozarks. See what I might can find.

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Just because he's asking $5000 doesn't mean they won't take less. Offer 4200 and see what they say.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Bartine said:

Just because he's asking $5000 doesn't mean they won't take less. Offer 4200 and see what they say.

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I appreciate all the advice here, and I totally agree with you. It's my first time buying a boat, but not my first time buying anything.

The guy wants $5250 for the Searay, says he'll take $5000. The Stingray owner wants $4500, says he will take $4200.

In any event, I think i'm going to pass on both, headed to the lake tomorrow to do some shoppin!

I called a local marine shop today and asked "so, this 3.7 mercruiser 470, is this the worst boat motor ever made or what?" He said, no, it's not the worst. but I wouldn't buy one"

So, again, thanks for all the advice guys, sounds like u saved me from a terrible mistake.

When I do find something, I'll be sure to let u guys know what I settled on!!

Barry

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Standard reply to these threads for me. No 470's, no Ford based, no Volvo blocks, and no OMCs. There may be nothing wrong with any of these, but the fact is there are many, many more Chevy based Mercs and Volvos out there. there are parts available, lots of knowledge, lots of experience and that's just the better way to go. Good luck!!

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

QC said:

.. No 470's, no Ford based, no Volvo blocks, and no OMCs. There may be nothing wrong with any of these, but the fact is there are many, many more Chevy based Mercs and Volvos out there...

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I'm confused- do you not like the Volvo Penta engines or do you?

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Yeah I agree. Personally, if I were currently in the market for an IO, I'd only go the Chevy/Mercruiser route.

Stingray's a good boat. My lil bro has a '01 19 footer w/4.3 that's been a great boat for his family. But there are other good used boats out there. Be patient Grasshopper ...

In my somewhat jaded opinion: WATER TEST FIRST!!! Before doing anything else. Why waste your precious time checking somebody elses compression, oil level, gearcase lube, etc etc. It's their boat, they should have done that beforehand. If they take you out'n it falls apart, sinks or blows up no foul by you? If it doesn't fall apart, sink or blow up then is the time to confirm compression etc etc.

Re: First time boat buyer- Stingray.

Augoose said:

I'm confused- do you not like the Volvo Penta engines or do you?

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Volvo Penta drives are awesome. Volvo based engines are just harder to get parts for, high rev etc.