Upgrading and need opinions/advice!

[further]

Hi All, looking to upgrade this year and have my eye on two similar boats and would like the advise of the forum. Both are Chaparrals.....I'm impressed with the quality, fit and finish, and love the layout of these Sunesta's for my family. I'm going from a 1996 Chris Craft Concept 18' with Volvo 4.3 which has served my 6 person family well but the kids are getting older and need more room.

Boat #1 - Chaparral Sunesta 234 2004 with a Volvo 5.0GXI and SX Drive - 136 hours. Looks super clean, marina maintained. Has all the fancy options including transom shower, transom mounted outdrive trim/tilt switch, bow/cockpit canvas, bimini, pump out marine toiler in enclosed head, snap out carpet, tables etc. Originated in freshwater then was used on the Hudson river (lightly) which is brackish and has been freshly bottom painted. Boat is being sold by a marina and price includes a full spring commissioning with sea trial prior to possession in Spring (they will also store it for the remainder of winter). Price $19,400 including a 2015 aluminum I-Beam Venture bunk tandem trailer.

Boat #2 - Chaparral Sunesta 243 2003 with Mercruiser 5.0MPI and Bravo III drive - 345 hours. Private sale. Looks clean but history and maintenance not clear as sellers friend apparently performed all the maintenance, winterizing, etc. Includes bimini, bow/cockpit canvas, port o potty in enclosed head, snap out carpet, tables. Does look like its been maintained though but I still need to go through it and may consider getting a survey on this one. Boat originated in Tennessee then was used on fresh water for the past 3 or so years. Has bottom paint which is in decent shape. Price $17,000 includes a 1990 bunk tandem trailer - seller says brakes, tires, lights were replaced 3 years ago.

I like the layout of the 243 a bit better and the dual prop outdrive but I like the low hours and cleanliness of the 234 as well. Can't decide..... I'm freshwater on New Jersey/PA/NY lakes with the occasional Hudson River trip. Not to happy about the bottom paint on either and would prefer none but it is what it is....
Opinions/Suggestions??
TIA

 

[redneck joe]

which one does the wife like. Then, if it breaks you can blame it on her...

 

[jkust]

I've owned two Chaparrals in that same style and age. Not a fan of those older sunestas necessarily. First I'll say your boats are very inexpensive compared to my neck of the woods. Those prices would be for something smaller and older. It's not coincidence that I've had two of these boats given I could have selected any manufacturer...The Chaps of this era did a good job with many of the details that others fell flat on only to correct in their next generation boats. The thing that would make me take a pass on both of those boats is the five liter power as they didn't opt for the 5.7 in those heavy boats. I passed every five liter and and waited to find one with a 5.7. 5.0 will be 'adequate' especially with that b3 but it's used, and there is no need to settle with used when you are paying pennies on the dollar.

 

[Scott Danforth]

both of the boats are old enough to need a serious inspection prior to purchasing

 

[further]

both of the boats are old enough to need a serious inspection prior to purchasing

Aha Ok, fully aware of the potential issues and need for inspection. Thanks. Was looking more for advise on preference between power and outdrives..... etc. (i.e. mercruiser with dual prop vs. volvo with single prop) but thanks

 

[further]

I've owned two Chaparrals in that same style and age. Not a fan of those older sunestas necessarily. First I'll say your boats are very inexpensive compared to my neck of the woods. Those prices would be for something smaller and older. It's not coincidence that I've had two of these boats given I could have selected any manufacturer...The Chaps of this era did a good job with many of the details that others fell flat on only to correct in their next generation boats. The thing that would make me take a pass on both of those boats is the five liter power as they didn't opt for the 5.7 in those heavy boats. I passed every five liter and and waited to find one with a 5.7. 5.0 will be 'adequate' especially with that b3 but it's used, and there is no need to settle with used when you are paying pennies on the dollar.

THanks. Was thinking the same, but seems most of the "deck" boats of this size come with the 5.0... Haven't seen any with the 5.7. I'm not really into speed, just like to get up and go and if a 5.0 is "adequate" its probably ok for what I'm going to use it for....

 

[further]

I've owned two Chaparrals in that same style and age. Not a fan of those older sunestas necessarily. First I'll say your boats are very inexpensive compared to my neck of the woods. Those prices would be for something smaller and older. It's not coincidence that I've had two of these boats given I could have selected any manufacturer...The Chaps of this era did a good job with many of the details that others fell flat on only to correct in their next generation boats. The thing that would make me take a pass on both of those boats is the five liter power as they didn't opt for the 5.7 in those heavy boats. I passed every five liter and and waited to find one with a 5.7. 5.0 will be 'adequate' especially with that b3 but it's used, and there is no need to settle with used when you are paying pennies on the dollar.

Oh and where is your neck of the woods? just wondering? The NADA low retail on the 2004 is $19,800, list was $21900 and I got them down to $19,400.

 

[redneck joe]

I'm telling ya man..... ask the wife. I've been married three times. I know of what i'm talking about. In the game off boating a couple grand means nothing, both will break and cost more money but when the wife is happy and comfortable that is what wins the day.

 

[further]

I'm telling ya man..... ask the wife. I've been married three times. I know of what i'm talking about. In the game off boating a couple grand means nothing, both will break and cost more money but when the wife is happy and comfortable that is what wins the day.

I hear ya!! She likes both though and doesn't really have a preference. They're both essentially the same boat, the 2004 is a bit better layout but she likes the color of the vinyl in the 2003 lol.. I'm more concerned with the mechanics obviously....

 

[jkust]

Oh and where is your neck of the woods? just wondering? The NADA low retail on the 2004 is $19,800, list was $21900 and I got them down to $19,400.

Minnesota. Nada is divorced from reality or at least here it is. I'd be buying and selling boats if I could buy at NADA and sell in the real world. Off season like it is now, anything's possible though. Sure that most boats come with the base power...it's the biggest upgrade cost wise when they were new and money doesn't grow on trees. I don't do a lot of WOT runs but I really appreciate the low end grunt of the 5.7 or when you really load it up with people. Realistically a 5.7 will likely get you maybe 3mph more I'm betting if we are just talking WOT. That is probably a massive over generalization though. You can cure a lot of ills though with props. The same 5.0 MPI was in the 18 foot three inch Chaparrals of the day back in 2004. Can't imagine going from an 18 footer to something with seven feet more hull with the same power. I bought my 220 two seasons ago and it was like 20 to 1 of 5.0 to 5.7 ratio around the country at the time which for me was in the spring. Chaparral like many other manufacturers at the time got lazy with their early 2000's models and made them for nine or years with essentially zero changes in some cases before the next gen boats finally came out. Colors and exterior design changes every year as do interior vinyl.

 

[BRICH1260]

I had a 243 with the 5.0 VP SX drive, 270 hp. It was a good layed out boat with plenty of storage. It was not the fastest boat on the lake but on smooth water I could get about 42mph out of her. Overall a very good boat. During those years the mpi of the Volvo produced about 20 more hp than the same Merc engine.

 

[further]

I had a 243 with the 5.0 VP SX drive, 270 hp. It was a good layed out boat with plenty of storage. It was not the fastest boat on the lake but on smooth water I could get about 42mph out of her. Overall a very good boat. During those years the mpi of the Volvo produced about 20 more hp than the same Merc engine.

Awesome! Good to hear positive from someone who actually had a similar boat. Not looking for speed anyway.... It's either this or what the wife wants which is a toon.... So i'd rather this.
Thanks again

 

[JoLin]

Can only comment on the SX drive. I've owned 2 boats with the SX- one a 1999 single-engine duo-prop and the other a 1997 twin-engine with single-prop drives. They're smooth shifters, mechanically simpler than Merc., and in my own experience, bulletproof. Don't k now how they compare to a Bravo, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. The only thing I would caution you to check is that the drive goes quickly into gear when you shift it. One of my 1997 drives had started to hesitate for a split second before going into gear. Mechanic told me it was the cone clutch slipping. Expensive job. Merc has the same type of clutch, so I assume it'd be a similarly expensive fix.


My .02

 

[further]

Can only comment on the SX drive. I've owned 2 boats with the SX- one a 1999 single-engine duo-prop and the other a 1997 twin-engine with single-prop drives. They're smooth shifters, mechanically simpler than Merc., and in my own experience, bulletproof. Don't k now how they compare to a Bravo, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. The only thing I would caution you to check is that the drive goes quickly into gear when you shift it. One of my 1997 drives had started to hesitate for a split second before going into gear. Mechanic told me it was the cone clutch slipping. Expensive job. Merc has the same type of clutch, so I assume it'd be a similarly expensive fix.


My .02

Thanks.... My current setup is a 96 SX and I love it. Super smooth. Never had merc or bravo so nothing to compare to.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

From what I have learned in the last few years rebuilding, repairing and dealing boats of all ilk here is that a 5 lt. Volvo trumps a 5 lt. Merc. I personally would choose boat 1, based on price, it's history condition as well as dealing with a Marina dealer. Private sales can be a nightmare. If I had either of those boats here in the spring I could put a quick 5 grand CDN in my jeans.

Good luck boat shopping.

 

[jkust]

I went from an Alpha 1 Gen 2 to a Bravo 1. Bravo 1 is way beefier and the 'thump' into gear is about 1/10th as much as the Alpha. Every year(ish) or so though they have made slight improvements to the Bravo. All internal parts that are unseen. I saw a great site that listed every single piece in the bravo drives as each piece was updated every year. I actually didn't realize that they constantly made little changes to the drives. I think it was 04 or 05 when the shifting got even smoother.
Those Chaparrals are each way over 4000lbs when you load them up. Even my 220 is just shy of 5000lbs wet and those deck boats weigh a few hundred more at least. I just can't imagine being 'satisfied' with the base engine. Sometimes I just like to crack it open and pass the five liters by when there is a calm stretch.