Should I buy a 2000 Crownline 180 BR Merc. 3.0

Rookster

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Hello Everyone - I'm a Newbie to boating and looking to hear the opinions of others on a boat that I'm set to purchase. For context, in case it affects opinions on price, etc., I'm located in Ontario. I'm looking to close a deal on a 2000 Crownline 180 BR with Mercruiser 3.0 and Alpha One drive. Price is $10,000, on consignment sale through marina. There are very few comparable boats on the market right now, still being a couple months away from being able to hit the water. Not sure if that's good or bad, but I'd love to know your opinions, so here are what I consider as the pros and cons about the boat, so that you can help judge:

PROS:
1) Crownline build quality and reputation.
2) Gel coat still shines
3) Hull structurally solid (no waves, repairs or damage)
4) Exterior is clean
5) Interior upholstery is in almost new condition
6) Wooden floor/deck/stringers are firm and solid - no rot
7) All electronics work
8) Comes with full canvas rain enclosure and bow cover
9) Matching trailer
10) No stress cracks in fiberglass (interior nor exterior)
11) Engine seems average clean
12) Full rear bench seat with sunpad; dual swivel front seats.
13) Marina service records available
14) $2,000 to $3,000 in maintenance conducted last Fall, including new throttle cables and new bellows.
15) Marina to provide full run-though of boat on pick-up
16) free storage until pick-up
17) 30 day powertrain guarantee (in lieu of no water-test).
18) Marina seems decent, reputable and capable.
19) nothing broken, matching trailer in good shape.
20) extras such as fish finder and cb radio.

CONS:
1) wood floor has slight bulge behind front seats (but seems super solid - told this is common...should I be concerned?)
2) carpet on in engine bay is dirty and floor carpet pretty shabby, could be replaced.
3) canvas enclosure is very moldy on inside - needs cleaning.
4) front passenger dashboard is flaking on top.
5) hull has a bit of dock rash - few deeper gel coat scratches and one chip the size of a 25 cent coin.
6) boat wasn't used last year but sat in water all summer when used - any concerns about that?
7) price is about $2,000 to 3,000 higher than a seemingly comparable Rinker and Bayliner that are 2 years older.
8) trailer needs brakes (I have smaller tow vehicle)
9) no fiberglass floor with snap-in carpet
10) no anchor, bumpers or safety equipment included

NEUTRAL POINTS:
1) Boat size/weight - suitable
2) Engine size of 135hp 3.0 liter - adequate & efficient

Marina says they could sell for $12,000 when season starts, I know there will also be more to choose from then, but I don't want to have to wait until June for perfect boat, unknown price, and it's not like it was a few years back when boats were cheap since nobody was buying them and industry was slumping - now, this segment has high demand low supply in this area...US buyers are getting great deals on Canadian boats due to the exchange rate, so many northern freshwater boats going south.

That all said, would really appreciate your feedback. Thanks!
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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that price seams really high for a 18 year old boat with a 3.0 with a potential floor rot issue that sat unused and has dock rash even in Ontario. new that boat wasnt much higher than what they are asking. and yes, you should be concerned on a boat that has a bulge in the floor. unless the boat is in a heated showroom, I suspect water soaked foam that is frozen

for reference, I bought my SeaRay 190 with a 5.0 for $15k in 2008. I sold it in 2011 for $12k

the current CAD to USD is 1:0.74

NADA guides has the boat as $4500 US or about 5800 CAD

that same boat however garage kept and with a 4.3 $4300 in pittsburgh https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/boa/5954566866.html
 

SeaDooSam

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Feb 15, 2016
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575
I agree. That is a very, very high price. 3.0 l Engines are hard thing to sell second hand so they should drop the price. . I personally would never want a 3.0. I wouldn't considering our 18ft boat is not by any means a speed boat and ours has a 4.3. (Ours has a Comparable weight to the Crownline). Lastly, dirty interior elements probably means it wasn't taken the best care of.

I would look elsewhere
 

Rookster

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Mar 12, 2017
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226
Thanks - not too surprised about the feedback...sounds like the main concern is price, so here are a few examples of what boats are typically selling for around here - must be low supply and high demand.

2002 Fourwinns H180 V6 $12980
2005 Crownline 180 4cyl $14880
2005 Tahoe Q4 $15,680

Craig's List isn't so popular up here, but Kijiji is, as well as boatdealers.ca and autotrader - check out any of the searches below for the category I'm looking at:

Here's what's on Kijiji from $5,000 to $15,000:
http://www.kijiji.ca/b-powerboat-mo...r/k0c327l9004?sort=priceAsc&price=5000__16000

Here's Boatdealers.ca:
http://www.boatdealers.ca/used-boat...&lengthMin=17&lengthMax=19&withPrice=1&page=1

Here's Autotrader:
http://m.autotrader.ca/results?ms=b...0&hprc=True&wcp=False&inMarket=homeSearch&u=1
 

Rookster

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226
Regarding why the floor has slight bulge, the area is in the exact spot on both sides behind the seats, about half inch raised, in diameter of about 6-8 inches. I was able to get under the floorboard ply, and it seems solid and original. The locations are close to the gas tank area - in case that matters, but no evidence of leaks.

Here's a link I found elsewhere on that topic - differing opinions on how serious the issue could be...assuming that the price is insanely average in this territory, I'm wondering if otherwise it's a decent boat.
 
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Rookster

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Here's a YouTube video on how Crownlines are built - no fiberglass in the floor, all marine grade XL treated encased in fiberglass...supposedly guaranteed for life. Two benefits to that - easier to fix than fiberglass issues, also means the issue is not related to foam core inside of fiberglass.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DDngzvWlvtw
 

ezmobee

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It's not the end of the world to overpay for a boat if the boat is in exceptional condition. Problem is that it sure doesn't sound like this one is. More boats to choose from should be coming available soon, granted the prices will be higher as well but if there's nothing great available now..........
 

jbcurt00

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Post a pix or 3 of tbe area you said is bulged. Even then, remotely via the internet w limited info and a couple pix, it will be hard to confirm any probable cause.

You likely misunderstood. The wet/frozen foam previously mentioned is the below decks flotation foam required for a boat this size, not a core foam.

From your con list
9) no fiberglass floor with snap-in carpet

Then later
....no fiberglass in the floor, all marine grade XL treated encased in fiberglass...supposedly guaranteed for life. Two benefits to that - easier to fix than fiberglass issues, also means the issue is not related to foam core inside of fiberglass.

So the deck (floor) IS only plywood covered w snap in (con list #9) no fiberglass between plywood and carpet or the deck (floor) is plywood encased in fiberglass on both sides?

Even w ice out getting close and the weak CA$ compared to the US, 10K sounds like a lot for a boat w dirty carpet, a couple of bulges in (on?) the deck, and a trailer in need of some work,

I wouldnt buy a boat today w just a 30day warranty in lieu of a water test, given the recent swing back to freezing temps.

I wouldnt stop looking for a different boat, and wpuld be extremely cautious moving forward w that Crownline.

Doesnt sound like a deal. But post some pix, clearly there are members willing to help ya decide. I'd rather see them steer you away from what might be a good boat then fail to discourage you getting 1 that isnt.

Same w your trailer brake topic.

Good luck w both decisions
 

Rookster

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Here are overall pics of boat - not sure how much space I'm limited to for photos, so will delete all at end of the day...will upload other interior pics.
 

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GA_Boater

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No need to delete the pics.

Any bulge pics? That seems to be the area of concern.
 

Rookster

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Thanks for the help and advice! Had tough time uploading more pics, so here's the link to my online google album - if you scroll through quickly you'll see the carpeted areas behind the seat posts in the floor, and where there is a carpet seam where I think the gas tank is underneath. Really, it's not even visible in the pics, and I guess is more of an uneven floor than a bulge. Salesperson said it's typical in wood floors - is it? Also...all the dirt you see on the carpet, is from my own shoes (they said they'd clean it up and not to worry). Finally, among the photos you'll see where I got my camera down into the ski locker and took a picture of the wooden floor from underneath - the plywood is in pretty good shape, but also seems to be in two pieces of different colours. Lighter colour may be newly replaced? Darker colour that says "180" might be factory original - but is still solid. I wasn't able to see the stringers except for under the rear seat access to the gas tank...and come to think of it, those were not fiberglass encased like in the Crownline build video I posted. But they were very solid nonetheless. Zero soft/spongy spots anywhere in the floor. The ply seemed to have a few normal wood cracks near the edge, at the carpet Sean by the gas tank, but was still quite solid. Zero moisture.

As a side note, they removed the front seats to lubricate them, so that's why they are not in the boat. Have a look:

https://goo.gl/photos/3pm8UhfkQQmafFhK7
 

Rookster

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Thanks for explaining about the foam in the floor below the deck - and yikes...of that gets water logged, is there anyway for it to dry out, or is it permanently ruined? Would it affect the weight of the boat, how level it floats, how well it floats, etc.? They said the boat stayed in the water all summer...perhaps a contributor?
 

Rookster

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On another note...to clarify, the 30 day powertrain warranty only begins after I pick-up the boat from the dealer. Also, the trailer doesn't have defects, but I need to install trailer brakes on it, as I would for any purchase due to tow vehicle capacity and requirements.

Looking forward to seeing responses to photos!
 

KD4UPL

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Feb 13, 2010
Messages
653
I wouldn't buy it because it has a little 3.0 engine. Hold out for the 4.3L minimum. By the way, efficiency doesn't really exist in boats. Often, a larger engine may even do better than a smaller one since it isn't working as hard.
Say the 3.0 saves you 2 gallons of gas on an outing, that's about $5 here. But, it isn't very fast, can't pull a skier up very well, bogs down with a passenger load, etc. Was it worth the $5 savings?
Not to me.
 

Rookster

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I hear you...problem is, for my price range - I'm either going to get an even more older 4.3L 1995ish, or a less old 2000ish, 3.0L. I hear the mercs became even better in the late 90's. Also, I've been told that it's not just the cost of gas with the 3.0L, it's the higher cost of maintenance and especially parts, repairs, and ease of reaching the motor. Again, this all stuff I've been told or have read in forums like this, because I have zero actual experience.
 

ezmobee

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I do not see anything that makes me particularly concerned about rot. I also think the 3.0 performs pretty well in this size boat unless you're hauling a bunch of people and skiing. Obviously a 4.3 would be better and I agree with the above that the performance improvement is well worth the minimal increase in the fuel usage. The issue is that this boat has clearly not been well cared for. It really needs a full detailing and even then there are items that will not be able to be made to look like new. This would be a $7500 boat in my area and that's Spring pricing.
 

Rookster

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Thank you, Ezmo - helps to know that I'm somewhere in the ballpark on this...to confirm, when you say "your area", you do mean in the US, correct? You mean $7,500USD? Because that would be just about what I'm paying.
 

Scott Danforth

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Salesperson said it's typical in wood floors

Its not typical. Your boat salesman has a hairy chest, wears gold chains and probably has a mustache.... You get the 70's disco era used car salesman analogy....
 

ezmobee

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Thank you, Ezmo - helps to know that I'm somewhere in the ballpark on this...to confirm, when you say "your area", you do mean in the US, correct? You mean $7,500USD? Because that would be just about what I'm paying.


Yes, south central PA.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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the problem is that same boat with a 4.3 is on sale in Pittsburgh PA is $4100 - see post #2 its not a $7500 boat
 
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