1985 bayliner (need help)

[bayspeed]

1985 16 foot bayliner 85 hp force outboard motor. New to boats is that a good boat? i will be buying it for $900 is that a good price. whats the pro and cons about the boat. ( The boat motor only hits on two pistons not all 3 pistons the guy said it needs a coil is that a easy fix?) Am new to the forums and boats

 

[oops!]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

1985 bayliner 16 ft

hi......welcome to iboats

um....uh....well......uh....

the older bay liners has serious issues if not well kept.
well kept means stored in a garage all of its life.

this can mean transom rot,,,,,stringer rot.....and waterlogged foam.

chances are if you have one of the three...you have all the above.

feel for soft spots in the deck....if you have those.....run.

 

[bayspeed]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

transom rot,,,,,stringer rot.....and waterlogged foam

how would i test that?

is that a good price

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

Hi Bayspeed!

The only way to really check for rot is to dill core samples....I don't think the seller would like that... Look real good around the bilge,ski locker...anything you can see below deck via access panels etc. Check the transom area inside and out for cracks in the glass or gel coat outside....Look at engine mount bolts and that area....bounce on the outboard and look for flex in the transom... Look at any penitrations thru the deck...are they sealed good? Does the motor run well on muffs and is it pumping cooling water...Hows the trailer condition also.... all these things add up....I bought an $800 boat..... The restoration thread is below in my signature if you care to see what issues an $800 boat can have

 

[tincanman]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

well, being new to boats, I would say run away from that package. I hate to keep the bad stigma with bayliners, but there were some bad years in the 80's. Not to mention the force motors. Unless this is a garage queen, I would stay away. Even then, I would be wary. It's pretty much to the point that most boat mechanics won't even touch a force outboard.

 

[bayspeed]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

from what i can see the motor is clean.

 

[riptorn]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

Start it up. Take er out for a spin!
Have a good look at the transom. Take a rubber and steel hammer and tap around the lower transom for hollow sound. Also, rickryder's thread pretty well covers it.
The trailer might be worth more than the boat.
We can tell you too much without more pictures.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

The boat motor only hits on two pistons not all 3 pistons the guy said it needs a coil is that a easy fix?

Sure, replacing a coil is easy. In fact, it's so easy that I gotta' wonder why the guy selling it hasn't done it yet. I bet he doesn't know what's wrong and you could end up with a big headache, especially if you don't have any experience repairing outboards.

 

[bayspeed]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

Start it up. Take er out for a spin!
Have a good look at the transom. Take a rubber and steel hammer and tap around the lower transom for hollow sound. Also, rickryder's thread pretty well covers it.
The trailer might be worth more than the boat.
We can tell you too much without more pictures.

i seen it run! i dont think he will let me take it out for a spin

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

i dont think he will let me take it out for a spin

Sir, listen to, and heed the advice on this forum!

Your above quote is the only answer you really need to make the correct decision if you want to disregard good advice.

If the current owner is not willing to allow an on the water test, you really should look elsewhere.

Good luck!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

Welcome to iboats . . . just to add to the comments so far . . .

Bayliners are like the "Model T" of boats . . . they have allowed many people to own boats and get out on the water. They are lower end boats (so is that "good"?). A 1985 model is pushing 30 years old, so it is a crap-shoot as to the kinds of deficiencies that have developed over the years.

$900 is fine, $800 or less is even better. (trailer included (right?). Make sure the seller has and provides proper Title for both boat, trailer. Bill of Sale, does not cut it these days.

Sellers always (always) down-play issues with engines, etc. So, don't think that you will slap a $15 part in the engine and it will come back to life . . . if it were that easy, the seller would have done it (right?).

However, it may be workable, if you are approaching it as needing some work and $$$$. If you are thinking it is 'ready to use', then that is probably not the case.

So, if you want a project, take a look at it, find some other "serious" issues, offer the seller $500 to take it 'as is'.

If the boat is in good condition (i.e. a diamond in the rough), except for the engine, then $900/w trailer is reasonable. (NADA "Average Retail" is $1400 for that boat)

 

[lprizman]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

bayliner and force=bad investment
run don't walk away,,,due diligence my friend

 

[jkust]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

I've got that exact same boat except it is a 1984. It is in nearly perfect original shape, even has the original carpet only very slightly worn and the interior looks 90% like it did at the boat show when we looked at it. The difference is we bought it new in 1984 so unlike most owners we took the extra 5 minutes a day to prevent rot. If a person can tie their shoes or even use the velcro kind, they can sustain their old Bayliner just like we did. The Force engine has never had a single moment of anything other than running perfect. So far we've put in one set of spark plugs and thats it in all those years. I'm trying to push the point here that there aren't bad, old, freshwater boats, just lazy owners. Because there are so many non-dilligent people in general it seems to show in their boat ownership. A boat that old, that forgives very little lazyness is going to have a very good chance of having rot. Our Force has been trouble free longer than any other mechanical item I've ever owned. I've had door hinges that haven't been as trouble free. While the Force Antagonists will downtalk that particular engine, they likely haven't experienced one that was owned exclusively by a non-lazy operator/owner for its entire existence. When you see a freshwater boat in disrepair, don't blame the manufacturer as even a pretty low quality of Bayliner will last as long as the owner isn't lazy.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

i seen it run! i dont think he will let me take it out for a spin

On the muffs, I assume... Outboards always run on muffs, and sound great doing it. In this case, even on only two of three cylinders apparently. Get them in the water, and its a whole different story.

You may pay $900 for this boat, but it will cost you more then $900 before its ever in the water.

All this being said, however, it is only $900. So if you really want it, buy it and fix it. You will learn something, and even if it doesn't work out perfectly, your lesson will not have been too expensive.

 

[jkust]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

i seen it run! i dont think he will let me take it out for a spin

It's common to run great on muffs but poorly under load even when nothing is disclosed.

 

[tnriver]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

In mid 80's bow rider Bayliners were considered by my fellow boaters as cheaply made. We called them "BAYYYYY Liner" like the sound of a goat. Friend that had one had to have screw driver handy to tighten all the screws that came loose from the day out.

If it is really what you want. Check the weight to see if water logged. Use large Scale, Quarry or truck stop. Weigh boat and compair with manufacture rating keep in mind trailer weight and fuel.

I've worked at 2 Marine dealerships and was married to a gear head 25+ years. So just say'n...

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

Couple things
1) Engine "just" needs a coil - if so then tell the seller to buy one to prove it - or if you are set on the transaction then buy one yourself and make installation and test on the water a condition.

2) 85 bayliner - 85 anything could have problems, all depends on how it was taken care of. Since the picture you have is sitting outside with the front end in the air I'm going to assume it was stored out in the weater.

I don't buy the whole 85 bayliner was built worse than modern ones thing. Why - because I owned an 80's Bayliner 195 and it was exactly the same as the 2005 Bayliner 195 Classic I have now.

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

Welcome to iboats!

The 1985 model year was before the Bayliner quality debacle, but, as pointed out, the boat is going on 30 years old so it's all about how it's been cared for.

There is a great forum section here for Force outboards. Should decide to buy the boat, head over there for help. Frankly, if the boat itself is in decent shape, and the trailer is too, I would go for it. You can pick up a used outboard for maybe $500 to $700, and be good to go, if the current one isn't salvageable.

 

[bayspeed]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

Some people say its bad and some say its good. I may buy this boat if the transom is not rotted out.

 

[BlkY2k]

Re: 1985 bayliner (need help)

I've got that exact same boat except it is a 1984. It is in nearly perfect original shape, even has the original carpet only very slightly worn and the interior looks 90% like it did at the boat show when we looked at it. The difference is we bought it new in 1984 so unlike most owners we took the extra 5 minutes a day to prevent rot. If a person can tie their shoes or even use the velcro kind, they can sustain their old Bayliner just like we did. The Force engine has never had a single moment of anything other than running perfect. So far we've put in one set of spark plugs and thats it in all those years. I'm trying to push the point here that there aren't bad, old, freshwater boats, just lazy owners. Because there are so many non-dilligent people in general it seems to show in their boat ownership. A boat that old, that forgives very little lazyness is going to have a very good chance of having rot. Our Force has been trouble free longer than any other mechanical item I've ever owned. I've had door hinges that haven't been as trouble free. While the Force Antagonists will downtalk that particular engine, they likely haven't experienced one that was owned exclusively by a non-lazy operator/owner for its entire existence. When you see a freshwater boat in disrepair, don't blame the manufacturer as even a pretty low quality of Bayliner will last as long as the owner isn't lazy.

AMEN We got our bayliner and I joined this site and all I see is bayliner and force are junk. We are the 3rd owners on ours and its been taken care of. Solid floors, solid transom, no rips or tears in the viynal. I get tired of hearing everybody condemn Bayliner and force.
There have been some good suggestion in here, check the floors and transom for soft spots and put it in the water and test it out. If the owner wont let you do that then walk away. There are plenty of other boats out there for sale everyday.