Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

[Fordiesel69]

Got to drive this boat. It is a 88' Sundowner 5.7L. It has a reman jasper cobra drive on it from 2005, and the engine itself runs excellent. Interior is great with no ripping or fade. Electronics seems to work well. Only problem is the drive shaft bellows is ripped and the overall bellows are crackily. So it will need u-joints, gimbal bearing, and a bellows kit, probably a top end drive seal just in case. Also at first the starter would only click, but it eventually worked so it will also need gone over.

Trailer is included in this price and is all galv with good tires. Rollers are good but I will need to replace the crank winch for a power winch.

Do you all think it is work $3500 with it needing bellows work?

 

[rickryder]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

How is the deck? Any signs of softness? Check well by the ski locker...

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

no signs of softness or water damage.

water coming in is abnormal even for ripped drive bellows. We think a drain was left out.

 

[rickryder]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

A lot of questions.... Is the owner the original one? Has the boat been serviced every year by a local marina? Service records? How was boat stored? Inside?outside? Was it keep on the trailer or moored up at a dock..... It's a 33 year old boat and I can tell you by experience about a 30 something year old Four Winns.......or just read my thread...

So a lot to consider when looking at the boat and what it's really worth.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

Owner since 1999. Changed outdrive oil improperly and burned it up. New drive in 2005.

Was docked at the same marina as me. Claimed no water problems last year. So either a plug was left out, or somthing else is wrong.

I see no rotting, but will dig deeper. Interior is super nice, and appears solid.

My old 90's bayliner was also rot free. Nobody beleived me until that saw how nice and solid it was.

 

[rickryder]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

If everything is solid below deck and the transom is good.... seems like a fair price for a boat of it's size.....I'm just not fond of OMC Would be a no brainer if it was a Merc

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

If everything is solid below deck and the transom is good.... seems like a fair price for a boat of it's size.....I'm just not fond of OMC Would be a no brainer if it was a Merc

I echo these sentiments

 

[wbc1957]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

If everything is solid below deck and the transom is good.... seems like a fair price for a boat of it's size.....I'm just not fond of OMC Would be a no brainer if it was a Merc

Around the Great Lakes area there are plenty of OMC boaters and plenty of parts available. I would guess there will be techs to work on your boat, but they are getting older as we speak. Check your Craigslist for some who will work on the side, before you take the plunge. This will provide confidence in your choice.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

If everything is solid below deck and the transom is good.... seems like a fair price for a boat of it's size.....I'm just not fond of OMC Would be a no brainer if it was a Merc

Ayuh,... Ditto that...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

If everything is solid below deck and the transom is good.... seems like a fair price for a boat of it's size.....I'm just not fond of OMC Would be a no brainer if it was a Merc

I'll ditto that too.....

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

I honestly don;t like the OMC cobra in terms of mechanics avail to work on it. But I am hitting a dead end with boat buying. All last year when I owned my 20' bayliner I was looking for a 23' and they were all in the 6k/7k price range. I am thinking with this boat being 3500, I could sink in 1000-1500 and still have a nice boat, other than the cobra of course.

Comes with an awsome trailer (load rite roller) that I would value at $1500

If I am carful and maintain the OMC, is it any good? Or are they all a time bomb at some point?

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

If I am carful and maintain the OMC, is it any good? Or are they all a time bomb at some point?

I may start a flame war here, but... IMHO the problem with OMC was their poor business management; that's why they failed. Their mechanical design is sound. A properly maintained Cobra will last just as long as a Mercruiser.
My Cobra was in good shape until I let a bad mechanic touch it; he didn't change the drive lube properly and the gears seized. At that point it was 18 years old and hadn't had a problem.

If you're buying the boat for yourself, not for maintaining resale value, I say go for it. Cobras have poor market value because you can't find mechanics to work on them; if you're willing to do the work yourself they can be a good deal.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

I don't think anybody's knocking the Cobra due to its design or construction. They're knocking it because OMC has been out of the business for more than a decade. The OP is being cautioned to tread carefully- spare parts can be hard to find and getting harder, mechanic support drying up, etc.

Do you want to spend your summer boating, or haunting ebay for the broken part nobody has anymore?

My .02

 

[JasonB]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

If you really like the boat and can't find parts someday, what about the Cobra to Mercruiser alpha conversion that Sterndrive Engineering makes? I have no experience with it, and it may be cheaper to find a merc powered boat, but seems like this would be an option if needed.

I searched iboats and didn't see it, so here's the mfgr link: http://www.sterndrive.cc/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9D-116&Category_Code=Cobra

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

if boat has the camper top would be worth the money and maybe more, i got a 91 sundowner 225 with matching trailer and camper top for 4500 last august it has an omc with about 400 hours few problems here and there but everything has its flaws even a mercruiser has a downside somewhere that people dont like biggest problem i read about is the shifting cables. sure in 3 or 4 years if i still own the boat i will drop in a crate merc and alpha 1, if the boat is still in good condition wood wise. my motto is don't buy something your not willing to work on, if your carb goes bad dont bring it in the shop do it yourself.. needs new points learn how to do it.. winterizing it learn once forever known. easier for me to put a couple of gallons of antifreeze into the engine rather then bringing it somewhere for some one else to do it.

as for the spare parts comments its a holley carb mine has a 351 ford motor for the most part basic easy to get parts for the things that may go wrong, i/e points, belts, and plugs. i go to carquest i tell them its a ford 351 marine engine and they go from there. then i just run a tab so i am not fumbiling with cash and cards all day

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

Just make sure the gears are in decent shape - do not slip. The shift cable adjustment and esa adjustment is a pain in the rear on the OMC - this is the only task I've ever paid a mechanic to do on a boat (my previous bayliner 195).

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

Unless they have receipts showing purchase I never believe the sellers claim that things are new or in good condition. I consider tires, batteries, plugs and wires, oil change, wheel bearings and any other maintenance item as needing replaced and price accordingly. I like the peace of mind of knowing when it was done and that it was done right.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

I don't think anybody's knocking the Cobra due to its design or construction. They're knocking it because OMC has been out of the business for more than a decade. The OP is being cautioned to tread carefully- spare parts can be hard to find and getting harder, mechanic support drying up, etc.

Do you want to spend your summer boating, or haunting ebay for the broken part nobody has anymore?

I agree with this 100%

If you really like the boat and can't find parts someday, what about the Cobra to Mercruiser alpha conversion that Sterndrive Engineering makes? here's the mfgr link: http://www.sterndrive.cc/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9D-116&Category_Code=Cobra

However this is also something to consider. You're getting the boat cheap enough, maybe start saving for an eventual conversion.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Buying a 1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235, OMC Cobra 5.7L, $3500 firm

Well I have decided to contact the seller after work today and proceed with purchase. I am taking a gamble but figure everything excpet the drive fits my needs & wants perfectly. Had this been a merc, I would not even have started this thread, it would have been in my driveway. Fingers crossed a bellows job, cable, bearing & ujoints makes it like new again.