malibu wakesetter

[bigworm6]

A friend of mine is wanting to sell her 2002 Malibu Wakesetter 21' with only 75 hours on it. She doesnt have much time to use it, obviously due to the low hours on the boat. I told her I might be interested in the boat if the price is right and everything works properly, and she is only asking payoff which is 15k.

The downside-The boat needs to be professionally cleaned, inside and out. The are a couple of seats that have tears in them, so hopefully those can be stitched back together because if I was to redue the seats then I am sure there is a hefty price tag that comes with that correct? Another issue is that where you inset the key, it is loose. Whenever you turn the key you can basially turn it all the way around. And lastly, the she told me she had problems with the bilge pump. It was taking in water, and they were out on the lake and she looked in the back compartment and saw there was about 3 inches of water back there. If I remember correctly,she said that a little water got in the v-drive which cost the motor to slip but she said she took it to the dealer and it would cost about 280 bucks to replace. Is this something that could cost problems in the future? Of course I plan on getting everything checked out before I go any further, I just wanted to get y'alls opinion on this. Thanks!

 

[sickwilly]

Re: malibu wakesetter

The wakesetter is a hell of a boat and with with minmal maintenance will give you a lifetime of great service.

Unfortunately, this one sounds like it had no maintenance, was owned by people that did not understand boating and boat maintenance, and was basically abused.

The low hours do not offset the abuse its taken. It needs a ton of reconditioning, which will cost you dollars. Its not grangpa's car sittign in a garage with low miles -- somehow the boat has gotten to a point with only 75 hours on it where it looks worse than boats I have seen with 700 hours on them. Its not uncommon around here to see a malibu or mastercraft with 700-900 hours that looks brand spanking new.

I would go to a mechanic and get an estimate for all maintenance and repair, + go to a vinyl shop and get an estimate for fixing all the tears, and then go get an estimate for professional detailing. I would then add add in the cost of a new starter (if it got wet, it will die in short order), add in the cost of new trailer tires and having the hubs repacked, and then add in another $500 for the unforseen problems the general abuse of this boat has suffered. If all that plus the pay off factor adds to a deal that you are happy with, go for it.