Might be buying an ‘88 Barretta Success 200

[BuckeyeBaretta]

Hi, I’m new to the forum and am currently looking for my family’s first boat. I’m not new to boating (I’ve been around friends and family with boats most of my life and have driven and ridden on quite a few different types of boats over the years). I’m pretty mechanically inclined and have done a ton of research to be sure I’m doing a proper inspection on any potential purchases (including the new buyer checklist from this site-thanks!).

I’ve found a 1988 Barretta Success 200 Bowrider with a Volvo Penta 350 V8 and Volvo Penta 290 out drive. I know my way around the motor very well, as I know it’s based on a Chevy 350 with some adaptations to Maronize it. Engine was replaced in 2000 with a new (not reman or rebuilt) replacement and it has 500 hours on it since then. Interior is near mint and exterior looks very clean besides needing a good buff and detail to restore some gloss to the gel coat. Owner says everything works besides the gas gauge and he has every receipt and service record since he bought it in 1988. It has always been stored inside, winterized, and maintained. The transom was professionally rebuilt in 2016 with receipts. Seller replaced the carpet about 5 years ago and said the floor is very solid. I forget what he did to the floor during the carpet replacement, but essentially, he treated/coated it to help seal and protect it before he had the new carpet installed. Trailer was recently painted and it has new allow wheels, a spare tire/carrier, new lights, new trailer jack, new winch, and he had the bearings greased and bearing buddies installed last season. He says it starts right up every time and runs perfectly and will run around 52mph at WOT. He also has a spare stainless steel prop that he says is more setup for top speed. All safety equipment, life jackets, anchor, flares, etc come with the boat. It also has a convertible top and the factory mooring and cockpit canvas covers with it. I know condition is far more important than NADA book values w with a boat of this age, but we’ve agreed on $5500, assuming it passes my inspection tonight. I know Barretta is not around any more, but even though the 290 outdrive isn’t made any more, it seems parts are readily available for it still and I know parts for the engine are also very easy to find.

Besides giving it a thorough inspection and water test, is there anything else specific to this model or brand that I should watch out for? I get a good feeling about the seller and the boat and I talked to the seller for almost ab hour on the phone yesterday. It’s obvious he has loved the boat and cared for it exceptionally well, so I think it’s a fair price, assuming all checks out.

I’d love any feedback from this community on the boat and whether it sounds like I’m getting a fair deal and buying a decent boat. From what I’ve found online, it seems Barretta boats were pretty well made for their time, but I’d love to hear from anyone with firsthand experience.

Pics of the boat are attached. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

 

[Lou C]

boat looks good, the things I'd be concerned with are the condition of the deck under that carpet (I hate carpet in open boats, tossed mine in the trash when I re-did the deck on mine 15 years ago) and the quality of the job on the transom. Both should be checked out as much as you can looking for signs of rot (walk on the deck, feel for springy areas, look in the ski locker, check for rot, look at the engine mount pads, any cracking or brown water coming from cracks, etc). Look around the transom mount, any sign of flexing, etc.
the engine is definitely not a 2000 vintage Chevy V8, that is the older style pre-1986 with the perimeter valve cover bolts, pre-vortec intake, etc but it does look "new". A 2000 new Chevy V8 would have the vortec intake (8 bolts instead of 12) and center bolt valve covers.
the trailer might be overloaded with that size boat, I know mine was (5 lug axle) those are only good for 3500 lbs. When I weighed mine it was about 5000 lbs on the trailer. Had to upgrade the axle, hubs, tires, brakes, springs etc.
Not a major thing but that oxidized blue gelcoat will be a headache to make look good. That haze always comes back, I had mine painted to get away from that yearly torture.

 

[Scott Danforth]

motor was replaced with a 1985 or earlier motor as the 1986 and later have center valve cover bolts

check for signs of rot on the transom

if you see any cracks or rust trails from the engine mounting blocks, that is a sign of concern.

read this link https://forums.iboats.com/threads/f...help-buying-a-boat-a-buyers-checklist.612841/

you are either buying a gem or a project needing a restoration. most boats this old are projects

the 290 drive is a good drive when properly maintained

if you can, weigh the boat and the trailer. the trailer is #1200. assume 400# of fuel and gear. then compare the weight of the boat to the listed weight of the boat. if there is a discrepancy of more than 200#, walk away.

 

[BuckeyeBaretta]

boat looks good, the things I'd be concerned with are the condition of the deck under that carpet (I hate carpet in open boats, tossed mine in the trash when I re-did the deck on mine 15 years ago) and the quality of the job on the transom. Both should be checked out as much as you can looking for signs of rot (walk on the deck, feel for springy areas, look in the ski locker, check for rot, look at the engine mount pads, any cracking or brown water coming from cracks, etc). Look around the transom mount, any sign of flexing, etc.
the engine is definitely not a 2000 vintage Chevy V8, that is the older style pre-1986 with the perimeter valve cover bolts, pre-vortec intake, etc but it does look "new". A 2000 new Chevy V8 would have the vortec intake (8 bolts instead of 12) and center bolt valve covers.
the trailer might be overloaded with that size boat, I know mine was (5 lug axle) those are only good for 3500 lbs. When I weighed mine it was about 5000 lbs on the trailer. Had to upgrade the axle, hubs, tires, brakes, springs etc.
Not a major thing but that oxidized blue gelcoat will be a headache to make look good. That haze always comes back, I had mine painted to get away from that yearly torture.

Thanks! The boat and motor are listed as 2500 lbs, according to what I’ve found online. So even with a few hundred pounds of gear and fuel, it should still be under the 3500 lb limit (at least in theory). I have a buddy that runs a metal recycling facility with a certified scale, so I’ll probably get it weighed to make sure I’m not running it overloaded. I didn’t really think about that, so I appreciate that tip.

I don’t need the gel coat to look showroom new, so as long as I can get some of the oxidation knocked down and make it a little more presentable, I’ll be happy. I am bringing a couple of different types of flashlights, a mallet, and a little Bluetooth inspection camera and I will thoroughly check the deck, transom, ski locker, etc for rot and structural integrity. I’m also going to review all of the service records and I’m thinking that will take a while since he has kept every receipt and service invoice since he’s owned it.

I’ll report back after my inspection this evening

 

[BuckeyeBaretta]

motor was replaced with a 1985 or earlier motor as the 1986 and later have center valve cover bolts

check for signs of rot on the transom

if you see any cracks or rust trails from the engine mounting blocks, that is a sign of concern.

read this link https://forums.iboats.com/threads/f...help-buying-a-boat-a-buyers-checklist.612841/

you are either buying a gem or a project needing a restoration. most boats this old are projects

the 290 drive is a good drive when properly maintained

if you can, weigh the boat and the trailer. the trailer is #1200. assume 400# of fuel and gear. then compare the weight of the boat to the listed weight of the boat. if there is a discrepancy of more than 200#, walk away.

Thanks for the heads up. I knew it was a pre-Vortec engine, but I didn’t know about the pre-‘86 non-Vortec engines having the differences you mentioned. The seller has the paperwork from the engine replacement, so I’m going to make sure to review it to be sure it’s on the up and up. Seller seems very straightforward and has owned it for 26 years, so I’m hopeful it’s as solid as it looks. I know there can be all sorts of hidden issues that pile up and get costly quick, so I’m going to inspect everything with a fine toothed comb. I’m bringing several flashlights, a mallet, a basic tool kit, and an inspection camera, so I think I should be able to be very diligent in my inspection before deciding whether or not to purchase the boat. I also printed out the checklist you referred to and am bringing it with me to check off as I do my inspection. Fingers crossed!

 

[captmello]

I have the same boat with a few differences. mine has a different interior layout that came with back to back seating and two jump seats with an engine doghouse in between. otherwise pretty much the same. while we've switched to pontooning in recent years, we had many good seasons on the baretta. it has a nice deep v hull that rides well in rough water while being a relatively lightweight boat. mine came with the factory trailer with a single 3500 lb Axle like the one pictured so I think your ok there.
I think the trickiest part of that boat will be the outdrive. mine came with a 275 outdrive, almost the same as the 290 but without power trim. they are well built units and parts are available. however you'll have a hard time finding someone that knows how to work on them, so plan on becoming your own mechanic.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy that boat if it checks out. you can get a good look at the stringers through the ski locker. check them out.
good luck!

 

[JASinIL2006]

If everything is as you describe, that seems a reasonable price.

A couple questions: that carpet looks pretty worn for being 5 years old; how much use has it seen since replacement? If you had indicated otherwise, I would have assumed it was original, given this has always been stored inside.

Also, why was the transom rebuilt? Again, for a boat stored indoors all its life, having a bad transom would be a little surprising. Moreover, if the transom was bad, there likely would be other problems, too (bad stringers, wet flotation foam, soft deck); were any other structural elements replaced when they did the transom?

Not saying the seller is misleading you, but those are questions I'd ask.

 

[BuckeyeBaretta]

If everything is as you describe, that seems a reasonable price.

A couple questions: that carpet looks pretty worn for being 5 years old; how much use has it seen since replacement? If you had indicated otherwise, I would have assumed it was original, given this has always been stored inside.

Also, why was the transom rebuilt? Again, for a boat stored indoors all its life, having a bad transom would be a little surprising. Moreover, if the transom was bad, there likely would be other problems, too (bad stringers, wet flotation foam, soft deck); were any other structural elements replaced when they did the transom?

Not saying the seller is misleading you, but those are questions I'd ask.

The transom issue was found during the motor replacement, if I remember correctly from our conversation. The mechanic thoroughly inspected the transom at that time because he already had the motor and drive off of the boat. I guess there was some dry rot around the transom seal or bellows or somewhere that allowed minor water intrusion but not enough that it ever pooled in the bilge. He couldn’t remember the source of the leak but it was such that he wasn’t even aware there was a leak. So the transom was rebuilt before it got worse. Seller says he has paperwork on that too, so I’ll read up to see if there are any more details. The story seems to make sense to me and I’ll check to be sure the water intrusion wasn’t worse than stated and I’m also going to make sure it didn’t cause any rot besides what was addressed. Fingers crossed

 

[Lou C]

That is actually a pretty common problem because the boat companies don't take the time to seal the raw wood with resin. If they took an hr longer to seal the opening and the 6 mounting holes, as well as the garboard drain fitting, the transom would last much longer. That and the owner not drilling a lot of holes in the transom to mount transducers or swim platforms. The solutions are so simple it is a shame most don't take the time to do it right.

 

[Captain Caveman]

This seems like a good deal, but I would go into any 33yr old boat fully expecting that I'm going to have to spend another $1k-$2k on additional repairs in the first year.

Good luck!