Possible 8-teen purchase - some questions

[jbaack]

I have been enjoying reading the posts here, learning more about these great boats and appreciating the wisdom of the group. Today I saw an 8teen listed locally at a reasonable price and came away with some questions I thought I should run by the board.

It is a 1966 and overall appears to be in very good shape. The owner got a larger boat, and just boat the 8teen last summer - from the second owner. It has been a freshwater boat, and must have always been stored inside. I plan to use it in saltwater in Northern Calif. - which is one of my basic questions - is that reasonable or just asking for trouble? Also, most around here have outboards so the I/O makes me a little nervous - but it sounded great today and the outdrive itself appears to be in very, very good condition. The owner thought it was a 120 - but the engine is labelled 110 so I assume that's what it is - not sure what the options were on the '66. The side windows are missing and there appears to be minor rust at the base of the hardtop - the sliders. The upholstery on the rear seats is rough - but on the front 4 is amazingly good, I assume from the added protection of the hardtop. The only thing not working mechanically is the outdrive power tilt (it has tilt only - not tilt/trim). The owner says he knows it is the switch and that the hydraulic lines were replaced by the previous owner - that appears to be true. Don't know if that switch can be repaired - or a replacement found easily.

Transom and floor are very solid. I know the foam can get water and I can't say if this has it - but it is very solid.

I am looking for something for occasional fishing and casual family trips. I like the space, 6 seats and look of the boat. Again, condition seems great.

Appreciate any thoughts on my specific questions or in general. I have some pics if anyone wants to see. Thanks.


Jim Baack
Piedmont, CA

 

[ziggy]

Re: Possible 8-teen purchase - some questions

assuming it's a mercruiser. The owner thought it was a 120 - but the engine is labelled 110 so I assume that's what it is - not sure what the options were on the '66


a '66 110 came with a 1AEZ mercruiser drive.
a '66 120 came with a 1BEZ mercruiser drive.
imho, w/o knowing anything about either drive. i can say that'd worry me a shade. the 1BEZ only appears to be used that one year w/120 only. again, w/o knowing the facts. a one year production drive that's real old surely must be difficult to get parts for. the 1AEZ isn't much better, though did have a few more applications. but still. real old. fwiw, i don't read many threads on this forum about repair of either drive. must not be many around. go check out bam and see what parts are available maybe?

fwiw, from reading previous threads on iboats/AristoCraft. i believe the eighteen may have a wood sole. imho, this would be less desirable than the all glass on a nineteen sole.

that said. a nice eighteen could be a real unique boat. AristoCraft only made them for a year or two. maybe give AristoCraft a call and see how they feel about that boat?
fwiw, the eighteen was the in between boat between the funliner and the nineteen. funliner and nineteen were both long production, eighteen not so much so. just the transition boat imho.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Possible 8-teen purchase - some questions

I had a 1969 19' Aristocraft purchased in used 1974. The boat was great, but the design of the early model 140 hp Mercruiser unit was terrible. My boat mechanic became my best friend--like my uncle.

With $110 labor rates at many boat dealerships, old I/O's are just too expensive to maintain.

If I was purchasing a used boat, it'd be a simpler, easier to deal with outboard.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Possible 8-teen purchase - some questions

in all due respect bamaman1.
i think the 140 was likely a good engine. it has a long life span as a marine engine in the mercruiser lineup. it's a 3.0 best i know. a respectable engine to have.
in '69, that was the 2nd year for the mc-1 drive (1st year for the 140). a fairly new product at the time. as far as that goes, i/o's were still fairly new to the scene as an invention. i believe them to be invented around '60. the mc-1 drive revised through the years into an alhpa1 drive. many folks also have these. + it's not unusual to see mc-1's still in service also.
so imho, that's a pretty harsh statement to make regarding the mc-1/140 drive/engine package...
i will grant ya that this one in question is really old. but it would be my guess that it would be more about how much pm was done to a particular package than it being a poorly designed engine/drive combo..
just my 2 cent, and like i said, in all due respect to my differing opinion..

agreed about the high cost of marine techs. that why i thought most of us came here to iboats. so we could learn from others and do the deeds our selves best we can...
also agreed w/outboards being easier to deal with. i/o's have a more complex drive train. ie, a hole in the transom, bellows, gimble brgs, shift cables, extra gears to change the motion, twice...

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Possible 8-teen purchase - some questions

The worse problems were with the old model outdrive and transom mount. Those old original trim hoses didn't have two simple connectors--they had multi bend steel tubing that screwed in under the bellows. They stripped out easily, as they're difficult to get to.

The engine once slipped on the motor mounts and ate up my engine/outdrive coupler. The engine had to be pulled, a new coupler installed, the engine reinstalled and the outdrive aligned.

Then, the engine blew a head gasket and ate a groove between 2 cylinders. It took a year to get a short block, as Mercury didn't have any blocks in their warehouses. They said they seldom had any call for short blocks due to the 140 hp durability.

Have you ever gone into your marina slip and found your boat full of water? A weathered, leaking bellows can drip, drip, drip until your boat is under water. You can get a big tarp under the boat and tied off above the waterline so you can pump the water out. If you rebuild the carb, alternator and starter, you can drain and replace the oil and filter before shooting the starter fluid to get it running. Then, change the oil a few times in the engine and in the outdrive. Then, fix the bellows before leaving it in the water.

It's a lesson to pay close attention to your boat. Or, have someone at the marina watching all the boats daily. Also spray silicone on your bellows, and store the boats with the outdrives in down position. Better yet, keep it in dry storage--not in the water all year.

I have since become more familiar with a 1980 model Mercuiser I unit. They run great when new, but are still a pain when the bellows start failing after a few years. Mercury engineers must giggle everytime they think about the design of those doggone bellows--without any lips so the clamps will hold solid.

My 1985 Yamaha 115 hp has never failed me in 26 years, despite never being winterized . I just clean the carbs every 5 years or so. Whenever it dies, I'll go get a 115 hp 4 stroke, and run it another 25 years--or my kids will.

What I'd like is another Aristocraft 19 with a blown engine--to be replaced with an all new modern4.3 Mercruiser 220 hp unit. That'd be some super ride--efficient and very fast.

 

[jbaack]

Re: Possible 8-teen purchase - some questions

I appreciate the quick feedback from everyone - kind of what I expected.

Similar story over in the Mercruiser I/O forum - although someone there has the 110/1A-EZ and said he's found all parts he needs and it's been working great for him. As noted, perhaps good PM in this case.

I may sit tight and see what the price does. Hard to pass on a great deal in such good shape but I'll not try to lose sight of reality!

Thanks.


Jim