who thinks I should buy it? 90hp for $300

[electriciansmate]

I have a guy that I work with who wants to know if I'm interested in buying this outboard. 90hp for $300. His neighbor got first dibs on it and took it to a marine shop. They told him it needs $1800 worth of work to get it going. I don't really know what wrong with it but after being on this forum with all you smart crafty guys. I thought it might not be all that bad. Tell me what you think.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: who thinks I should buy it? 90hp for $300

Well, the shop estimate includes labor and will be high. However, you are still looking at most likely a significant cash outlay to get it running, even if you do the work yourself.

If you need it for parts or just want to play with it, it may be worth a couple of hundred. It is difficult to estimate worth without definite diagnoses of the problems.

Don't buy it with the expectation of using it this season or selling it for a profit.

 

[huskerdaninva]

Re: who thinks I should buy it? 90hp for $300

Just as a comparison, I bought an old Chrysler 14' boat w/trailer/70hp Chrysler outboard that "last ran over 20 years ago". Spent a touch over $200.00 for all. $300.00 seems pretty high to me for an outboard that doesn't run and "needs work". I'm cheaper than Frank, I don't think I'd go more than $100-$125. Your buying a potentially expensive mystery for $300.00. One man's opinion...

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: who thinks I should buy it? 90hp for $300

Depends on if the year and if trim and tilt is still there.The T@T is worth a lot of $$
It could be an easy fix or a pile of aluminum scrap.Post a pic and if you know what's wrong.Post that too.Maybe remove the head???

 

[SwampThing]

Re: who thinks I should buy it? 90hp for $300

I'd really want to know what's wrong with it first. You could just be buying someone's junk. I'm a cheap-o too, or at least I'm looking for the best deal I can find. I just bought a complete running 86 125hp force with the T&T and it even had a brand new stainless prop for $200. The bad? the skeg is broken off the bottom. But I figured the electronics were worth the $200. So I bought it as a parts motor for my motor should I need anything.

So if you want it as a parts motor because you have the same motor, then I might try and chip him down on the price. If you want it as a project or a second motor, I'd pass. I can find running motors for $300 on Craiglist around here. I just have to be patient.

I think you just need to know exactly what's wrong with it first and then base your decision on that. I wouldn't pay $300 for a motor I had to tear down and put pistons in.

 

[forceguy]

Re: who thinks I should buy it? 90hp for $300

If the shop is quoting about $1800 for the repairs, I'm thinking that it might have low compression on at least one cylinder, and the costs could climb higher. It's pretty easy to forget to put oil in your gas tank if you're not careful, and that could cause a lot of damage. You would be paying $2100 for a motor with no guarantees that it would work at that point, as there might be something else wrong with it. For that price, you should be able to find a similar early 90's motor with less work and less risk. Personally, I would steer clear. It's not worth the effort or the risk.