Buying Used Boat Only for its Engine and Trailer

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Author Topic:   Buying Used Boat Only for its Engine and Trailer

kalinds2 posted 04-15-2014 02:03 PM ET (US)
I found a [used 16-foot Cobia] boat that has an E-TEC 90-HP and a float-on aluminum trailer [being offered for sale locally for $6,300]. My 1991 Montauk is in need of a trailer upgrade and a new motor. Does this [i.e., paying $6,300 for a 16-foot Cobia with a almost new E-TEC and trailer] seem like a good deal? How about the trailer? Would it be good once the bunks are adjusted? Thanks for your help. -KAL
EJO posted 04-15-2014 03:25 PM ET (US)
Seems like not bad ~~of a~~ deal, but, before buying, do a buy-contract contingent on engine report. All E-TEC engines can be [interrogated by diagnostic software] which in turn gives a print out stating how long the engine has run (is it really 30-hours) and how long at which RPM, what the running temperatures were, cylinder compressions [Actually, no; the diagnostic software does not measure cylinder pressure--jimh], and etc. Well worth paying a dealer for that report [before] you plunk down the asking price. If the report is favorable you can make or change your offer based on that. Sell the Cobia with the 9.9-HP for a couple of hundred dollars and you have a nice trailer and engine for your old Whaler.
jimh posted 04-16-2014 09:33 AM ET (US)
The E-TEC 90-HP engine has been selected by many Montauk owners for re-powering, and the results have been excellent. An E-TEC 90-HP can provide an engine history report. If you are unfamiliar with the E-TEC engine history report, see

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/ETEC_EngineHistoryReport.html
The above shows a sample of an engine history report from an E-TEC 90-HP engine. The diagnostic software does not measure cylinder pressure. This can be checked the old-fashioned way. The history report does not give a history of temperature and times. It gives a distribution of the amount of time in particular temperature ranges. The history report also gives a list of stored alarm codes and the engine hours when they occurred.
sraab928 posted 04-17-2014 07:20 AM ET (US)
You are really just buying an engine and trailer there - Not sure what year it was manufactured but I have seen E-Tec 90's for sale in the $5-6k range used. Trailer of that size and model used isn't that expensive in Florida either. Plus there is no winch stand. Its a simple float on and off trailer.
~~Question is~~ do you want to deal with getting rid of that hull? It will be quite hard to sell in my opinion. This is coming from someone who has done exactly what you are looking to do. Its not all roses.
jimh posted 04-20-2014 11:04 AM ET (US)
If you have to dispose of a large amount of fiberglass, like an unwanted 16-foot Cobia fiberglass boat, you can cut it into small pieces with a power saw like a SAWZ-ALL. Then you can throw out small amounts of the boat in your trash each week. You can probably make the used 16-foot COBIA boat disappear this way at very low cost, but it might take a year of trash pick-up's to accomplish.
Jefecinco posted 04-20-2014 11:16 AM ET (US)
A free boat listed on Craig's List may move surprisingly quickly.
Butch

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Author	Topic: Buying Used Boat Only for its Engine and Trailer
kalinds2	posted 04-15-2014 02:03 PM ET (US) I found a [used 16-foot Cobia] boat that has an E-TEC 90-HP and a float-on aluminum trailer [being offered for sale locally for $6,300]. My 1991 Montauk is in need of a trailer upgrade and a new motor. Does this [i.e., paying $6,300 for a 16-foot Cobia with a almost new E-TEC and trailer] seem like a good deal? How about the trailer? Would it be good once the bunks are adjusted? Thanks for your help. -KAL
EJO	posted 04-15-2014 03:25 PM ET (US) Seems like not bad ~~of a~~ deal, but, before buying, do a buy-contract contingent on engine report. All E-TEC engines can be [interrogated by diagnostic software] which in turn gives a print out stating how long the engine has run (is it really 30-hours) and how long at which RPM, what the running temperatures were, cylinder compressions [Actually, no; the diagnostic software does not measure cylinder pressure--jimh], and etc. Well worth paying a dealer for that report [before] you plunk down the asking price. If the report is favorable you can make or change your offer based on that. Sell the Cobia with the 9.9-HP for a couple of hundred dollars and you have a nice trailer and engine for your old Whaler.
jimh	posted 04-16-2014 09:33 AM ET (US) The E-TEC 90-HP engine has been selected by many Montauk owners for re-powering, and the results have been excellent. An E-TEC 90-HP can provide an engine history report. If you are unfamiliar with the E-TEC engine history report, see http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/ETEC_EngineHistoryReport.html The above shows a sample of an engine history report from an E-TEC 90-HP engine. The diagnostic software does not measure cylinder pressure. This can be checked the old-fashioned way. The history report does not give a history of temperature and times. It gives a distribution of the amount of time in particular temperature ranges. The history report also gives a list of stored alarm codes and the engine hours when they occurred.
sraab928	posted 04-17-2014 07:20 AM ET (US) You are really just buying an engine and trailer there - Not sure what year it was manufactured but I have seen E-Tec 90's for sale in the $5-6k range used. Trailer of that size and model used isn't that expensive in Florida either. Plus there is no winch stand. Its a simple float on and off trailer. ~~Question is~~ do you want to deal with getting rid of that hull? It will be quite hard to sell in my opinion. This is coming from someone who has done exactly what you are looking to do. Its not all roses.
jimh	posted 04-20-2014 11:04 AM ET (US) If you have to dispose of a large amount of fiberglass, like an unwanted 16-foot Cobia fiberglass boat, you can cut it into small pieces with a power saw like a SAWZ-ALL. Then you can throw out small amounts of the boat in your trash each week. You can probably make the used 16-foot COBIA boat disappear this way at very low cost, but it might take a year of trash pick-up's to accomplish.
Jefecinco	posted 04-20-2014 11:16 AM ET (US) A free boat listed on Craig's List may move surprisingly quickly. Butch