Dauntless 18 and Optimax 135 - Moderated Discussion Areas

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Whaler Marketplace
  Dauntless 18 and Optimax 135

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Dauntless 18 and Optimax 135

dobber posted 04-09-2012 10:31 AM ET (US)
I currently have a 1985 Montauk with a BF90 Honda, this rig is in great shape and performs nicely, it sits on a galvanized, tandem trailer. Near me is a one owner 2000 Dauntless 18 with a 135 Mercury Optimax Saltwater,on a galvanized single axle trailer, no salt water use. The rig is immaculate and appears to be well taken care of. I have read much negative info on this motor and its powerhead failures and am concerned.They are asking $17,500.
Do the issues I have seen regarding the Optimax extend to the model year 2000 and/or the Saltwater version of this motor? Is this a fair price for this rig?
masbama posted 04-09-2012 09:00 PM ET (US)
A little high. Could get closer to 15,000.
grossjas posted 04-09-2012 09:06 PM ET (US)
I have a 99 Optimax 135, the only real problem I have had with this motor is a torn fuel regulator diaphram. It is my opinion that if the motor is 12 years old and been a good engine its not prone to problems.
sosmerc posted 04-09-2012 09:56 PM ET (US)
The Optimax 135 is a good match for that hull performance-wise. But you need to consider the "storied" history of these engines. I have worked on them for many years and would have to say that overall my customers have had good luck with them, but perhaps that is because they have had routine service on an annual basis from a mechanic that pays attention to detail and tries to spot and fix problems before they become "big" issues.
If you are mechanically inclined and plan to purchase a factory manual and pay strict attention to the recommended service intevals you should be fine. Or, if you have a competent Merc mechanic that will be checking the engine out before your purchase and then doing all of the follow-up service, again, you should be fine.
The other option is to price and value the boat as if you were going to immediately re-power with some other engine of your preference.
K Albus posted 04-10-2012 09:02 AM ET (US)
I had a 2002 Dauntless 180 with a 2002 Mercury Optimax 135 Saltwater Series motor, sitting on a painted steel trailer, that I recently sold for about $17,000.00. My boat and motor were in very good condition, but the trailer was starting to show some rust.
The 2002 Dauntless 180 had several improvements over the earlier Dauntless models, including the elimination of the transom notch and the addition of the fold-down stern seat. I believe the console was also changed, at least in some respects.
My motor had approximately 400 hours on it, and it performed flawlessly while I owned it. I did have two problems relating to the tilt and trim system, which I consider to be separate from the motor. First, early on, some type of clip fell off the tilt/trim assembly, allowing the engine to tilt too far. That was fixed under warranty at no cost. Second, I had several failures of the trim gauge sender over the 10 years that I owned the boat - the trim gauge would not show correct readings. This latter problem did not start until after my warranty expired, so I had to pay to fix it myself. It wasn't too costly, but it was a nuisance.
Take my experience with the Optimax motor with a grain of salt. I believe that there were a number of improvements made to the Optimax motors between 1999 and 2002.
18 Ventura posted 04-10-2012 10:44 AM ET (US)
I have a 1999 18 Ventura with a 135 OptiMax. Same hull, but different deck configuration. I concur that the 135 OptiMax is a good match for the boat. My 1998 OptiMax is still running strong. (And yes, I did just knock on wood.) The price you quoted does seem a little high to me as well. Maybe closer to $16K would be more appropriate.

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: Dauntless 18 and Optimax 135
dobber	posted 04-09-2012 10:31 AM ET (US) I currently have a 1985 Montauk with a BF90 Honda, this rig is in great shape and performs nicely, it sits on a galvanized, tandem trailer. Near me is a one owner 2000 Dauntless 18 with a 135 Mercury Optimax Saltwater,on a galvanized single axle trailer, no salt water use. The rig is immaculate and appears to be well taken care of. I have read much negative info on this motor and its powerhead failures and am concerned.They are asking $17,500. Do the issues I have seen regarding the Optimax extend to the model year 2000 and/or the Saltwater version of this motor? Is this a fair price for this rig?
masbama	posted 04-09-2012 09:00 PM ET (US) A little high. Could get closer to 15,000.
grossjas	posted 04-09-2012 09:06 PM ET (US) I have a 99 Optimax 135, the only real problem I have had with this motor is a torn fuel regulator diaphram. It is my opinion that if the motor is 12 years old and been a good engine its not prone to problems.
sosmerc	posted 04-09-2012 09:56 PM ET (US) The Optimax 135 is a good match for that hull performance-wise. But you need to consider the "storied" history of these engines. I have worked on them for many years and would have to say that overall my customers have had good luck with them, but perhaps that is because they have had routine service on an annual basis from a mechanic that pays attention to detail and tries to spot and fix problems before they become "big" issues. If you are mechanically inclined and plan to purchase a factory manual and pay strict attention to the recommended service intevals you should be fine. Or, if you have a competent Merc mechanic that will be checking the engine out before your purchase and then doing all of the follow-up service, again, you should be fine. The other option is to price and value the boat as if you were going to immediately re-power with some other engine of your preference.
K Albus	posted 04-10-2012 09:02 AM ET (US) I had a 2002 Dauntless 180 with a 2002 Mercury Optimax 135 Saltwater Series motor, sitting on a painted steel trailer, that I recently sold for about $17,000.00. My boat and motor were in very good condition, but the trailer was starting to show some rust. The 2002 Dauntless 180 had several improvements over the earlier Dauntless models, including the elimination of the transom notch and the addition of the fold-down stern seat. I believe the console was also changed, at least in some respects. My motor had approximately 400 hours on it, and it performed flawlessly while I owned it. I did have two problems relating to the tilt and trim system, which I consider to be separate from the motor. First, early on, some type of clip fell off the tilt/trim assembly, allowing the engine to tilt too far. That was fixed under warranty at no cost. Second, I had several failures of the trim gauge sender over the 10 years that I owned the boat - the trim gauge would not show correct readings. This latter problem did not start until after my warranty expired, so I had to pay to fix it myself. It wasn't too costly, but it was a nuisance. Take my experience with the Optimax motor with a grain of salt. I believe that there were a number of improvements made to the Optimax motors between 1999 and 2002.
18 Ventura	posted 04-10-2012 10:44 AM ET (US) I have a 1999 18 Ventura with a 135 OptiMax. Same hull, but different deck configuration. I concur that the 135 OptiMax is a good match for the boat. My 1998 OptiMax is still running strong. (And yes, I did just knock on wood.) The price you quoted does seem a little high to me as well. Maybe closer to $16K would be more appropriate.