Purchase Advice - 2000 1900SR2 - Maxum Boat Owners Club

Vukdaddy · 05-03-2020, 12:22 AM

Hello - previous Bayliner and Maxum owner newbie (to this site). Now that I’m retired, looking to get back into boating. Been eyeing 19 ft Maxums for two years now. Biggest fear is engine. I’ve come across a 2000 1900 SR2 that has my interest piqued. Super shape inside and out. It has a nearly new 5.7 MPI Mercruiser engine ( new crate engine installed about a year ago) with less than 100 hours. Boat has only seen salt twice. Local dealer (consignment) is selling it so i don’t have access to previous owner. Besides a sea trial, I would have boat mechanic do buyers inspection. Price is $ 10K - of course, fair price is subjective, but I’m thinking with nearly new engine, I can enjoy several years of reliable boating (with proper preventive maintenance). Any advice anyone can give me, particularly around ensuring robustness of engine ? Things to look for with the stern drive ? Sorry for the long message - I just need some sound advice so I make an informed (and rational) decision. Thanks !

mmwjr · 05-03-2020, 03:12 AM

Plenty of power for this size boat. Only 100 hours is good as long as it has been properly maintained, but this is true of any engine. So you took it for a ride? How did it perform, what WOT did it achieve? Not sure I understand your concern over the engine. What outdrive does it have?

Vukdaddy · 05-03-2020, 06:32 PM

Thanks. I’m headed up next week to check out the boat, and drop it in the water for test run. I guess what I was really looking for was some advice from someone more experienced in engine mechanics and maintenance. To go there prepared to ask the most relevant questions. You see, boat is on consignment, so basic info documented from previous owner. I plan to visually examine, look at any service records that might exist, start it up, then take to water. Of course, if everything looks good, then I would pay for marine mechanic to do a “buyers inspection”. Does that sound logical ? Sorry for being a bit anal around this, but I had bad experience with last boat because I skipped having marine mechanic examine what turned out to be a very tired engine. Thanks again.

mmwjr · 05-03-2020, 11:07 PM

Check all fluids for level a to see if there are clean. Take it for a test run and verify it can achieve WOT of 4400-4800 rpm. Only run there for a minute or less. Take an IR temp sensor with you and take temp readings of the exhaust manifolds, risers, and t-stat housing. The first 2 should be no more that 120F and the last 160F.

jrsick · 05-04-2020, 12:29 AM

Yep, what Mike said. I'd also check the floor for soft spots. Make sure all of the gauges and switches work. Ask the seller if they have compression numbers for the cylinders.
A 5.7 is absolute monster in that size boat. When you water test, take note of bow rise on launch. Run it for a few minutes at cruise rpm (3600), and see if the temperature rises, which would indicate head gasket problem.

Vukdaddy · 05-04-2020, 04:54 PM

Thank you both for your (good) advise. I will definitely verify those conditions when we get it in the water. Appreciate it !

Overboard · 05-05-2020, 02:29 AM

See if you can find out if/when the bellows and gimbal were done last, and climb underneath and look for blisters or gouges past the gel coat, see if the wiring looks good or “hacked” into (telltale is multi colour wires with non shrink tube butt connectors). Just some of the things I look at. How things like wiring were repaired or electronics were added will tell you a lot about how the PO treated it in general in my opinion.

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Vukdaddy · 05-13-2020, 02:56 AM

Well, I finally got up to the boat with my mechanic. Boat was already in the water, so took it out for some passes. Engine purrs, lots of power, gets on plane pretty quickly, ran at approx. 4500 rpm at WOT, temp didn’t get over 175, BUT .... boat sputtered and stalled out on 6th pass (we sputtered back to dock). Same thing happened earlier in the morning when dealer took it out for first run of season. Sales guy states while the boat was winterized, fuel stabilize wasn’t added (??) hence, the issue is bad fuel. My experienced boat mechanic reserved judgement, telling me it can be that, or a few other carburation issues. I told sales guy that I would prefer to have the (consignment) buyer pay to have the dealership fix issue, then we come back full mechanical buyers inspection (incl. compression) and addition sea trial. Awaiting response back as I write this. Sales guy seemed a little perturbed with me stating I was looking for a “unicorn”. Boat is in excellent shape, new 5.7 engine last year, outdrive rebuilt at that time, everything looks new, wiring new, full canvas in very good condition, and price is fair ($10K). He states two other deposits behind me ready to jump on this great boat / deal. Maybe I am expecting a lot, but I would rather be conservative with some diligence, than quickly pull the trigger and spend time and $ right off the bat trying to fix known issue. Kinda wish it was MOI engine, but I see the advantages of carbed engine on this engine. Thanks for the sound advise, guys. Any other comments, validation or sanity check will be appreciated

mmwjr · 05-13-2020, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vukdaddy

Well, I finally got up to the boat with my mechanic. Boat was already in the water, so took it out for some passes. Engine purrs, lots of power, gets on plane pretty quickly, ran at approx. 4500 rpm at WOT, temp didn’t get over 175, BUT .... boat sputtered and stalled out on 6th pass (we sputtered back to dock). Same thing happened earlier in the morning when dealer took it out for first run of season. Sales guy states while the boat was winterized, fuel stabilize wasn’t added (??) hence, the issue is bad fuel. My experienced boat mechanic reserved judgement, telling me it can be that, or a few other carburation issues. I told sales guy that I would prefer to have the (consignment) buyer pay to have the dealership fix issue, then we come back full mechanical buyers inspection (incl. compression) and addition sea trial. Awaiting response back as I write this. Sales guy seemed a little perturbed with me stating I was looking for a “unicorn”. Boat is in excellent shape, new 5.7 engine last year, outdrive rebuilt at that time, everything looks new, wiring new, full canvas in very good condition, and price is fair ($10K). He states two other deposits behind me ready to jump on this great boat / deal. Maybe I am expecting a lot, but I would rather be conservative with some diligence, than quickly pull the trigger and spend time and $ right off the bat trying to fix known issue. Kinda wish it was MOI engine, but I see the advantages of carbed engine on this engine. Thanks for the sound advise, guys. Any other comments, validation or sanity check will be appreciated

I agree with the action you have taken. Could be bad fuel, carb, or electrical.

jrsick · 05-13-2020, 01:19 PM

$10k is a high price in my area for that boat. Good job on holding out and don't be pressured to buy, because as soon as you buy it the sputtering becomes your problem. It may be a carb problem, or it may be something else that wasn't addressed when new engine was installed.
A 5.7 is huge motor for that boat. You would get excellent performance from a 4.3 or 5.0.

jrsick · 05-13-2020, 01:29 PM

HOw fast were you going at 4500 rpm? With that boat/motor combo must have been at least 55mph.
I have a 21ft boat with a 5.0. I don't know what my WOT is because the few times I've tried to check it I chicken out when I go over 40mph.

Vukdaddy · 05-13-2020, 06:27 PM

We were right at 50 mph at top speed. Yes, it is a big engine, yet it felt “easier” and smoother to get up on plane and going (whereas my previous 4.3 always fought back on getting up to cruising speed). On the price comment - yeah, boats and everything in Seattle are more expensive than just about any region of the country (don’t get me started on that). Similar speed boat, engine hrs, etc are about $12 around here. So, yes, boat is below market value in Seattle market, but above rest of country. Book value on it comes back as 8370 - 9360 but really tough to put a value on new engine / outdrive relativne to book value.

Dustin07 · 05-20-2020, 09:04 PM

Too funny I was about to comment that the price sounds pretty fair for my area (I'm also in the Puget Sound). My thoughts are the same as everyone else. if the hull is dry, then I largely feel you are buying the motor, personally. If it comes back with a good health report then I don't see how you could do any better buying the boat and putting the motor in new yourself. We do live in a painfully expensive region. When I was shopping C-Dorys it blew my mind that $40k boats out here were selling for $20k in Florida and the midwest.