New to Jet boats looking for a good begginer boat

[Duke]

hi, im looking in purchasing a jet boat, im looking for something kinda cheap yet very durable. So i could keep it around for a while.
more in the 3-5k range...
an 18' race boat that seats 4-5
im just asking what some name brands are for the type of boat im looking for...
so far i'v heard rogers and kona's.
[ September 02, 2002, 03:25 PM: Message edited by: Duke ]

[Floored]

when i went looking I had a price range also. LOW. I spent some computer time and physically looked at lots of boats. I wanted a low sittin Joe-cool lookin jet boat. Mine has an olds engine, not my first or second choice, but I have two rats in garage. The pump was fresh and had droop and diverter. You could almost eat off this boat , so it had been taken care of, very important. I also called around and asked questions about the pump, how to check, looked at reciepts and was very careful. If I was selling mine and someone was very serious I'd do a test run or at least start it hooked to hose. When you drop the cash make sure its exactly what you want My boat may not be what someone else likes, but its mine and I'm proud to drive it. I'll catch hell on this but here goes, BBC is easiest big HP and cheapest repair and darned reliable. BBF is reliable and makes good HP just a little more bucks, but still fun. 455 olds run good within their limits, go over the limit and boom,towrope. Howard sanger tahiti southwind hondo omega hawaiian sleekcraft Biesemeyer wreidt Help him out with other names I accidently wrote a friggin novel

[Kwicherbichen]

I agree with Floored. Start looking now, it's toward the end of the season and the prices will be better.
Hindsight being 20/20 I would look for something with Chevy Big Block power (454) or maybe Ford (460 & 429), a Berkley, Dominator, American Turbine, or Aggressor pump and decent gel coat. Interior is usually easy to change. Gel is a bit more expensive to change.
B=Break
O=Out
A=Another
T=Thousand

[hoolign]

duke this is on ebay right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1856245340
and this
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1856260438" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?
ViewItem&item=1856260438</a>
and
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1856180144
[ September 03, 2002, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: hoolign ]

[homeblt86jet]

Those are some good boats.... I like the one in the middle most "hondo" It also looks faster.Good job healping the new guy out.

[Jordy]

Now is a good time to kind of shop around, but I would wait until January to actually pounce on a boat. After Christmas, when the holiday bills start rolling in, people tend to start to dump things like boats and pwc's. Especially if they haven't really had time to use them in the last couple of summers. Just a thought.
Jordy :D

[Hotcrusader76]

jordanpaulk:
Now is a good time to kind of shop around, but I would wait until January to actually pounce on a boat. After Christmas, when the holiday bills start rolling in, people tend to start to dump things like boats and pwc's. Especially if they haven't really had time to use them in the last couple of summers. Just a thought.
Jordy :D Couldn't have put it better their "confucious"....
Just make sure an thoroughly check the boat, hook up with some fellow ***boater here and have them check it out for you as well. There is a wealth of advice here that will keep you out of the poor house.
Inexpensive boats are that for a reason....Someones nightmare that they just want off their hands....or something Expensive that has alot of blood sweat and tears invested and it would take alot to separate from it....Just remember that!

[Nubbs]

Something to think about: You may save money in the long run spending a little more for a boat than buying a less expensive boat. Say you buy a boat that needs some work for 3K. You may end up having to dump another 4K into it to make it right. Or you could buy a boat that won't require work for 6K. Just a thought to consider.

[Jordy]

Another route, which doesn't happen very often, is to take advantage of a pending divorce. I have seen it with cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, guns... One party either doesn't want the other one to get a hold of something, generally the husband not wanting the wife to get any of his toys, or one party is just being vindictive, usually a wife selling her husband's toys while he is out of town. Check prices closely as they usually appear to be typos but aren't. Even if the boat has problems, for pennies on the dollar they can be addressed.
Jordy :D

[S/C Rebel]

The above is good info, I would just like to stress the importance of a pre-purchase test drive. I spent half the summer trying to fix a fuel problem on my first jetboat, it ran great in the driveway...

[Duke]

thats all some very good advice guys, i heard the whole deal with the divorces and i'v actully seen a couple (1 or 2) of those in the paper,
more likley then not i think im going to be shoping around right now, getting a feel for the prices and just check everything out, try and learn off this board what to look for and what to avoid. ex: 454 vs 455's, hehe,
i think i'll be getting my boat after chrismas, when some poor smuck spends too much on gifts or gets himself a bigger better boat and just wants to get rid of his smaller jet boat. you know. something like that
thanks for all the advice and keep it coming!!!

[Hotcrusader76]

S/C Rebel:
The above is good info, I would just like to stress the importance of a pre-purchase test drive. I spent half the summer trying to fix a fuel problem on my first jetboat, it ran great in the driveway...JETPUMPS JETPUMPS JETPUMPS.....THATS THE KEYWORD ON A WATER TEST.
Do not buy that BS that he says: "Oh it worked great all summer" Sure sucking up rocks!
Test drive the bitch, and run her HARD! This way you can find things such as ,sprung oil leaks and back-firing flameballs coming out the carbs, leaks, trailer worthiness

[Jordy]

You mean flameballs shooting out of the carbs is a bad thing? LOL
Jordy :D

[homeblt86jet]

http://free.***boat.net/gallery/Reader_Rides/Jet_Boats/i-1_B[1].JPGhere is another one on ebay starting at 2,900

[Hotcrusader76]

jordanpaulk:
You mean flameballs shooting out of the carbs is a bad thing? LOL
Jordy :D Not unless you like to buy gallons of fire retardant every season.... :D
Just my 0.02

[hoolign]

Ive been a good boy all year can i have this?pleeeeeaaaase..huh cani cani cani....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1854894088

[78Eliminator]

Yeah. Great points here. I know guys like PTL and RR both spent a whole lot of money on their pickles, but the thing is: they run! In fact, that's an understatement becuase they are both bad ass rides.
I got mine for $8500 but it has been HELL sorting out all the little "idiosyncracies" the boat has. There is a bit of a learning curve and that takes some time. In fact, it has just about consumed my entire boating season.
If you like to wrench on things and don't mind some trial and error and lots of driveway time up front, go the cheap route. If you want a runner, it will cost you. In fact, it will cost you either way :D Ask me how I know. I was debt free before I bought my sled and now I owe again. The thing is, I truly believe that blood sweat and tears make the victory of a good boating trip all the more sweeter.

[homeblt86jet]

hey hooign that sure is a nice "stabin cabin" :p but not a jet :D .... the one i posted from ebay looked like a real good buy...I would also like to say that you all are making very good points about "the search for a bood buy" I tryed to move the link here but well :mad:

[homeblt86jet]

hey hooign that sure is a nice "stabin cabin" :p but not a jet :D .... the one i posted from ebay looked like a real good buy...I would also like to say that you all are making very good points about "the search for a good buy" I tryed to move the link here but well :mad:

[Jordy]

Hotcrusader76:
Not unless you like to buy gallons of fire retardant every season.... :D
Just my 0.02Maybe I'll just see if I can borrow some of Justin's. Mine wouldn't be that big of a problem as the velocity stack just shoots it straight up for added effect...
Jordy :D

[hoolign]

homeblt
just right click on the item number and click copy shortcut,then post as usual
if i bought that thing i could pretty much guarentee that there would be a jet boat on the market ,along with sleds, stereos, and quite, possibly a house he he he

[Duke]

so, i sould wait a little long, & save a little more cash and buy one thats not gonna be giving me a headace?
is there anyone else that wish's they had waited for the right boat?
another questoin is, how big a boat you think a v6 tundra could pull? 3.4L
or am i gonna need a v8 or something stronger?

[homeblt86jet]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1855505639

[homeblt86jet]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1855505639

[homeblt86jet]

I have a friend who has a 4 cyl truck and it pulls his tx-19 Youngblood just fine :D

[hoolign]

should'nt be a problem pulling a 18' but hey ..with engines bigger is better,
as for the boat,as long as it is checked out
properly by someone who knows what to check for,
you can always stumble on the perverbial "good deal"lots agood advice on here for you,just gotta figure out what exactley you want in a boat,then take the next step, but make sure it's what you want, dont just buy it cause it's shiny

[Jordy]

Duke:
another questoin is, how big a boat you think a v6 tundra could pull? 3.4L
I wouldn't go any bigger than a 19' and would be sure it was on a tandem axle trailer with brakes. Other than that, it should pull fine. You might not win any races getting there, but once you're there, who cares right?
Jordy :D

[Hotcrusader76]

Duke:
so, i sould wait a little long, & save a little more cash and buy one thats not gonna be giving me a headace?
is there anyone else that wish's they had waited for the right boat?
another questoin is, how big a boat you think a v6 tundra could pull? 3.4L
or am i gonna need a v8 or something stronger?Wait wait wait....your not understanding us here....not scare you away...but they are all "headaches!!!" No doubt....but that makes the silvers worth the while.

[homeblt86jet]

Hotcrusader76:
Duke:
so, i sould wait a little long, & save a little more cash and buy one thats not gonna be giving me a headace?
is there anyone else that wish's they had waited for the right boat?
another questoin is, how big a boat you think a v6 tundra could pull? 3.4L
or am i gonna need a v8 or something stronger?Wait wait wait....your not understanding us here....not scare you away...but they are all "headaches!!!" No doubt....but that makes the silvers worth the while.

[homeblt86jet]

this is true they are all headachs but the fun you have when everything is right by far outweighs the headachs. i am having "headachs" right now putting a new motor in mine. but"every things going to be allright. in addition the test drive part is the one main factor when you buy a boat. if you are happy with it buy it,if a little leary dont.

[mikey-jones]

I payed 800 big ones for my first boat a 16' tahiti schuster with a BBF 430 and berkley jet. But of course i just got done draining about $4000 into it to bring her up to my liking. wink

[MellowYelloW]

hey duke....
i currently own a 1980 18' Rogers Bubble Deck. it has a fresh 454 (apx 35 hrs.) and berkley 12 jg pump with place diverter, shoe and ride plate. boat runs good. I am considering selling the boat due to financial problems.(dont want to just probably should). the trailer needs some tlc. and the interior needs to be re-done. if you would like to talk or maybe come by and take a look give me a call.
brian
562-404-7037
ps...i got a good hook-up on interior for my boat. (friend owes me a favor)...if interested.

[Duke]

Mellow Yellow, i sent you an e-mail.
thanks for the advice guys

[BigDaddy]

Duke:
so, i sould wait a little long, & save a little more cash and buy one thats not gonna be giving me a headace?
is there anyone else that wish's they had waited for the right boat?
another questoin is, how big a boat you think a v6 tundra could pull? 3.4L
or am i gonna need a v8 or something stronger?Hey Duke Try this site and see if anything you like there
http://www.1001boats.com/
I found lots that I like and you should to.
I am surprised that HomeBuilt doesnt sale you his since it wont ever see the water again in my life time that is hahaha
http://pstr-m03.ygpweb.aol.com/data2/006/50/25/11/EB/8yPlADVcBDAZXoYm9zAELHi5FWca5qlE0180.jpg

[79Hawaiian]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jordanpaulk:
[QB][QUOTE]Originally posted by Duke:
[qb] another questoin is, how big a boat you think a v6 tundra could pull? 3.4L
Dude don't worry about it. I wouldn't go a 23 foot daycruiser but something under 22 should tow fine behind a V6 Tundra. I have a V6 Prerunner Tacoma and it pulls my 20.5 ft jet like nothing else.
Another tip: Ask the owner to start the boat and shut up. See if he hooks up the hose before firing the bad boy up. If he does not walk away! I learned that one the hard way. New block, heads, etc. due to overheating.

[HotHallet]

Duke- I have a buddy selling a nice 19 foot Hallet smoothy with a Big Block Chevy and Jascuzzi Jet. Post back if you are interested

[HotHallet]

Duke- Make sure whatever you buy that you dump it in the water first. Once you have paid for it and the title is in your hand it is yours. My friend's boat is nice, runs great, and has alot of nice extra's. It's not mellow-about 550 horsepower, tunnel ram-dual carbs but it always runs. I think he is asking about 6,500. My boat is a 19 ft hallet bubble deck I paid $4,500 for. It is orginal gelcoat with a 460 Ford. I have put about $3,000 into her since purchased eight months ago. I would stick with looking for either a Hallet, Eliminator, Rogers, Cole, or Southwind. Make sure whatever you buy that it has full length stringers on the floor.