1997-99 1800 Challenger.

[Colt S.]

I purchased an '09 230 Challenger SE, Its a rad boat! I love it, I love to show it, I love to promote Seadoo/BRP/Rotax products.

My little brother is trying to get into boating, Mainly wants something cruse @ Laughlin & other river spots. He has about 5k and some change to spend.

He wants to get a '97-'99 1800 with twin, 787cc/110hp, two cylinder, two strokes. (That's allot of two's)

What should he look out for when inspecting the boat??

I have heard that parts for the boat itself, i.e. Throttle Cables, Oil Tanks & Other type spec. parts. are "hard to find" Is this True??

Do the 787cc power plants have a reputation for sold performance & reliability??

Thanks for any help or comments.:thumbsup:

 

[Dr Honda]

the 800 engines are great, and last a long time.

With any boat/PWC... once they hit about 10 years old... parts start to drop out. Fortunately, they were popular, and parts are all over ebay... and many of the parts weren't made by seadoo... so you can get them at other places.

The steering and control cables were made my Teleflex... so they are still available. The problem there is... people dont' like the $200 price tags. SO... to se them looking for a cheaper place to find them.

If you get an 1800... take it for a test ride... that will tall you everything you need to know about the boat.

 

[Colt S.]

the 800 engines are great, and last a long time.

With any boat/PWC... once they hit about 10 years old... parts start to drop out. Fortunately, they were popular, and parts are all over ebay... and many of the parts weren't made by seadoo... so you can get them at other places.

The steering and control cables were made my Teleflex... so they are still available. The problem there is... people dont' like the $200 price tags. SO... to se them looking for a cheaper place to find them.

If you get an 1800... take it for a test ride... that will tall you everything you need to know about the boat.

Cool. During water test, what speed should the boat GPS @??

 

[Fat Cat]

Well, on eBay, found a nice 97' Challenger 1800, no damage, motors in perfect condition, twin jet drive 787's, just under 5k.

 

[Colt S.]

Well, on eBay, found a nice 97' Challenger 1800, no damage, motors in perfect condition, twin jet drive 787's, just under 5k.

That is the typical thing we are seeing while looking for him. Anywhere from 3,500 to 5k. Depending on condition.

 

[Sink]

You would probably want to do a compression check too. Gives you a pretty good idea of engine condition.

 

[Colt S.]

You would probably want to do a compression check too. Gives you a pretty good idea of engine condition.

That's Easy. Should I take it to a shop or buy a tester??

 

[Gamerse]

borrow one, ask around, they are pretty common. I'm sure there is someone in Cali from this forum that would probably help you. You can also get them on a "loan a tool" basis at many parts stores, autozone being most common. They require a small refundable deposit. However, if a dealership is close, paying for 1 hour of labor for a real inspection will be well worth piece of mind if you or your bro are not comfortable inspecting it yourselves.

:cheers:
Ernest