Interested in a Sportster

[big_sea]

New to the forum. I am looking to buy a sportster or speedster, I love the look of the boat and the concept of the jet drive, along with light weight. It will be my first jet boat. Here are two that I will be looking at this weekend

http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/boa/2174063194.html

http://peoria.craigslist.org/boa/2117015299.html

Is there anything I should especially look out for? The yellow one, the guy claims its a 787, but I understand that that year sportster only came with the 717. I see there is a stereo installed too- isnt it required to have a second battery conversion to use a stereo?

What kind of top speed can be seen from these boats? Is there any difference between the 95 and 97 models? Anything I should check or look for when looking at these boats? Whats a reasonable price? (Book values appear to be around 2k.)

Thanks !-

 

[RFoster130]

Glad you found the site. Hopefully with some help, you can get a good deal on a decent boat. First of all, NADA isnt really accurate on these boats. They all tend to hold their value a little higher than NADA suggests. It is mostly a supply and demand thing. There usually isnt tons of them for sale. It really depends on your area. In your part of the country your options will be much more limited then someone in FL. To get a really good deal, you may have to even travel a bit. I drove almost 10 hours each way to get mine.

As far as buying a used boat, there are lots of tips on here. Some of the big things we recommend though, are make sure to water test the boat. If someone says they wont do it, they are probably hiding something. You wouldnt buy a car without test driving it would you? Then dont buy a boat with out putting it in the water. Make sure to take it out for a bit so it gets to full operating temp. Test every button and function. Next, make sure to do a compression test on the engine. These 2 tips could save you thousands of $$$$. Lots of people come on here after their newly purchased boat with a "new" engine has problems.

As far as the 2 you listed, They are both priced a little high. The first one looks kinda faded and is missing all the decals. The interior looks really faded. The 2nd one looks better. I would check it out. Try to talk them down to $2500.

A stereo doesnt mean you have to have a 2nd battery. It is always a good idea, but not definite.

 

[Dr Honda]

Hi, and welcome.


Just some quick thoughts...


Both boats are 14.5' long. (not 15' and 16')

The 95 looks like a mix of parts, or strange paint. (that raises a flag in my head) Also, the 95 has some odd things mechanically. It will have 657x engines. They are good, but the electronics are harder to come by if something goes wrong. Also, the top RPM on those engines is 500 rpm lower than a more modern engine.


On the 97... it should have a single 720 (717) engine. The Challenger would have had the 800 (787) engine. But... who knows. Some one may have swapped it, but since it's not a bolt in swap... I think he just doesn't know. Ask him for a picture of the engine. If the spark plugs are vertical... it's a 720... if they are sitting at a 45 degree angle... it's an 800. If you are unsure, post the pic here, and we will tell you.


Just looking at the 2 adds... I would say to go look at the 97 Sportster. It looks nicer, has a top, and has a new(er) engine.


Both of then should get you into the mid 40's. A newer Speedster (with higher RPM engines) will get into the low 50's.

As a final FYI... 1996 is the break for the "Newer" boats... and support from Seadoo. 95 and older, is the older design. (there are a lot of small changes)

Good luck :cheers:

 

[big_sea]

Thanks for the replies! From talking to the owner of the 97- he tells me that the seats are in pretty bad shape, but otherwise it runs great. Low hours on a rebuilt motor. What kind of price window is re-upholstering the seats usually? Is it an easy DIY job?

The difficult part of water testing, is that in my part of the country its about 6 degrees now, and won't be warm enough to take it out until May Any other good way to check things out? Is it safe to start these motors up without a water connection?

 

[RFoster130]

I honestly would not buy it without water testing it. If he HAS to sell it now and can not wait another 6 weeks, then offer really low like $2000. For all you know the engine could be toast. I would still compression check it. You can start it on a hose but the engine and pump behave totally different under a load. So what appears normal out of water may not be so in the water.

As far as seats. You can do it yourself for under $400. A member here makes the covers. his site is seadooupholstery.com He has awesome instructions and there are tons of tips here.

 

[Dr Honda]

2x on the seadooupholstery. com . Keith is a great guy, and my boat is on there as a before and after.


BUT... as said above... without a water test drive... and with a bad interior... it's only worth scrap price. ($1500 to $2k tops) That boat in good shape is only worth $3500. Just because the engine starts and runs on the trailer, doesn't mean that it will work when you put a load on it. Also, the pump could be shot, and need a full rebuild. The only way to tell is to put it in the water, and mash the throttle down. Also... it could have cooling problems, or a crack in the exhaust, and you won't know that until it's under full pressure. (can't do any of that on a garden hose)

If it does well on the water... I would offer them $2500 to $2700 for it. You are looking at $400 to $500 in materials... and a long weekend of labor to do the upholstery. It's not a hard job...but some of the bolts aren't easy to get too... it takes a lot of time to pull out all the old staples, and it takes a bunch of elbow grease to stretch the new covers on.

 

[big_sea]

Awesome. Thanks for all the tips. How does the price change for the speedster models? There is a somewhat local 97 speedster with new interior, asking $4000. Still high? There is another one that claims to have 78 original hours on the boat, and in mint condition, for 5500. Im still trying to gauge in what is a fair price on these boats, since they are fairly rare in my area.

 

[RFoster130]

$4000 for a Speedster that is in good shape cosmetically and mechanically isnt really out of line. I would try to go like $3500 if you can verify everything is in top shape. But like we said before..do the compression test and water test. Most of these boats go from 3000 to 5000 in good shape. If they need work, shoot lower. For a boat in mint shape though they might get more. I paid $6200 for mine but it was like new.

 

[Dr Honda]

Yep... what he said.


Low hours is almost worse than high hours. When they sit... the seals get hard, and shrink. Also, since there is water in the exhaust, that moisture gets into the engine, and without the heat, and oil of it being run... bearings, and rings start to rust.