As I look at used 7.3 boats, it seems most of them have outboad motors rather than inboard. And I see some that have inboards but the owner has mounted an outboard. Is there a good reason to avoid purchasing a 7.3 with inboard motor? Thanks
In board motor
- Thread starter gmkc11
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Perhaps some of inboard motors you see are actually the original OMC saildrive motors (which are actually outboards mounted into the hull)? I would assume if the OMC motor fails and a new "real" inboard would be installed, it may exceed the value of the boat. Perhaps if the old OMC fails people just install a transom mount and an outboard?
I recently bought a S2 8.0 with a old OMC mounted in the hull. Runs great. For how long I'm not sure, but I'll get to that issue when/if it happens.
I recently bought a S2 8.0 with a old OMC mounted in the hull. Runs great. For how long I'm not sure, but I'll get to that issue when/if it happens.
Usually a boat with an inboard diesel, not gas like the OMC, has a significantly greater value on the market. That is likely because of the long life of a diesel engine compared to gas and the greater fuel economy, and hence, cruising range. I'd suspect that this is a non-issue for a Lake boat in Kansas.
The old OMC's can be quite reliable and I'd be much more likely to buy one in a freshwater boat. Electrolysis can wreak havoc on them in saltwater, but is less of an issue in fresh. The problem comes when you need non-mechanical related parts. For example, the rubber boot between the motor and hull that keeps the boat from sinking is tough to find. However, few owners have reported problems with it so it is not prone to failure, even though in theory you should replace it occasionally.
There are also some alternatives if you need to repower, but doing so will likely exceed your initial investment in the boat. However, buying a new outboard will also likely exceed your initial investment in the boat.
In my experience, a boat in this size range pretty much sells for a price directly related to the condition of the outboard motor and the sails. An inboard diesel boat might sell for twice a comparable boat with an outboard. A boat with a decent trailer will easily sell for thousands more than one without as a new trailer for a boat this size is about $5K. Regarding a boat with a OMC inboard, I think it would price out like a boat with an older outboard, but you might have a pretty different market in KS, compared to the coast, where boats are plentiful.
Regarding a boat with an inboard and an outboard...someone likely couldn't fix the inboard and didn't want to deal with the hassle of pulling it...so they just mounted an outboard. This is a bit of a negative, as they are passing on the work to you if you wish to remove it and glass over the hole in the hull...which you may need to do at some point, as the boot may leak someday. However, I'd still expect this boat to sell at a similar price to an outboard only boat.
The nice things about the inboard is that it won't pop up out of the water when you hit waves, it will be quieter in the cockpit when operating and will likely have more HP than an outboard. The nice things about an outboard are when it breaks you can take it off the boat to service it, you can raise it out of the water to reduce drag (helpful if you have light air on your lake) and you can sometimes grab the tiller (if it is still attached) to rotate the engine to aid maneuvering in tight areas (docks).
Hope this helps. Your market conditions may vary.
The old OMC's can be quite reliable and I'd be much more likely to buy one in a freshwater boat. Electrolysis can wreak havoc on them in saltwater, but is less of an issue in fresh. The problem comes when you need non-mechanical related parts. For example, the rubber boot between the motor and hull that keeps the boat from sinking is tough to find. However, few owners have reported problems with it so it is not prone to failure, even though in theory you should replace it occasionally.
There are also some alternatives if you need to repower, but doing so will likely exceed your initial investment in the boat. However, buying a new outboard will also likely exceed your initial investment in the boat.
In my experience, a boat in this size range pretty much sells for a price directly related to the condition of the outboard motor and the sails. An inboard diesel boat might sell for twice a comparable boat with an outboard. A boat with a decent trailer will easily sell for thousands more than one without as a new trailer for a boat this size is about $5K. Regarding a boat with a OMC inboard, I think it would price out like a boat with an older outboard, but you might have a pretty different market in KS, compared to the coast, where boats are plentiful.
Regarding a boat with an inboard and an outboard...someone likely couldn't fix the inboard and didn't want to deal with the hassle of pulling it...so they just mounted an outboard. This is a bit of a negative, as they are passing on the work to you if you wish to remove it and glass over the hole in the hull...which you may need to do at some point, as the boot may leak someday. However, I'd still expect this boat to sell at a similar price to an outboard only boat.
The nice things about the inboard is that it won't pop up out of the water when you hit waves, it will be quieter in the cockpit when operating and will likely have more HP than an outboard. The nice things about an outboard are when it breaks you can take it off the boat to service it, you can raise it out of the water to reduce drag (helpful if you have light air on your lake) and you can sometimes grab the tiller (if it is still attached) to rotate the engine to aid maneuvering in tight areas (docks).
Hope this helps. Your market conditions may vary.
More info
http://web.mac.com/overholtzer/impliedconsent/Welcome.html
Check out Brent Overholtzer's S2 site. He has some info on the OMC saildrive, if you are interested.
http://web.mac.com/overholtzer/impliedconsent/Welcome.html
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