Need some help 2005 X-Star

[packbacker1981]

Hello everyone! Well here is my situation. I have been looking at tow boats for about two years now. I have been in about every boat you can imagine but I still haven't pulled the trigger yet on anything, just trying to be patient and find the right boat, because I plan on keeping whatever I get for a long time. Right now I have found an 2005 X-Star with the following options:

black hull and top stripe with gunmetal flake center
perfect pass
upgraded interior speakers (diamond audio I believe)
4-JL Audio tower speakers (seperates models)
2-front tower lights and 2 rear
bimini
MCX Engine
driver remote
transom remote
swivel board racks
full ballast
bow and stern pull up cleats
depth finder
10" sub
bow ladder

170 hours
$55,000

My questions are what do I need to look for being that the boat has 170 hours and is this a lot of hours? I am just a little shy about buying a used boat because you never know how the previous owner treated it. To be honest the boat is really clean according to the pictures (at a dealership about 150 miles from me) and looks to be really taken care of. I guess I just need some reassurance. What are some common problems with this year model to look for? Will I have the chance to purchase the extended warranty or is the original warranty still transferable and what are the terms? Any help you guys can give me will be greatly appreciated. Just trying to decide what's best to do. Thanks alot guys.

[east tx skier]

Welcome. Here's a little article that several members of this forum put together about a year or so ago. 170 hours isn't a lot, but it's plenty of time for a boat to be abused if that's how the previous owner did things. What that means is that maintenance and care means a lot more than what it says on the hour meter. I bought my first MC with 502 hours on the meter and sold it four years later with 637 hours on it. I've seen boats with less than 100 hours on it in worse shape.

All that said, these motors and transmissions are fairly bullet proof, which typically makes the used boats a great deal. Make sure you ride and ride behind it. That way, there's less opportunity for surprise later. Don't rely on the pictures (unless I'm the one selling the boat and have posted 100+ pictures of it). It's only 150 miles away. Either go see it yourself or see if there's someone on this forum in that area that won't mind going to give it a preview for you to let you know if it's worth the trip (most people on here will work for beer in that regard).

Here's the link to the article (http://www.tmcowners.com/teamtalk/showpost.php?p=257514&postcount=47).

Here's a link to the 2005 Owner's Manual (http://www.mastercraft.com/manuals/2005_MasterCraft_Owners_Manual.pdf), which will contain (at the end) the terms of the warranty.

[jkski]

For what it's worth, I own a 2005 that has 301 hours on it and I live in an area where our season lasts roughly 6months. My boat looks like the day I bought it and "generally" you will find that people who own these types of boats maintain them (there are always those exceptions to the rule). My point, 170 hours is not much at all and if you can go to see the boat, one lok will tell you if it has been cared for or not.

[ShamrockIV]

As East Tx said Welcome!!!!!!!

170 hours is not a ton as long as i repeat as long as the owner took care of it!!
my 97 has 450 but the original owner was a friend of mine and he is METICULOUS about his boats!! he says the 97 he sold me has less scratches than the x14 he bought new!!
Just check it out real good but you should be ok!!!

then again my buddy gave 55K for his new X14 but i am not up on xstar prices!!

[Mikey]

Right now I have found an 2005 X-Star with the following options:

black hull and top stripe with gunmetal flake center
perfect pass
upgraded interior speakers (diamond audio I believe)
4-JL Audio tower speakers (seperates models)
2-front tower lights and 2 rear
bimini
MCX Engine
driver remote
transom remote
swivel board racks
Full Ballast
bow and stern pull up cleats
depth finder
10" sub
bow ladder

170 hours
$55,000



Have the seller empty the ballast and you might be able to get a better deal. I hear the price of water is getting pretty high these days.8p:D

[ShamrockIV]

Have the seller empty the ballast and you might be able to get a better deal. I hear the price of water is getting pretty high these days.8p:D


never mind the water have him fill the gas tank!!!!!!!!!!

[yippikaiyay]

If it's a reputable dealer, (and I'm sure it is) they shouldn't have any trouble backing that 3 season boat up with a comprehensive -written warranty. Good luck!

[Ole Miss Rebels]

i just traded my 2005 xstar for an 08. my 05 had all of the current technology that is out today(excluding the digital dash toy- vdig). the 05 has throttle by wire and swivel racks. both great improvements over 04. see if it has the new 06 rudder, if not get it. also, get the 14.25 X 14 prop. it is amazing. you can get updated software for your perfect pass that will make it operate much smoother. you should also have the bow ladder which is an option now. the mcx is a wonderful engine, it is enough for everyone except the professional riders that have 4000 pounds of ballast. it is very miserly on gasoline although the prop upgrade I sugested will cut into the fuel a little bit but it is well worth it for the performance that prop will give you. you can add fusion I series board racks to the rear tower legs for more board capacity plus they look great. get the new yellow ballast impellors when it is time to change them. in a lot of ways i like the looks of the 05 tower better than the 08 tower. i put over four hundred hours on my boat in three summers and it performs better now than when it was new. i performed a compression check and all 8 cylinders ranged between 200-225 psi. mcx is very smooth and quiet. NEVER run your fuel tank below half full. make sure that the previous owner changed the oil and tranny fluid as per schedule. look for leaking at the fuel filter assembly on top of the gas tank. check for any fiberglass repairs. make sure it has never been wrecked or had any of the underwater gear ripped off. see if the prop spins easily by hand. $55K sounds like a very fair price to me if the boat is in very good shape and it has all of the service records and has never been wrecked. i would check it over very good and write them a check. you will never regret owning an xstar. nothing else i have ridden behind even remotely compares. you can pm me or email me and i will go over some of these particulars with you.

[Jerseydave]

backpacker, welcome!

I also have a 2005 X-star with the MCX engine. Ole Miss hit the nail on the head with everything. Try to get service records from the dealer or previous owner. Dealer should offer you at least a 90 day waranty.

I looked at a bunch of '04's back in january for around $55K, all had more hours on them than 170. My rule of thumb is try to get 10% off the asking price on new boats, cars, etc. Maybe with a used boat figure 5% off. Hope that price includes trailer.

The 2005 does have a few things that the 2004's don't, as Ole Miss mentioned, so the 2005 is a be a better buy.

Change rudder, prop, ballast impellers, update perfect-pass. Good to go! I can even barefoot behind mine with the stock prop @ 40 mph.

I LOVE MY X-STAR!!! I'm sure you'll love your too. :D

Good luck with your purchase! We need pictures!!!

-Dave