Help for a Noob - Looking at a Prostar 205

[Monteluna]

Hi All,

I have been soaking up a ton of great information from these forums for a few weeks and finally registered so I could get some help on my first boat purchase.

I have been looking at a 1994 Prostar 205 that is FSBO near me. We took it for a spin on Sunday, and it is in some ways a time capsule. It has had only one owner. The only thing that needs attention cosmetically is a bit of oxidizing. The boat only has 281 hours on it. The interior is near perfect. It has always been stored inside. It fired right up and ran flawlessly. My concerns surfaced when the owner admitted that the only servicing that he has done in 16 years is to do an oil change every 50 hours or so, replace the impeller a couple of times....and....thats it.

I've read the owners manual, and man, I can't believe that the boat ran so well and the engine looked so good with such negligent attention to what should have been done throughout the years. This has the original plugs, the original fuel filters, never had any cables lubed...etc.

My question is; should I eliminate this boat from consideration? Should I hire a mechanic to check it out to see if the negligence is a ticking time bomb for the next owner?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Greg

[Cloaked]

Originally Posted by Monteluna

Hi All,

I have been soaking up a ton of great information from these forums for a few weeks and finally registered so I could get some help on my first boat purchase.

I have been looking at a 1994 Prostar 205 that is FSBO near me. We took it for a spin on Sunday, and it is in some ways a time capsule. It has had only one owner. The only thing that needs attention cosmetically is a bit of oxidizing. The boat only has 281 hours on it. The interior is near perfect. It has always been stored inside. It fired right up and ran flawlessly. My concerns surfaced when the owner admitted that the only servicing that he has done in 16 years is to do an oil change every 50 hours or so, replace the impeller a couple of times....and....thats it.

I've read the owners manual, and man, I can't believe that the boat ran so well and the engine looked so good with such negligent attention to what should have been done throughout the years. This has the original plugs, the original fuel filters, never had any cables lubed...etc.

My question is; should I eliminate this boat from consideration? Should I hire a mechanic to check it out to see if the negligence is a ticking time bomb for the next owner?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Greg

What else would one have done in the course of 281 hours of use (just as a practical question)? He did maintenance as well as most and probably better than a lot others would have done, with that limited use. If it runs solid and is acceptable to obvious good conditions as you describe, I'd not hesitate one bit to snag this boat if the price is right. The oxidation will buff out. The rest is like a new boat. Write a check to the man, give it one more oil change and a service upgrade, and consider yourself with a relatively new boat. Do not ruin the Prostar with a tower... $0.02

Done deal.

[flipper]

The oil is the main thing. I wouldn't walk away from that at all. 281 hours isn't much

[Miss Rita]

Maybe some maintenance items have been neglected, but the boat hasn't been abused.

Buy it. It's going to need a little TLC, but it's worth it. The PS205 is a GREAT boat.

[dmminfla]

Post some pic please. My only question would be would it be normal for a boat with 281 hours that is allways kept inside to have alot of oxidation on the gel? My friend has a 93 with about 350 hrs. He had it buffed out but it sat on a lift for 17 years and is on his third interior. As far as the boat it seems that the skiers prefer the first generation 92-95 ps205 and the wakeboarders prefer the second generation 96+ hull. What's the asking price?

[OHIOPRO205]

The boat is a good one. I have the same boat with 560 hours and love it. You won't be sorry. Sounds like a good cleaning and some going over and your ready for lots of "fun".

[Archimedes]

I'd ask what, if any, winterizing was done each season. Even if it was stored indoors, did he stabilize the gas, drain the motor, etc. 16 winters of improper layup would be my only concern. I wouldn't worry about the other stuff, though I'd probably do a bunch of preventive maintenance if I bought the boat.

[JDK]

Originally Posted by Monteluna

The boat only has 281 hours on it.
My question is; should I eliminate this boat from consideration?

I think you should definitly eliminate it..... and shoot me a pm with the owners phone # so I can buy it.


Seriously... if it's running great right now.... and the oil has been changed and the block drained for wither storage, you should be setting yourself up for a great deal. For an additional $250 in tune-up parts you can bring the boat into like new condition. 281 hrs is nothing.

[Monteluna]

Thanks for all of the responses! I'll try to answer some questions here:

I really have no reason to believe there is any potential problems here. I just wonder if any of the scheduled maintenance left undone for so long could jeopardize the mechanical integrity of the boat. I do believe he had the boat docked and on a lift in the summer for some of the time which could explain the oxidizing. He said it had been a few years since he waxed it. The interior is too good to have been ever left uncovered.

I am not sure what his winterizing routine was. I haven't asked that question.

I do not plan on putting a tower on it. I have a couple college aged kids who have not done much skiing to date. My brother-in-law and neph. are very accomplished wakeboarders and they have a 96 PS205. We have a slalom course right out our back door here at the lake we live on. I am concerned about a good slalom wake first and foremost since that is where most of the use will go...at least initially.

Thank you again for the quick responses. I feel much more confident about perusing the boat. I will keep you informed of what happens.

Greg

ps. here is a pic of the boat.

http://shoe.smugmug.com/Other/Prosta...21_gvGpD-M.jpg

[Cloaked]

Originally Posted by Monteluna

Thanks for all of the responses! I'll try to answer some questions here:

I really have no reason to believe there is any potential problems here. I just wonder if any of the scheduled maintenance left undone for so long could jeopardize the mechanical integrity of the boat. I do believe he had the boat docked and on a lift in the summer for some of the time which could explain the oxidizing. He said it had been a few years since he waxed it. The interior is too good to have been ever left uncovered.

I am not sure what his winterizing routine was. I haven't asked that question.

I do not plan on putting a tower on it. I have a couple college aged kids who have not done much skiing to date. My brother-in-law and neph. are very accomplished wakeboarders and they have a 96 PS205. We have a slalom course right out our back door here at the lake we live on. I am concerned about a good slalom wake first and foremost since that is where most of the use will go...at least initially.

Thank you again for the quick responses. I feel much more confident about perusing the boat. I will keep you informed of what happens.

Greg

ps. here is a pic of the boat.

http://shoe.smugmug.com/Other/Prosta...21_gvGpD-M.jpg

Good looking boat. It will provide you with a good slalom wake. It has a slightly wider table (than the 190) but still an excellent low wake crest for good skiing. Yes Sir, I'd say if you are in the market, that looks like a nice boat.