Tips on Buying a 1988 Prostar 190

[PE4ME]

First boat was a 86 dixie skier open bow with 351 PCM and velvet drive. Friend had a 91 Prostar 190. We spent 90% of the time in the skier because of the space. That's it.
Those motors are bullet proof but there is a learning curve to all boats carbed...pump, pump choke start so to speak. Too much of one thing and it flooded, to warm wouldn't start, ambient air temp too high new set of start up sequence. Cool days were the best, warm days it was a craps shoot. About the time I mastered her, I would be 70 feet back and the girl, buddy or however kills the motor and is overheating the starter because they dont know how start it. Swim back, crawl in and blah blah..
After one year, you are looking at electronic ignition, searching for a bolt on EFI system and wishin you held off.
I spent some $ but got out of it before too long and into a PS 205 with EFI. Best move.
NO DOUBT, get fuel injection and open bow unless you are the TRUE slalom only type, even then what about friends and family etc. Some headaches eliminated and things simplified at the helm. No wood stringers or flooring issues to worry about is a +.

Alter ego? You get it, assuming it is in the condition it is showing, use it a summer or 2 and it's still worth 8k+? I dont think that's a stretch. You cant really loose too bad. If you can use a toy be for a few seasons and only loose a few thousand, you are probably doing pretty well in the end.

Ultimately, the experienced boater listens objectively as you can here and probably looks for something 94 (MC) and newer making sure it is EFI(simplicity, efficiency, resale), has an open bow (space, resale), and is made by the big 3(resale).
Just my opinion of course.

Either way, Good luck!

[JohnE]

Originally Posted by PE4ME

.

Ultimately, the experienced boater listens objectively and probably goes 94 or newer ANY make= EFI(simplicity, efficiency, resale), open bow (space, resale), big 3(resale).

Either way, Good luck!

Unless I am mis reading what you are sayin, only MC was all EFI in 94 and newer. Others were much later.

[drschemel]

back to your original question, here are so thought I have as to what to look for. It is an old boat that hasn't been used much, so there are some things that just get old and need replacing!
1. carb - needs either recent rebuild or recent replacement or it will not hold up to the alcohol in the gas. that about a $500 cost.
2. impeller - should have been replaced in the last 2-3 years or needs to be replaced now. that's about $20 so not a big deal.
3. ignition - should have been converted to electronic and points done away with. that probably a $100 charge at a boat shop
4. fuel lines - should have been replaced to handle the alcohol inthe fuel - maybe $50 to do that.
5. radio - the old kenwood that came on the boat is just old and who needs a cassette player? About $150 for new radio and about $100 for new speakers.
6. trailer - bearings should have been recently serviced. a boat that is only occasionally used suffers more from water/rust than one that is frequently used. Maybe $150 for a boat shop to service the trailer.
7. trailer brakes - who knows? You need to have a mechanic check these.
8. ulpholstry - remember, it is 25 years old and is not going to last very long if you start using the boat a lot. $2000 for new upholstry at Viper.

So you can see that you will have immediate $1100 of maintanence before you hit the lake and extra if brakes need to be done and then new upholstry in the next 2-3 years. This is why every one is saying $10,000 for a pristine boat that has not been upgraded is a little high.

[PE4ME]

I revised, you could get a carb later and there are nuances between the years...my point is EFI is much more user friendly and they typically show up 94 and newer depending on the manufacturer and model of course

[AZDave]

There are 94's out there for about the same price. Better tracking, better driving and better skiing boats. I go from driving an 88 to my 93 all the time and it is a huge improvement. If I was spending 10k, I would fing a 94 with EFI.

[gweaver]

Like others, I'd say it's overpriced. FWIW, I bought my 88 1 1/2 years ago in August. Had 930 hours, the back seat was pretty rough and it had a few mechanical issues. V/M tandem axle trailer with drum surge brakes, it's got a little rust on it, but I paid $3500 for it. I've got about $1000 in to the boat (replaced rear trans seal, new impeller, blower, new bearings and brakes on the trailer, new battery and a couple other things) but I still think I got a deal. It still needs a few things (head unit, rear cushion redone) and some cosmetic work, but point is, I put about 50 hours on it last summer. If your budget is $10K, I'd hold on a little longer and see what else you can find. I understand the desire to have a boat for the season, but if you can hold off until July/August when things start winding down, you'll get much more for your money. Heck, I've only owned mine for 2 years and I've already realized it's the wrong boat for me and I'm checking Craigslist daily!!
G