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  1. #1
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    How old is too old for 1st timer? 2001 Tracker

    So.....Things kinda got real for me real quick when it came to the actual costs of buying a new boat. I was even looking at a 16 or 17 foot tracker! lol


    Well I found a 2001 Tracker 175XT for $7850. It looks good in pics and in person. I havent tested it on the water since im 2 hours away from boatable water.

    Im a total noob and this is my first boat. Im not the most mechanically inclined.....but i can do simple things if explained well enough (I change my brakes, do tuneups and my oil changes but thats about it, and bigger things go to the mechanic). I know the older the motor the bigger the problems.....its my understanding parts become hard to come by for old engines on top of the knowledge needed to work on the older motor...so Im wondering, how old is too old of a motor/boat for a first timer?

    Im definitely budget conscious....and if its $7850 no issues beyond routine maintenance Im all good with...but if its the same price....loaded with potential problems and costs, that end up being somewhat amplified due to the age.....thatd ruin me and id prolly give up on boats and stick to my kayak! Do you all think a 2001 Tracker and motor is a huge potential problem? Or is that a good buy for the price?

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    #2
    Also.....if Im more serious, and pretty much ready to buy it I'm gonna ask the current owner to meet me at the lake and im planning on hiring a mechanic to do a prepurchase inspection. Im asking on a more long term type thing....wondering if a 2001 will still be a workhorse for me without major costs/repairs for at least 5 years or so

  3. Shutterbug Forum Moderator bdog7198's Avatar
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    #3
    7850?? for a 2001 that seems way high. Did you check NADA pricing for the boat and its options?

    for a person not the most mechanically included just be careful in what you buy, 16 year old boats will have their age related maintenance. Some of maintained better then others.

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    #4
    Yes, that was tops on NADA.....wasnt gonna offer the 7850 tbh, prolly gonna go full savage and hit him with the ol' "will you do $5k cash today" but after I check it out with a mechanic of course


    Thats what im hear wondering since its an old boat. So how old is too old?

  5. Member Bass AHolic's Avatar
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    #5
    low ball with that may get a paddle cactus whoop

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    #6
    Unless the boat itself is beat up and ragged out,they rarely give any problems. You need to be concerned about the engine. You don't say what brand and size. Tracker sold lots of boats with Force engines to keep the price down. If that is what it has,I don't think I would buy it unless it was cheap enough to be worth repowering. It can be hard to find someone to repair Force,around here anyway. If it has a Merc or Johnson,I wouldn't be too concerned about it,provided the engine checks out ok. I wouldn't pay $7850 for this boat regardless. I think it is over priced. But looking at Craig's List,lots of folks think their old boats are worth top dollar too.

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    #7
    Im currently selling my 2003 smoker craft 17.5 ft fish and ski for 8800 on craigslist. However i have repowered with a 115hp optimax in 13, new fortrex in 14, and mechanically everything is new in the last 2 years. (all pumps, steering, carpet, seats, wiring, lighting, tires, bearings, elite dsi, and full walkthrough windshield.) so according to my mechanic it books at about 11k. Someone offered me 7800k this weekend and i accepted. I realize its an old boat and you never recover what you have in it. But my mechanic told me to think of it like this. The motors book at about $6200, so they are getting ( pending) the rest of the boat for $1700. Is it what i want to hear after spending 9k to bring it back to reconditioned? No. But it was a fair offer considering the age. I know what i have and its been garaged its whole life. I bought it new and know its solid. So they will be a happy boat buyer. That doesnt mean nothing can go wrong. But for the most part its sound. Plus i paid cash for my new to me triton and it has to go. Lol. Ask a lot of questions and look at the little things. If you cant change a pump by yourself, its usually $80/hr labor. So every little thing thats been updated is the things that wont cost you money in the end. No matter which boat you look at.

    I guess the point im trying to make is if it all checks out and has a good motor with good compression and everything seems on the up and up, shoot a low but reasonable offer and you might be glad. If not, wait and keep shopping. More and more for sale everyday. Without accurate model info and motor stats (brand, model, hours, compression,etc) we cant give you a fair estimate.
    Last edited by jdwo2212; 04-24-2017 at 10:17 PM.

  8. Member
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by bdog7198 View Post
    7850?? for a 2001 that seems way high. Did you check NADA pricing for the boat and its options?

    for a person not the most mechanically included just be careful in what you buy, 16 year old boats will have their age related maintenance. Some of maintained better then others.
    I would scour craigslist all over your state(and neighboring states) and used boat sites....to get a better sense of what these boats typically sell for. NADA is worthless imo.

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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Rip Bass View Post
    Unless the boat itself is beat up and ragged out,they rarely give any problems. You need to be concerned about the engine. You don't say what brand and size. Tracker sold lots of boats with Force engines to keep the price down. If that is what it has,I don't think I would buy it unless it was cheap enough to be worth repowering. It can be hard to find someone to repair Force,around here anyway. If it has a Merc or Johnson,I wouldn't be too concerned about it,provided the engine checks out ok. I wouldn't pay $7850 for this boat regardless. I think it is over priced. But looking at Craig's List,lots of folks think their old boats are worth top dollar too.
    Not sure what a force engine is....but I did a little googling, and I think this one might be one? The engine has "Tracker" in big lettering and then a small strip underneath that says "by mercury marine" So im kinda confused if its a force engine after googling.




    The dude was very vague....he was a spanish speaker so maybe it was a language barrier type thing...but he just said its all low hours but wouldnt say what "low" was. And when I asked him about maintenance he just said "yes, yes, yes" lol. I do know that it WAS NOT garage kept, but tarped.....the heat is a killer here in El Paso so garage kept is more important for me in my opinion. When it came to the engine and his vagueness I figured id sort that out with a mechanic by taking him with me to see it.




    I think its priced high too...especially since Im pretty sure all they did was go to NADA themselves to price it. The price I came to on NADA was within $200 of what they priced it. Theres a nice 2004 18 footer for the same price in central texas....and yea its a drive but i dont mind cuz that gives me an excuse to road trip and fish. And fully agree...many people are looking for full value when they list...regardless of how they maintained it or what is put into it. There will be low balling....well not if its worth it. but im taking my time and hope to jump on the right opportunity....debating whether I should wait till winter since I hear lots of people sell during that time?

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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by jdwo2212 View Post
    Im currently selling my 2003 smoker craft 17.5 ft fish and ski for 8800 on craigslist. However i have repowered with a 115hp optimax in 13, new fortrex in 14, and mechanically everything is new in the last 2 years. (all pumps, steering, carpet, seats, wiring, lighting, tires, bearings, elite dsi, and full walkthrough windshield.) so according to my mechanic it books at about 11k. Someone offered me 7800k this weekend and i accepted. I realize its an old boat and you never recover what you have in it. But my mechanic told me to think of it like this. The motors book at about $6200, so they are getting ( pending) the rest of the boat for $1700. Is it what i want to hear after spending 9k to bring it back to reconditioned? No. But it was a fair offer considering the age. I know what i have and its been garaged its whole life. I bought it new and know its solid. So they will be a happy boat buyer. That doesnt mean nothing can go wrong. But for the most part its sound. Plus i paid cash for my new to me triton and it has to go. Lol. Ask a lot of questions and look at the little things. If you cant change a pump by yourself, its usually $80/hr labor. So every little thing thats been updated is the things that wont cost you money in the end. No matter which boat you look at.

    I guess the point im trying to make is if it all checks out and has a good motor with good compression and everything seems on the up and up, shoot a low but reasonable offer and you might be glad. If not, wait and keep shopping. More and more for sale everyday. Without accurate model info and motor stats (brand, model, hours, compression,etc) we cant give you a fair estimate.
    If im lucky enough to come across someone like you I def would not lowball too much....$1k seems like a fair discount. Most people dont understand that theyre not getting what they put in nowadays. Wish more people were reasonable like you. congrats on the sale!

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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by StarcraftSS View Post
    I would scour craigslist all over your state(and neighboring states) and used boat sites....to get a better sense of what these boats typically sell for. NADA is worthless imo.
    im looking for that deal....so im basically searching from Dallas to Phoenix! Hopefully I find a good deal for one for sale at Lake Fork so I finally have a chance to fish that water! lol

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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by bockscar View Post
    If im lucky enough to come across someone like you I def would not lowball too much....$1k seems like a fair discount. Most people dont understand that theyre not getting what they put in nowadays. Wish more people were reasonable like you. congrats on the sale!
    Well they havent paid or picked it up yet so im not holding my breath. But thanks for the vote of confidence. :) Glad it seems like a fair deal. Gives me confidence in my approach. Thanks.

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    #13
    And....they backed out. Lol.

  14. Member
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    #14
    Go look at this boat. It is not too far from your search area. It is a newer boat that has been kept on a lift with a cover on it, or so it is being shown as. The pics look good. The engine is a Merc 50 hp and should run the boat fast enough. The owner is asking $7000.

    https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/boa/6090778393.html

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    #15
    Dallas boat looks to be in fantastic shape. Although, I'm curious as to what would make other buyer back out. What was the msrp on this boat in 2005?

  16. Member
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    #16
    That dallas tracker does seem nice. Worth lookin at for ya maybe.

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    #17
    Quote Originally Posted by StarcraftSS View Post
    Dallas boat looks to be in fantastic shape. Although, I'm curious as to what would make other buyer back out. What was the msrp on this boat in 2005?
    I think its jdwo whos buyer backed out, not the tracker in the link. That one in Frisco is super clean looking!




    Im noticing Dallas and Phoenix tend to have a good priced tracker or 2 listed a lot of the time. Gonna keep doing a little more homework before making a drive like that. I hope when/if I do have to make a trip like that....it will be to buy ultimately.




    Im trying to find the "right" deal for me....but damn if that tracker wasnt in odessa or lubbock, I think thats getting close to right. Looks like it just needs a graph for the bow but good beside that.....anchor too!




    Bookmarking the page! lol

  18. Member
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    #18
    Well considering i bought and fished out of an 86 procrraft for my first boat. Its a learning curve
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  19. Member BOATS's Avatar
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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by bockscar View Post
    [FONT="]Not sure what a force engine is....but I did a little googling, and I think this one might be one? The engine has "Tracker" in big lettering and then a small strip underneath that says "by mercury marine" So im kinda confused if its a force engine after googling.
    [/FONT]

    [FONT="]

    [/FONT]

    [FONT="]The dude was very vague....he was a spanish speaker so maybe it was a language barrier type thing...but he just said its all low hours but wouldnt say what "low" was. And when I asked him about maintenance he just said "yes, yes, yes" lol. I do know that it WAS NOT garage kept, but tarped.....the heat is a killer here in El Paso so garage kept is more important for me in my opinion. When it came to the engine and his vagueness I figured id sort that out with a mechanic by taking him with me to see it.
    [/FONT]

    [FONT="]

    [/FONT]

    I think its priced high too...especially since Im pretty sure all they did was go to NADA themselves to price it. The price I came to on NADA was within $200 of what they priced it. Theres a nice 2004 18 footer for the same price in central texas....and yea its a drive but i dont mind cuz that gives me an excuse to road trip and fish. And fully agree...many people are looking for full value when they list...regardless of how they maintained it or what is put into it. There will be low balling....well not if its worth it. but im taking my time and hope to jump on the right opportunity....debating whether I should wait till winter since I hear lots of people sell during that time?
    If it says by mercury marine then it is a mercury not a Force, Force engines were piles of crap, matter of fact I would rather have pile of crap hooked to the back of the boat.
    XPRESS H 18 SS, YAMAHA 115

  20. Member hblancet's Avatar
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    #20
    Nada on that boat is from 2500 to 3000 dollars. 7800 is more than new.

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