Preliminary questions to ask when buying used?

[bockscar]

Ok...back with another thread lol still planning on buying an aluminum boat with about 40-60 hp motor (hopefully more, prolly not in my budget tho). Still hoping for the tracker, but I am willing to try other brands too (alumacraft, lowe).

So I came across this thread ("Used Boat Buyers Check list from BCB")

, and it gives me a pretty good idea of what to look for once things get more serious and we meet for a test drive
http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=590067

but....im wondering what kind of questions should I ask on the initial contact I make with the seller whether that is via phone call or email? Here is my running list of things I am planning to ask, and hope you all can add on or tweak the list.

1. Would you mind if I asked why youre selling? (or should I stay away from this question?)
2. What year is everything? hull, motor, trailer and do you have a clean title for each?
3. How many hours.....more specifically what kind of use did you get out of this boat/motor? Used weekly, bimonthly, quarterly, once or twice a year?
4. What condition would you say everything is in? (obv gonna get the salespitch here lol)
5. How was this boat stored when it was not in use? (hoping to hear garage kept from seller here from my understanding)
6. What regular scheduled/recommended type maintenance did you do? (what answer should I look for here?)
7. What major, or repairs in general have been done to the boat?
8. Do all the guages work?
9. Any starter, or electrical problems?
10. Any issues with the deck, or other moisture related issues?
11. How old are the trolling motor, and graphs?
12. Will you take $3000 less than what youre asking for it? hahahahaha jk

thanks guys. let me know what you think.

[jdwo2212]

That all looks pretty stand up. Id say roll with that and start from there. See if you like the answers given. As far as #6 you are hoping winterizing (if it applies to your weather), fuel filters, gear lube, spark plugs, water pump, etc.) Also a good question is to ask when it was last used and how often. See what if any fuel additives the person used. That can help a lot in knowing if the fuel system is maintained.

[bockscar]

That all looks pretty stand up. Id say roll with that and start from there. See if you like the answers given. As far as #6 you are hoping winterizing (if it applies to your weather), fuel filters, gear lube, spark plugs, water pump, etc.) Also a good question is to ask when it was last used and how often. See what if any fuel additives the person used. That can help a lot in knowing if the fuel system is maintained.

Will def break #6 into a multipart question. Someone mentioned....mightve been you lol...about the hours not being as important as usage. Since low hours can mean it has been sitting outside in the sun untouched for the last 2-5 years! lol I will def emphasize this.

What do you think about #1? Figure this is gonna be personal opinion, and some will say yes while others will say no.

[bison2312]

Don't be afraid to offend someone because it is your hard earned money they want from you. If the seller has a problem or is offended move on, if they are selling a boat they believe is quality they will be open with you IMO.

For #1 I would rephrase it to "why are you selling it?" You may not get an honest answer, but you might or at least some hesitation in the answer to make you cautious.

For #6 you could also ask if there are any receipts or if a shop did the work, which one where you can then go to that shop and ask about service records possibly or problems the boat came in for.

[jdwo2212]

Will def break #6 into a multipart question. Someone mentioned....mightve been you lol...about the hours not being as important as usage. Since low hours can mean it has been sitting outside in the sun untouched for the last 2-5 years! lol I will def emphasize this.

What do you think about #1? Figure this is gonna be personal opinion, and some will say yes while others will say no.

Yeah i think it was me. It holds true. I know from my own experience. Bought a boat with low hours and the guy said he hadnt used it for a few months. Im thinkin it was way longer cuz although it ran great on a test drive, 15hrs later the injector failed (probably grom sitting) and caused me a powerhead rebuild. Just sayin. As far as number 1 just ask away. If it is an honest seller they should be open to any question. I recently sold my v bottom and told anyone who looked at it where it was serviced, had a printout from dealer with hours, rpm ranges,compression, and any faults (overheats, alarms,etc.) ready to show potential buyers. I had the boat since it was new in 94 and repowered with optimax in 2013. I had nothing to hide and in fact encouraged buyers to go to my mechanic/dealer and ask. Thats how a stand up seller should be. Like bison2312 said. Its your money. If it doesnt seem on the up then walk away.

[jackmonkey]

If/when you look at the boat in person, bring a couple of tools. Have the owner start the motor. Check the spark plugs. Definitely have a voltmeter for the batteries. If the owner has an issue with you checking things out, walk away. I got screwed on batteries for the boat I bought. It had $700 worth of Optima batteries which definitely influenced my buying price. When I got the boat home I realized that all 3 were junk. Spent over $400 on new batteries.

[bockscar]

If/when you look at the boat in person, bring a couple of tools. Have the owner start the motor. Check the spark plugs. Definitely have a voltmeter for the batteries. If the owner has an issue with you checking things out, walk away. I got screwed on batteries for the boat I bought. It had $700 worth of Optima batteries which definitely influenced my buying price. When I got the boat home I realized that all 3 were junk. Spent over $400 on new batteries.

Most definitely! Planning to hire a mechanic for an hour or 2 to have him do as full an assesment as he can.....also hoping to drive the boat 30+ mins prior to purchase cuz I heard things can start up good, run good in a bucket.....but after some time on the water the true colors can show.

Just doing the waiting game now....actually saw something I wanted for 4750....and the guy sold it ASAP and with the quickness! lol

[Boostr]

I asked #1- Told me he bought a bigger boat for bigger tournaments. Sure enough had the bigger boat in his garage (Bass Cat). Previous owner of my boat did everything I asked of him. He even filled up his hull with water to show me that the bilge worked. With everything he told me and did, I felt comfortable buying the boat even without a test drive (Not really recommended but the compression test was good and it started right up). Felt even better when a BASS Angler friend of mine told me he knew the seller, and that it is a great boat. Told me this guy didn't BS me. The boat runs great so I'm happy.

[huntertn]

If you are not a mechanically inclined boat guy pay someone to look it over. Always do a compression check. Always take it to the lake for a test drive. It might run fine on the muffs but be a dog in the water. The only way to know is to drive it. But, if you are going to take it to the lake you need to be committed to buy if everything checks out. Don't waste the guys time. I have never taken a boat to the lake for a test drive and not bought it. But I know people who have gone to the lake and found some major issue. I usually look at the boat first, do a compression check, and make sure all the stuff works. If this is the one I am most interested in I talk money - contingent on a problem free test drive.

One of the most important things I tell people when they buy a used car, boat etc - when you are interacting with the person if something does not feel right just walk away from the deal. If they hem and haw a lot when answering questions or if they contradict themselves in their answers that is a bad sign - for me. If they lie about small things and it is obvious, you gotta wonder what they are doing on the big things.

[bockscar]

If you are not a mechanically inclined boat guy pay someone to look it over. Always do a compression check. Always take it to the lake for a test drive. It might run fine on the muffs but be a dog in the water. The only way to know is to drive it. But, if you are going to take it to the lake you need to be committed to buy if everything checks out. Don't waste the guys time. I have never taken a boat to the lake for a test drive and not bought it. But I know people who have gone to the lake and found some major issue. I usually look at the boat first, do a compression check, and make sure all the stuff works. If this is the one I am most interested in I talk money - contingent on a problem free test drive.

One of the most important things I tell people when they buy a used car, boat etc - when you are interacting with the person if something does not feel right just walk away from the deal. If they hem and haw a lot when answering questions or if they contradict themselves in their answers that is a bad sign - for me. If they lie about small things and it is obvious, you gotta wonder what they are doing on the big things.

Cool....im pretty sure its gonna be a 90% chance I travel out of town for inspection and test drive, and prolly 50/50 that I drive far (12+ hours) so yea, def wont be wasting anyones time. Thats actually one of my fears, the couple boats I got a bit more serious on were sold 2, and 3 days after my initial contact. I have a feeling once I find the winner I gotta call the owner and tell them im on the way.....this is also a reason I think im gonna end up paying closer to asking price unfortunately. Hard to lowball some guy and tell him ill be there in a day...and then have him get a better offer locally or quicker. Wish me luck! lol

[jdwo2212]

Hope it works out!