I'm going to see a 99 Champion 203 that is for sale at a local marina. Not being familiar with Champs, any suggestions/opinions on what I should look out for?
I'm going to see a 99 Champion 203 that is for sale at a local marina. Not being familiar with Champs, any suggestions/opinions on what I should look out for?
Boat is fine the motor will need to be checked.
Rick is there any photo's
No photo's yet. I'll be seeing it this weekend and may take some photo's then. The boat is being sold without a motor. My intent would be to buy it as is and spend sometime and $$'s to restore it (replace carpet, update electronics and hang a new, slightly used motor). From what I initially saw, it looked like a nicely finished and structurally sound boat.
Are there any issues or things that I should be aware of when I check it out?
Not many on a 203, 10 years old so there will be your normal dings and scratches. some stress cracks on the top cap in the rear corners but that is normal. Jump up and down on the floor to check for soft spots. etc.
I bought a 99 203 this past fall, and I absolutely love this boat. I spent a few months giving it some long overdue TLC and the results were outstanding. It's time to fish though, so the carpet will have to wait a year. One thing is make sure to check the transom thoroughly. Besides knocking to see if the sound changes, look carefully at the bolt holes inside and out to see if there is any discoloration, or streaking/stains. That is the man culprit whether the boat is a good purchase or not. If it's structurally sound, for the right price, it's a great find. If ther transom has issues, run away.
Thanks for the advice. I will make sure to look for this. I may also have more questions once I have a real close look at it!
Where are you in Ontario? I am in Ottawa. Good luck with the boat. I hope you get it. I love mine!
I'm also looking at a 99 203 in Texas. It does need some TLC. What seems to be a fair price for a decent condition 99 203? I've searched for used ones on the internet and they're hard to find. I've found them from 12k to 19k. I'm guessing somewhere in the middle.
I would say 19 would be high unless that thing was super clean and used very little. The middle would be a good starting point. An absolute beauty (2000 203) just sold here locally for $13,700 on e-bay. The only down side was there was a Ficht hanging on the transom. I know the previous owner. It never gave him a bit of trouble.
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