What does a 1993 491VS sell for these days? Looking into buying one.

[saxtonlong]

Can anyone provide me with any info regarding what a 1993 Ranger 491 VS is selling for these days? I am in the market to buy one, but want to make sure I am not over paying for a boat... Thanks in advance!!

[hamer1553]

depends on lots of factors. Most of all the outboard. 491s usually came with 175 or 200 HP. Also what shape is the trailer in? New Trolling Motor?? was the boat garage kept? what shape is the gelcoat? All original 27 year old boat, motor and trailer that was covered but not garage kept I would estimate $7-9K. Super clean with decent gel coat, no rust on the trailer, outboard less than 5 years on a rebuild or repower and up to date electronics could be up to $15K. IMHO the 400 series was the best hulls Ranger ever made - I own a 92 451V - with the 481 VS being one of the all time best bassboats. 490's were a little on the heavy side were not know for top speed but they were stable in the rough stuff and very roomy for the day. VS is a plus for a boat that heavy.

[KYRANGERMAN]

Research, research, research. Look at NADA values. Look on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, online boat selling sites. After setting a baseline then get into the things that hamer1553 noted. A quick FB Marketplace search found two somewhat similar boats, a 1994 Ranger 497VS @ $12,000 and a 1995 392V for $11,000. Where you're located is also going to impact price. Also with the current market prices are going to be higher. NADA book is around $13,000. Boats.com has a 1997 481VS for $12,900.

Once all of that is done and your research completed it really boils down to how much you're willing to spend and whether YOU think it's a good deal.

[ECobb91]

Just because the owner thinks his boat is with 12,000, doesn’t mean it actually is. Market value is a used car salesman term overpriced on used equipment. Banks and insurance companies could care less about what the owners thoughts of how much the local market cost is. in the event you pay more and need an insurance claim, you’re SOL on the overage. Also if you need a loan, you’re only going to be given the amount for what it books for, everything else is on you.

Start with NADA, (a 1993 491vs with a 200hp Johnson books for around $7k). Do 50% off regular price for extras like trolling motors and electronics. If the units are the most recent gen models then 60% off is more than fair. Otherwise wait until Black Friday sales and you can get a better deal more times than not. Don’t factor in batteries because more than likely they’ll need to be replaced.

[apenland01]

I paid $11,650 for mine in fall of 2018, but it had a 2004 Optimax 225 with only 65 hours on it. Boat hull was in excellent shape, it takes on no water and the trailer was workable and been fine the past two years I've owned the boat. The 1993 491/492 was either a 200 or 225 rigged on it, as the max was listed as 245 horsepower. Any 491/492 with a 175 on it is a deal breaker, so do not buy it. Even a 200 will be slightly under powered, as it is indeed a heavy boat. Mine is the VS model and I have a 6" manual jackplate and it does great with a 225. I don't need any more horsepower than that, but a 200 would probably leave me wanting a bigger engine...

[StevenMCC]

Condition based....

[saxtonlong]

Thanks for the info everyone! I tried looking up some things but I guess I just didn't search the correct places to find those prices you guys listed. I appreciate all the help! The boat is in very good condition. The carpet still looks decent, but obviously has a little wear since its original. It does have a 2 stroke 225 yamaha (mid-late 90's model) and the tandem axle trailer is also in great shape!

[apenland01]

Also, when I bought mine, the trolling motor was busted and needed to be replaced. Same for the electronics. Thankfully, it was easy to upgrade both. I had the Ultrex installed and a couple of Lowrance HDS units to replace the old broken ones. I also had the seats recovered because they were starting to crack, as it was original seat skins. Basically, I'm in for about $17,000 and have an amazing boat to fish from...

[Retired cop]

Once again class: A used boat/car/truck/ whatever is worth EXACTLY what the owner is willing to take and you the buyer are willing to pay.