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Midnight Rider.
So hopefully nobody thinks im crazy/dumb but I would really like to get a new Margay. I just cant come up with the money needed and refuse to get loan.I had a thought that maybe I could buy a Margay without an engine and put my current engine on it. My current engine is a 1989 100hp Mariner. I could also use my current trolling motor and graph. Can a Margay be purchased without an engine? How much would it run? My budget is about 14K. I remember reading online where someone won a margay without an engine and they listed its value at 14k.What do you think? Is this just a bad idea? I know I could get something used but this is about as big of a boat that I can tow and used margays are hard to find. Feedback/Advice appreciated.Thanks,Tom
For what its worth: I would not recommend doing this. Mixing the old technology on new hull gains you what? You have not indicated what your old motor is/was hung on. There are a lot of very decent boats in your price range. I suggest being a patient buyer and finding your best deal on the right boat that meets your needs.
Try looking for a clean used BCB in your price range. The boats like that are often garage kept and well maintained with low hours They will look great and you will end up with a 99 to 03_04 range with an engine that same ageI pondered the same thing youre pondering about 15 years ago. I was wisely convinced to wait and find a full rig, which I didIts very honorable and smart to avoid a loan.Im not trying to help sell anyones boat but this is in your price range and looks great what a boathttp://basscatowners.yuku.com/topic/295 … LhwOFnnbMJLast edited by BassCatDan on January 16th, 2015, 2:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
I agree you would be better off finding a good used Cat then purchasing a new one without an engine. Some factors you need to consider, youre going to be very underpowered with 100HP engine on essentially an 18 boat. Yes I know theyre rated for 70 to 150 hp but I can promise you will be wanting more. What is your current boat? If it has any value 90% of that value is the engine, so you pull the engine for a new boat and you just killed the value of your current boat. Sell what you got and save some more pennies or as others said find a good used cat that has an engine that is close to max rated HP, sell your current rig complete. Just my .02 cents anyway
The Margay hull will run fine with that engine as the hull is designed to go down to 70 HP or more.Ther will be three (3) Margays as Tournament prizes this spring. Then there is a fourth (4) at BCB now looking for a similar situation. BCBLast edited by Bass Cat Boats on January 16th, 2015, 2:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
I would not do this. Take some time and save up some more money. As you know with boats comes problems($$$$$$) you dont want to have a boat and no money when it needs $1,000 for something? I commend you on not wanting to get a loan! Thats a smart move. Putting an old motor on a new boat takes a lot of its value away if you had a need to sell it for some reason your market would be very small. My advise would be to save money, be patient, and keep you eye out for a good used boat while you save up.
Oh and being it sounds like you are set on the 18 boat class BCB made other boats in that size range, prime example my old Eyra 1711″ max HP rating 175hp the old Eyras were made into the late 90s they are also hard to find but probably not as hard as finding an $11,000 margay.
My current boat is a 16 10″ Tuffy fish ski style boat (more fish than ski). I honestly believe it is a one of a kind. Serial tuffy01aa989. Its ok but just a turd. Not shiny. Lots of gel coat cracks. Torn drivers seat. Not confident in the transom….. i spent about $500 so far this winter on it getting the trailer in shape. The motor is not pumping water well so that will be more money. I just dont want to put more money in to it. As the saying goes. You cant polish a turd. My Chevrolet Equinox is rated for towing 3500 lbs so that is a factor for bigger boats. Yea id love a nice older pantera but…..Thanks for all the advice.
Buy a used Sabre. You can find one in that price range fairly easily.
I understand where you are coming from with the towing capacity…I have a Mazda CX9 with the same tow rating, with the towing package from the factory. A Pantera is too heavy for your vehicle, IMO. Even with a single axle trailer, youd be pushing the absolute limits of your vehicle. If you could find a used Sabre single axle, youd be right around the 3K range with gas/gear/batteries/oil reservoir.So, Im looking at the Margay for the same reasons you are, and will get brakes on the 3″ frame trailer that is standard (the brakes are not standard, but from what BCB told me, are available). I am calculating the Margay with a 150HP will end up weighing just under 3k, so IMO, your tow vehicle needs the assistance of the trailer brakes. If you hang a 115HP on the back, it would be slightly lighter. Again, IMO, I would not go less than a 115 on the Margay….the additional power just gets the boats hull out of the water a bit more for more efficient running. A 150HP would allow running in the 50mph range at MUCH less than full throttle, and if you wanted to go into the mid 60s, you could.I do understand your hesitation in taking out a loan for a new boat, but with 14,000 to put down, financing the balance would not be a big deal. It would be nice to be able to go in and write a check for a 25-30K boat, but I dont have many friends with that kind of money laying around….I sure dont, so mine will be financed when I get it (next year). If I could find a really nice used one then, Id consider it. Im 63 years old, and one thing I have learned about buying things I WANT, is to do it right the first time. Yes, you could save some money putting some of the old stuff from your old boat on the new one, but having a more modern engine, trolling motor, and electronics would make a huge difference in your enjoyment of the boat. Again, my opinion.Depending on the loan, interest rate, and how many months youd be willing to finance the boat for, the payment would be in the neighborhood of $250-$350 per month. Then youd be getting EXACTLY what you want, including colors, type/brand of motor and TM, plus choose the electronics you would want. And you would not be “settling” for anything.Just my opinion…that and about 5 bucks will buy you a Starbucks…2017 Sabre FTD AE DC2017 Yamaha 175 SHOMK Fortrex 80Helix 10 Mega SI in consoleHelix 7 GPS SI GN2 on bow
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