1999 boss 302
 

Hey,
I am looking at buying a 302 with twin 454's. Its a little older but the engines have 135 original hours on them. The boat looks pretty clean other than a 1cm rip by the rear cup holder and some mold in the Cuddy from the winter. What should I keep an eye out for? Is there any reason I am going to regret buying this thing?
Thanks for your responses!

which 454's? I was looking at a 302 but couldn't find one with 454 mags.. mpi's would be low 60s..

They are the MPI's. Not worried about top speed. Just reliability.

MPIS should last forever if taken care of!! heard many stories from dealers and others who have ran over 1000 hours!!

Go for it!!

I had a 99 with 7.4s for 5 seasons. Absolutely loved the boat. Only negative is the swim platform. Its too narrow, too slanted and can be down right dangerous. Like others mentioned it's a 62 MPH boat, but easy on go go juice.

you will bust your azz on the swim platform i guarantee it like Baja 342 said it is too narrow and too slanted ( and the extended platform is just as bad ) plus it gets wet making it slipperyer ( is that even a word LOL ) than oil on ice so be prepared for a sore one LOL as for the engines Nightlife has over 1200 hours on his and still going strong

With "mold" in the cabin I'd be looking at/for moisture issues first and foremost. Especially in the bulkheads, stringers and transom. The boats been wet inside no doubt. These boats were not sealed at the factory (mines not the only one). Holes cut in the transom weren't sealed, drain holes in the stringers have raw wood exposed. There are places all over the boats where this is true. Just poor craftsmanship period.

I wouldn't care how many hours it (doesn't) have. A '99 Baja needs a professional survey with attention to moisture content. Especially one that is growing mold in the cabin. Also, sometimes motors that have that few hours on them over 14 years nickle and dime you more than one that was run 75 hours a year. Good Luck.

While good points and a survey is never a bad idea, mold in the cabin can come from something as simple as poor storage conditions. How many boats do you see wrapped in tarps that don't let the cockpit/cabin breathe at all. I've seen boats shrink wrapped with no vents in them.

My suggestion is if you like it, fork out a few bucks for a survey. Sea trial it. Make sure any issues you have with it are completed to your satisfaction before taking delivery (or make sure you can live with them). I drove away with a boat and a handful of promises once. Never again!!

May not hurt to post pics and location of the 302 you're looking at. You'd be surprised who comes out of the wood work around here. Small group and chances are you may run across someone who has owned it or looked at it previously and could tell you why they walked away.

The mold is just tiny little spores on the vinyl from the storage over the colder months, it should wipe off very easy. It is here in Pensacola. I guess the boat has spent a little time in Destin and before that lived in Georgia. Still deciding what to do. I really like the boat but would like closed cooling engines for running in the saltwater. I don't really feel like replacing the cooling system everything every 5 years. I am definitely going to have an expert check the compression, drives and transom before buying.

Let me know what you think
Used 1999 Baja 302, Pensacola, Fl - 32503 - BoatTrader.com

looks nice

also the decks can be a challenge when trying to anchor. had a friend with 38 special & the curve of the deck made it interesting a couple times up there. Especially after few drinks.

I also have a 302 Boss, it has the 7.4 mags(carbs) and with 23 pitch props I have seen 67-69mph on gps. The boat rides well as long as you get it up on top of the rough stuff and is really not bad at all maneuvering it around docks. I also pull it everywhere with a 2003 chevy 2500hd that is a 6.0 gas motor and it does pretty decent unless down in the big hills around Tablerock lake. There is another 1999 Boss for sale at the PERFORMANCE BOAT CENTER at Lake of the Ozarks for @37,900 and I think it had 300ish hours on it but it looked much cleaner than the Florida Boss. And yes as stated be careful on the swim platform with wet feet!

Does look nice. Same colors and graphics as the one I had. For a 7.4 boat it's got a few nice options. K Planes with mechanical indicators, Gaffrig gauges. It does seem to have some corrosion on the top of the drives for 135 hours and supposedly being a fresh water boat (perhaps it sat in the water for a long time?). However, doesn't appear to have any rust on the motors. All the switches still have the markings on them. On most older Bajas they're worn off.

I had an identical Eagle trailer under a 29 OL I had. 14" wheels, but I liked it. Not sure how long it will last in salt water though...at least the fenders are fiberglass:)

I only have a f150 so I am just planning on dry docking it down at the gulf. I would be very happy with 67-69 mph!

I towed mine with a 2000 Expedition breifly back in the day. I also rack stored at the time. Towed it to and from winter storage mostly, 7-8 miles or so. You'll move it around just fine with the F150. Especially down there where it's flat.

[QUOTE=Sbouslog;3933671]The mold is just tiny little spores on the vinyl from the storage over the colder months, it should wipe off very easy. It is here in Pensacola. I guess the boat has spent a little time in Destin and before that lived in Georgia. Still deciding what to do. I really like the boat but would like closed cooling engines for running in the saltwater. I don't really feel like replacing the cooling system everything every 5 years. I am definitely going to have an expert check the compression, drives and transom before buying.{QUOTE}

I was looking at this before I bought my 33.. I had a 25ol for 4 years in brackish and a few times a year in gulf.. manifolds were spotless!! If you flush and clean off religiously ( like every good owner should), you should get a lot more than 5 years! I also sprayed with wd 40 to help..

Good luck!! Boat looked clean from the pics and really low hours.

Swim Platform and Extended are indeed slick. I just purchased a 03 302 Boss w/extended platform and had a buddy of mine spray grip-tex on it and what a world of difference that made. Worth the investment! Nice boats and lots of room in cockpit. Tow mine with a 97 C3500 Dually w/454 vortec gas. Tows fine. Go for it!

Wes is griptex like stickum the baseball players use ??? i saw a girl do a big time acrobatic flip last summer on your swim platform and no dam video of it that was 10K on americas funniest videos thank god she didnt get hurt

If that boat could only speak!!!! I had a buddy spray this stuff on last weekend when he rubbed the boat up and fixed a couple of spots in the gel. Boat looks mint and literally like new. Very happy with it for sure. Maybe next year I will make the trip to St Clair and see if history can repeat!!!!

Hahaha..... That just cracked me up !

i try to be entertaining LOL

It's working!! Needed a good laugh!!

if you have never been on a 302 swim platform with wet feet try it sometime and let me know how it felt LOL

Not to stick my nose in, why don't you buy a quart of anti skid. Not sure of the proper name. You apply it with a paint brush and it dries into a gritty sandpaper like finish. If you slip on that you'll have road rash. We use it on top of our cement tankers. Just my 2 cents.