280 Sportfish
01-12-2017 | 02:45 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Registered
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 512
Likes: 1
From: Merritt Island, FL
280 Sportfish
I am looking to get into a performance based center console. I found a 98 280 sportfish that looks pretty nice. Think it has around 750ish hours on 225 EFI Mercs. Is there anything I should for in particular for the boat/motors?
02-02-2017 | 07:48 AM
#3
Registered
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 392
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham, AL
Sorry I can't help. I've only seen one and did not have a good chance to crawl all over it. As I get older and outboards get better I like the idea of a sporty (not fishy) CC more and more.
IMO the late 90's and early 00's were good years for Baja. I assume that the typical issues of water incursion would be the biggest potential problem to check for. Baja seemed to be hit and miss on the use of caulk. The CC should be better off as there are just a lot less holes in the transom than there are on a stern drive. At least pull a screw or two from the trim tabs and see if you get water out or black goo, that sort of thing. I have also seen water incursion in the floors (our center floor section over the gas tank) that had a lot of screws in it with no caulk whatsoever. This was the only issue with our boat (2001 252). Other than that Baja built a good boat.
Good luck. BTW, I love Merritt Island.
IMO the late 90's and early 00's were good years for Baja. I assume that the typical issues of water incursion would be the biggest potential problem to check for. Baja seemed to be hit and miss on the use of caulk. The CC should be better off as there are just a lot less holes in the transom than there are on a stern drive. At least pull a screw or two from the trim tabs and see if you get water out or black goo, that sort of thing. I have also seen water incursion in the floors (our center floor section over the gas tank) that had a lot of screws in it with no caulk whatsoever. This was the only issue with our boat (2001 252). Other than that Baja built a good boat.
Good luck. BTW, I love Merritt Island.
02-06-2017 | 08:43 PM
#4
Registered
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,689
Likes: 115
From: Slidell, La.
I like the sport fish bajas. I looked at them before we got the 33ol and really couldnt find any 340s.
Having a 98 also.. shes rock solid. The outboards are fairly low hour considering OBs, but if they are 98s, they are still old. Poke around where any bolts or anything go through the transom or stringers. Compression check may tell the tale on the motors..
Good luck!
Having a 98 also.. shes rock solid. The outboards are fairly low hour considering OBs, but if they are 98s, they are still old. Poke around where any bolts or anything go through the transom or stringers. Compression check may tell the tale on the motors..
Good luck!
02-03-2018 | 09:54 AM
#6
Registered
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 431
Likes: 7
From: Shelby Township, MI
racin- Look for rot in places, I'm not very familiar with the CC Baja's but heard rumors of rot in the floors/hatches. They can be repaired easier than stringers/transom though. It seemed like Baja added functional seating and goodies in the CC's way back when CC's were really just a hull, deck, and helm.
Snatched - Where's the boat located? Colors?
Snatched - Where's the boat located? Colors?
