Just joined.
 

The name is Doug. I've got a pontoon party barge and an Axis wakeboard/surfboard boat. I'm getting a High Performance boat and would like input from experienced Go-Fast lovers. My budget is $40K. I've found several 1980s Cigarettes in my price range with recently serviced motors and drives. My good friend, Ken, suggested I get on this forum and look at the classifieds; most are out of my price range.

What is the difference between a Cafe Racer and Top Gun (other than three feet)?

This is my suggestion. If you are looking for a turn key boat, that nice in every respect, skip looking for a Cigarette. IMO, it's either going to be really old, or need a lot of work, your price point is at least $30k to low. $40k isn't going to go far as you already have seen. Maybe look for a 33-35 Formula, Baja, or Sunsation. All are good boats and you should be able to find a nice one for under $40k.

IMO, it is worth the extra money to buy a stepped hull. Moderate power will get you close to upper 80's or more depending on the size. Then due to the lower power engines, your drives will last longer.

Here are a few boats that are nice. Remember listing price is only that. All the boats I'm posting you could probably buy for $50k or less.
https://www.offshoreonly.com/classif...ch-o76055.html
https://www.offshoreonly.com/classif...ch-o77463.html

Dough don't be discouraged. if you believe the lottery chances!......I bought my 35' Cigarette for 25K custom '82 Mistress with new EFI 572'S new interior in & out new SSM 3's really too much to list.
Everything done in '96.by Flagship Marine Fla. ..put in storage for 20 yrs until my purchase in 2016.........Wising you luck in your search - or - until I might just pay it forward LOL!!

Boy did you get lucky! One of those custom 572's costs 25K to build! He can look around and possibly strike gold like you did, but realistically he would be better off in a Baja,Formula,Checkmate that is newer and more reliable for the money he is looking to spend...he will have more fun actually boating than working on it!...

I don't know, I found a great deal on my 1990 Cafe Racer 454 supercharged. I paid $1,000 over asking and still was under the $40,000 mark. Just remember the purchase price is the price of admission, the real cash goes into upkeep and repairs. When these boats run right its worth all the headache and every penny you spent. Whatever boat you buy, get a SURVEY done. Good luck.

Agreed with pretty much everything above! In this covid market, you will find a nice find for 40 ish... not a problem, but guns and the likes of apaches will be kind of project or dated boats... open your eyes be patient and you will find !

You'll find something - don't be discouraged. You won't find a boat that is going to draw attention at the Key West Street party for that budget but you can get into a fun cig. As DealMaker eluded to I sold mine within your budget and there was a lot of fun still too be had in that boat.

Thanks everyone. I'm really looking forward to the Cigarette brand and camaraderie. I'd gladly take an older Cigarette over a newer mass produced boat. My lake, Nacimiento, has very few High Performance boats and some of my friends have told me the lake is too small for a 38' Go Fast. Currently I'm not interested in a 70+ MPH boat (but I may catch the speed bug once I own a HiPer). I just see myself hanging out on a pretty, albeit old and slow, racer.

In many purchases there's the cost to buy the boat and than the pain that follows.

There are some older Cigs kicking around on FB

You can find one. I'd go for good mechanical upkeep first and foremost. Tame power, stock setup, etc. this will keep you boating longer. Do not buy a headcase or project boat unless you're willing to put a couple hundred hours wrenching and $$$ into it. Actually, just stay away from anything that needs over 40 hours of work to get it running, it may potentially keep you off the water for a couple years while you "fix" it (mostly gathering the high end parts you need)

Also, if your purchase price budget is $40K - make sure you have $20K set aside in the event something breaks right off the bat or within the first year. Also, try to buy a boat that someone has been running. I would stay away from anything that hasn't been on the water in over 8-12 months! That's when the gremlins sneak up on you (unknown issues) or it was put away with an "issue" to be "fixed later"

TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU TO LOOK AT ANY POTENTIAL PURCHASE WHO KNOWS THOSE BOATS. BE PATIENT, DO NOT MAKE AN IMPULSE BUY WITH THESE TOYS, IT WILL COME BACK TO BITE YOU.

Tank is down south of you near Oxnard, and my wife and I have a house in Santa Barbara (but I spend 98% of my time in Ohio), so two Cig brothers that can help you look at stuff. I'll keep an eye out in my travels, and out in CA. I'm sure the hot market out by you would be Lake Havasu or Texas?

Welcome, good luck shopping. what's your time frame to buy? Is it more important that you get on the water sooner, or are you waiting for the right deal? If you could bump that budget up to $60K your options open up ALOT. Don't be shy to spend a little more up front - it will save you 3 to 5X $ in the long run.

Again - Tank may have some inside info on a few boats, he also just bought one last year, so there may be a few near the west coast that he passed on. A 35 Cafe may be a little more in your price range than a Gun. Or a 35 Mistress or a 38 "Flat Deck" model (very similar to a Top Gun, just older)

Maybe post on this thread what you've found and we could help point out a few things and help educate on a potential purchase.

Definitely post here on any boat you are looking at. These guys know every boat and every owner and noone ever "buys one out from under" another member so you'll get advice without feeling like you are risking exposing a deal......

Here is one I'm looking at: kelownayachtsales.com/boat_listing.php?id=1390

Carbureted 502s w/ TRS drives. Problem is, it's in Canada and the boarder is closed.

you will likely have better luck finding a cafe racer in your budget. No offense to any owners, but they seem to be less desirable than top guns. a nice clean top gun will fetch more than your budget permits. If your stuck on a cig, try to find an older clean cafe racer that has been maintained...

if you do find a boat, I would encourage to post on here. This crew knows every boat built by cig...good luck in your search.

If it’s only for a little a lake, the red and white bullet looks great for your budget.

Took a while for someone to say "Bullet". :)

Personally, I would go with Endeavour 32 and buy something else, a bit newer but, if you're really stuck on a Cigarette (no denying their appeal) then get one.

I've always loved the look of a Bullet, bit easier to manage and wil,probably run better with modest power. Might also be better suited to your size lake.

RR

I like the Cafe Racer's lines, at least in pictures. I've never seen one up close. I made an offer on "In Heat" (Seminole, FL) before the pandemic, but with travel restricted and after reviewing the Survey, I backed out. What is the difference between the Cafe Racer and Top Gun? Just length, or are they designed for different purposes?

2.5 feet, raked windshield vs. the straight across windshield. The TG's definitely sit a little higher in the bow than the Cafe. Cafe has the recessed deck, TG is straight across. I believe most TG's are notched transoms whereas only a handful of Cafes were. TG's are the highest volume CIG, so the resale seems to be better - any boat you buy at that price range will be at the end of their depreciation curve so from a resale standpoint you won't lose more on the Cafe it just might take a touch longer to move..... I don't think you will see much difference in ride quality, but I have never ridden in a gun so I am just going by what others on here have said.

interesting your looking at that one. I tried getting some info on that bought. Emailed called and never heard from them. Thought it had potential but never heard back from anyone there. So I moved on.

if this is the boat I’m thinking of I would stay away from it and the seller but again I could be mistaken this for another boat.

have you thought of any other brands or you stuck on a cig. Trust me I have a formula that I sunk a bunch a money into to do it how I want it and it’s still nothing special. For all the money that’s spent on something I thought would be cheaper I couldn’t gotten the cig I originally wanted but said no that’s to much for me to spend. Turns out I would’ve saved money buying that one.

I never looked at this one in person or know anything about it. But I’ve seen this one around for sale a bit. Might be worth checking out.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/264695696224

the length difference is found within the nose...the cockpit and bilge length are the same or similar. Top guns are a little faster with the same power even with it being longer. All the other differences are noted above. There may be more...

I know nothing about this one but if you don't mind rebuilding engines (plus whatever may be hidden deeper down) this Bullet looks to have a bit of appeal...

https://www.screamandfly.com/showthr...garette-Bullet

RR

How do I change my username? Now that I've been an OffshoreOnly member for a week, I notice other users have descriptive usernames (mine is my email address). Is there a way to change my username without losing this thread?

Send a pm to speed girl, she can assist in screen name change

Tried PMing speed girl. Got this :

1. The following users were not found:
1. speed girl

What am I doing wrong?

Her name is all one word no space. Let’s see if this link works.

https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/...speedgirl.html

That is NOT a good deal. There’s a few threads about that boat. Basically a victim of Jewish lightning, and needs a TON of money dumped into it before its water ready. It’s a shame as it was one of my favorites that Dustin did.

Doug,

Do you have a 616 number? Just curious because I just got a text on my Cafe from a 616.....

Looks good in pics, what’s it need besides an engine rebuild?

No. I'm in 805.

Its going to need more than that! The boat was totaled due to vandalism to the paint and cabin interior cut up, along with one or both of the engines having issues. Not sure whats all missing besides the headers, props, and other items that were taken off before it ended up at the auction yard.

Disappointing to read but for the OP, that's exactly the sort of info required.
Can't get anything past you guys, someone always knows the history.

RR

So, is it in bad taste to buy a boat that has been damaged under questionable circumstances? Is the hull in good shape? The pictures look beautiful. I don't mind a project boat. Should I budget more than $5000 per engine for the rebuild?

Where are the threads where this boat is discussed?

Thanks,
Doug

I don’t think it’s in bad taste to purchase a boat with questionable history, it is to do it to collect on insurance money though. I think a round # to get that boat running is about $25-$30k, then you have the paint and interior stuff left to do.

Thats too bad.... I mean, unless they put a hole in the hull?? You can fix the scratched paint, reupholster the tore up vinyl. I realize that things are missing, but that hull looks solid, the dash has 5K into it alone. has 2 good base engines to freshen, Bravo drives are there...Id say its worth looking at, and make a reasonable offer. alot of 1988 Cigarette hulls are rotted to death, transom needs redoing,TRS drives, original ugly paint, ect, ect....i bet all cables (throttle,forward,reverse, steering) are replaced( thats the pain in the azz sh*t to do), electrical isn't rotted and gangrened to death! Knowing who built this boat, I bet it is salvageable at the right price.

Both blocks are cracked.

That was the boat Dustin Carter redid a few years back

I agree, its salvageable and has a lot of good hardware. But I don't think the OP could purchase the boat and get it back running and in good condition for his budget of $40K is all I'm getting at. I would say $8-10K on the low end to get the paint fixed.

https://speedonthewater.com/boat-res...QMqBwECnTctbiQ

Just saw this thread now. We boat (and have boated) Lake Naci pretty much every summer since the late 90's. Have seriously been considering buying something up there. First started going there with our 97 24' Baja Outlaw and took our Top Gun there a LOT and have now boated with the new to us Cafe last summer probably 3 or 4 times already. We have really good friends that let us use their vacation house in Heritage and then we have other good family friends that have a house in Oak Shores with a dock (refer to pics). Naci is big enough for a 38' boat to run around on. I mean it's not a huge lake and a 35 / 38 boat is large on it but you can still stretch it's legs out. There's another member (Greg Faulker) on here and riverdavesplace that runs a large Donzi CC with trips up there all the time. I've even seen a 43 Black Thunder and a couple larger Skaters on that lake in the past. If it's the only place you ever plan on boating, then I wouldn't recommend a Top Gun or even a Cafe. Probably stick with finding a clean Bullet or even a 28 cig. Just not a need to have so much boat on that lake (it's still technically a small lake). Plus, seems like you can pick up a pretty nicely updated Bullet for under your buy in price. Seems to me at 40k for a gun or cafe, you're going to be buying something that is going to need updating and if it's not something major, it'll be the nickle and dime stuff that will add up (ask me how I know!! LOL boats getting updated as we speak). Boats in your price range weather Gun, Cafe or Bullet are probably gonna be in the 70mph speed range too btw.

Are you up there full time? In Oak Shores or Heritage? Let me know if you need anything, we live down in Ventura County, so just a bit south of you. Always happy to help out or answer any questions if I can.

Here's some pics of us runnin on Naci. Love that lake!

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