Thinking 1997 Formula, but questions?
 

Ok I have a 1999 Baja, and love it, but need mroe room, more aminaites.... looking at a 1997 382. headliner was just redone, dash is not updated. but looks to be in great condition. I has some hours on the stock 502's. 590 hrs.

While I am not that worryes about the housr, (have had 1400 on a 454 in a searay before) and I can pull the motors and rebuild my self if I have a problem....

What is the down fall of this boat?

NO gen set, no anchor locker (seams stupid but I use my currect one EVERY time I take the boat out), and old dash. which IF I buy it, I will update first thing.

Things to look for? Problems? Thoughts? or wait a little while and buy something a little newer, and that has the few things its missing. maybe another brand.

other boats i am thinking is a BAja 342.

97 were the first year of the stepped hull, so that is positive! great solid boat. better than baja for sure, maybe slower with same engines, get a survey and dive in!

If your thinking Formula, what about a 353? They have an anchor locker, which I agree, is a nice thing to have.

Yea i like the 353 as well. its not aTHINKING formula, i have been around them. my parents own a 330SS. just hapen to run across a trade deal so i can get ride of mine nad pick up this one all at the same time.. SO its not really an option just to buy another one. so i wanted thoguhts on a strait up 97 382.

I had a 2002 382, before a 1998 312. The anchor locker the 312 had was a big negative in big water.......busted the inside of the locker all to hell in rough water one day. Dropping the anchor off the starboard side then handing the rope to my wife on the bow to secure the rope when I tell her always worked fine. Same thing in reverse, pull forward to relive anchor rope pressure so she could untie and hand me the rope. I'd pull up just above the anchor and lift in into the cockpit (where it was stored in one of the sides).

Any Formula that was taken care of will be a great boat......but you have to look for the ones that the previous owner trashed. Steps work great, boat is solid, size/layout awesome if everything is in good condition. (survey is key!!!)

I dont boat in BIG water. i get excited when i play in 3-5 foot swells for 10 min the one time a year at the cost.

99% of my boating is on the tennessee river. and throwing an anchor in alabam red clay river bottom. anchor always comes up muddy.

anchoring is not a big deal as said above, just gotta come up with a way that works for you and you will forget about it, growing up on Dad's boat we had one, had Formula's my boating career and after the first year i forget about it :grinser010: 382 is a stout boat, where your boating you'll run threw anything, as stated not quite as fast as others but better built and more comftrable keep us posted

Well now i found one thatsa 99, awesome graffics, 500hp (CARBED THOUGH) BUT HAS SUCKED IN WATER?

I have the ability to pull the motors and rebuild them myself, so this is a perfect deal for me. BUT dont know if you guys know anything about the boat? i woul dhate to post it and then someone scoop it up its pretty cheap...

Sometimes you just have to gamble. I went from happy with a 312 to purchased a 382 in 1.5 hours when I wasn't even shopping. Came across a great deal, called the wife, and she said BUY IT!!! It helped that the seller was a trusted member here. Had it sitting beside the 312 for 3 months til I could find a buyer (remember, I wasn't shopping so I hadn't been trying to sell either). Mine too needed motor work but otherwise was in good condition. Kept it 4 years and loved the boat, family needs simply made it time to move on.

Why would the boat suck in water? i mean throug the exhaust? I know my current boat has 2 sets of flaps, one external and one just inside the hull?

how does this happen? is it common problem on the 500hp?s