Opinions on this 353?
 

https://www.offshoreonly.com/classif...ch-o78655.html

Seems like a great price which I am assuming is due mainly to the Volvos. I heard these Volvo outdrives are pretty tough. Is it parts availability that scares people off? I also would think that the duo props would limit top end wouldn't they?

I have not been on here in forever but CSPRAY had one for a long time with them. He could give ya the lowdown!

A friend of mine had a 292 fastech with the Volvo drives and it killed the top end speed and I think that would be a big turn off for most buyers.

Seems to be a steep price for an engine/drive package like that. I thought Volvo's were tough, but in my area they are hard to find parts and someone to work on them.

Don't do it.......:waffen093:

Looks clean, but part of the reason I went to a newer boat for me was that my old boat had a OMC460, and while I LOVED that engine, parts did not exist anywhere. Now that I have Merc's... I can fall into any Walmart and get parts.

What's the box to the left of the airfilter on the engines..?

Coolant Recovery Bottle for closed cooling

Not the plastic one, the stainless looking box next to the flame arrestor...? It's a stainless cube with a black round knob looking thing on it.

Appears to be the ecm.

The stainless box houses ecm and relays. The Innovation built Volvo engines are near bullet proof and the DPX drives are great, and DEFINITELY do not cost speed. The built in hydraulic steering is excellent. That said, some parts have become near impossible to get. The weak link was the pinion gears, which it seems almost always started to spall around 400 hrs, Gear sets are extremely hard to come by now and have been out of production for a while. Also, as mentioned, it is difficult to find someone who has good knowledge of those drives. Innovation are the people to talk to if you have questions/are considering the purchase.

All things being equal, I would take the Volvo DPX package over Merc anyday, but the parts are a big issue