boat opinion
 

was wondering what you guys think..also wondering about resale.

Looking at 2 boats..both same brand and model year 2000..and with in $1.000.00 ,same shape

one has a 502 efi with cable steering and insta trim tabs and 248 hours..65 MPH GPS

other has a 500hp carb engine (factory install maybe a 1999 left over engine)144 hours Latham steering and K planes.75 MPH GPS

I know I will have to replace the valve springs in the 500hp and im ok with that..

I plan on using the boat until I find the boat that I really want.(most likely sell it by fall)

I want to go with the one with the blue engine because of the k plains and hydraulic steering and speed..do people still buy carb engines or is it going to be hard to sell ??

what you guys think??
Thanks

Hyd steering, k planes, 100 less hours, 10 mph faster. I don't see the delimma... :)

easy choice- 500hp carb with 10 MPH to boot and steering

500HP carb boat, hands down.

Whats to think about???? One has 10k more worth of equipment and less hours.

k-planes and hyd steering worth more than 1k more each. FI isn't as much of a come-up over carb as the steering and planes are over standard stuff.

Thanks guys ...

They only thing Im worryed about is that its Carb not EFI..

Not sure if people now days see that as old technology..

carbs are easier to modify don't let that deter you

What kind of boat are you looking at ??? 500hp for sure.

no question blue motor plus lots of guys like carbs easy to work on modify and it's got to sell easier

If they did, would everyone still be building them?

cable steering and Bennett trim tabs. cheap technology. boat spends long periods of time at a fixed, moderate throttle setting. get a carb jetted right and fuel inj is not a big difference. and there are a LOT more ways it can break and leave you trying to get on plane with 1 engine, or paddling if you only had one engine in the first place.

IMO, the carbed HP500 is a great engine and is pretty simple to diagnose/work on (if) something goes wrong. One of my friends bought our 1996 27 Fountain with an HP500 in it. It now has over 400 hrs on it and other than a valve spring/valve seal change at ~ 235 hrs, it still fires up almost instantly, and runs very strong. A saying my friend has about ECM driven engines .... "when they work, there is nothing like them, and, when they don't work, there is nothing like them" :D . There are only 2 or 3 simple things that set off an alarm on a HP500, not hundreds like on the 496's or 525's and sometimes even the best folks can't figure out why the alarms go off. Mercury still makes carbed engines, but now they call them "turn key start" or "TKS" engines. Look at the 4.3 TKS, it is a 190 hp carb engine.

What???

It was a response to the question of carb motors being seen as old technology, so many of the big engines on here, and most high performance aftermarket being built are still carb until you get to the extremes.

500 hp!

hp 500! no question!!

doesnt price and brand of boat matter? Along with over all condition. rather have a nice boat that goes slower than a crappy one that goes faster.

He said they were the exact same model year and make of boat. So unless the one with the hp500 is ragged out, it is an easy decision.

Blue Motor Hands Down. The HP500 is very reliable, much better on resale. easy to modify and built for performance. The choice is easy, if these are the only differences. Good Luck! Had the carb'd 500HP in a checkmate 3 boats ago, it ran like a raped ape!

500hp carb with steering & 10 MPH to boot

No brainer unless the HP500 boat condition-wise is a turd.

Like everyone else said, HP500.

That being said, I think you are nuts to buy a boat now only to turn around and sell it a few months later to get what you really want.

Unless the boat is cheap, cheap, cheap you are going to take such a beating on it. I would wait and get the boat your really want first.

Thanks for posting this, has been a question in my head as well as I am buying my first ” go fast”.

I am 30 and coming from a car background as far as HP goes, however everything I have ever owned or worked on was EFI so I am comfortable with them.

My.bud had a older twin engine carbed jet boat and that is really my only experience with carbs and I can say as well you can imagine that was a NIGHTMARE!!!!!

So with my searches I have looked over any carbed boat as its just knowledge I don't have...not saying I cant or wont learn, just something that has scared me a bit on my searches.

same brand,same model same year..

no both nice boats..as a matter of fact the hp500 boat has a nice painted to match trailer were the 502 boat has a bolt together aluminum trailer

No Im not afraid to work on them..have been a GM Master tech for 27 years now..
I was wondering if people dont buy Carb boats when it comes time for resale..

Maybe your more higher end type people and boats, but that thought never crossed my mind

?????

I look forward to seeing your new ride, Tom. I'll just have to figure out what forum it will show up in. I'm pretty sure it won't start with an 'S'. :lolhit:

+1, carbs are easier and cheaper to work on.

Don't worry about resale, too many different kinds of boaters.

Thanks guys...will go after the 500hp and see how it goes..

I bet it shows up in the PQ forum first!:party-smiley-004:

I think we have a winner...

My comment was more directed about the market and not your personal ability to work on it.

just wanted to give an example of someone like myself who would NOT buy the boat cause of the carb option. But I am also aware most are not carb dumb like myself so there is plenty of market for ya to move it again.