1984 Four Winns
 

I am looking at a 21ft 1984 Four Winns Liberator with a 350, 260 HP Mercruiser. The boat is in great condition with only one small ding in the gel coat. Interior and hardwood are in great shape too. Boat has low hours too......

They guy will take 6200.........

Is this still too much.

look it up on NADA BOATS they will give you a list of all upgrades possible for this boat fill it out and it will give you sugested pricing. :thankyouthankyou:

Hello,
Maybe, maybe not!
How many hours?
Where is it?
Do you have pictures?
How is the trailer?
What are the other features? (cover, bimini, electronics)
More important to all that, what is it worth to you?

[QUOTE=prthd9;3670977]
They guy will take 6200.........


I bet he will! I bet he will take 3K, or less.

http://www.nadaguides.com/Boats/1984...dard-Equipment

BTW, Welcome to OSO.

Here is a pic...
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/boa/2973523104.html

I did look it up on nada, but I also looked up several other boats forsale on nada and the prices on nada are generally 1/3 the asking price.

The trailor is in great shape. It looks brand new. There is no rips in the interior either. I am not sure of the hours, but it has not been ran much...see ad.

i know a lot of four winns i have looked at have the omc drive train i think one with a mercruiser its worth more also time of the year things are generally worth more big question is has it been repowered and is it a fresh water boat for comparison i bought my 1989 24' mach 1 fresh water only great trailer 454 with bravo outdrive needs some interior work but usable and recent repower for $4000 i think mach 1 and four winns are close to same quality

The boat is fresh water only. I do not know if it has been repowered, and I don't even know what "repowered" means. I did notice "454" on the outdrive....I really don't know much about motors or boats for that matter.

Any advice helps. It is definitely the nicest one I've seen in the area and I've probably looked at 10-15 boats between $3,000 and $8,000

More pictures, more Pictures, more PICTURES!

You are sort of right about NADA, it is not that often "on point", but can be a good reference. A better way to value, although it takes time, is to search for as many of this boat or extremely similar boats and average a price on other sites like iBoat, Boat Trader, etc. Then determine how the boat you are looking at compares to average.

How far away from you is it? If far, don't forget to calculate into the purchase price the cost of transporting the boat from the south side of Pittsburgh to where you are. If not far, go look at it. That small blemish in the gelcoat might be a torpedo hole.

Most don't understand this, I do, if this is the boat of your dreams, it is worth more to you.

Repowered means a new motor/engine

It says 454 on outdrive? That is curious! Very curious!

Yes, I believe so. It had the numbers 454 on the very rear above the propellar and hydrolics (well they look like hydrolics to me).

I'll find out for sure, and post it. I just text the guy about it, and asked for the hours. What does that mean if it does have the 454?

it means time bomb if it has the alpha outdrive

He just said it has mercuiser aphla outdrive. No hour meater. Seems like most bost I am seeing in the area have the Alpha drive. From what I read online they are "ok", with Bravos better. The boat is rated at 3100 lbs loaded with gear etc. Dry weight is 1800 lbs.

It definitely says 454 on the outdrive. The guy just text me back. He also said it has a govenor on it, which caps the speed.

Just looking for your opinions.

Thanks.

oh boy sounds like this guy does not have to much knowledge about boats better get a survey if you are serious about the boat the old line of low hours just not sure how many? buyer beware and never heard of a governor but i am sure someone with more experience than me will chime in maybe he is talking about the rev limiter

You said it has a 350 / 260 horsepower but has a 454 on the outdrive? Sounds like it either has a new motor or outdrive. The liberators came with 350 small blocks or 454 big blocks. I used to own a 1987 with a 350 and alpha outdrive. Was a great boat. I bought it for $9000 and sold it for 2 years later for $12000. That was 2 years ago. I did put about $3000 into the boat while I owned it and alot of elbow grease. The Liberators with Merc. power seem to be worth about $3000 more than the ones with OMC power. If it has Merc power and the transom and stringers are dry! It sounds like a good deal. If you are not familiar with boats I would consider having it surveyed including checking the hull for moisture and compression checking the motor. If these items check out I would go for it. They are not real fast boats mine did 50mph with the 350 small block. Rode real good for a 21 foot boat. The Liberator is basically a cruiser type hull with a sleek deck put on it to make it look fast

I have had a couple of Alpha drives and they are not much of a brute of a drive, but on the other hand they served me very well.

A 454 is an engine and if the outdrive says 454 it could be an honest error, the original drive and the boat has been repowered, or the outdrive was changed! It might mean a headache, it might mean nothing!

Might want to ask the last the thimble bearing was changed? When was the last time the boot was changed? When was the last the outdrive was serviced? When was the last an impeller was installed? Does he know when the manifolds and risers were last replaced. Has the compression been checked, and has a there been a leak-down test done?

I am glad to welcome you to boating, I think it is wonderful. I would suggest a few things before to "go to sea" for the first time.

Take a safe boating course. See if you can hook up with someone and spend a little time around them and their boat and maybe some time on the water with them. Find some one with a boat similar to yours to show you the touch of trimming the drive for on plane, at the start. A boat really isn't like a car where you get in, start the engine, fasten seat belt and drive away.

Being a decent boater means you must be at least a little bit of a gearhead. Every time you go out, check fluid levels, and on a regular basis service the engine, outdrive, check systems to make sure they are working (bilge pump, blower, lights).

Learn to do most of your own basic work if you can. There are no $19.95 Jiffy Lube places on the water that I am aware of!

It is in your best interest to NOT run ethanol gas in the boat, and it it does not have one, install a Racor style water separator in the fuel line.

Here is another thought, you might want to maybe start with a little bit more basic boat and get comfortable, not with a Corvette.

In your original post you said it had a 260 HP 350 c.i. The Bravo outdrive came out somewhere around 1988. You would definitely want the bravo outdrive ( much stronger for larger c.i. engines ) if the boat did have a "large block" 454. Usually the motor c.i. and horsepower rating were listed on the flame arrestor (carburetor) cover. It's possible the outdrive came off something else. Haven't seen the boat but $6000 seems a little high.

I have an 1988 Cobalt 223 350 Chevy 271hp Volvo Duo prop out drive forsale. it's a great boat great condition. I have owened it for 14 years. I bought a Fountain last fall is the only reason I'm selling it . 10k or best offer. I can email some pic's if needed. I'm located near Cincy.

Craiglist ad.
[email protected]

There are a ton of guys over on" Speedwake". Another boating website with Liberators. They even have a thread dedicated to them. I think a Liberator is a great first boat. Easy to drive and learn on. You wont get in over your head with that big stable hull. It sounds like you might be lookin at a 350 motor with an alpha outdrive which is a great combination. If its the OMC or " Cobra" outdrive they are not made anymore. Which means parts and service are hard to find. If it was me I would not buy an OMC powered boat. Hard to sell when the time comes!

The 454 on the out-drive is just a decal...don't read anything into it.

The price is too high in my opinion....especially if it has the original engine. The fact that it sat up without moving for 5 years is a detriment in my opinion...seals and gaskets tend to dry up with no use.

Show the seller 40: $100 bills and see what his reaction is. I'll bet he takes it. Remember...your in a buyer's market and cash is king.

Good luck.

I am sure rev limiter is the correct name.

50 MPH for a new boater on the Allegheny is plenty! It is not like he can go from Oswego to Rochester, MarbleHead to Detroit, Port Huron to Manitoulin. What is it, 10-15 miles lock to lock? If he gets on down river to the Ohio lock to lock goes all the way to 20-25 miles!

A survey is not a bad idea, but likely another $250 cost with the most important thing for you to learn is the moisture content in the transom.

Sprink58 is correct about seal/gasket concerns. That us why a good idea to do outdrive service, hook to hose and let come to operating temp with a qualified mechanic on hand.

So Sprink and BoatShow gave me some good things to look into. I'll e-mail the guy today and see what he says.

I like the boat estetically, so just want to make sure it is mechanically sound. I have looked at so many boats where the hulls were toar up or had blisters or had structural damage, etc. that this one really caught my eye inside and out.

Someone mentioned the boat hadn't been driven for 5 years; it has. The current owner operates it every summer. It say for the 12 years prior.

OK...my bad...worse still... according to the ad the boat sat unused for 12 years!!

In any case...get a boating friend to go with you to look at this rig...start it...put the drive in gear...raise and lower the drive,etc.

If you feel comfortable...buy it.

Based on some of your statements and answers....I STRONGLY suggest that you take a Coast Guard Auxiliary Safe Boating Course or a US Power Squadron Course. Boating is a lot of fun but putting yourself in a boat without being familiar with "The Rules of the Road" could result in disaster.

+1 on what sprink said plus i still advise a survey

I fully intend to take a boating safety course. Also, have a friend going to go out with me to show me how to get through the locks the first couple of times.

Sprink, you mentioned "start it...put the drive in gear...raise and lower the drive,etc."

Can you or anyone elaborate on what I am looking for when I do this.......what am I listening for and feeling for? Don't have anyone to go with me.

I am calling the guy tonight and see about having the boat surveyed. There is a place not far from where the boat is that can do this for a couple hundred bucks.

survey
 

If you are getting it surveyed, just make sure the surveyor includes in evaluation. A good survey will mention leaks, stains, odd noises and much more.

Be more interested in the report of the survey rather then the surveyor's $$$ evaluation. Generally a survey is about as misleading as NADA pricing, but that also depends on the purpose of the survey.

Surveys could be a whole other discussion with another thread!

What is the news on the boat?

The ad has been removed by the seller. Did the OP buy it?

So I had the boat looked at by a local marina with mercruiser mechanics and then I bought the boat. The guy at the marina said the boat was in excellent conditions and, by the looks of it, had been very well maintaned over the years. They didn't "survey" it but they looked if over from top to bottom.

Now I am looking at the boater safety courses before I put it in the water. Also, have talked with a guy at work who offered to go out and show me how to get through the locks. Then the previous owner agreed to come out and show me how this particular boat drives and stuff.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I can say that I feel like I did the right research and am happy with the purchase I made.

Funning thing was that the night before I bought it, I was looking on CL just to see the pics again and BAM a 2008 Liberator with a 454 for 6500 showed up. I was like oh you have to be kidding. Anyway, I didn't go look. I've seen so many boats that looked great online and crappy in-person.

Anyway, thanks again everyone.

Post some pics when you get it home. We all love to see someones new purchase. BTW welcome to OSO

I'll post some. I need to take some when I pick the boat.

Hello prthd9
 

Have you gathered up the boat? Have you been on the water? How is the educational level of being a boat owner coming along? Have you encountered any surprises yet?

Congratulations on your Liberator purchase. I had one many years ago (an '86 211 with 350/260 Alpha) and it was a great boat. They are very stable, have good handling manners, and are decent in the chop for their size. In my opinion, one of Four Winns better efforts.

I picked the boat up last Monday, and over the weekend dropped it off at the marina to have a second battery installed. I have not been on the water just yet. I have someone that knows the boat very well going out with me the first time, and then another friend going out with me to show me how to get through locks. The safety course in my county was cancelled, so now I am just ordering the DVD. I am not driving 2.5 hours one way for a 8 hour course.

Trailor got a flat as I pulled out of the driveway over the weekend. That was interesting and took a while to fix because my tire wrench didn't fit the lugnuts. I had to go get another wrench.

Trailor got a flat as I pulled out of the driveway over the weekend. That was interesting and took a while to fix because my tire wrench didn't fit the lugnuts. I had to go get another wrench.

Welcome to boating. Thats just the start. Lol congrads on the boat an enjoy. Artie

the 454 sticker on the drive implies the drive was replaced. MOST 454 alphas (87-88 only) were 1.35 instead of 1.5 to 1 ratio. if boat doesn't rev correcly, you might want to keep this possibility in mind. you should have a 19 or 21 pitch prop on it and hit around 4400 rpm or so.