Where to sell my Formula - Florida or LOTO
 

After this FMO season I think we've decided that it's time for a CC, they just seem to work better down here for fulltime boating, we'll probably be looking to get either 32-36' Renegade or Concept, we want whatever boat we get still to have a performance feel and be able to go around 65-70mph.

Anyway the question is, when it's time to sell my Formula should I sell it down here or have it hauled back to LOTO and sell it back up North where it came from and spent most of it's life, it'll probably be for sale in the Spring before the LOTO Summer boating season, if anyone that knows my boat, knows that I take care of my stuff and this boat is in great condition.

Any input would be appreciated, sell it in Florida or LOTO........................... thanks. Jim (aka joey)

Are you going to sell it yourself or consign it? If you are going to consign it, I would look to what dealer is moving product like yours. Pier 57 comes to mind. If you are selling it yourself, that is a tough one. There isn't much of a market for FasTech's on LOTO anymore but LOTO is more centrally located than Cape Coral in terms of selling nationwide. If your plan is to spend next summer at LOTO, I'd probably bring it with me and try to sell it there.

I'd add Nor-Tech to your CC list. Good buddy of mine (Mentalpause on here) is taking delivery of a 34 towards the end of this month. The 34 Sunny is also a nice piece.

I'd have PBC sell it at loto since they are familiar with all of your recent upgrades and such.

Good luck with the sale.

Could you not have the Formula transformed into a CC, that would be such a custom job and be bad azz to boot? j/k Good Luck Jim!! Always jealous of the "Naked Bird".

With the little salt use the boat has and as clean as it is, it should sell fast at either location.

That being said, as we are always boat shopping, I tend to pay more attention to boats that are fresh water listed as to saltwater.

+1
The presumption listing it at LOTO would be that is a freshwater boat. Opposite for Florida.
That said, list the boat where YOU will be just so you can keep an eye on it!

Thanks for the comments guys, it's been a freshwater 98% of it's life and before I brought it down South I had PBC install all the flushout goodies on her and I use them biblically, other than a little outdrive cleanup, she should be good to go in any water.

Since we're planning on coming back to LOTO next Spring, the best plan looks like is to haul her back to LOTO and use her until she sells, then go get whatever new rig floats my boat, sounds like a smart plan, I'm really not hip on owning two boats anymore.

Maybe Brett and the PBC boys will have a nice all white 353 Formula to sell next Spring.

Having sold boats in both states I can shed some real time experience Jim. Most brokers in FL just try to get listings since they will more than likely NOT be the person who actually sells the boat. They may not know the ins and outs of a 353? They're just waiting to get their piece of the pie.

At LOTO you'll get better representation by a boater who has had seat time in a 353, sold one or more 353s, maybe even worked for the Formula dealer(hint hint), will be the person who actually sells the boat, knows some history of the boat(not PC history).

Like any broker situation it mostly boils down to working with a trustworthy company and salesman who's goal is to accurately represent what they are selling and do you a good job. It wouldn't hurt if they too owned a Fastech!

Why isn't there a market for FasTech's at LOTO anymore? I see a lot of them at LOTO.

For sure LOTO, Ive bought 3 boats in the last 5 years and when looking I`d skip over anything in any state with salt water.

Why is that?? your current boat was in salt water before...

Glenn, sounds like a haul/broker deal in the works with you guys and Brian sometime after the first of the year, maybe Brian will have a empty heading North and my Formula can hitch a ride before Summer.

Joey, I'll let you know f I get something coming down. I know at some point before spring there will be at least one trip...:D

LOTO.

Personally, I would never buy a boat from Florida.

I agree LOTO is the better selling place but I have never understood the logic of not buying a FL boat.

As long as it's well taken care of, clean in and out, and a survey shows it was kept well I see no problems buying a salt or fresh water boat.

The few good things about my Formula it's always been a freshwater boat, is I had all the flushout stuff installed before I brought it down South and always used them and by the time it gets back to LOTO next Spring it probably wouldn't have been in the salt maybe 35-40 times and never overnight and always on my lift out back, there's lots of freshwater boats that have been dipped way more than that just bring them down South for KW and PR, so LOTO it is next Spring.

That statement is more true for new vs. used. Maybe Glenn at PBC can shed some light on how many of their used "go fasts" that they sell stay local vs. go out of state. I just sense less and less of that type of boat selling at LOTO. I hope I'm wrong.

I have no idea where it came from.. you do?

New power, drives, interior, transom, etc, etc.. I`d consider that salt free boat.

I think your boat was in Michigan before....Either way, the boat was pretty much gutted and redone. I would have no problem with a salt boat, IF my plans were to gut the entire boat and start over. Salt RUINS engine blocks, cylinder heads, Exhaust systems, drive cases, trim tabs, wiring, various electrical components, in short time.

A buddy of mine bought some engines out of Florida. They were absolute junk. The merc iron cylinder heads rotted right thru the exhaust port. Scrap.

Just my opinion... but I've seen first hand the trade-off for having a boat in "boating paradise". No matter how much you flush it and clean it, there is just no way to offset the negative effects of boating in that saltwater enviroment. You simply just can't get all of it. Granted, putting the effort in helps, but the salt just corrodes everything to a certain extent sooner or later. Plus, boating 12 months a year adds to that effect instead of having a four to eight month season "up north".....

If I had my choice, I'd buy a boat from a fresh water, short boating season place.

I'd say 60-65% of the boats I sell stay here on LOTO. As for the comment about Fastechs having no market at LOTO couldn't be more false. They sell pretty easily!!!

There's a 99% chance we'll (PBC and me) will be finding out early next Spring how well one all white 353 Formula will sell.

As I clarified, new FasTechs have no market. I wasn't sure about used which is why I asked for your input. Good to hear that used offshores are still thriving at the lake. The sheer amount of pontoons, CC's, ski/wakeboard boats you see now had me wondering.

just being a smart azz,,knowing your boat was built in fl and most likely test drivin in salt..

What about going through Eddie at Lake Ozark Marine???

Got no problem with Ed, but PBC has done all the work on it for me, hauled it down here and I'm sure will haul it back and sell it for me, you need a bigger boat.

trouble maker......................lol

What is your basis for this statement? There is still a huge market for performance boats at LOTO. Are you saying there is no market at LOTO for new performance boats in general or just new FasTechs?

Talk to Joe Gibbs at Formula Boats of Missouri and ask him how many FasTechs they order/sell per year vs. their SS line of boats. New FasTechs just don't sell at the lake like they used to. Glenn clarified used are still moving which is good to hear. Especially for Jim.

Don't get rid of the formula!! Lol. And Craig you do know the Chesapeake bay is saltwater. I find the salt vs fresh is blown out of proportion especially if its taken care of.

They do have one new FasTech in stock. Check out the year.
http://www.formulaboatsmo.com/boats_all.asp

why dont ya just trade it to pbc and buy the used cc they have? i have seen it alot on the water and only had a few partys on board.

353 Fastech
What year?
What engines?

What price?

I know the boat has been treated well. I might know someone………

Seems to make sense Mike, with our new boating buddy and boating in the salt fulltime a CC is much more sensible, I thought about just keeping it, but not to keen on two boats anymore.

Brett sent me the info on it, it's a beautiful boat if you're talking about the Statement, but we're going to try and stay around 100K, we're lokking for a nice 32-36 CC

1998

502s - top ends and closed cooling/flush-outs done by PBC about 80 hours ago

Don't have a price yet Brett, but, you're right it's been babied for sure, I've had the boat for 95% of it's life, it was two years old when I bought it with 60 hours on it.
It's going to available Spring 2014

Thanks guys.

Trade it in on a cc in Florida t

for what its worth, I flew from RSW to LOTO to buy my 357 10 years ago

After rebuilding a sterndrive boat that was used in the salt, I would not buy another one. Big time corrosion from the inside out, and even some of the wires had green corrosion a few inches up into the insulation. It is amazing how corrosive it is, and how fast it can occur. It is basically the same reasons that you are looking to go to an outboard setup. I cannot imagine that there is a very good market in Florida to sell it.

That said, your boat is extra nice and has been very, very taken care of, so it should not be as much as a problem (especially with the closed cooling that you added). I would guess that bringing it back to LOTO would give you the best shot at not just selling it, but selling it for a better price than what you could get down there. The salt might give it a little bit of a "hit", but hopefully the overall condition will overcome that. Brett and Glen are selling machines and they will get it done for you, no doubt. In fact, when you turn it over to them you better have your eye on its replacement, or you could be boatless!

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

That's a 600 boat, not the typical FasTech set up. How long do FasTechs with 525's sit on the lot?

I sold both my 311 SR1 and 382 Fastech in Cape Coral. You wont have any issues if you sell it here.

Thanks for all the comments guys, anyone that knows this boat knows that it's been taken care of, I might try to sell it down here for a short time period, then just take it back with us to LOTO for the Spring and use it until it sells, then start looking for a CC, there's a good chance we'll be boatless for a short period of time, but whatever happens happens, I'll just mooch rides for a month or two.

place a ad on powerboatlistings.com,,,you just never know ,,,
if you still have it spring time you can always take it to LOTO and try there,,