hey wonder if i could get some opinions... here's the deal - im looking at a mint 1989 scarab excell (38) boat has 650 hrs and only rebulit was one transmision... i can get it for $ 28 000 with trailer - should i go for it or run because of the trs drives ?? i know they are dynasaurs but i love the boat !! my budget is not much more than 30 - PER THE WIFE !!
it was owned by an older couple and was never abused - how much more life could i expect before having to rebuild everything?

you might be better off checking in the classic offshore forum for more answers, I have a friend with a 34 scarab with trs drives and hasn't really had too many problems so if you really like the boat go for it.

Like this one ? Go for it . Just check the transom with a surveyor for water intrusion.

I agree, the TRS drives are not the potential problem, a wet transom is..

Transmissions and drives would be the least of my concerns. Transom rot would be the biggest concern and @ 650 hours any time you get out of the engines would be bonus. Not saying they would not last a few more years, just plan on rebuilding them and put that in your counter/offer. Sweet boat though!

Tell us how you are going to use it, If you are just going to weekend on it at the slip then it will probably be OK. 650 hours basically means (to me) that EVERYTHING will need to be gone through.

Good looking boat. I would have a marine mechanic go through the engines since they are old and have a lot of hours. They can do compression and leak down tests, oil analysis, identify maintainence needs. They should also look at drives. The problems they find might allow you to negotiate more on price. Then you will know what you have and what may need attention. As mentioned previously make sure you have the boat evaluated for rot. Take your time and I hope you find everything well with it. The money paid to the mechanic is well worth it!

Eric (KYElim) pretty much nailed it. Spend the money on a surveyor. That will be the best 350-400 you will spend. He will not check the engines so you will need a seperate evaluation on them. Do the surveyor first since rot is the biggest concern. The engines are easier to fix then a rotten transom and stringers. I know guys that have looked at and surveyed several boats before buying one. They spent over $2000 on surveyors, but saved 10's of thousands in repairs.
The biggest problem with the Trs is the availability of parts. There are still quite a few complete rebuilt drives for sale, but individual parts are getting harder to find. You can still get them, but they are not as available as they use to be. With stock BB's around 400-450 hp, the drives should last a long time with proper maintenance. If it all checks out, go for it. It is a sharp boat.
Eddie

Sounds like a good buy for a big boat but... it depends on your mechanical ability. If you are handy and can wrench on it youself, make an offer and go for it (as long as the hull checks out). If you have to pay someone every time the boat coughs, it will suck you dry and you will always be at the mercy of someone able to work on it and willing to track down parts. I fully understand the budget thing, but 10 grand or so can add up real quick without any major breakdowns. Add that to the purchase price and you could be looking at a whole different group of boats now instead of later.

Survey is a must! TRS gimbles have a cork gasket to the transom. Inherantly leak water into the boat causing transom rot. TRS drives with stock or mildly worked engines are a bullet proof combo. Parts and some complete units are available thru private sellers or Konrads are an option. 650 hours, plan on a tear down in the near or distant future. Depending on how the boat was run. Start them cold and listen closely for any noises and smoking issues. Have compression tests done ect. If it's MINT as you say then maybe it's a babied boat. Good price but it doesn't hurt to try and get the seller down a few thousand. Try $25k on the future rebuild issue. Good luck.