Engine that needs a boat

[jakew009]

I have an essentially brand new (less than 43 hours) 2018 Mercury Verado 250 engine that has been sat at the back of my workshop for a couple of years.

I’ve been trying to sell it for a while but it’s like pulling teeth. It seems selling a nearly new engine as a private seller is almost impossible as everyone just poos their pants with worry.

My latest buyer even paid to have it looked over by a Mercury dealer, who gave it a clean bill of health but then quoted the customer such a stupid price to fit it he somehow made a brand new one a better price (and proceeded to offer me 5k for my engine…)

Sooo…. I’m considering buying a boat to put the engine on and then selling the whole lot. Question is what sort of boat and where to buy it? It needs to be cheap as chips but still worth something with a decent engine on the back.

 

[penfold]

Any market for the spares? Might be worth breaking it, something I've done with outboards I didn't have a use for and selling was proving painful.

 

[simonfraser]

Not suggesting this is gospel, but reliability on google

if not selling it’s too much money, I’m no OB expert, but checking on line, private purchase, no warranty etc, 10k max imo
then as you transport, mounting, no prop, all you’re gonna get is a ‘budget’ buyer

auction it on eBay with a minimum ?

 

[crazy4557]

How about getting a Mercury dealer to check it over an write a report that you can demonstrate to the potential buyers showing it's in good working order?
I've got two of these exact motors on my rib, if I needed a replacement for whatever reason that bit of paper would potentially persuade me to buy yours rather than via a dealer. (Maybe buy the report off the previous buyer who went new?)
Does it come with prop/rigging/controls etc ready to mount and use?

 

[Dino]

You could buy an old rib with a big 2 stroke and swap it over. Sell the 2 stroke cheap. But you could then end up with tube issues, etc.
Or buy a new bare hull and fit it out, but you’ll be into a fairly big investment.
I met a guy once who used to buy big old cobra style ribs. He would re-tube them, fix everything, new electronics, new engine, etc. Then wait for the holiday home types to come looking for a nice rib when the sun shines. They would have got a scare when they priced up a new rib so his looked cheap. He said he did okay with them

 

[jakew009]

How about getting a Mercury dealer to check it over an write a report that you can demonstrate to the potential buyers showing it's in good working order?
I've got two of these exact motors on my rib, if I needed a replacement for whatever reason that bit of paper would potentially persuade me to buy yours rather than via a dealer. (Maybe buy the report off the previous buyer who went new?)
Does it come with prop/rigging/controls etc ready to mount and use?

I have that piece of paper, and indeed the dealer said it's perfect.

I don't have the rigging for it because I figured it's a bit pointless to buy until I new what someone wanted (ie. top mount binnacle, side mount, what sort of helm, what size prop etc). In your case you'd need a dual throttle binnacle for twins.

I think it's just at a point in the market where most people needing one can afford to plump 25k+ for a new one, so even though mine's 'only' 12k (or say 15k fully rigged). I could drop the price even further but at that point I might as well put it on a boat...

 

[jakew009]

You could buy an old rib with a big 2 stroke and swap it over. Sell the 2 stroke cheap. But you could then end up with tube issues, etc.
Or buy a new bare hull and fit it out, but you’ll be into a fairly big investment.
I met a guy once who used to buy big old cobra style ribs. He would re-tube them, fix everything, new electronics, new engine, etc. Then wait for the holiday home types to come looking for a nice rib when the sun shines. They would have got a scare when they priced up a new rib so his looked cheap. He said he did okay with them

Yeah, anyone have a 7m rib for sale with new tubes and a crappy engine?

 

[paradave]

Modify the 805.

 

[SC35]

What’s with the scratches on the cowlings?
Half the point of big outboards is “look at my engines“

 

[jakew009]

What’s with the scratches on the cowlings?
Half the point of big outboards is “look at my engines“

Just a cobweb

 

[dunedin]

What’s with the scratches on the cowlings?
Half the point of big outboards is “look at my engines“

How the other half lives ! Amongst the raggies there is a view that rough painting / messing up the cowling on a posh outboard is a good idea, to reduce the risk of being stolen

 

[westernman]

How the other half lives ! Amongst the raggies there is a view that rough painting / messing up the cowling on a posh outboard is a good idea, to reduce the risk of being stolen

It is a bit difficult to put his outboard over your shoulder and run off with it.
Unlike our 2HP two strokes.

 

[Bouba]

It is a bit difficult to put his outboard over your shoulder and run off with it.
Unlike our 2HP two strokes.

I had a brand new 150 taken off my transom in a dry port…many others lost their engines that night…Verado 250 and 300 were especially popular

 

[Leighb]

I had a brand new 150 taken off my transom in a dry port…many others lost their engines that night…Verado 250 and 300 were especially popular

Many years ago there was a O/B powered workboat parked on the hard at Pin Mill. It had various security features to stop the engine being removed from the transom. The thieves came in the night, chainsawed through the transom all round the engine mounting, boltcroppered all the control cables and drove off with it.
If they really want your stuff they will find a way.

 

[SaltIre]

I have that piece of paper, and indeed the dealer said it's perfect.

I don't have the rigging for it because I figured it's a bit pointless to buy until I new what someone wanted (ie. top mount binnacle, side mount, what sort of helm, what size prop etc). In your case you'd need a dual throttle binnacle for twins.

I think it's just at a point in the market where most people needing one can afford to plump 25k+ for a new one, so even though mine's 'only' 12k (or say 15k fully rigged). I could drop the price even further but at that point I might as well put it on a boat...

Why on earth did you buy it? Or did it fall off the back of a lorry?
Did the Dealer make you an offer for it?

 

[Bouba]

Many years ago there was a O/B powered workboat parked on the hard at Pin Mill. It had various security features to stop the engine being removed from the transom. The thieves came in the night, chainsawed through the transom all round the engine mounting, boltcroppered all the control cables and drove off with it.
If they really want your stuff they will find a way.

Bar stewards....in our case it was like a military operation....as far as I could see, no boat was damaged. They even knew which were the blind spots for the cctv....not that it mattered, with French privacy laws...no one was allowed to view the tapes....I kid you not

 

[jakew009]

Finally sold it..... that was excruciating.

I have sold lots of things privately over the years... cars, tractors, HGVs, diggers.... selling boat parts is a whole new world of pain.

Exhibit A: decided he wanted to buy it for his boat in Mallorca. Said he was in the motor trade. Asked me to take said engine to my local Mercury dealer who he would pay. Mercury dealer spent weeks liaising with Exhibit A, quoting him for fitting my engine, quoting him for fitting new engines, quoting him for new boats, quoting him to fit engines to a boat he may buy in Mallorca. Exhibit A then vanished without paying the dealer. I paid the dealer as wanted him on side.

Exhibit B: said he wanted the engine. Knocked me down on price but whatever he said it would be a quick sale. Turns out he had 5 others in a syndicate with them and clearly they had no money. Didn't like the quotes they were given by their Merc dealer to fit it. Tried to knock me down even further then disappeared off the face of the earth... idiot.

Exhibit C: Seemed quite sensible and paid his local mechanical to have a look over it. Said mechanic gave it a clean bill of health but then quoted the customer such a stupid price to fit it he somehow made a brand new one a better price (then proceeded to offer me 5k for my engine... idiot)

Exhibit D: wanted to DIY fit the engine to his RIB. Had an existing 150HP engine on it that he thought the rigging might swap. I explained I didn't think it would be even remotely compatible. Bombarded me with thousands of questions. Asked if I would take his engine in part ex (I said yes just for the hell of it). Then asked if I would take his whole boat in part ex (wtf is he going to do with the engine at that point?). I eventually stopped replying. He still messages me occasionally.

Exhibit E: seemed quite promising and was all looking good until he dropped the bombshell that he would only be able to pay for half of the engine up front and would need to sell his old engine first to pay for the second half. But he wasn't interesting in selling his engine prior to paying for mine. Idiot.

Finally Exhibit F was a pleasure to deal, offered me a sensible price and it was all paid for and delivered in a couple of days. Shame it took 18 months to find him.

Never ever again.....

 

[jakew009]

Why on earth did you buy it? Or did it fall off the back of a lorry?
Did the Dealer make you an offer for it?

Sorry didn't see this previously. I was going to fit it to a 7.5m Cobra rib that had an elderly 250 Verado on it. The more I used the existing Verado the more I realised it was bulletproof and I didn't really need to swap it. It also wouldn't have added much value to the rib (if any). I then sold the rib and was left with an engine.