90's 190 Tournament buying advice

[rexicon]

Im helping out a friend with his first boat purchase (I know, I know...) and we've narrowed our search to 2 190's. 

Exhibit A:

1991 hull 2007 Suzuki df140 4s

Pros
Sweet smelling quiet economical new power
Sleeper seat
Cd/radio with iPod hookup
Humminbird depth/fish finder
Private seller
Sale includes anchors and rode

Cons
Old bottom paint
Shoddy automotive wiring
No live well
Chintzy 500gph bilge pump
Original trim and doors replaced with starboard
Missing cushions
No Bimini
Soft spot to starboard of the fuel tank hatch
1 battery
No VHF
Teak swim platform is cracked
Evidence of a pretty good impact on port gunwhale with plenty of spider cracks to bear witness
Oxidation on most of the gelcoat
5200'd screw holes all over the place 
Tach no workie
Undetermined hrs on motor
No gps

Asking $9900

Exhibit B

1993 hull 1993 yammy 150 2s

Pros
Complete cream puff hull
Shiny gelcoat
Bimini
All Cushions present and in good shape
VHF
Sunbrella cover
Aluminum trailer
Everything looks original
686 hrs on meter
Dual battery
Bennett trim tabs



Cons
1993 2s yammy 150
No stereo
No depth finder
Will have to apply bottom paint as this will be wet slipped
Dealer consignment - so haggling may be tricky
No anchors
No gps
Captains chair instead of sleeper seat

Asking $7500

NADA has the 91 booked out at $9415, the 93 at $6765. The bulk of the discrepancy is in the motors - $5000 for the Suzy and $1190 for the Yammy. 

I think that the 93 is the right buy but am having trouble getting past the $ numbers. Is the Yammy really that much of a liability?

Thanks for any input!

 

[gw204]

No. 2 w/out a doubt. If it's been maintained, that Yammy will have lots of life left.

 

[striped bass]

Exhibit A. Depending on where you are located, Suzuki dealers are few and far between so service may be an issue. You need to check the dealership availability. Even with a close by dealership Exhibit A is a definite pass.

Exhibit B may be a better bet but it is a gamble. 683 hours is not that bad if you can believe the meter. The 2 stroke will be a tough sell when time comes to move up to another boat. The Yammie 150 is a tough engine so there may be a lot of life remaining. A good Yammie master mechanic should survey the engine and advise you on the condition. A good fiberglass specialist should check the hull especially the transom. The surveys notwithstanding, a boat of this age will require substantial dollars due to hidden issues that will crop up in the first months of use. It is a fact of used boating life so be prepared.

If at all possible look around a little longer for a newer hull with a 4S Yammie. There are LOTS of GW boats for sale so be patient.

 

[drmwvr]

I have an '89 190 Tournament. Look for weak stringers, mine had some minor rot around the forward bilge hatch area (since repaired). You will want a solid structure given the fact your friends boat will live in the water.

Also, check fuel tank, especially if you smell gas in the aft bilge area. Could be a connection or could be the tank itself (going on 20+ years). The tank and vent line will probably need to be replaced on an early '90s boat so check that as well.

This is a good family boat and fits my needs for occasional use (ski/fish/sailing class chase boat). She rides larger than she is. Mine has the optinal bow rails which helps with the kids.

Get the best hull you can, motors can be repaired alot easier, and for a more defined cost, than hulls.

Good luck!

 

[Gary S. Colecchio]

The first thing you need to do on any Grady that age is to look at the metal transom cap. There should be no deformation of the glass underneath it. The easiest way to check this is with a straight edge. If it appears swollen, walk.

I had just finished re-wiring my '91 Tournament 19 and had a glass guy come by to fill a hole in the dash to finish the job. After taking the cap off and scraping off the putty, there was evidence of water intrusion.