Nitro 180FS

[cherokee75]

I test drove a 1995 Nitro 180FS today.  It is exceptionally clean and ran very well for the hour we were out.  It has a 115 Mercury engine, a Motor Guide Tracker 45 50 lb thrust trolling motor, and a Hummingbird fish finder which came with the boat when it was new. It works but is old by fish finder standards I am told.  The only piece of electronics which does not function is the depth-sounder which supposedly has a bad transducer according to the current owner.  It has three marine batteries but the two for the trolling motor need replaced.  The carpet and seats are immaculate.  The boat has had two owners.  Supposedly the original owner only put approximately 10 hours on the boat and stored it most of the time and the current owner approximated he only put a little over 40 hours on it in teh few years he has had it.  The test drive today was the first time the boat, which is stored indoors, was in the water this year and it only was used twice last year.  It comes with a boat cover and separate engine cover.  The owner is selling the boat because he wants a pontoon boat.  HE is asking $7600 but told me to make a reasonable offer.  Is his asking price decent and what would be a fair offer.  I have found comparable boats online and to me, the price seems right.  Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[spinafish]

sounds reasonable to me..

[Graybeard]

I suspect boat prices like gun prices are quite regional in nature. To me that sounds some what high but if it is as stated isn't horrible. Still you've got some very expensive batteries and other electronics to buy to add to the price and that needs to be taken into consideration. A great many years ago I bought a rather old boat that like the one you mention had perhaps 50 hours on it when I bought it. A tune up was really all the engine needed and it really was basically as new. So deals like that really do happen.

I don't currently have a boat but was looking at one two years back before I decided to put the money into building a pond on my property instead. The boat was new at the dealer's showroom but a previous year model and I think rather comparable to what you're looking at size wise at least. Even brand new with new engine it was less than the used price you're looking at. To me that seems to indicate the price is high.

I'd try to get it for no more than $6000. That way once you do the tune up it should have and buy the replacement items needed perhaps you'll have no more than the asking price he has on it now tied up in it. At least around here boats lose a lot of value much like cars as soon as the first owner gets it. With him being the second owner I'm betting he has less than the $6000 I mention in it but you just never know.