1985 see jay (off brand) bass boat or 1995 ranger

Swangs · August 11, 2018, 08:02:58 PM

Hey y'all. My dad and I are looking to upgrade from
My 12' Lowe with a 71 Evinrude 9 1/2.

So there's a 17' SeaJay Speedfinder for $2800. ~1985 johnson v-4 115. Same vintage boat or 1984 maybe:

https://ottumwa.craigslist.org/boa/d/bass-boat-ready-to-go/6660517727.html

Or a 1995 ranger with another, but 10 years newer 1995 johnson 115:

https://tulsa.craigslist.org/boa/d/1995-ranger-r70-sport/6660072255.html

Do you think it would be worth the premium to get a "newer" boat than the older model? I hear those older johnson v-4s are desireable motors but I don't know if hull tech or the newer motor tech would justify spending a bit more. Name brand also seems to be able to resell easier if needed. The 1995 is priced more at $4000 something, so only a matter of another $1200 or so.

Thanks in advance for any input or experience!

FloridaFishinFool · August 11, 2018, 08:10:25 PM

Can't really help you on the decision except to say that in today's world I have found that most outboard repair places do not like to work on motors older than 10 years.

So the older the motor is, the less likely you will be able to find someone to service it.

I just looked at both boats and for my tastes I'd go with the newer Ranger...

Good luck and keep us informed which way you go.

Pacific NW Ron · August 11, 2018, 08:24:03 PM

If it was me and my budget allowed it I'd go with the ranger. Like you said I think it'll hold it's value better and if need be it might be easier to sell. I like the lay out of the ranger better too.
As a side note, Years ago I had one of those older 115 HP motors and I loved it, but that was when it was almost new. Very impressive for a 115 hp.
Good luck in the search.

Princeton_Man · August 12, 2018, 08:19:26 AM

Depends on what you can afford. If I were in your shoes and could afford either, I'd opt for the Ranger simply because I think it's a better hull.

As with ANY boat purchase check the motor thoroughly before you buy. Pay a shop to go over it. Compression tests and lower unit inspection and tests are a must. Spending $100 or $150 to have a shop inspect the motor can save you from making a big mistake. Replacing/rebuilding a powerhead can cost $5000. A lower unit, $1000.

Swangs · August 12, 2018, 08:39:17 AM

What are the differences in 10 years of motor tech? I got to inspect the older boat in Iowa, and the motor looked very clean and easy to work on yourself. The seller hasn't ran it in the water in a few years, however. But the history is good.. owned by an older gentleman before that took care of his shit. He attached a hose and fired it right up. He was only selling because he bought a ~2010 19' Ranger w/ 225 Mercury. I got to look at it and man it's pretty and the hull lines seemed like they would direct water better for handling but obviously he said it used more than twice the fuel... but I find I use the electric motor a lot when you're actually fishing. Also said the older boat got up on plane a lot quicker than his new boat.. so this is why I'm wondering:

1. about hull design.. it looks like the ranger has a bit more lines and might handle better but only testing them out one after another would really give me an idea.. I've never ridden in a nice bass boat so I'm needing some experiences from those that have had boats in the 85s and 95s for experiences.

2. and the ability to wrench on your own motors. Are the 1995 johnson 115s still a flat top v-4 format? Should still be able to do maintenance and fix issues yourself? Is it a benefit to have an older motor with perhaps more dead ones for parts or is it harder to find them because johnson/Evinrude have stopped making them? I've been told new marine parts tent to be about 4x as expensive as you'd think they'd be.but I've owned a 2005 German v8 car and have experience with that.
On the newer motor, would it get marginal better fuel economy? perhaps just fixed some flaws and added some fuel injection or beneficial tech or removed some troublesome aspects of the older motors?

I personally don't really care what the boat looks like or name brand (I kinda like the retro look of the older boat and that it suppoably gets right up on plane). The ability to sell it easily is obvious I suppose and factored in.. most people see the 80s a lot further away than the 90s. I myself don't really
Internalize that the 90s were 30 years ago, but the 80s sound old subconsiously. Not many 80s cars on the road, still plenty of 1995s.I'm just mostly concerned with performance.

Thanks for your patience guys with an inexperienced young guy that hasn't experienced these older boats and cant afford anything newer. Just looking to expand my fishing horizons and catch some proper lake fish or take it on a bay and be comfortable. I've done most of my fishing from shore and in ponds but love fishing, and getting out on the water, even in a Jon boat, is a pleasure.

Just thinking $1200+ could potentially be a year or two of fuel, or parts, etc. but the Ranger has that in better fish finders and batteries alone. So I'm leaning towards the newer ranger unless someone pipes up about the newer motors being harder to work on yourself or the hulls on bass boats, despite changes in angles and lines and water catches, perform pretty similar. I've just got this little aluminum Lowe v hull Jon boat and anything would be better than it besides using oars. it makes me uneasy handling it at much speed... but it doesn't have much besides two small lines down the side that tend to make it want to lean the opposite way youre turning instead of grabbing into the turn. But it's just a Jon boat. But I am pretty concerned with feel and stability in the water. I know they're not jet skis but i like to just drive the boat and make turns sometimes at the end of the day.. often i or my dad and I are the only ones on the lake up here in Iowa during the week in the summer.

Swangs · August 12, 2018, 08:41:53 AM

Quote from: Princeton_Man on August 12, 2018, 08:19:26 AM
Depends on what you can afford. If I were in your shoes and could afford either, I'd opt for the Ranger simply because I think it's a better hull.

As with ANY boat purchase check the motor thoroughly before you buy. Pay a shop to go over it. Compression tests and lower unit inspection and tests are a must. Spending $100 or $150 to have a shop inspect the motor can save you from making a big mistake. Replacing/rebuilding a powerhead can cost $5000. A lower unit, $1000.

Thanks for the word. The hulls are definitely different; you think it translates into better handling or longevity or both? Fuel economy?

Bud Kennedy · August 12, 2018, 09:15:21 AM

Anytime you consider buying a boat of this age, it will mostly be all about the motor. If the motor checks out then the $5K price tag is good. The R 70 is a decent hull and like most Rangers is a safe boat to operate. This is not a big water boat and will ride a little rough in heavy chop but that is to be expected. I certainly would pick the newer ranger over the other boats you are listing.

Wizard · August 12, 2018, 09:25:07 AM

In 1995, Ranger was using hand laid fiberglass with good resins. In 1984, most of the small local or regional bass boat builders were still using chopper guns to lay the fiberglass, Chopper guns shot chopped fiber into the molds, resins brushed over the glass and then hand rolled to form a hull. Chopper built hulls can contain air bubbles, thin spots in the hull and structural defects that the 95 Ranger won't have. Hand laid hulls use sheet fiberglass with each sheet having a layer of resin and then hand rolled. The structural integrity is much better in a hand laid hull.

Wizard

Deadeye · August 12, 2018, 09:45:48 AM

I looked at both boats you listed. Of the two I would go with the newer well known brand name boat, Ranger.

It is laid out much better for fishing than the older boat. You know it was built right. You can still probably get parts from Ranger if you need them.

Princeton_Man · August 12, 2018, 06:19:23 PM

Quote from: Swangs on August 12, 2018, 08:41:53 AM
Thanks for the word. The hulls are definitely different; you think it translates into better handling or longevity or both? Fuel economy?

All of the above, except may fuel economy. Ranger is heavier and the Faststrike is a hot rod of a motor. The Ranger is also a foam filled hull which helped ride, adds weight, and makes it pretty much unsinkable. Ranger was always leading the way back then so, the difference in hulls could be seen as a lot more than 10 years.

The older the motor, the simpler it is. Either of those motors are fairly easy to work on but, make sure you know the motor's condition. Simple compression test on the motor will reveal a lot. All of your cylinders should be within 5 to 10 psi. Lower unit should not be milky. Lower unit should be pressure and vacuum tested.

fishandkamp · August 12, 2018, 10:48:00 PM

I have a friend that loves the old Rangers. He owned a R70 for a while till he upgraded to a 20 footer. Here on the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers he ran anywhere he wanted to in that R70.
Briyan is an interesting guy. He runs his own site and writes some good educational fishing articles. He has an article on buying an older boat and it includes info on his R70. If you are interested I can send you a link. Just email me at .