I found one for sale recently at a dealership. Id guess its a 19'er doesnt say but it has a 150 and a single axle trailer. Only problem is, is that its a '89 model and has the original motor. But the selling price is only $5300 to good to be true or what? Not familier with boat motors as far as age and about to die time usually are, outboards are expensive and I dont have that kind of money to replace one haha If anything id have a very fancy reservoir/electric only rig for a long time lol.
Only about 2.5k or so would come out of my pocket if my car sold for 3k. Or should I just step up, and get a newer 19' DC Triton with a 200 for 19k and payments of 200/mo
I love the way the gamblers look/ride but a new one is waaaay out of the question :(
Not sure Bane, but whatever you decide is still going to be faster than your reservoir rig. ;)
im pretty set on going to look at it one day. (2day tx this weekend on the potomac) and I have 2 people seriously (or so it seems, in buying my car) cash talks, if they come to look at it without the intent of possibly buying it Ill just send em on down the road.
anglers choice has the triton an whatnot that I have been lookin at. Pretty set on a dual console for when I take people with me. and Bony Tony put in a special request for me to get a DC model lol.
The only thng I will warn you about used boats is they just seem to start out a headache and stay that way until you get rid of them. It seems there is always something wrong, you're always fixin' something, and the boat isn't on the water enough. Plus, old boats have old engines. They use more gas, burn gas ineffeciently for the most part, and they are prone to breaking down too.
My wife told me that she absolutley will not allow another used boat under the roof of our house. Too much of a money trap and it takes the enjoyment out of owning a boat. Good for me, that means my next boat will be new. Bad news.....it may be a few years until I get a new one!
~xyz
Eric
Nobody is going to make any 'You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em' jokes???
Gambler Boats do not handle worth a darn in rough water, and chine really bad at high speeds. Be wary of this boat.
thanks for the input guys,
jaypea, The one I have rode in never had either of these problems, but I think its some sort of factory freak...He had to have more holes drilled in the motor to relieve the pressure, sounds like a freakin dragster out there on the water.
I own an '89 Gambler (18'6") w/ 175 Merc Black Max and I love it. True it's older and not as fast as it used to be, but will still hit 60 mph at our Colorado altitude, no chine and sounds great. My hole shot is as good as anyone in our club, and I stay up w/ most of the 200 hp. I'd love a new boat but wouldn't consider anything less than $7500 for mine, and it only has a single axle and single console. I haven't missed any tourneys in the last four years because of boat probs! Good luck, Co Gambler
The worst part of a Gambler in rough water is cross wakes and not handling them wright. Blow out's one of the spookiest parts of a Gambler but if the operator knows how to react to them then no problem.
Biggest draw back to a Gambler is if you poke a hole in one. With the inner liner you can't get inside and fix it properly.
But they sure look good. ;D
thanks, they sure do look good is right. Friend of mine, who happens to be in the club I just joined has a early 90's or so 20-21'er or so and has a 200hp on the back which is now making about 260hp, Talk about a fun ride ;D
Bane, sent an email to you. As for the negatives on a Gambler,all wrong. Most of the bad boat handling issues is the drivers fault. I have a 183GT and will run next to any boat in any water,except for maybe a Champion but thats it. Ive been in Z21s that gave me intestinal damage and the next day rode in a 371V that drove like a dream(same water). If you are skilled at driving a boat,you can take the worst hull design and have an OK ride, but if you dont know how to drive one-you can take the best and beat the crap out of yourself in a 2 foot chop. Lee NJ
What a bunch of mis-information here. lo lo You guy's should do a little more research before you start "informing" everybody with things you have no idea about.
Lets tone this thread down a bit. Unless you know the poster do you have any idea what he/she has owned in the past?
If comments are made that you disagree with put the emotion away and talk facts so we can continue to help one another here, thats what Ultimatebass.com is all about.
Keep it clean and share information no more bashing 8)
I guess it must depend on how much of an "active" member you are here before you get scolded,Notice .............no emoticons either.
Wasn't talking to you cowtrimmer ;)
It was for everyone who posted and others that may have jumped on the band wagon.
Our goal here is to accept new and old members, to help the novice as well as those that frequent here day after day. We pride our selves on sharing information in a friendly way. We may not always agree but thats ok as long as its done nicely.
Again, please don't think I was singling you out, it wasn't meant that way.
Fogy
Well, I've been watching this post for a while and no one has really answered the poor guy's question!
The cons to buying an older Gambler are the same as buying any older boat. You'll really have to check it over thoroughly to insure that it's in decent shape. Get in and really dig into the boat. Stick your head in the compartments with a flashlight, look for signs of mold/mildew, feel for soft spots in the flooring/decking. These are indications of rot, and unless you're pretty handy with tools and "do-it-yourself" projects, you'll end up paying someone to replace flooring.
Check the wiring. Are the connections corroded? Is the insulation cracked? If you see this, you're going to have electrical problems. What about livewell and bilge pumps? Is there any cracking in the transom area? A certain amount of gel-coat cracking is all right and is going to happen with just about any boat, but anything more than that indicates problems.
What is the overall condition/appearance of the boat? If it looks good, the chances are the previous owner took decent care of it. You're looking at a 17 year old boat, there are going to be things that will wear out and fail. You're going to have to accept that fact. But, on the other side of the coin, I've seen three year old boats that I wouldn't dream of buying, they've been so beaten and neglected!
See if you can take the boat for a test ride and have it looked over by a qualified marine mechanic. Then, see if you can get some kind of 30 day/money back guarantee anyway. The dealer will probably laugh at you, but if you're serious about the boat, work for it! If the boat is truly in decent shape and reliable, the dealer shouldn't have a problem with backing it with a return policy. If he absolutely refuses, you might want to reconsider!
On the plus side, you're getting into a decent boat for little (comparitively speaking) money. Also, Gambler is still in business and you might be able to get an Gambler related parts from them.
On the minus side, it's older and things will need replacing. If you do get the boat, I'd set aside a fund alotted for repairs.
It's going to be YOUR boat, if you like it and it makes you happy, then go for it! It's your money!!!
Steve
CHeck THE TRANSOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! stand on the lower unit of the motor and listen for flexing or cracking. Look for major cracks near the transom well.
Oh blow is due to not having a low water pickup and jacking the motor too high along with a little prop issues added in.
Low water pickups have nothing to do with blowout. Low water pickups just mean that the motor will get water at extreme transom heights.
Blow out is caused by cavitation of the propeller at high speed. (Loss of bite)
On a true surface running propeller only one blade is in the water at a time. One blade entering, one blade leaving and one comming around. (Three Blade prop. That interval of time is very short but that is what is actually happening.
Quote from: bass1cpr on October 24, 2006, 03:52:05 PM
Low water pickups have nothing to do with blowout. Low water pickups just mean that the motor will get water at extreme transom heights.
Blow out is caused by cavitation of the propeller at high speed. (Loss of bite)
On a true surface running propeller only one blade is in the water at a time. One blade entering, one blade leaving and one comming around. (Three Blade prop. That interval of time is very short but that is what is actually happening.
so why is the solution to blowout when running a TM lower unit, getting the Sporty? Actually the drag boats are running on the prop and only about 40% if it at that... no blowout.
I guess all this time the solution to blowout problems would be to run a 4-blade prop.Blow-out is caused by several things but the most common is the lack of water around the prop wether it's a 3 blade or a 50 blade.no water is no water no matter what.Don't confuse handling issues with blow-out issues.Blow out is caused by the lower unit "pushing' water away from the case and the prop not having any water to run in.and in a lot of scenarios going to a sportmaster "style' lower unit can solve this.But on that older Gambler he's talking about I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem as that boat might see 72 tops on a good day with the ultimate set-up. and all a noseconed case will do is slow him down.And BTW. most "true" drag boats don't even run sportmaster L/U.they run a 15:17 IV SSM.Hows this for Blowout issues lo lo
(https://www.ultimatebass.com/bass-fishing-forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mercuryracing.com%2F_media%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2Foptimax200xssst%2Fproduct_optimax200xssst.jpg&hash=099014b3875398a53f5f3aac1f34ed5c21946e31)
UH-OH sorry about the emoticons
Quote from: cowtrimmer on October 24, 2006, 08:58:19 PM
UH-OH sorry about the emoticons
Nice to see folks can live and learn and have fun here! ;D
Thank You for the in depth information ~c~
Yep your wright run the SSM. Reduce the mass and reduce the prop diamater build the prop more like a flat head screw and scream. The reduced drag on the boat because it's actually flying. lo THere's no other feeling like it without gettin in a plane.
First off you will not find any "Rot" in a Gambler.. There is NO wood used in the manufacturing process, only composite.. The boats are very tough and durable.. When you ride in one you can feel how rigid the hull is. Also they are an excellent fishing platform with a front deck you could land a small aircraft on. On the motor issue just about everything on a Merc V-6 will still interchange so there is not a problem getting any parts you would need for it.. If the price is right and the boat is in good shape it might make you a good boat for the dollar...
Rick
have a 87 gambler. stringers and transom are wood. check the floor by feel and even by getting your biggest buddy to jump up and down on the floor to find any soft spots. transom is wood too. check motor flex up and down. check inside rear where fuel filter mounts into transom,to see if soft. the above post about no wood is for newer gamblers. pete s.
Also, check under the hoot foot. My Gambler had some bad wood under it, but I fixed it with a slide plate from T-H. or you could get a hold of Largemouth Lou and us one of his plates. Mine is a 1990....they went to all composite soon after my year.
Jaypea2006 is full of ^-^!!!