2001 Formula 280 SS

Hi.
I am looking at this 2001 280SS and would love to hear opinions from you folks.
Single engine 7.4 liter MPI with 524 hours.
Boat is in excellent shape, except for normal docking related scratches.
I like the single engine set-up for the room it gives me to work around it.
boat will be used in fresh water, and speed is not a priority for me.
I believe the lower unit is a Bravo III DP.
Owner is asking$28k or $32k with trailer. I need the trailer.
Opinions please. Thanks a bunch.
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FELlow boaters. Its been 24hrs. 45 people looked at my post. And no comments yet? Where are the knowledgeble boating folks? Thanks!

 

Claudio - I'm one of the 45.....but I'm a classic mahogany boater, so I don't have anything constructive to say....... except get a Chris Craft/Gar Wood/Century.......or a Riva, like me!
Only modern plastic boat I know is Cobalt.
Ask around about the 525 hours on the Merc.....may be along toward rebuild time?
G'luck!

 

well its up to 71 now!
I will wait till I have a nice place on Lake Como before I buy me a nice Riva.....U R a lucky man!
For Lake Travis.....a Formula will do!....lol
You'r right about the Merc....I will spend about $500 for a PPI including dropping the Bravo III and doing a Compression test.
I hope it won't take another 70 readers to get some feedback...
Thanks!!

 

Ive also viewed this thread however my experience in boats goes back about a whopping 4 months when i decided to purchase a 30ft searay so i can't offer anything constructive on your potential purchase. My engine has about 500 hours on it and it passed with no issues. Good luck.

 

Thanks Craig
well, the web tells me the national average of boat use per season is 50 hrs. so a 17 yrs old engine should average 850 hours. from that perspective this engine is below average.
the web also says these Mercs can go 1500 to 2000 hors before they need to be opened up for rework, provided proper maintenance is done.
Lets see what my PPI will bring. Thanks.

 

500 hours is really nothing, although that all depends on how well maintained it was. Being from Texas, I presume it was never winterized?


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my brother had a formula 280ss it was a very nice boat I have owned several Formula boats over the years ...
the hours is no problem but need to get the engine checked over by a mech the 7.4 litter engines of that era had issues with water ingestion through the exhaust the thing to check is the exhaust risers to ensure they are not leaking any mechanic familiar with this type of engine will know what to look for.... other then that the engines are pretty good...
and as I said in that size range the formulas are fine boats... good luck....

 

Did you buy it? I like Formula boats and I like that vintage. Straight forward honest boats. It looks pretty clean around the engine which is a good thing. If the engine is a mess it’s rare the boat has been cared for. Get the drive oil checked for water.

Good luck!

 

I did not buy it.
I made what I thought was a reasonable offer, owner countered my offer and I did not increase, stayed firm.
Today I called back and find out boat was sold to out of state buyer.
So I am upset with myself for the haggling.
I did not have to. had all the funds to pay cash....but I don't know whats wrong with me.....I cant pay asking price on anything....something about my upbringing I guess. not want to feel I have been taken advantage of....I don't know, but its not the first time this happens.
The boat was in pristine shape. Formulas 280 SS with a single engine don't come by often.
So I am kicking myself in the rear end....and will be for days....
maybe some tequila will help me....lol
thanks all

 

No reason to feel bad about not buying a boat. Many reasons to feel bad about buying a boat.
Looks like you had a good one but there are a lot out there. Good luck with your search.

 

agreed there will always be another opportunity ...

 

If he had been asking 25, would you have only purchased it if he took 23? If he was asking 20, would you only be happy if he took 18? If someone is selling something at a fair price, buy it. Don't haggle just to haggle.

 

Formula's are nice boats but if speed is not a concern, maybe a smaller engine. Also if fresh water is this a big lake or a river. Maybe a less sporting boat with more interior room than a Formula

 

Thank you Dave for your constructive comments
I have not yet purchased a boat and tbh I am strugling to find one despite the abundance in d market, but time is on my side and I will eventually find one Thanks

 

Sorry, but I just saw this thread. First, if love Formulas. After that, a bunch of ifs...

• If I was back in the Destin area
• If it was a well-loved/maintained example (clean cuddy area)
• If the boat passed the survey, including all cylinders' compression and leak-down test (524 hours is high for my comfort)
• Prefer Merc over Volvo any day

I'd pay that price without hesitation.

 

But good thing there are so many used boats out there. Quite unbelievable when you start looking at them. Every marina is like a candy store to me.

I'll be back in the market myself in about a year or two.

 

I am looking at a 2017 240 BR right now. Looks really good but these things depreciate like rocks. The MSRP was 146k and the ask is $82.5k and from the NADA info I could get it looks like a fair ask. I looked at a 2018 Sea Ray250 SLX that is still new in the show room with tons of options new MSRP is $167k and they have knocked $30k off but I can see another $40k of depreciation in the next year. I think the 240 will be the better deal unless I could get these guys down some more. Still, there is more depreciation to come on the Sea Ray than the Formula.

 

Formula is probably the best builder in that class of boats. The Porter family has a long history with both offshore and unlimited hydro racing. They know what they are doing. They are leaps and bounds ahead of Brunswick stuff such as Searay and Bayliner. Only other brand in that class even remotely close to Formula is Cobalt. Chapparal is not what they used to be in the 80's and 90's, so that's no good. If I were in your shoes, I'd feel confident with a Formula.

Now the engine and drive is a reliable and simple package. The hours are no biggie if the engine has been well maintained. But two things to be aware of. 1 It might be a very good idea getting a new set of exhaust manifolds. They are known to corrode, and if they leak, that can cause severe engine damage as water can get pulled into the cylinders. A set of Dana Marine manifolds are great quality, will bolt right up and save a bit of weight - not to mention look cool and spice up the sound a bit.

The other is the drive. The Bravo Three is reliable with that kind of power. But it being a counter rotating drive, means that it does put a high load on the gears. At the very least, ship the drive to All American Drive Service and have it gone through. Breaking a tooth on a gear due to pitting, can be very expensive as it can basically take out both upper and lower gears. As a bare minimum, demand to see the drive fluid to make sure there's no water in it. Also make sure the drive shifts smoothly in and out of gear. This must of course be done with the engine running, as it can otherwise damage the cone clutch. Just have it put on a hose for this. It should not take a lot of effort to shift gears. A hard or rough shifting drive could mean a worn clutch assembly ot shift linkage. The biggest problem with a worn shift linkage is that it can result in the drive jumping out of gear, while underway. This can damage the drive and will also cause the engine to severely over-rev.

Check the state of the propellers. Bravo Three props have been known to suffer from cavitation burns. It is also very important that the electrical connections and wiring is good. With two stainless props on one drive catalytic corrosion is a very big issue if faulty. If not installed, consider the Mercathode anti-corrosion system, along with the proper sacrificial annodes for your waters. Lastly when we are speaking outdrives. Get the exhaust rubber bellow in the transom assembly replaced. Like all rubber parts that live in the water, it gets frail over time. If that fails, the boat goes down as that will allow water to enter the bilge directly. - cheap insurance.

Does the boat have an engine flushing system? Also check the oil for water.

Are the trim tabs in proper working order?

Check all hoses and claps, especially in the exhaust system. If the boat has through hull exhaust via a Captain's Call, Silent Choice etc, make sure the flappers in the exhaust tips are in.proper working order, so that you do not run the risk of getting water in your cylinders while the engine is off.

Check the bottom of the bilge for oil after a sea trial. This could be an indicator of an engine leaking oil. During a test run, also verify that the engine can reach its maximum operating rpm band. If it can't this can be an indication of serious engine issues lurking - or a faulty tach... Make sure temp is stable as well as it having stable water pressure.

Lastly. Have the boat run kn a hose to see how the exhaust looks.

Hope this helps. The 280SS is a great boat.

 

Even if one is not that much into go-fast boating, a boat like the 280SS will not work well with a smaller engine. That little 310 hp 7.4 is the absolute smallest it can run properly with. Less power and it would struggle big time to get up on plane, and it would get horrible milage as a small engine would have to work incredibly hard. I'd actually go as far as saying that the correct engine for a 280SS is either the 502 Magnum MPI or the later 8.1HO. The 7.4 MPI can work fine, the boat simply needs to be propped accordingly. A small block setup would not work. I do also believe that the single 7.4 MPI was the base engine offering, and twin 350 Mag MPI was max.