Considering buying a 99 Epic 22

[larryscribe]

Newbie here.

Would greatly appreciate some advice if anyone can offer.

I'm considering buying a 99 Epic 22. The engine appears to run well and has only 130 hours, but the carpet is in bad shape.

Boat has a tower, a nice stereo system and comes with Toyota trailer.

I'm wondering if $15,000 sounds like a reasonable price. Other than the carpet, the boat seems to be in good condition.

My father-in-law has a 2000 Epic 22, and I've absolutely loved skiing behind it and driving it for the past 10 years. I'm seriously considering buying this boat, but I've got some reservations because of the cosmetics.

Thoughts?

[lesman01]

Welcome larry, I seriously doubt it only has 130 hours if the carpet is in bad shape..unless it was left out in the weather.... Ask if he has service records.  Searching the forum can uncover gems.
start with this thread. it has links to related topics about buying..


http://www.epicmarine.com/forum4/index.php?topic=1410.0

you'll find the folks here real eager to answer questions and help out.

[larryscribe]

Thanks for the reply, lesman1.

The hours are legit as far as I can tell. Unfortunately it has been left out in the weather.

The hull and engine appear in good shape. The only apparent flaw is the carpet is in some disrepair, plus a minor stitching issue on the engine cover.

All that considered, is 15 grand a good price for this boat?

Thanks again.

[ATS_Aaron]

Seems like a great price. I recently bought mine with 780 hours for a little more, but it has Perfect Pass, aftermarket ballast system, a great stereo (and nice carpet). Someone on here found carpet by the yard that was similar if not identical to the original.

Aaron

[Lakeside]

If it was left out in the weather, are you sure rain didn't accumulate in the hull, perhaps damaging the engine or other parts?  I would think this type of damage would be obvious.  I've seen a pretty ratty Epic in my area without a cover, and I'm sure excess rain has not helped it any.

By the way, I'm looking forward to my new Rankin cover which should arrive in a few weeks!

[cyclone]

15k is a great price. You might be surprised how much the carpet will clean up, it is very durable. You can get the original carpet from Toyota via the TMS parts link on the top of the page. Same goes for vinyl and skins, though they are getting scarce for certain boats and colors.

[masonlk]

Keep in mind these boats are now 6-9 years old. Any boat will start to show wear and tear on the carpet and upholstery. If the hull and engine are solid and you get a good price then putting a few bucks into the wearable pieces should be no big deal. If I paid 15 and put 3-4 in it I think I would still feel good about the boat. You'll have something that looks good and you can use for years to come. You also have no suprises popping up in the future.

I agree with cyclone too about cleaning up the carpet. It is after all marine grade. It's meant to get wet, dirty, trod upon and then clean up reasonably well.