Should I buy 99 epic?

[flathead]

As a newbie here and a boat neophyte I thought I should ask more experienced toyota owners their opinion on the following:
I have the opportunity to buy a 99 Epic 21 with 375 hours on it w/Perfect Pass,tandem axle trailer,etc. for 13.5k. Boat appears to be in v. good condition etc. Problem is I have phoned 4 marine dealers in Flathead Lake( Kalispell,Montana)area and so far no one seems to know that Toyota even made boats! I also phoned the Toyota car dealer in Kalispell and spoke with service manager.

What do you guys think: Should I buy a different boat due to the potential engine servicing concerns in future? How reliable are the engines and after how many hours do they require a major engine service? I am reasonably mechanical. Are parts intechangeable with the Lexus GS400 engine parts? Do any of you know a shop or mechanic who will work on these boats in the Flathead Lake area?

All thoughts are appreciated. 

[flathead]

definitely not, epics constantly need repair so you will reegret it later

[flathead]

Everyone who is reading this thread please ignore the previous reply. That was my son who thought it would be funny but not realizing that the posters name is on the left. I cannot figure out how to delete that post after looking on the help section. I do not have a delete or modify option that I can see.

[lilfoo2225]

lol. cracker jack. 

[wakejunky]

HaHa. too funny. do a couple searches on the forum and you will find an answer to almost all your questions. this subject has really been beat to death, that maybe why your not getting alot of feedback. the Lexus engine is basically bulletproof. make sure your winterize properly or you may crack the block. (just like any other ski/wake boat) Marine parts may become more difficult as time goes on but after owning a 99 E22 for three years and now a 01 SX22 for three years i have never bought a Toyota marine specific part. everything Ive ever needed Ive gotten off the shelf or ordered online. you do need to become familiar with the typical maintenance parts (which are listed in the maintenance section) because just like you experienced most boat dealers even big ones have never heard of our boats. there were only 400 or so made and a good amount of them were shipped to japan. so that's even less in the states. the basic engine parts are the same as 98-00 LS 400 or GS400. of course some are marine specific. rebuilds are extremely rare, Ive heard of 6000 and 3500 hours on our boats at some ski schools. most owners are able to do all the maintenance on their own, especially with all the info you can find here.

i don't think that's a bad price. check www.nada.com. good place to start. the economy is in your favor

[wakejunky]

Ooops i have bought marine specific parts. a thermostat and a closed loop cooling system.   

[ColdNorth]

As for interchangeable parts... In Canada we can purchase cars from Japan (right hand drive). I purchased the equivalent of the Lexus LS400... Toyota Celsior. It is a 1992 with 45K miles on it... mint shape but it has the same 4.0L engine as our boats. Redline is the same at 6000 RPM and that engine is really smooth all the way up. For what I paid for the car, if anything ever goes wrong with the boat engine (highly doubtful), I think a person could do a direct engine swap and just switch over the marine specific parts. My car engine is rated at 250hp... I think the only difference in power rating is that the car has an intake and mufflers.

These cars are not known for their great mileage like our boats though... just a bit of a sideline...

What lake are you on in the area? Although we live in northern Alberta, we come and ski Echo lake for at least a week each summer... coming mid August this year. On my second Epic... don't hesitate to pick it up as long as you don't mind the closed bow.

[flathead]

We are  on Flathead Lake in Montana which is very large( 35 miles or so long and about 10 miles wide) so fuel efficiency is a very good thing!
I would prefer an open bow but friends tell me that for a novice boater it may be a good thing to have a closed bow especially on a big lake if you get a lot of chop.
Thanks for all the comments so far. They have been very helpful.

[eagle1wi]

ColdNorth - one major thing is different between your car and your boat - Variable Valve Timing.  This is part of the reason why your car may not seem that efficient, LS400/Celsior's are wonderful, but heavy, cars - the 92-94 were among the most trouble-free ever made (not too much gadgets or gimmicks to break)