1 reply to this topic

[bjwenzel]

Looking for some advice on buying a 1995 Speedster. What sort of top speed should I expect? The speedometer isn't working and could only get one engine started due to bad battery, so I would guess we only got up to 25-30 on one engine.

Reverse seems to be non-responsive -- is that because I only had one jet going or do I need to give it more gas?

NADA thinks these thinkg are still worth $4k average retail? Is that real for a 10 yr old boat?

Any other concerns to look out for?

Thanks for the help. I've got a couple Doo PWC's but this is the first sport boat.

[tiggerman]

I would only consider buying after both engines were running. Then you could get a more realistic view of how the boat really performs. With only one running, performance would be marginal at best. Also, running at more than 15 mph on only one engine could result in water ingestion on the engine that is not running.
Reverse didn't work well because, well, reverse just isn't the best on a jet boat anyway. It would have been better on two engines no doubt.

Unless you are buying this boat from a dealer, I wouldn't pay much attention to NADA prices anyway. They are a RETAIL guide, not a guide when buying from an individual. To be more realistic, around $3500 or even less would be about right.
Before this purchase, doo a compression check on both engines. Each cylinder should be within 10% of each other. What shape is the hull in? Engine bay? Does the boat smoke excessively when started (the one engine that will start)?
There are many other used doos out there for sale. Don't snag the first one without checking it out thoroughly. My '97 happens to be for sale......