How Old is Too Old to Re-Power?

[MNMak]

I am at a crossroads with my boat, a 1990 Ranger 680T. The boat is in excellent condition but still has it's original motor a 1989/90 Evinrude VRO which is has been unreliable. I debating between re-powering this rig or selling and looking for a newer Ranger 681,690, or 618.

How old is too old to re-power a boat? I would like to stick a newer engine on this boat but haven't found many used 60hp tillers for sale and don't know if I want to stick a brand new motor on the rig. If I decide to sell in two years and have a new engine on the boat, I would imagine I'd be under water on the total investment. Anybody have opinions?

[PerchJerker]

I would imagine I'd be under water on the total investment. Anybody have opinions?

I think you're looking at this the right way ..... it's almost always a losing idea to repower an old boat. You're almost always better off getting rid of the existing boat/motor combo and getting something different.

But ...... in your case there are a couple unique things that may make repowering be worth it. One is the boat you have it on, Rangers are quality boats and hold their value, and you say it's in excellent condition. Another is you said your current motor has been unreliable --- if you're having problems with it, you may be best off to get rid of the motor and go with a newer motor. I think you are 100% on the right track by looking for used motors. If you think you're going to sell it in 2 years then repowering isn't the best option, but if you're going to hold onto it for several years then it's a better option.

My guess is still that repowering is not your best option, unless you can come across a used motor. Good luck getting it figured out.

[Big Buck Buster]

You already know now what you have in your boat. If you were to go out and purchase another boat/motor/trailer, you may run into the same scenario a couple years down the road:motor problems,or any other problem. Just add up all the stuff you have replaced in your boat,motor,or trailer, then compare that to what you would be getting in the newer/used boat combo.

I would say that going with a newer motor would be what I would do. If your boat is in that good of condition, keep it. At least this way you will now have a reliable one on it, and you may want to keep it for many more years.

Just my two cents.

BBB

[boatfixer]

I guess for me it would depend on if I was going to keep it for a long time. If you like the boat and plan on having it for many years, replace the motor. What I've found is that its harder to sell repowered boats. In alot of cases, stand alone engines are quite pricey, keep your eyes open for a good deal.

[JeffB]

The problem with repowering is you lose the value of you old motor. I would advertise your boat and see if you can get good value out of it. There are a lot of people that would be interested in that boat motor combo. Good luck.

[walleyemaniac]

What about a rebuilt power head for your motor, cheaper then a whole new motor. I guess it depends on how much you like the setup you have.

I'm in the the middle of fixing up my old Crestliner just because I like the way it's set up. And when the motor decides to go that's what I'm thinking about doing. I plan on keeping mine for awhile though.

[stumper]

Buy a new motor and keep the old motor and put it back on to sell the boat. Then if its reliable,put your "new" motor on your new boat.