[Boatcrazy]

Hello all,

I am happy to say that I am a new owner of a 1999 Mariah Z302 that I brought home after a 2100 mile non-stop road trip to NY this past weekend.

I have been searching for either a Z302 or a Z300 for the past several months and came across a deal that could not be passed up. With other 1998-2000 models selling from the mid 30's to the high 40's this ad for a 1999 Z302 for 19,995 really caught my eye. Boat was listed on Yachtworld and was being sold at a marina in Huntington, NY and the description said it needed some work. I called and found out the details and agreed upon $16,500 sight unseen and the next day sent out my deposit to hold the boat. Two weeks later road trip and here I am now with a boat that even though needs some attention the overall condition is in great condition. I plan on swapping out the 7.4L with either a 502 Magnum or a 496 Mag HO. I have found several good candidates for around the 10k area and when all is said and done I will probably have a total of 28k in her.

I will keep everyone here posted on my process and will probably need some question answered along the way.

Take care,
Boatcrazy

[Straad]

she looks beautiful,

welcome to the club
cant wait to see the finished product

[ShabahZ280]

Wow, what a steal! Keep us updated with the progress, and if you've got any questions, feel free to ask. We're all here to help.

[Boatcrazy]

Thanks for the welcome.

There are a few things I am going to need to fix and or replace and I have no idea where to start looking for those items.

*Both bow docking lights need to be replaced. Cases are fine just bad bulbs. Original Supplier?

*Rear seat hinges missing and I think they were the type that folded forward before opening. Just need to find out original supplier and or dimensions

*Dash gauge lights not working and I assume it may have something to do with the dimmer switch. Any ideas?

*Interior lights not working at all. I hope just a bad connection.

*GPS unit non functional but I will probably replace with more current unit. Any ideas?

*Cockpit & Bow covers missing. May have to go to local canvas shop to replace.
Any ideas?

*I am interested in getting the camper canvas for the boat but due to the fact that the original company is no longer in business I may have to have it made locally. There is a Z302 being sold at a marina close to my home that has the camper option from Mariah on the boat and I may try to get in touch with the owner and see if he will let me make a template out of it as to have a shop duplicate it? Anybody else interested?


I was able to retreive the three ring binder manual from the owner so that has a great wiring schematic and other useful bits of information. I will scan the manual in to allow other club members to view if needed.

[ShabahZ280]

I'll try and answer everything as best as I can.

Original Supplier of Docking Lights Barnegat Marine Lights

I believe the rear seat hinges were made in-house at Mariah.

Dash gauge lights, start with the dimmer switch, and go from there. You've got the manual, so use the schematics and start tracing it all down. There are bulbs in the individual gauges, but I doubt all of the would burn out unless your boat was submerged or something.

Interior lights, check for corrosion on the contact points. For some reason, many of the connections on the Mariah's are known to corrode with the slightest amount of moisture. Pull the connectors apart, sand the contacts down and reconnect. That seems to work on the majority of the electrical issues people have had here.

GPS, I probably would replace it if you plan to use it for a chartplotter or navigation. I'm assuming you've got the Lowrance Globalmap model that came stock? It's outdated by about 8 years. The new units use GPS+ WAAS, which is accurate to about 9ft.

I had my cockpit cover redone this year from the local canvas shop. They did an amazing job, and custom made it on the spot. However I'll advise you to order your top during the off-season, as pricing is much more reasonable then. Canvas places are struggling for business in the winter, so prices are much lower.

We have all the owners manual material and much more included in the contributors section of the site. You'll find everything from brochures to schematics and service manuals. Click the "Donate" button for more info. You won't be disappointed.

[mikeyt]

Welcome aboard Boatcrazy! It looks like you have your hands full with the repairs but it also sounds like you got a great deal on the boat. As for your Mariah needs you have come to the right place! Lots of knowledge here, a little silliness at times but most of all there is always someone here who is willing to help you out. As Chris says, becoming a contributing member is always worthwhile!

[Boatcrazy]

Thank you everyone for your replies and information. I plan on spending most of my Labor Day weekend working on the Mariah and putting the buffer to it's hull. So far things are looking better everyday and think I have located the engine that I would like to have power her. A Mercruiser 502 Magnum totally rebuilt with all new parts and accessories and comes with a year warranty.

I have enclosed a few more pictures and will keep them coming along the process.

Have a great weekend.

Steve

[bdbyrnes]

Steve-

Nice wheels on the Suburban or Yukon - what are they?

Also the trailer looks different... did you take your own trailer to pick up the boat?

Keep us posted on the project... I have a bunch of surprises for our Z240 in store for the winter and will post pics...

Brent

[Boatcrazy]

Brent,

Thanks for the compliments. The wheels are 24" Giovanna Abruzzo that I purchased slightly used (4000k miles) from a guy off Ebay that was going through a divorce.

Yes, I did tow my trailer from Florida to New York to bring the boat home. They had a Prestige trailer that came with the boat that was originally for a Z280 but I did not want to take the chance of it not making the 1100 mile trip home just to turn around and sell it because I already had a new triple axle aluminum trailer. If anybody needs a nice trailer for a Z280 the original owners may sell it for a great price.

Things are going very well with the boat. I have totally buffed the entire hull with 3M Finesse It III 1500 Compound and it shines like new. Lots of work but well worth the time and effort.

Fixed the bow compartments so now they drain into the bilge and not in the cabin. Also drilled small holes into the Todd pedestal table bases so they to will drain into the bilge. I purchased new stainless cup holders that have a drain nipple attached and will be installing those this weekend and will attach aquarium hoses to allow those to drain as well.

I removed the cabin floor to clean out underneath it and found alot of misc hardware that should of not been there?? I also cleared out the drain passage to make sure everything drains properly.

Removed the factory TV/VCR and stereo to get ready to install 17"-19" LCD with Pioneer Mobile DVD/CD Player, 4 new Infinity 6 1/2" speakers and a Infinity powered subwoofer.

I took out all the cushions and upholstery and took them to my local marine shop to have them recoverd in matching tan marine interior vinyl.

Removed rear center seat section and upper section to get ready to pull motor this weekend and check things over. I have cleaned the entire engine compartment with simple green and it is looking like new again and plan on cleaning up all the wiring with wire ties (my speciality) and making all the wires the correct length to get rid of some uneccessary loops.

I have located some good deals on replacement engines and am not sure if I should go with a newly rebuilt 502 Mag (415hp) or a low hour 496HO (425hp) take out? Same price and a both a ready to bolt up and go.

I have go through and fixed most all the electrical problems other than the dash gauge dimmer switch. The lights work if I connect them directly to 12v so I may just have a bad dimmer?


Well that it for now but plan on spending more time this upcoming weekend and will keep you all informed.

Boatcrazy Steve

[ShabahZ280]

Steve, sounds like you've been busy! Personally, I think I'd go with the 496. It's a newer technology engine, could possibly still be under the Mercruiser warranty, and it's always a general rule, always buy the biggest and most powerful engine you can. However, if there's a price difference over $1k, I'd pick the cheaper one, as you're only talking about 10hp, which equates to maybe 1mph top speed gain.

One of the members on here, Doug (moondance100) repowered with a 502, he can probably chime in with some more info.