[David Ward]

Hey - I'm looking at a Mariah one on ebay. It's a '93 Mabo 235 with a 350 Magnum with 565 hours on it. It has a Mercruiser SE116 drive. Can you experts tell me some about that model of Mariah, what about the engine outdrive combo, is that a high number of hours - anything else you and add???

Thanks for the help!!

[mikeyt]

Hi David

Link to boat on Ebay is : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Power...QQcmdZViewItem
One of us 'experts' will give it a go .....
A "MABO" 235? umm....never heard of that model. It looks more like a 2350Z (assuming it is a '93) model but the pics posted aren't exactly helpful in that regard. I would want to see some pics of the engine bay, the outdrive and the console area. 565 hrs on the engine is getting up there, yes, but it may have been rebuilt somewhere along the way....or then again not. The 350V8 Magnum was a 300hp engine (if i remember correctly) but is on the low side of the power spectrum for that size boat. That 'SE116" outdrive is an aftermarket outdrive made by Sterndrive Engineering and not an original Mercruiser unit. They were a replacement for the Alpha 1 outdrive but i hafta admit i dont know much about them. That's a boat i think i would want to see & test run before i handed over my money....
Maybe some of the others here have some more info??

[David Ward]

I had him send me some additional pictures. I'll see if I can post them or I'll send them to direct if you could help. I'd really like to make sure what this is and if it's worth anything or not.

[180diablo]

Well MABO would be the boat manufacturer name, MAriah BOats i would imagine. Here is the HIN number breakdown webpage:

http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/hin.htm

But, im questioning how valid that HIN number is: Mabo235x2108914

Reason being is, the last 2 digits are the year. Either that 1 is out of place and it is a 1994... I dont know what else. I dont remember how many digits the HIN is supposed to be, but it just seems like its a bit on the long side?? I would double check on that HIN if you get a chance.

Needless to say, finding out the proper HIN number won't make a difference on how it drives. If the sale is close to where you are, check it out if the seller agrees. Otherwise it would probably be good to have 1-2 marine mechanics check it over and sale is conditional on the condition of the boat.

Here is the link to Sterndrive Engineering:
http://www.sterndrive.cc/


Hope I helped out.

[WetWilly]

Hi David,

She looks a lot like my boat, a 96 Z240 Talari, same size and style, even has the same two tone hull and dual stripes like mine except mine’s in blue.

From the 93 brochure, it's a 2350Z with the Super Sport interior.

Mariah lists it at 23.4” LOA (Length Overall), 102” at the beam (wide) and weight at 3750Lbs (Approx.).

The listed top speed performance for the 5.7L (350 ci) I/O was around 45 to 48 MPH.

Horsepower was from 260 to 300 HP for fuel injection models. While the horsepower was up there, the 5.7L did not have the torque of the big blocks so off the line performance and top speed was lower. To give you an example, the base model 7.4L big block was rated from 50 to 54 MPH on the top end with the same HP and the performance model 7.4L pushed the boat to 68 MPH.

Now, we’re not trying to put a damper on the smaller engine combo because it really depends on how you plan to use it. For general running around, tubing and light skiing, it would be perfect as long as you don’t have a lot of additional weight in the boat. I would run with a max of three people in the boat while skiing and no more than five while tubing, not including those in the water.

Great thing about the 5.7L over the 7.4L is they go farther on a tank of gas and nowadays filling up a boat can break the bank considering this one has a 76 gallon tank!

mikety and 180diablo are right about having a look and test! I would also find a qualified mechanic to check the I/O and other major systems out before buying. Lord knows, many of us have learned the hard way, for instance, a bad starter, alternator, trim ram, Mercathod System and one out of balance prop put a considerable cost on top of my purchase price.

That said, from the few pictures posted, she looks great for the age!

Good luck,
WetWilly

[180diablo]

Thanks Wetwilly,

Yeah I bought my boat from a known trusted " mom/pop operation" mechanic on the north end of the lake. The kind that are there to help you out and not screw you over. The price I paid for my boat I think was fair enough. Its too bad it didnt have a trailer tho .. LOL.

He also has seen my boat in his care for the past few years so he knows EXACTLY what has been done on it. Its like your dentist/doctor, would you goto a new dentist each time you had a problem? .. nope.

So in the spring time, he will probably recommend what should be done. I will get him to install an hour meter for me next summer however.

[WetWilly]

Hi 180diablo,

Sounds like you've got a winner there with your mechanic! Guess its like the small town family doctor, knows you so well he seems like family when it comes to your health (in this case, boat).

I’m still trying to find a shop I feel good with as the old shop I used to go to closed down.

Take care,
WetWilly