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New Member looking for some advice
Hey guys, I am a new member and new to boating. I am looking at a 1999 Z250 Shabah, but dont know the first thing about it. It seems to be a good boat for what my wife and I want. Maybe some of you can tell me what to look for? I have some photos if I can figure out how to upload them.
Also, I made a mistake on my username, it added @gmail.com for some reason at the end. Who would I talk to to fix this? Alex |
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Best person to answer questions about that particular boat is our Admin guy Chris (handle is Shabah Z250) cuz, as per his name, he has one. Either Chris, our other admin guy Mariah Man (Ryan) or our Super Moderator 'Wet Willy' can fix your username problem once they see this post. |
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For uploading to the gallery, see this |
Here is the text from the ad, I plan to see it sometime early this week:
1999 Mariah Z250 Shabah. It is a 25'-2" offshore style hull with only 185 Hours on it. Has full cuddy cabin with microwave, sink, storage cooler, and all trimed out in leather. It has a 502 Mag engine with 415 hp factory, a Bravo one outdrive w/stainless three blade prop. Has been well maintained and cared for always stored with cover never left open in rain or snow. This boat has always been trailered to the lake never left in slip. Trailer is tandam axle with hyd breaks. Interior is all leather has drop down bolster front seats and a four person bench across the back. It has through hulls so everyone knows you got a big block chevy under the deck. Interested! I have extra pictures I can email as well. Asking $22,000.00 or best offer Blue book is about $31,500.00 w/trailer Additional features: Live well in transom Kenwood cd player Swim platform w/stainless ladder Tube hook on back Depth sounder Dock lights in hull Anchor hatch in the nose of the bow Dual batteries with cut off switch Portapotty in cuddy Shore power built in Power inverter built in Cockpit cover Bimi top 90 Gal fuel tank A few things seem odd to me. This seems to be a HUGE engine, and I cant find any others for sale with it. Also, 90 gallon gas tank? :eek_animated: |
Hi WolfProperties,
I couldn't find a Z250 Shabah in the 99 brochure but I did find a Z258 with the same LOA and a 85gal tank and yes, a large tank is necessary if you plan to go long distances or travel fast. Just like cars, big motors eat lots of gas but they move like crazy too. Other than that, it sounds like you found a beauty and with low hours at that! As for the motor, yes it’s big, I believe it's the biggest from Mercruiser but then again, you've got a lot of boat too. The dry weight was 4200lbs and I believe that without motor. The brochure indicates the a 454mag as the largest motor but then again, maximum Prop HP was rated to 415 for this hull. It's possible the original owner wanted to make sure it got around quickly enough. If you can provide the serial number from the starboard rear of the boat, we can confirm the year and some pictures would be helpful as well. WetWilly |
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Though they may all go deaf riding behind the open exaust... My Shabah w/ 5.7L (350c.i.) comes with a 40 gal. tank. I wouldn't want it any smaller. Nice looking boat. |
Definitely a nice boat!!! But I'd have to question a few things.
The exhaust is aftermarket... Mariah used rectangular tips. Makes me wonder if the engine is actually "original" to the boat. No big deal if maintained properly. The ad says "all trimmed in leather". The cabin pics clearly show fabric. Besides, most boats use vinyl, not real leather (could you imagine what the sun, water, etc. would do to real leather over time?). Is it missing the flame arrestor/air cleaner? Looks like the rubber boot is the last thing on the intake. Was the ignition key always located to the right on this model? What did they do before fuel injection? How would you control the throttle and turn the key? Seems a bit akward. No matter what... looks like a very nice boat that should scoot! Great condition and price. Go for it!!! WetWilly - I've always understood boat weights to include the "base" engine if it's an I/O or inboard. Outboards are the only wieghts that don't include the engine. |
Sorry for my delayed response here, was out of town this past weekend.
It looks to be in great shape, and it doesn't sound like a bad deal, especially for a low hour 502 model. However let me make you aware of a few things. The fuel tank is 65 gallons, not 90. So that is either an aftermarket tank, or there's an error and somebody's been misinformed along the way. And i'm not disqualifying myself from that! :) The boat looks to be fairly well equipped, however i'm not sure if it's truly a Z model, if you have more pics, I can clarify this for you. A couple giveaways are the blower vents on the back, and the fuel fill on the side. The vents were chrome on the Z's, and the fuel filler was an "indy style" pop-open chrome model. Also, there should be a transom mounted outdrive control. If it is a Z, it's a custom ordered one that didn't have all the Z features. It seems to be missing the top panel that covers the engine, or maybe it was removed for the pictures. This helps keep engine noise down a little more. Next, the thru hull exhaust is not factory. You can tell this by the tips on the back. Mariah made their own tips that look much nicer. The factory installed system was also selectable, with the ability to switch it between above water, and below water exhaust. This makes it nice for those quiet times, and the ability to growl when you want to. From the looks of those pics, that might be a constant thru-hull exhaust, as in "it's always on". There doesn't appear to be a lower diverter pipe off the back of the riser that would indicate a selectable system. From a performance standpoint, my 7.4L will run about 52mph at full throttle. I'd expect you'd be seeing high 50's to low 60's easily. One thing to make sure and keep track of is your oil level. The 502's tend to drink a bit of oil. Always keep a few quarts on board just to top it off. However, I don't think this boat would disappoint you at all, and it seems to be well priced, especially with the low hours and the 502. On a personal note, if you're buying it for your wife and you to enjoy some quality time on the water, it's perfect. This size has enough room to move around comfortably. With the filler cushions in the cabin, it's completely comfortable to sleep onboard, and I've done so on many occasions. plus it has the ability to carry and entertain at least 4 passengers in comfort in addition to yourselves. Above 6 people, it tends to get a little tight. I say if it's within your budget, and it's everything you want, go for it! :wink_thumbup::wink_thumbup: |
Chris,
Thanks for the notes. Since this is our first real boat (used to have a 2001 Yamaha dual jet boat) I want to make sure I am getting something decent. Are there any changes you would make to this? Would I be better off waiting for a true Z with the selectible exhaust? Alex |
There's no doubt you'd be getting something decent with this boat. Mariah's are "Equipped like no other boat in the World". As for the waiting for a "Z", that's completely up to you. I searched the web for almost a year before I found mine. It doesn't have everything I wanted, but it's the absolute closest I could find. While it doesn't have the selectable exhaust, I realized I'd hardly ever use it anyway except when trying to attract attention. Many of the local marinas have noise laws, so having a selectable system is nice. But, like I said, I have the underwater exhaust, and it's perfectly fine. I can carry on conversations with passengers while underway. It really boils down to what are your plans with the boat, socializing, racing, and watersports, or just cruising, entertaining and spending quality time on the water? Some of the Z options are things you'll never think of until you need it. Like the Keyless ignition, the SOS flashing lights and the window defroster. All my boating friends refer to my boat as "The Cadillac" compared to everything else.
The general rule of boating is to buy the biggest engine offered, as you'll always want it after the fact. So you've already got that one covered! And you'll find out after a while that running it at wide open is fun, but you don't have to do it all the time. Especially when it's time to fill up the tank. :) But knowing the power is there and it will go if you need it to is a comforting feeling. I drive mine around 30-35, just a notch above cruising speed. It's pretty fuel efficient and gets me places in decent time. Really, if you like the boat, and it's within your budget, go with your gut feeling. |
The seller of this boat wont contact me anymore, so back to shopping for me!
I cant seem to find any with this engine, what are the thoughts on the 454 and the 350? I was told the 350 was easier to work on and better on fuel due to the fuel injection, but less power. |
It would depend a lot on what size boat you are considering.
If you are staying above 24', you'll probably want to go with the 7.4L (454). If you are going with a smaller boat the 5.7L (350) is plenty of power. |
I am pretty set on the Z250. We love the floorplan. There is one pretty close here I can probably get for 26k, its a 2000 one owner with the 350. Only missing option is the switchable exhaust.
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Oh, one more thing. Is the maintainence really that bad on a yellow boat? My wife really likes the yellow Z250 :shakehead:
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The 454 is a great engine for this boat. It's a torque monster, so it'll get it up to plane in no time. Mine is Multi-Port Injected, so it's more "fuel efficient". Really it all depends on how you drive. If you're running wide open or pulling skiers, tubes or boarders, you can burn through a tank of gas in probably a day. But you'll learn very quickly where the boat performs best and you'll get very comfortable with that speed. I really only open mine up a few times during the season.
The 5.7L is a good motor too, I'd urge you to see if you could take the 2000 one for a test drive, and see how you like it. Once I get mine in the water, I'll be more than willing to let you test mine if you'd be up for a trip to Cincinnati, or I'll let you know when I have my boat up in Sandusky on Lake Erie and you could test it out there! And just for reference sake, I believe the 2000's offered the following Mercruiser engines. 5.7L 350, 7.4L MPI, 454 Mag, the 502, and 502 Mag. In 2001, they released the 6.2L and the 8.1L 496 engines, which are supposedly more fuel efficient and make great replacement engines due to the lower weight and similar HP figures. |
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Well, in 01, Mariah used those engines instead of the big block 454 and 502's. Supposedly the 6.2L was the rumored to be Mercruiser's replacement for the 454, and has mixed reviews. It offers 10 more HP than the 454 MPI, and weighs quite a bit less. The 496 replaced the 502.
I wasn't speaking of "swapping out" the engine in there, that'd be a ton of work. I have researched costs and the work associated with swapping powerplants, just in case my engine decides to quit, and it's definitely not cheap. You'd probably be better to wait and find exactly what you want. Although if swapping is something you'd consider doing, you could talk to Doug, (moondance100), he swapped in a 502 into his 240 Talari. ps- I saw a yellow Z250 here in town locally that looked exactly like mine, indy decals on the side and everything. It didn't look bad at all, but it did attract quite a bit of attention. Not sure if that's what you're into, It's kind of hard to "blend in" with the other boats with a yellow and black boat! But if you keep it clean, and wax it a few times a year with some good quality Meguiars products, it'll look like brand new for years. |
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Ok last bit of advice here. This guy wants $29500 for this one, but said he would take $26k with the stereo (4 12" subs). This one has the 454 (rawr!). Do you guys with your trained eyes see anything worth noting?
Corsa Switchable Exhaust Prestige Trailer Bravo 1 Outdrive Power Seats Keyless Ignition http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857752_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857756_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857761_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857769_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857773_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857779_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857787_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857792_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857798_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857805_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857810_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857812_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857818_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857822_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857826_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857830_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857836_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857838_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857842_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857846_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857854_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857857_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857863_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857863_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857873_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857877_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857883_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857892_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857896_o.jpg http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/0/4...22857902_o.jpg |
I think you should buy it and then send it up to me so that i can spend the summer testing it out for you.... ;)
Other than that it looks good and you can haggle the price. |
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Any ideas of what you think its worth? NADA isnt very friendly on it... |
What year is that? It's a beautiful boat, and looks to be in great shape. This is almost exactly identical to mine, except I don't have thru-hull exhaust, I have different throttle controls (kiekhafer), and my side panels are a little different (possibly due to different throttle controls). I just found out from a very inside source that mine is a "Limited Edition", and I can verify that this is one also. It has a solid gelcoat color, uses buckskin vinyl material on the interior, and has limited special edition graphic package.
You'll like this cabin interior much better than the fabric. It's SO comfortable! I'd say the $26k price is fairly reasonable, depending on the condition of the engine. The extra stereo is nice, but it shouldn't be a huge factor in the price. Just for your info, I paid $24k for mine, and had to get a brand new trailer for $3700. I say that's a fair price, try and offer him 25k for it, and work from there. That's a great looking boat!! :wink_thumbup: |
This is a 2000 model. I do have to drive from Michigan to Nebraska to get it :shakehead:
Still waiting to hear from the credit union about what they will loan. |
Sent you a PM. I drove from Cincinnati, OH to Baltimore, MD to pick mine up! If it's truly what you want, the drive will be worth it! :)
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:yes_grin:Sent ya a pm Shabah250!
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