Seeking advice: New to Me 1995 220

[Ship For Brains]

Hello folks! Great forum here! Appreciate all the knowledge and info exchange here. I am ready to pull the trigger on a 1995 Cobalt 220. White. 350 Mag, with Bravo 1 outdrive. Decent condition with trailer for $9000. This will be the first boat of this type for me. I have always liked the looks of the Cobalt boats. So sleek. I will be boating mainly on the upper Mississippi River in Wisconsin. What I am curious to learn is what type of a boat am I getting into. Have they changed much since 1995? Is my power plant with early EFI technology still relevant? Seems like decent power for a boat of this size. Amazed on the weight of the 22' boat 3108 plus gear, fuel, and trailer will be close to my tow capacity with a 2019 Honda Passport (5,000 lbs towing capacity). Are there any known issues with this era of Cobalt boats? Should I be looking to stay away from this combination and choose to go newer? Thank you in advance.

[akorcovelos]

As long as it was taken care of you have no worries. The MEFI 1 FI is very reliable and simple to maintain. The only semi-common problem on the early ones like yours and mine is the VST (Vapor Separation Tank) seals going bad causing hard starting. Easy to fix, or ask if it's been serviced before you buy. I always recommend a survey, but that may be tough right now. $9k seems cheap with a trailer, is it a private seller or dealer?

[Iowariverrat]

Welcome tentatively to the 220 club! Great hull and w/ that power should be no slouch.

My main concern with the '95 would be the inclusion of wood in the structural components - I know my '98 does not have any, but I'm thinking '95 might have. Take a read through of this link:

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=641

If it's clean and well taken care of, I wouldn't let that stop me. The price seems aggressive, but there certainly are lots of variables at play currently. Like akor said, a survey could be worth it's weight in gold if you can find someone to do it.

So....got any pics??! Also, great screen name..

[Ship For Brains]

Welcome tentatively to the 220 club! Great hull and w/ that power should be no slouch.

My main concern with the '95 would be the inclusion of wood in the structural components - I know my '98 does not have any, but I'm thinking '95 might have. Take a read through of this link:

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=641

If it's clean and well taken care of, I wouldn't let that stop me. The price seems aggressive, but there certainly are lots of variables at play currently. Like akor said, a survey could be worth it's weight in gold if you can find someone to do it.

So....got any pics??! Also, great screen name..

Thank you for the advise! I will look in to that. the only pics I have are included

[Ship For Brains]

As long as it was taken care of you have no worries. The MEFI 1 FI is very reliable and simple to maintain. The only semi-common problem on the early ones like yours and mine is the VST (Vapor Separation Tank) seals going bad causing hard starting. Easy to fix, or ask if it's been serviced before you buy. I always recommend a survey, but that may be tough right now. $9k seems cheap with a trailer, is it a private seller or dealer?

Thank you for your reply. This is from a private party, and I was thinking this was a steep price for a 25 year old boat.........

[akorcovelos]

To me that seems like a good price without the trailer. I paid $20k for mine 2 years ago with a trailer. I guess condition could play into that, have you seen the interior or engine?

[Big Block Power]

Hi welcome from across the state. I know where you will be boating. The mighty miss just scares the crap out of me. Just because I've never boated on it. Lots of water you will be able to use right there. Some nice sand bars. Our daughter lives there. That is market price I think. Not a fan of the 4winns trailer as it's not made for your 220. Make sure the bunks are not sitting on the chines. 350 mag is bullet proof. Was it kept indoors or outdoors. If kept outside then you can have issues. If it was well taking care of go for it.

[Ship For Brains]

Thank you Big Block Power. I do believe the boat was kept inside most of its life. I will definitely be checking the trailer to ensure proper fitment. When you say market price, do you mean that is what the market is bringing for that vintage of a boat??

[Big Block Power]

Thank you Big Block Power. I do believe the boat was kept inside most of its life. I will definitely be checking the trailer to ensure proper fitment. When you say market price, do you mean that is what the market is bringing for that vintage of a boat??

Correct

[AsLan7]

As long as it was taken care of you have no worries. The MEFI 1 FI is very reliable and simple to maintain. The only semi-common problem on the early ones like yours and mine is the VST (Vapor Separation Tank) seals going bad causing hard starting. Easy to fix, or ask if it's been serviced before you buy. I always recommend a survey, but that may be tough right now. $9k seems cheap with a trailer, is it a private seller or dealer?

Thank you for your reply. This is from a private party, and I was thinking this was a steep price for a 25 year old boat.........

.
Hey SfB, welcome to the CobaltChat forum. So glad you found us!

+1 to all the above comments.

Maybe I missed it but how many hours are on that boat?
Will you be doing any water sports with her?

Thanks for the pics. That's a classic color combo.
Again, welcome aboard mate!


.

[Ship For Brains]

As long as it was taken care of you have no worries. The MEFI 1 FI is very reliable and simple to maintain. The only semi-common problem on the early ones like yours and mine is the VST (Vapor Separation Tank) seals going bad causing hard starting. Easy to fix, or ask if it's been serviced before you buy. I always recommend a survey, but that may be tough right now. $9k seems cheap with a trailer, is it a private seller or dealer?

Thank you for your reply. This is from a private party, and I was thinking this was a steep price for a 25 year old boat.........

.
Hey SfB, welcome to the CobaltChat forum. So glad you found us!

+1 to all the above comments.

Maybe I missed it but how many hours are on that boat?
Will you be doing any water sports with her?

Thanks for the pics. That's a classic color combo.
Again, welcome aboard mate!


.

Thank you! 550 hours on the boat. No water sports. Just river boating

[Dudley67]

Welcome aboard, loved my 92, 222..... As others said great name..

[cmattj]

Welcome going forward.
Great fast 220 of that era are wonderful. Go get her!

[Kate]

Is there a verifiable maintenance history, e.g., paper receipts or access to the mechanic? Were there any long periods of non-use? Check carefully all of the electrical systems. At the very least, I'd pay a mechanic to check the engine, outdrive, floor, and hull. You don't want $9K to turn into $15K.

[Big Block Power]

Is there a verifiable maintenance history, e.g., paper receipts or access to the mechanic? Were there any long periods of non-use? Check carefully all of the electrical systems. At the very least, I'd pay a mechanic to check the engine, outdrive, floor, and hull. You don't want $9K to turn into $15K.

This kind of survey saved this person looking at a 10k boat. This is a great bargaining tool. So instead of 10k is $8500.