TOPIC: Committed to buy an Ariatocraft w trailer thoughts

So my wife is going to kill me... I've committed to buy this beauty for $300 as it sits. The head is off the merc 165 but the floor, stringers and transom are solid. Think it's a good deal or should I bail?

I like them. If you can find a Mercruiser V6 to drop in the back, even better.

good luck

Its been in dry storage for years, the outdrive and hydraulics all look good but the head is missing, it was on a pallet next to the boat that was accidentally picked up by someone that bought some stuff from the storage area and is now MIA. I found a 165 that's complete on a pallet for $700 but I agree Id love to re-power it with a newer V6 or a Volvo!

Re-powering usually means a different out drive along with wiring harness,engine mounts and on and on.Forget about the Volvo ,now your talking about cutting out new holes for the drive etc.165's are all over craigs list/ebay and bone yards for cheap,I would explore that route or try a engine rebuild shop and see if they have any suggestions or one laying around before dropping 700 for basically a cylinder head.Yep it looks to be in great shape and if all you do is throw a head on it, even better.Love the hard top,I drive by one every thursday thats rotting away in some guys yard un-covered of course and I just shake my head.

If it's a 165hp it's a Mercruiser 230. Basically it's a 460 big block head on a proprietary aluminum block. There's a reason that you see them for sale out of the boat. They were a problem motor. One of the more common problems is the crank mounted alternator. There's a couple of outfits that make a conversion kit to mount a conventional alternator. If you're lucky, your motor will already have that done. The other common problem is the head gasket. 'Twere mine, I'd find a Mercruiser 4.3L motor to replace the 230. Way better motor, plus you get 220hp!
Larry

I do not agree with sailors take on the 470 [never refered to as a 230 it was called a 470-3,7 and 488],having just rebuilt one and countless other engines including two straight inline 165's which are 6 cylinders not 4. A used 4.3 will cost you about 3 grand for the motor and outdrive as the gear ratios are different.The odds of a 4.3 fitting into the same engine compartment and fitting in between the stringers along with the controls and all the other connections make that route a expensive nightmare,IMHO.

sailor58 wrote:

'Twere mine, I'd find a Mercruiser 4.3L motor to replace the 230. Way better motor, plus you get 220hp! Larry

Yep ^^^ exactly

some reason I was thinking the merc 165 was a 230cu 6 cyl chev straight 6??? john

Yes the 165 is a 250 cubic inch inline 6 -165hp engine and they run forever one of the best GM motors ever made.Idle down as smooth as butter and work like a farm implement in the spring.Not sure how the two exhaust manifolds on the V6 would even hook up to the discharge pipe that is in the transom of the inline 6. Probably have to yank the whole transom assembly apart and put in the mate of the V6,fun fun fun, stick with the 165 thats in it.... BTW I just punched in mercruiser 165 cylinder head on ebay and there was one for 100. but it was local pu only,just saying there out there,you just have to look and the bone yard might be a good start as the heads are the same in marine or auto application.

Go for it. I did and I'm satisfied with mine. The 165 does great.jim

That will be an inline 250 CID 6 cyl. (Yes, the 047/488/3.7 was even referred to as a 165 for a year or 2).

That is one of the best MerCruiser engines ever made. You won't be able to install a V-6 without all sorts of clearance problems width wise. Find a head and use that engine.

I met the seller last night and its in my driveway! Unfortunately the hull is damaged, where the front motor mount is on the starboard side it’s cracked. When they pulled the head they had to remove the front motor mount, they blocked the front of the engine with sections of 2x4’s, I’m assuming when they towed the boat like this the weight of the engine punched down through the fiberglass. It’s a shame because the boat really would clean up and seems to be sound otherwise. It was last registered in 2005. It came with titles, but the title to the boat was signed over to someone that never had it put in their name. I’m going to just part the boat out and scrap it.

The trailer on the other hand is awesome. Its title says LONG as the MFG, it’s a tandem axle tilting trailer that is almost overbuilt. Since I don’t need a boat trailer but could use a good utility trailer since my Tacoma is a short bed I’m going to put some boards on it, move the axle assembly forward and use it!

The outdrive has a hydraulic pump for tilt trim and the hydraulics look good, the steering is nice and tight and works great, it shifts with no issues and there are quite a few of the engine parts still there. It also came with a really nice tiger oak handmade 5 step ladder and some vintage nautical gear like paddles and an anchor etc. The dash and gauges, speedometer etc. are all in great shape too. The port side of the hard top is missing its window and the seats were removed and missing. Overall a great source of parts! If anyone is looking for any Aristocraft 19 specific parts let me know asap, we can work something out.

ilovewvmountains wrote:

I met the seller last night and its in my driveway! Unfortunately the hull is damaged, where the front motor mount is on the starboard side it’s cracked. When they pulled the head they had to remove the front motor mount, they blocked the front of the engine with sections of 2x4’s, I’m assuming when they towed the boat like this the weight of the engine punched down through the fiberglass. It’s a shame because the boat really would clean up and seems to be sound otherwise. It was last registered in 2005. It came with titles, but the title to the boat was signed over to someone that never had it put in their name. I’m going to just part the boat out and scrap it.

The trailer on the other hand is awesome. Its title says LONG as the MFG, it’s a tandem axle tilting trailer that is almost overbuilt. Since I don’t need a boat trailer but could use a good utility trailer since my Tacoma is a short bed I’m going to put some boards on it, move the axle assembly forward and use it!

The outdrive has a hydraulic pump for tilt trim and the hydraulics look good, the steering is nice and tight and works great, it shifts with no issues and there are quite a few of the engine parts still there. It also came with a really nice tiger oak handmade 5 step ladder and some vintage nautical gear like paddles and an anchor etc. The dash and gauges, speedometer etc. are all in great shape too. The port side of the hard top is missing its window and the seats were removed and missing. Overall a great source of parts! If anyone is looking for any Aristocraft 19 specific parts let me know asap, we can work something out.

Hello, I just sent you an email about some parts. jim l

Jim, I just sent you some pictures. The bow rails are there but are gouged up from something, they might be able to be sanded and polished back out, not sure. Also sadly the center windscreen is a mess, its not cracked but the plexiglass is roached from sun and age. Im going to pull the outdrive and fuel tank and probably the gauges and controls then haul it to the landfill to get it off the trailer so if anyone wants the hard top come get it, if not its got to go!

The boat is gone, sorry to those folks that are looking for parts, I had a guy offer me a deal for the hull as it was and he took it off my trailer!