2004 342 Fiesta Vee

Mina

I’m in the process of buying a 2004 342 Fiesta Vee. What should I look out for? We started the survey and found water in the engine compartment. The port side engine has a hole in the exhaust hose. The bilge pump in the engine compartment is not working and we couldn’t find the second bilge pump that I believe is under the mid berth. We didn’t find a door or hatch to locate the second bilge pump. Any thoughts or suggestions on what I need to be aware of would be greatly appreciated.

Liberty44140

What do you mean water in engine compartment? If the boat is outside or has been outside recently it’s perfectly Normal to have water in the bulge between the engines, this comes in from the hatch gutter or the blower intake vents when it rains, also some water piddling on the shelf above the transom is fairly normal too as the gutter above it gets clogged with junk and rain water over flows on that shelf. 

The second bulge pump is under the rear birth but way back, actually almost under the storage compartment that is in the rear of the aft birth behind the mirror 

hole in the exhaust is not normal but not a deal breaker, I’d ask the seller to replace the exhaust risers and manifolds 

Handymans342

Sounds like its all normal easy fix stuff 

Mina

Thanks Liberty 44140, the Surveyor says that the water could be from the hatch vents being clogged or possibly from the hole in the exhaust hose. It’s the 4 inch hose on the inner side of the port side engine. Mechanic says it could have been a blister on the inside of the hose. There is about four inches of water in there.  The Seller has agreed to replace the bilge pump and hose.

LaRea

Check the swim platform for excess flex, which could indicate water inside the fiberglass structure.  Did the surveyor check it for moisture?

In the cabin, check the carpets down near the floor for stains that might indicate water leaks into the cabin.  Leaks are a common problem in any boat that age.  

And of course, pay close attention to the outdrives for signs of corrosion.  

Has the boat been kept in salt water or fresh?

Mina

Thanks LaRea, The Surveyor couldn’t finish the survey because of the leak in the exhaust hose and the non functioning bilge pump. The sea test and haul out will hopefully be done next week.  There was water under the V Berth and the carpet is quite wet, which I think is due to the port side window needing to be sealed. The boat has been in fresh water. I live in Slidell, Louisiana on the canals off of Lake Pontchartrain which is brackish water.

Liberty44140

My biggest concern would be that it sounds like the seller is not a boater but a dude with a boat. Sounds like there are no deal breakers so far, but he has not taken the best care of his boat. Will be interesting to see the surveyors overall report. Certainly ok to buy a boat from a guy like this if the price is right as long as there are no major issues. 

John41

Make sure the outdrives aren’t that composite crap.

LaRea

Use the wet carpet to negotiate price.  Cabin leaks are notoriously hard to find.  Most people have to either remove/re-seal the rub rails, remove/re-seal the windows, or both. 

What's the engine/outdrive package?

Mina

So, what would be considered a good price?

John41

Depends on condition. Were the outdrives changed? How many hours on the engines? I paid 46,000 for my 2004 last year

Liberty44140

Agree it depends on a lot. If this is a freshwater only boat its certainly worth more than salt. Can you post the link to the ad?

Liberty44140

Is this the 2004 342 in Mandeville, LA with the 8.1 mercruisers and inboard V-Drive's that is sale pending? That looks like a nice boat at a good price, I really like the V-drive option on the 342, and the $40k asking price is really not bad at all if the engines run well and there are no major issues. Looks like he has done a lot of upgrades despite not taking care of the leaks. If you are buying that boat for $40k or less I think you are in a good spot....

LaRea

As a general consensus, the v-drive boat is a pig, even with big engines.  The guy who designed it is a regular here, and he has said it many times.  In fresh water, there's no reason to go with v-drives.  The 5.7 Bravo 3 is way faster and gets 1.3 mpg at any speed from 28 to 33 mph.  The 6.2 is faster and almost as efficient.

Mina

Yes Liberty, that’s the boat. I had a mechanic do a pre purchase inspection and the engines both checked out great.  Compression on all cylinders was great and other than the one exhaust hose everything was good.  I offered 35k which the seller accepted without the work on the generator.  The mechanic is lined up to remove the generator and go through it ie; rebuild the water pump and tune up, send out the actuator for rewinding and reinstall for $4,800. Can anyone tell me the model Number of the original Sony radio?

LaRea

Congratulations!  That's a lot of boat for $40k.  You are in for some good times.

Liberty44140

Yep congrats, you did get a lot for about $40k. Can’t help on the stereo as my 06 342 had clarion. Sounds like a good plan on the generator, in my 01 310 I had to have the genny pulled, stator re wound and rotor and control board replaced due to water dripping on it and killing the electrical side of the genny.... it was about $5k, so you are on the right track. 

reneechris14

this is the radio in my 05 342 
cdx-ca705m
If I was to replace I would do something different with bluetooth.

aero3113

@reneechris14 , you can make your current unit Bluetooth. I just bought this JL receiver.

JL Audio MBT-RX Bluetooth Audio Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MH5CFEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TsonEb9TBJ9T5

LaRea

@raybo3 - possible spam account.  Looks like he created four accounts:

shadowVIRUS, shadow99056, shadow990, helloguru9901 and helloguru990 joined.

Mina

Thanks for the help with the radio. I do plan to replace the current with a Bluetooth model. The immediate problem is that we couldn’t get the radio to turn on. When I go back for the sea trial and haul out I plan to take some batteries for the remote but it seems the radio should have an on/off button on the unit.

PickleRick

Out of curiosity how is the mainance on the v drives vs the bravos?  It may be a bit of a pig but it seems that the bravos and newer vp's need much more maintenance than the alphas and old volvo 270/280/290 drives that a "dude with a boat" didn't need to do much work on. 


I really like the dude with the boat term btw.  


Also how are the docking manners of a twin v drive vs twin dp outdrive?  How much reversing ability do you sacrifice with the v?  

Mina

PickleRick, I think you’re asking the wrong man. i didn't make that comment.

LaRea

V-drives are much, much easier to maintain than B3, which is why some people like them for salt-water applications.  But they typically cruise at 28 mph and 0.8 mpg, compared to 32 mph and 1.2 mpg for a B3 setup.

I've heard that docking is easier with V-drives.  But even with B3s, a 342 is dead simple to maneuver.  

reneechris14

As far as the radio there is a breaker on the breaker panel, if it has power the clock will be. @aero3113 I use a cheap bluetooth in the cigarette lighter. RF adapter I thinks is called. Only works as far as the back seat. I think $35k for an 04 342 with 8.1s is great, god i hope mine is worth more then that

aero3113

@reneechris14, I just walked in from installing it. I tapped right into power and ground off the back of the head unit. This way it’s only powered when the head unit has power to it. I originally had it installed on a power and ground from the battery and didn’t like that, the receiver would’ve always been powered. It works great, I didn’t test the distance yet, but it says connection range is up to 35’.

reneechris14

Great idea. 35' would be great. Dam another up grade thanks.

aero3113

@Mina , that seems like a great deal. Good luck and congratulations!!

LaRea

Yeah, we've seen 342s selling way, way higher than that.

Liberty44140

Correct comments above, much less maintenance and easier to dock a v drive than bravos, but yes .8mpg vs 1.2. So it will burn a lot more fuel. V drive will be a much more comfortable ride in big seas. 

Spyderweb

@Mina, regarding not being able to turn radio on, on many of these boats the key for one of the engines must be in the ACC position to be able to turn it in.  Just like in cars.  I had to turn to this site when I bought my 330 to learn that.