Thinking of buying a 250 fiesta vee

gpr70mph

I'm looking at a 2005 250 fiesta vee with fifty hours on it. $25000. Thoughts? My biggest concern is, how are these Volvo outdrives?  This wouldn't have one of the composite outdrives would it? Thanks in advance

Handymans342

Can you get the model of the drives?

Handymans342

And the surveyor should know this. You are having it surveyed aren't you? 

gpr70mph

How would I get the model. I don't even think I want to get to the point of a surveyor if it has one of those drives from what I've heard

Handymans342

Hopefully someone will chime in that had those drives. I think AndyD in california had them. He could help you. 

MarkB

Can't the seller or broker tell you what drives are on it? They should have the serial number.

andyd

Fifty hours in ten years? I would not necessarily trust that number. Even if true, I would wonder why previous owners didn't use the boat. I'd expect a boat that has had normal usage to have at least 300 hours on the clock at that age. More hours on a well maintained boat are not necessarily a huge negative.

If V-P powered you either have the 5.7L or 5.0L engine, small block Chevrolets (GM) adapted for marine use, basically. Both are known for solid reliability and few problems. The XDP outdrive is another case altogether, it has an awful reputation and consequently is difficult if not impossible to sell a boat so equipped.

If the boat is out of the water, see if the drive has one or two trim rams. One ram  means it's an XDP. The shape of the XDP housing is also distinctive, Google for pictures. If it's in the water, look at the black plastic engine cover. One the lower right are stickers that have the engine, drive and transom serial numbers.

You're looking at a ten year old boat. If it has the XDP drive it's original to the boat. If the XDP is replaced with a new Ocean X drive and the motor is in good condition you will have a great power package that should give good service for many years.

Unless you want to invest substantial cash, time and effort to upgrade the XDP I would avoid that boat. When I bought my '06 in 2010 the bad news about the XDP drive was already all over the internet and I went in with eyes wide open. The seller was highly motivated and I paid less than half of the then-current book price.

Fortunately, the XDP never let me down, although I was pretty nervous about imminent failure based on reading owner horror stories. I upgraded to an Ocean X back in January this year. I did do recommended oil and bellows replacement on the XDP. After inspecting the old drive after removal, it was frankly in poor condition and on its last legs. The Ocean X transformed the boat for the better, but it was an expensive upgrade.

As for the rest of the boat, Rinker did a good job building the FV250, it is strong and handles well. The interior is very nice, high quality. It's on the small side depending on your needs, the 5.0L engine is a bit underpowered when fully loaded. If the boat has been in a salt water environment I would recommend a thorough inspection, including looking for any tell tale corrosion in the wiring at the helm and elsewhere.

The gas tank is also vulnerable to failure from corrosion, as it is with basically any brand of boat with an aluminum tank, a problem I just encountered. I may have been unlucky. It is impossible to inspect the tank as the boat is built around it, which is the reason replacement is such a difficult and costly undertaking.

Andy

gpr70mph

It looks like it's the dp not the xdp which I guess is the one with all the problems

andyd

Get the boat inspected by a qualified marine surveyor. It's worth the money. Have a mechanic check out the engine, compression, etc. Base your offer on whether the boat is free of problems or needs work. Double any repair estimates to be prepared for surprises. Work tend to be more expensive with Volvo Penta equipment due to pricier parts and fewer shops that work on them. In Southern California V-P dealers and shops are everywhere, but that is not the case outside major metro areas. Despite the XDP debacle, V-P equipment overall has a good reputation worldwide.

If all goes well you will end up with a great boat at a terrific price. Good luck!

Andy

gpr70mph

Thanks a lot for all of the information. I love the boat. Hopefully things will work out. My buddy is a surveyor so he'll look at it. Btw Andy did you get the pic I sent

andyd

Yes, got the pic. That is not an XDP. Here is what an XDP looks like:

andyd

Here is what my XDP looks like now  

rasbury

that is not pretty- I was looking at a boat withe the XDP- fortunately I found this site before I got to far in the process as it was a clean boat at a GREAT price, went back to the seller which was a broker who stated he was not aware of any problems with the XDP drive........right!

MarkB

LOL. What people will say to make a deal. Do your homework.

andyd

If I was in the market and found a single engine XDP equipped boat in good condition that was discounted enough to pay for a drive swap, I would give it serious consideration. The engines are (usually) not an issue and they mate up nicely to the latest new drives.

Andy