Cobaltchat.com

I'm in the process of purchasing a 2007 232, or the 242 hull. Anyone have any helpful reminders? This boat looks perfect on the exterior, but will need upholstery soon, where should I look?

Welcome CJ

Do you have any pics or a link to the Cobalt?
Reason is that members here with your model can give you info on what they’ve found to be normal wear and or lack of maintenance.

Sure everything has a shelf life but at 10 years old you already noted it will need interior soon so determining if it’s normal wear or UV damage can change some things.

Was it or will it be used for salt water?

How about your boating wants and needs?

Do you have resources to have it mechanically checked ( compression.. scann for hours etc).

We’re happy to help you aboard and get you the Help in this 232.

cjones16 wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 6:50 am I'm in the process of purchasing a 2007 232, or the 242 hull. Anyone have any helpful reminders? This boat looks perfect on the exterior, but will need upholstery soon, where should I look?

.

Hello Cjones16. Welcome to the Cobalt Chat forum.

Like Matt mentioned, some of the older Cobalt produced parts will be difficult to acquire as Cobalt seems to stock parts based on the last ten years of production. After that, certain items such as cushions & other OEM parts become increasingly difficult to find or repair. You can search the web for the closest dealer and then provide the Hull ID number to them. They will let you know if the part or cushion material is still available and be able to order it directly from Cobalt.

Other items that are not exclusive to Cobalt, such as trim pumps & tabs, engine parts, steering linkage, transom shower pumps, stereo units, etc. can be found online.

Providing more specifics about the type of boating you will be doing and where will be helpful for others to offer advice.

....and again, welcome aboard mate!

.

Welcome from Austin, Texas. I purchased a 2007 200 in April, but found a gem with only 75 hours on it. The dealer I bought it from had the rear transom cushions replaced and they matched the original interior perfectly. You should be able to find someone local that can redo the interior for you.

You can page down on the new members thread and find my posting with some pics.

Welcome from Oklahoma! I restored an '03 240, but if they changed the cap for a 232 I'm not sure how hard it will be to get to the seatback bolts for removal.

Most of the vinyl can be matched pretty close with marine grade, and nobody will notice the difference, you just have to find it. The cushions are a no brainer. The seatbacks are a little harder, and the surrounds, like in the cockpit and bow are nearly impossible to get out. So... depending on the condition of the overall interior, hopefully that will give you some guidance.

Motor, controls and gauges can all be fixed or replaced, just factor it into your purchase price.

Get underneath and look for any cracks or points of impact, or places of repair. If you see a big chip, look closely for cracking or spiderwebs, then climb back inside and try to see it from there if possible. Take a light with you to see any ripples or oddities in the gel coat. That'll usually mean it's been repaired at some time. Cobalt gel coat should be like glass throughout.

Swing your outdrive back and forth and check for any noise or binding. Make sure the trim works. If there is a trailer trim, it'll raise the outdrive higher than the trim on your throttle control.

How dirty is it in the bilge? Just about everyone here is anal about keeping it clean, which is a good indication of overall maintenance. Again, these things can be overcome, but factor it into your price.

Ask if maintenance records come with the boat. How often were the fluids changed? How often (and when was the last time) was the impeller was changed? Check for leaks on the power steering, either from a hose or the unit itself. How old are the batteries? Is there 1 or 2?

And lastly, if it comes with a trailer, how old are the tires? Check the date code, and if they're over 3 years old, replace them or you WILL have blowouts, and damage to your fenders and possibly the boat. Do the brakes on the trailer work? What kind of condition is the winch in? The trailer condition, or lack of, can knock off an easy $1500 or more from your purchase. Again, a good negotiation point.

Just a few things off the top off my head.

Good luck, and let us know!

Well that's looks shinny. The vinyl looks like a old elephant left out to dry. Other than what they said already and I'll shut up. That's a first.

I feel like I've seen this boat for sale before... I remember seeing the basketball court... Maybe I'm just making that up!

Too bad that didn't the better care of the interior.

Think about a marine survey? I made a mistake the hard way and did not (thought I was pretty good). Had a couple of gel coat cracks around my outer bunks - needless to say it was my own fault and cost me some $$. If I ever purchase a new/used boat, I will have this done

Crazy on the interior - outside is so nice. My 08 242 looks nothing like this - it is almost like some chemical or something dried it out? Is it just the sun pad that is cracked up or everything? Sunpad easy to replace but if every cushion looks like that - it would be expensive. (Can be done but expensive). Good luck, my opinion is to consider a survey

Howdy from SE TX. She looks great on the outside. What motor and out drive does she have?

350mag Mercruiser with Bravo 3, I've had the Volvo Duoprop on my last Cobalt, not familiar with the Bravo3.

It is getting a survey this week. I agree, it looks like a chemical/cleaner hurt the vinyl. It is only a the rear sun pad and front seats, everything else looks great. I'm looking into partial replacement...

cjones16 wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 2:12 pm It is getting a survey this week. I agree, it looks like a chemical/cleaner hurt the vinyl. It is only a the rear sun pad and front seats, everything else looks great. I'm looking into partial replacement...

Smart getting a survey done on it. I will never buy a used boat again without a survey.

cjones16 wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 2:10 pm 350mag Mercruiser with Bravo 3, I've had the Volvo Duoprop on my last Cobalt, not familiar with the Bravo3.

Me neither. Who makes a bravo 3

Big Block Power wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 6:01 pm

cjones16 wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 2:10 pm 350mag Mercruiser with Bravo 3, I've had the Volvo Duoprop on my last Cobalt, not familiar with the Bravo3.

Me neither. Who makes a bravo 3

Terrible. Just terrible.