Is it a steal or a junker?

[SnowmoJoe]

Hey guys -

I've been driving past this house up the block on the way to work for the last few months and I've been eyeballing this PWC they have sitting in their front yard. It's been covered with a tarp and sitting there for at least those 8 months, and from what I can remember, it's been there for a good solid two years or so. Probably longer.

The shape of the tarp tells the story. The trailer is embedded in the ground. I have no way of knowing what it is, what motor is in it, who makes it, etc. I KNOW from looking at it that it hasn't been used in forever.

There is no for sale sign on it, but I'm considering leaving a note in the door making them an offer for it. I'd love to have one myself; I've got 13 acres of private water to play on and my family would use the hell out of it.

So... is this maybe a steal, or is it gonna be a problem child because it's been sitting for so long? Also, does anyone have any clues on what it might be (i.e. model/make/year etc) based on what little you can see through the holes in the tarp? I'd like to see what the market value is on this thing. What's a good price to pay for a machine like this that has been sitting unused for YEARS? I don't need another project, that's for sure, but if I got a good price on it I'd take it because it would be fun to have.

[JheLrey]

I've done what you are thinking... I actually had good luck. Just state to them, you've seen it for years, what is wrong with it, are you willing to get rid of it? Then say you will handle everything. If not, just ask them how much, they might as for $100.00 or something. The trailer alone is worth it. Keep us informed!!!

Ask in person, not a note.

[IRONDOG]

Looks like a Polaris SL, probably a 750 or 780 triple. Parts are cheap on eBay, they're parting them out all the time. May have a bad crank, rust is the motor's worst enemy. I would recommend a SeaDoo twin over a Polaris triple for a fixer upper, the triple may require more money to fix than it would be worth. The Polaris triple is miserable to work on also.
Jerry

[smallengineguy]

I've had 3 of them, never again...You think sleds are a pain in the ass to work on????

[Octane]

Originally Posted by IRONDOG

I would recommend a SeaDoo twin over a Polaris triple for a fixer upper, the triple may require more money to fix than it would be worth. The Polaris triple is miserable to work on also.

Not me, Id take a Polaris triple over anything else any day. My brother owned a few Polaris PWCs and they were absolutely bulletproof.
I cant say the same about some of his friends who had Sea-Doos and Yamahas...
If its an SL, it would be a good ride. My neibor has 2 Polaris SLT 750s and in the past 10 years they havent had any problems with them. My brother had a Polaris SLX 780 and a Polaris SLT-X 1050 that we both used to abuse all the time and we never managed to break anything on them.
Even if it needs a rebuild on the motor, so what. You are looking at spending $1,500 at the most. If the rest of it is in good shape, thats still a steal.
I do agree that PWCs are a pain to work on though. You have a limited space to work in, because the only access to the engine bay is that hole for the seat. They are a lot of fun though.
Myself, Im keeping an eye out for a Polaris Octane (stand-up PWC). Polaris only made them for a couple years and they didnt make very many of them because the only way you could get one was if you were a Polaris factory-sponsored PWC racer.
Id like to find a Polaris Hurricane too. My brother had one for about 2 months, but he ended up trading it in for his SLT-X because he didnt like how to corner it you had to lay it over on the side like a motorcycle. It had somewhat of a learning curve and he just didnt much care for it.
Its really a shame that Polaris got out of the PWC market, but I dont blame them. The market was going downhill and they were losing money. Nowdays the PWC market is pretty much dead and Polaris is turning way more proft is the snowmobile, ATV and motorcycle market, so it all worked out for them.

[Skligmund]

You think these are difficult to work on, try being an aircraft mechanic...

[smallengineguy]

Been there, done that... I did F-18's, and I'll take them over a PWC any day....

[Skligmund]

Try a Grumman Goose tail or a Lake LA-4. Oh, and under the panel of a Cessna 208. Piper Twin Comanche fuel pumps. Changing a fuel line on a Cessna 172. Riveting patches on floats. Each can be a 2 or more day project for just the one task. Painful too. :P

[Skligmund]

Check this out! Looks almost like a before/after photo. lol

96 Polaris PWC (doesn't run) SL900