2004 Cobalt 200 go for????

[JohnnyB]

Hi guys, I was wondering if someone can give me some advice. I have been looking at buying a used Cobalt for a while now and since I live in Canada prices are crazy for these boats. I went to go look at one this weekend but what they want for it i think is way too much. Half of me wants this boat because she's clean and looks beautiful and the other half says 34 grand(CAN) is way too much. So it's a 2004 Cobalt 200 with 493hrs on a 350 Merc engine. It just got new bellows done. What do you guys think? Remember it's in Canadian dollars. You can see pics if you google Paris Marine, Peterborough, Ontario. Thanks so much for any help you can provide me.

[AsLan7]

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Hey Johnny. Welcome to the Cobalt chat forum. So glad you found us!

34k sounds high for a small block motor. You will pay a premium though if you buy at the beginning of the season vs the end.


Here’s the link for others to see. She looks fairly clean.
Are you getting a survey done?

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6C5D7239-3160-446D-BEB9-3B61FBE100E7.jpeg

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Again, Welcome aboard mate!



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[Big Block Power]

Looks clean. No trailer 22k to 24k US dollar

[JohnnyB]

Thanks so much guys for your input, hopefully sooner or later i'll be part of the Cobalt family. Thanks Aslan7 for adding the link too. Cheers !!

[akorcovelos]

Looks very clean, $25k USD for a 2004 doesn't seem outrageous, add another $5-8k USD for a trailer, assuming you need one. 20' with a 350 mag should be adequately powered, but obviously a big block is preferred. Depends on how you plan to use the boat.

[JohnnyB]

Should I be a bit worried about the hours? Looking at towing the kids and cruising around our fresh water lakes. I just seen now a 2008 206 80hrs 5.0mpi Merc with a trailer for 35g's.

[akorcovelos]

Low hours doesn't mean better. Maintenance is what determines the reliability of a boat. My last boat had 2000+ hours and was dead reliable when I sold it. My 'new' boat has 900+ hours and was dyno'd to within 5% of factory specs. Honestly, I'd rather have a boat that has hours showing regular use than one that has almost no hours, boats don't like to sit unused. That 2008 is averaging 7 hours per year, for all you know it's still on the original oil and gear lube after 11 years.

[AsLan7]

Should I be a bit worried about the hours? Looking at towing the kids and cruising around our fresh water lakes. I just seen now a 2008 206 80hrs 5.0mpi Merc with a trailer for 35g's.

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It all depends on how the owner’s took care of them.

I’ve seen high time boats look pristine and low time boats abused.

How many owners? Maintenance records? Fresh is certainly preferable over salt water.

Plan on roughly 50 hours of use a year as a general starting point for boat value. (similar to 12,000 miles a year for average car use). This can vary of course depending on climate.

Like akor mentioned, sometimes being used is better than one that is sitting and being neglected.

[ColinC]

Johnny,

Welcome aboard! Nice to see another Canadian here on CC. I'm just to the west of you in Richmond Hill. I tried to send you a PM, but I think your account may be restricted until you have a few more posts or have been a member for a few days. Not sure. Try sending me a PM.

With respect to the 200, the asking price is on the high side, particularly so given that it doesn't include a trailer. I took a look at the 206 that was just listed on Kijiji. The 5.0 Merc should be adequate, but the trailer is not something I'd want to use to tow my Cobalt. Folks here are happy to spend your money! Some questions for you:

- What is the tow limit for your tow vehicle?
- What length of boat are you looking for - min / max?
- How many adults and kids do you expect to have onboard?
- How will you use the boat? Just quick little tows with the kiddos, or all day cruising and coving?
- Do you have a preference for V olvo or Merc?
- Are you willing to consider a US boat? (note - the process to import is easy)
- Are you working on a timeline? the boating season is short, are you desperate to have something ASAP?
- What is your target budget?
- Are you open to older boats, or do you have a target model year range?

Cheers,

Colin

[ColinC]

Woodlake Marine has a 2005 Cobalt 200 with a 5.0L VP - asking price is $31,995 (no trailer)

Muskoka Boat Gallery has a 2004 Cobalt 250 with a 496 Merc Mag HO - asking price is $39,995 (no trailer)

Used boats listed by dealers in Ontario tend to have high asking prices. If you're lucky you can knock up to 20% off the dealer ask with minimal effort.

[Big Block Power]

I had a 2004 200 with a 350mag and a b3 drive. Great boat plenty of room. We used it for 1 season. It got me hooked on Cobalt. Then wanted more room so we went to the 220. I watch the values very close on the 200 and 220s. I perfer the middle walk through vs side walk through.

[cmattj]

Muskoka Boat Gallery has a 2004 Cobalt 250 with a 496 Merc Mag HO - asking price is $39,995

Nice one. Congratulations going forward!

[JohnnyB]

Just want to say thanks everyone for their input and helping me out on deciding what I should do and look for. I'm glad I joined this group, administrators keep up the great work.

[AsLan7]

Just want to say thanks everyone for their input and helping me out on deciding what I should do and look for. I'm glad I joined this group, administrators keep up the great work.

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Thanks for the kind words JB. ....& Great to have you on the forum. All we ask for in return is an occasional picture. Like you, we are Cobalt addicts.

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[Lobewedge]

Hey all..new to Colbalt world. Getting ready to buy 2003 220 with 6.2,bravo 1. High hours 780 but Very clean, wisc lake entire life, serviced by Colbalt dealer. With trailer..22,490.00 fair deal?? My last boat was Searay 3.0 liter so this is huge step up. Reviewed Mx records can not find the bellows being replaced once. That’s a red flag for me..going to require that.Any input is appreciated.

Mark L
Lobewedge