Tips about a 175 Spirit

theestricknine

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Hey Guys,
I'm pretty new to the forum. I grew up fishing on a Grady, and I've always wanted to buy my own. My last boat was a Keywest 2020CC, which obviously doesn't compare, but it was newer, and I didn't have to worry about these kinds of things. I'm going to look at a 1997 175 Spirit with a blown engine. What things do I need to look for to make sure that i'm not falling into a money pit? I saw that maybe I should tap the transom with a rubber mallet to check for delamination. Is there anywhere else I should try this? Will that work on the floorboard for the stringers as well? :-| Is there a way to check and see if the gas tank is in ok shape? What else should I be weary of? Also, does anyone have any performance experience with the 175? I looked on the hull truth but couldn't find any numbers. I was thinking either a Tohatsu/Nissan 140 or a Yamaha 130. I really appreciate any help in advance!
 

wahoo33417

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Welcome to the forum. I'm not much help on the technical issues, but I can comment on power. I had a 1992 Spirit 175 that we bought new. It had a 90 hp Johnson carbed, two-stroke. That power was adequate, but not great. I think a 115 two-stroke would have been perfect. Not sure I would have wanted any more weight on the transom than that.

That boat is the most sea-worthy boat we could stuff into our garage in 1992 and it introduced us to Grady. We went to Bimini a couple of times in it. I'll suggest that trim tabs are a good addition.

Good luck.

Rob