03 x9

[Need a mc]

Looking at a 2003 x9 with 750 hours and RTP engine- 5.7- 320hp. Looks in pretty good shape. A couple seat tears and some minor seat pulling. I have a 97 205 now and looking to upgrade for a tower boat with some ballast and able to ski as well.
They want 25k. Looks like this price is decent but what are your thoughts?

[02ProstarSammyD]

Depends on condition. I sold an 02 2 years ago for about that but interior was already redone. Tis the season for premium pricing. Throw up some pics. What level of skiing are you looking at? The 209 is not going to have anywhere near the skiing ability as your 205 just fyi.

[Need a mc]

Pics of x9

Here is the picture of the x9.

[KyleNowad]

I absolutely love my X9. For what's it's worth, I got my 2006 X9 last September for $33,000 with 99 hours and the MCX engine.

[FoggyNogginz]

I'm a huge fan of the X9, and I owned a 2003 model. Price is decent only if everything else is perfect. Otherwise, I'd do some negotiating. This is a great DD choice for families though, and we had many years of fun in ours, including hundreds of pulls through the course and a pretty reasonable surf wave when weighted properly.

[JPK]

I have an '03 X9 and love it. Mine had the same graphic's on the side but this season I changed it to the new Prostar doomed letters.

[Need a mc]

X9

Will a barefoot boom for a 97 205 work for a 2003 x9?

[MC205]

Will a barefoot boom for a 97 205 work for a 2003 x9?

I'm guessing it will but if for some reason it doesn't and you need to get rid of the one you have I am looking for one.

[MC205]

I have an '03 X9 and love it. Mine had the same graphic's on the side but this season I changed it to the new Prostar doomed letters.

That definitely classed it up. Looks like a brand new boat! Nicely done.

[2RLAKE]

I have an '03 X9 and love it. Mine had the same graphic's on the side but this season I changed it to the new Prostar doomed letters.

Love that new looks ... Buddy of mine did that on his '05 and really changed the look to a classy look

[bturner2]

Things to lookout for on the 03s.......

Reliable Brake Components - Actuator and calipers fail and are not cheap to repair. I rebuilt mine after it was only 3 years old. Reliable sent me the calipers and rebuild kit for free but now you'll pay for the calipers and you'll have to get a UFP conversion kit for the actuator if yours is or goes bad.

Plastic Hub Sight Caps - The early 2003 oil bath hub site caps were plastic that either cracked or fell off. Simple fix by replacing them with aluminum but something to consider that should be done if you have the older plastic ones.

Interior - Early 2000s known for splitting seams. A new interior is $5k or more.

Medallion Gauges - Early MDC and gauge set was very unreliable. Don't think so? Search this site for threads on gauge issues. Poor grounding, noise on the data bus can cause problems that will have you pulling your hair out.

I was never able to fully get the gauges operating correctly and spent hours chasing a bus noise issue that effected my PP. Lucky for me PP was aware of the issue with the Medallion gauges and sent me a noise filter that fixed the PP problem.

Wakeboard Racks - Be real careful with those racks, they tend to fly off the end of the rails and into the water. Finding replacements is difficult as well as parts to repair the various parts in the mechanisms.

The design of the boats are great, the quality of some of the components, not so much. Pay particular attention to these areas when looking at a MC from this time period.

Check to see if the calipers were replaced during the recall period.
Check proper operation of the gauges during several start up cycles.
The interior you already know about.

How do I know all this you ask? Easy I owned a 2003 X2. It's a nice boat and good overall package but not without some issues that will need attention if they haven't already been addressed.

Sorry if I'm being a Debbie Downer.....

[Need a mc]

X9

Thanks for the info. Taking it for a test drive on Friday. We will see.

[Need a mc]

Any other opinions of the X9 out there?? The more I get the easier it will be to make a decision.

Is the 750 hrs a concern?

Is the price good?

[Need a mc]

Here is another pic of the boat.

Another pic

[bturner2]

Hours no. These boat will go 1000, 1200, 1400 hours with proper care and feeding. Condition is everything.

My only concern with the price is the interior. See if you can call a couple shops to get a price on a new interior. You won't be able match the vinyl and in this case that's a good thing as the vinyl wasn't that good due to the EPA rules that hit the industry in general during that time period. I would leverage the cost of repair/replacement in the price negotiation. The only way you can do this is if you do your research/homework and know what it will cost to have the work done.

Remember you're still at the high point of the season for boat prices. 3 weeks from now that same boat will sell for a couple thousand less. The interior is a big component of any boat as that's what you'll see the whole time your in the boat. Don't underestimate the cost or value of this negotiation point when talking money on this boat.

When looking at any boat I always take what I see and add the cost to put in excellent condition. On this boat I see it worth $28K in very good condition. Now subtract the cost of fixing any of the issues the boat has. This is how I determine what I'm willing to pay for a boat. Now it's up to you to do your homework and figure out what it needs and how much it would cost to fix it. Then you'll have your price.