Another Newbie ?

[03jeep]

I am looking at buying my first PWC. A guy I work with is selling a 99 Polaris SLTH. He thinks 60-70 hours and says it runs great. I did alot of reading and see its a 700cc and 95 hp. He says it has an aftermarket exhaust that adds 30 HP. So my question is, is this possible just by adding a different exhaust? He said he will give it to me with a trailer for 2000. Is this a decent price. I have seen them going for between 2-2500 w/o trailer. Thanks for the help DJ

[K447]

Welcome to the Hulk!

I am looking at buying my first PWC.
A guy I work with is selling a 99 Polaris SLTH. He thinks 60-70 hours and says it runs great.
The MFD digital displays on these machines can sometimes self-reset the engine hours to zero. It just happens, often when the battery is disconnected for a long time. So take the hours readout on the display as the minimum hours on the engine, but not necessarily the correct hours.

I did a lot of reading and see its a 700cc and 95 hp.

He says it has an aftermarket exhaust that adds 30 HP. So my question is, is this possible just by adding a different exhaust?
Not unless it is a tuned dual pipe system, which I somehow doubt, since they were almost always made for three cylinder engines.
If you can find out more exactly what modifications have been done, we can probably give you a good idea of what the real power output is.

He said he will give it to me with a trailer for $2,000.
Is this a decent price?

Check www.NADA.com
Look at what similar PWC are selling for in your area.

I have seen them going for between 2-2500 w/o trailer. Thanks for the help DJ

Have you ridden this PWC, or something similar?
What kind of riding do you expect to do, on what kind of water (river, lake, ocean)?
How many people on board?

Is this your first boat?

The 700 twin cylinder Polaris domestic engine is considered to be a good engine, reliable and very good fuel economy (for a PWC).

A 30% power boost is a lot for these engines, and seems unlikely without turning it into a temperamental semi-race engine.

If the cylinder heads have been modified to increase compression, then it may need premium octane gas, which increases your fuel costs.

To check engine health, a good test is to check compression on both cylinders. The readings should be within 10% or closer between the two, with readings in the 120-150 range (typically).

If the PWC has not been used much in recent times, the carburetors may need cleaning. Running with dirty carbs can cause engine damage (lean burn), even if the machine seems to be running well.

Also beware of old gas in the fuel tank (more than a few months old). Old gas can also cause engine damage, unless it was stabilized before storage, or drained and replaced with fresh fuel.

[03jeep]

Thanks for the reply. I will check everything tomorrow when I go see it. A good carb cleaning will be in order if I get it. He sent me some pics. It looks to be in good condition. DJ

[K447]

...He sent me some pics. It looks to be in good condition. DJ

That looks like the wrong battery size in there, and not strapped down.

A good quality AGM battery is about $100, if he doesn't have a good battery in the correct size. There are less expensive batteries that will fit, but AGM is the good stuff.

Make sure the small things like the battery strap, fresh fire extinguisher, lanyard and such are present.

The trailer jack looks like it is either bent or weak, seems like an odd angle in the photo - may need to be replaced. Can't really tell, but the bow winch may not be all there.

Lots to check when buying a PWC and trailer. Don't forget to check the trailer carefully.

[BBCaprice]

Looks very clean. Stock exhaust.