Lowe 1448 did i pay too much?

[ace57]

Been looking for a boat to run up into creeks where my big fiberglass cuddy won't go. It's a 1995 Lowe 1448 on a new galvanized trailer. It has a 2 stroke 25hp johnson and side console. I plan on turning it into a center console and extending the forward deck. Hull is in good shape and motor runs good. Paid 3600 for it.

Huh, didn’t know Lowe made that model.
I have the analog of this boat, a 2006 tracker grizzly all welded. With me and one other person that runs great but we can spread the weight out a little bit. But I only weigh around 150 pounds. I love the boat very versatile and the console makes it great. I have subsequently added a windshield Lexan on it, carpeted it etc. etc. You don’t actually find too many of
these boats around. I have the trolling motor battery up near the front casting deck it does help to move that weight around.
As long as you like it that’s all that matters – in my case I drove to Kentucky and back from Massachusetts to pick this boat up lol.
It’s also a lucky boat- check this largie I got out of it.

 

[Monster1]

Well. Motor left me stranded near the dock. Fortunately I could paddle back. It won't idle. It only runs with the throttle lever pulled all the way up. No big deal if it's just a filthy carb. I ordered a rebuild kit and will tear it down to rebuild. I've thought about it and I'm much happier on the water with it than I am staring at it in the driveway wondering if I got a good deal.

Yeah. I could have held out and probably found better, newer, cheaper. But maybe not. It still has lots of potential and YouTube has tons of videos that have given me a good idea about what I want to do with it. I guess I just have to look at it that the more I use it, the cheaper it gets.

 

[Keith Kirchoff01]

Well. Motor left me stranded near the dock. Fortunately I could paddle back. It won't idle. It only runs with the throttle lever pulled all the way up. No big deal if it's just a filthy carb. I ordered a rebuild kit and will tear it down to rebuild. I've thought about it and I'm much happier on the water with it than I am staring at it in the driveway wondering if I got a good deal.

Yeah. I could have held out and probably found better, newer, cheaper. But maybe not. It still has lots of potential and YouTube has tons of videos that have given me a good idea about what I want to do with it. I guess I just have to look at it that the more I use it, the cheaper it gets.

I have a 2003 25 johnson tiller. I am on the water 5days a week. I wore out powered but I had another one to put on it in to 2nd year on new powered. Very dependable motor sometimes it will want to stall &I move choke in an out then it is fine.i think sound dealing foam flakes off an passes through carb. I am researching foam material now.also have had trouble with lower unit plugs not wanting to seal.took out wrong screw when putting in fluid an had to take it apart to aline shifter cratel.dont make that mistake.i am in ky an I think u did OK òn. money.

 

[thill]

Those are good motors. Buy a rebuild kit and a service manual, and pull the carb and go through it, cleaning everything out carefully. Buy one of those carb cleaning needle/brush sets off Amazon for $4 or so, and a torch cleaning set for about the same. Makes it a lot easier to really clean every tiny orifice.

Very often, it's just a bunch of junk in the bottom of the bowl. Make sure to run a needle up the idle pickup tube, which looks like a little straw that runs up the middle of the main tube.

The next thing you will often see is trash or rubber dust or chunks from your fuel line or squeeze bulb. Definitely change those out, if they aren't new.

Once you get everything cleaned out and running well, make sure to:

1. Use Non-ethanol fuel, if possible. It costs $1gallon more, but it's worth it.
2. If you can't find E-free gas, add a little Startron ethanol additive in your fuel.
3. Keep a little Seafoam in your gas. It keeps things clean inside your motor, preventing issues.
4. Add a small inline fuel filter after your squeeze bulb. I Fram PH2 or PH3, preventing issues.
5. Replace your fuel hose and bulb every few years, especially if out in the sun a lot.
6. Try to avoid the gray fuel line with the clear plastic lining. Won't matter if you do #5
7. Use your motor often, even if you just put on the earmuffs for a few mins every 6 weeks or so when you can't go out on the lake.

Do the above, and your boat should go many years without any fuel problems, if ever again.

 

[axmaker]

Thanks. Just a bit of buyers remorse because I did what I shouldn't do and see what pops up in the classified after I already bought this boat. In hind sight, I probably should have held out for a 16 or 17ft. I can't sit in the side console without the boat listing on its side. As of now, I have to sit on the center of the bench and steer (cautiously!) with my right hand. I weight about 350lbs so this boat doesn't like me that much. Still, the 25hp johnson planes this boat out at 15mph and tops out at 24mph. I think building out the rear bench about a foot forward and making this boat a center console will help greatly. I thought about adding pods as well. Thoughts?

Just the bare hull in my neck of the woods will fetch more than half of what you paid. Plus the motor and extras, price wise you're in great shape.

 

[Monster1]

Thank you all for your continued support. I will definitely heed all your advise and get that carb squeaky clean before I put it all back together.

 

[LaqueRatt]

OK, guess I'll be the dummy who asks the obvious question: Why is the helm all the way in the back? Pretty much cancels out the advantage to having one! If you're stuck sitting all the way in the back, might as well keep it simple and just go with a tiller. Not to mention the helm itself is adding a lot of weight just where you don't want it. Honestly from what I'm seeing I'd get rid of it. Seems like it would take a colossal effort and a nice pile of $$$ to straighten out the flaws.

 

[airshot]

That leaves all that room in front to store all the other stuff....as long as fuel tank and battery are not back there with the captain, should be fine.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Is that normal though? Somebody had to stick that steering wheel way back there, correct? I just don't see the sense in it at all. He's going to need 200 lbs of ballast in the front to make that thing behave.

 

[airshot]

Can always move the seering more forward if an issue....gotta try it to know for sure....

 

[MrGiggles]

Is that normal though? Somebody had to stick that steering wheel way back there, correct? I just don't see the sense in it at all. He's going to need 200 lbs of ballast in the front to make that thing behave.

If you moved it ahead, it would leave a tiny walkway between the console and the livewell (storage box, whatever that is) on the other side. Seems like the best compromise was to move it to the back. You would sit back there with a tiller too, and those handle pretty well with a little rearranging.

OP, I think you did okay. You've got a solid hull with an excellent outboard, there's nothing better made today. For comparison sake a new Tracker Grizzly 1648 is about $7500 with a trailer, likely over 10k by the time you hang a motor on it. That e-start 25 is worth quite a bit by itself.

 

[Monster1]

Is that normal though? Somebody had to stick that steering wheel way back there, correct? I just don't see the sense in it at all. He's going to need 200 lbs of ballast in the front to make that thing behave.

The only information on this year and size of boat is that there was a "walk through" model available. This is it because the middle bench is cut out in the center making two side benches. Kind of a dumb design. This is why I want to make it into a center console. I'm not talking about an ocean type center console that will take up the entire floor. Basically just a pedestal for the wheel and control box. Extend the rear bench about a foot forward for the center seat and probably leave the front deck the same, but put a carpeted deck on top of the existing distressed aluminum. I priced materials out at about 500 bucks including modifying the existing console to be used in the center and flipping the control box to mount the right side of the console. This would be a badass little boat if I did that and I'd be able to get the weight off the literal end of the transom. Here's a video of a guy who has already done it.

 

[MrGiggles]

The only information on this year and size of boat is that there was a "walk through" model available. This is it because the middle bench is cut out in the center making two side benches. Kind of a dumb design. This is why I want to make it into a center console. I'm not talking about an ocean type center console that will take up the entire floor. Basically just a pedestal for the wheel and control box. Extend the rear bench about a foot forward for the center seat and probably leave the front deck the same, but put a carpeted deck on top of the existing distressed aluminum. I priced materials out at about 500 bucks including modifying the existing console to be used in the center and flipping the control box to mount the right side of the console. This would be a badass little boat if I did that and I'd be able to get the weight off the literal end of the transom. Here's a video of a guy who has already done it.

You might consider a stick steer setup. Eliminates the need for a console, saves quite a bit of space.

 

[Monster1]

You might consider a stick steer setup. Eliminates the need for a console, saves quite a bit of space.

Honestly, I'm not worried about space on this boat. I just prefer remote steering because I don't have to reach behind me to steer while looking forward to see where I'm going. It's just an unnatural position for me. I'll have more control with a steering wheel imo.

 

[MrGiggles]

Honestly, I'm not worried about space on this boat. I just prefer remote steering because I don't have to reach behind me to steer while looking forward to see where I'm going. It's just an unnatural position for me. I'll have more control with a steering wheel imo.

Stick steer is not the same as a tiller. You sit forward, steering stick in one hand use the remote throttle/shift control with your other hand.

 

[LaqueRatt]

So this is a factory installation then? Hard for me to believe. Never seen one like this before and I don't see this boat ever performing well with all that weight in the back. I'd move on if it were me. No sense in throwing good money after bad. I think Monster already knows this though as indicated in the title of the post. Hard to say if he spent too much, not knowing his market, but I definitely think he should have thought this through a little more.

 

[Monster1]

So this is a factory installation then? Hard for me to believe. Never seen one like this before and I don't see this boat ever performing well with all that weight in the back. I'd move on if it were me. No sense in throwing good money after bad. I think Monster already knows this though as indicated in the title of the post. Hard to say if he spent too much, not knowing his market, but I definitely think he should have thought this through a little more.

Well, I guess you can believe it. If you need me to share better pics of this factory option, I can do so. It's not a hack job done by a previous owner. Thanks for your positive input.

 

[Monster1]

Stick steer is not the same as a tiller. You sit forward, steering stick in one hand use the remote throttle/shift control with your other hand.

Interesting. I may have to check into that.

 

[flatheadsteve]

OK, guess I'll be the dummy who asks the obvious question: Why is the helm all the way in the back? Pretty much cancels out the advantage to having one! If you're stuck sitting all the way in the back, might as well keep it simple and just go with a tiller. Not to mention the helm itself is adding a lot of weight just where you don't want it. Honestly from what I'm seeing I'd get rid of it. Seems like it would take a colossal effort and a nice pile of $$$ to straighten out the flaws.

A lot of side console mod vee boats are setup like that from the factory. The helms are aluminum sheet they aren't heavy. Weight distribution is always a factor on small tins we have all dealt with it at some point or another. The 2 easiest things to move are the fuel tanks and batteries. In the ops setup I would probably move both of those all the way up front if possible. I had to move both batteries to the front of my alumacraft for times when I was by myself or I would porpoise terribly. That was on a 1648 but 5 gallons of fuel, 2 battery's, 20hp outboard and 260lb me at the time was too much weight in the stern to plane off properly. Throwing 150lbs of battery upfront turned it into a different boat.

 

[Monster1]

A lot of side console mod vee boats are setup like that from the factory. The helms are aluminum sheet they aren't heavy. Weight distribution is always a factor on small tins we have all dealt with it at some point or another. The 2 easiest things to move are the fuel tanks and batteries. In the ops setup I would probably move both of those all the way up front if possible. I had to move both batteries to the front of my alumacraft for times when I was by myself or I would porpoise terribly. That was on a 1648 but 5 gallons of fuel, 2 battery's, 20hp outboard and 260lb me at the time was too much weight in the stern to plane off properly. Throwing 150lbs of battery upfront turned it into a different boat.

This boat rides surprisingly well the way it is as long as I sit in the center of the bench while driving. Even with me, the fuel tank and a big 31 group battery (blame PO, not me) in the back, the boat still rides really well and planes quickly. I think MrGiggles solved my dilemma in regards to the console issue. I can delete the console completely, set up the stick steering while keeping the control box and move the fuel tank and battery forward. This will actually give me more room and solve the weight distribution issue.