Centurion Mechanic (Bay Area / Stockton)

[greggerz 0]

New to the forum, and looking strongly at an 05 avalanche c4.  Does anyone know a good centurion mechanic in the east bay area / stockton?

I don't know a ton about buying used boats and what to look for, and I'd prefer to have a good boat mechanic do a PPI before buying.  I've tried to google for centurion mechanics in the SFO / stockton area, but not getting much information.

[InfinitySurf 302]

Really any good boat mechanic can do an inspection since most v-drives are pretty similar. Today the Centurion boats have PCM engines, back in 2005 was probably a Mercruiser engine in that boat? That's probably more what you are looking for, a mechanic that knows the engine/trans/v-drive in that boat plus of course a mechanic that knows the common v-drive boat issues that can surface and/or be expensive to repair. The other important item IMO is getting a mechanic who will actually take the boat for a test run while listening/checking for any noises or potential issues. There are a few engine related things that may act fine running off a hose but as soon as you put power to the boat on the water, falls on its face. Personally I think a compression test is always a good thing to do.

As far as stuff for you to personally check... crawl thru the entire boat boat looking into every nook and cranny. Check compartments, the engine/bilge area.... under the floor if possible, etc. Does it look clean and neat or is there old nasty water sitting in the bilge.... does it look like the water in the bilge has been high and do you see "scum rings" under engine area.... do the lockers smell like mildew.... what condition is the vinyl in, etc. Also look at some of the electrical connections, do you see corrosion. If you do then your likely to deal with some gremlins here/there.  Check the oil in the engine, transmission & v-drive. Does the oil look reasonably fresh and does it smell rightWith a 2005 there will be some things of course but in my experience, a person who keeps their boat clean/tidy is also someone who is not neglecting the maintainance and takes pride in ownership.

Ask owner if they kept a log detailing the oil changes and other maintainance items, like when was the impeller last changed. Sometimes just asking some basic questions can give you a good idea if its a person who cared for the boat or knew nothing about it and was just interested is running it hard and then putting it away wet without a 2nd thought. 

Edited June 30, 2020 by InfinitySurf

[volzalum 280]

I know there is a dealer in Lakeport called Hillside Powersports and Marine. Travis used to be active on here from there.