The new boat search has concluded... (long)

This is a follow-up to the thread "The new boat search has started" that
I posted a few weeks back. Using the many excellent suggestions from the
folks here, this is a result of my negotiations and final product:

I arrived at the boat show ready to review the options each boat had to
offer. Collected all the brochures, and struck up conversations at each
display with sales folks. Of course some took my info...
Received a call from the Triton dealer, a couple days later. Knowing
this is what I really wanted, I left him with the impression that I wasn't
especially interested. He hung up the phone, and left him with no idea of
what I was thinking. Called yesterday (almost a full two weeks later), to
see if the fellow I was dealing with was going to be in today.
It just so happens that the person I was dealing with was the owners
son, and a pretty nice fellow. Non-existant sleeze factor, if you know what
I mean. I started negotiations with him on the price I was quoted at the
boat show ($21800, which I had found was a relatively good deal). I talked
to him about upgrading the Motorguide to a minnkota, Custom color ordering
($350) and throwing in the swing-away trailer tongue (I don't know the cost
of this option). He was able to do this, keeping within the price I had
been given.
From that point, we discussed my trade-in, which I had originally
planned to sell outright. He came back with what I thought was an extremely
fair trade-in value of my boat for $4600 (1993 Nitro 180TF). We chit
chatted about financing for a few moments, then I asked him if I could have
a few moments to talk with my wife.
While he was out, I looked at the price I was being offered, and what I
might be able to do to sweeten the deal. My wife gave me the nod on the
Merc EFI upgrade, and I needed a boat cover. He had quoted the price at
$2300 for the motor upgrade, and I had seen the boat cover advertised at
$750. When he came back in, I proposed that we could seal the deal if he
were to give me the EFI upgrade for $1500 and throw in the cover for free.
He replied that he didn't have that kind of room with the price I'd been
offered. I asked him what he could do (leaning forward towards him)... To
my great surprise, he informed me (after tinkering around on his calculator
for a few seconds) that he could give me the motor upgrade at his cost of
$1850 and would throw in the cover for free. I shook his hand and we
started the paper work.
Below is the deal I was able to work out:

Original list price - $28,573
With Minnkota, custom color, boat cover and 150hp Mercury EFI upgrade. Don't
know how much the trailer swing away tongue should cost...so I added $250.

My final negotiated price - $23,650

I'm not certain how close this is to the best I could do, but I am very
happy, and would like to thank the guys again who helped me with negotiation
tips. I think it helped alot...
If anyone would like the comparison matrix I worked out in Excel between
Nitro, Triton, Ranger, Skeeter and Stratos, feel free to email me. I'd be
happy to share it...

I can't seem to get the grin off my face... Now I just have to wait 4-6
weeks to get it!!!
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

WTG Andrew!!! I know you love the Triton... and hopefully when I get to
upgrade my boat, Triton is the way I'll get to go. They do make one sweet
boat.

Seems like you'll have it in time for the Southern Classic too!

--
Charles B. Summers
Secret Weapon Lures
http://www.secretweaponlures.com


"Andrew Kidd" wrote in message
news:r4r2c.126139$Xp.549139@attbi_s54...
This is a follow-up to the thread "The new boat search has started"
that
I posted a few weeks back. Using the many excellent suggestions from the
folks here, this is a result of my negotiations and final product:

I arrived at the boat show ready to review the options each boat had
to
offer. Collected all the brochures, and struck up conversations at each
display with sales folks. Of course some took my info...
Received a call from the Triton dealer, a couple days later. Knowing
this is what I really wanted, I left him with the impression that I wasn't
especially interested. He hung up the phone, and left him with no idea of
what I was thinking. Called yesterday (almost a full two weeks later),
to
see if the fellow I was dealing with was going to be in today.
It just so happens that the person I was dealing with was the owners
son, and a pretty nice fellow. Non-existant sleeze factor, if you know
what
I mean. I started negotiations with him on the price I was quoted at the
boat show ($21800, which I had found was a relatively good deal). I
talked
to him about upgrading the Motorguide to a minnkota, Custom color ordering
($350) and throwing in the swing-away trailer tongue (I don't know the
cost
of this option). He was able to do this, keeping within the price I had
been given.
From that point, we discussed my trade-in, which I had originally
planned to sell outright. He came back with what I thought was an
extremely
fair trade-in value of my boat for $4600 (1993 Nitro 180TF). We chit
chatted about financing for a few moments, then I asked him if I could
have
a few moments to talk with my wife.
While he was out, I looked at the price I was being offered, and what
I
might be able to do to sweeten the deal. My wife gave me the nod on the
Merc EFI upgrade, and I needed a boat cover. He had quoted the price at
$2300 for the motor upgrade, and I had seen the boat cover advertised at
$750. When he came back in, I proposed that we could seal the deal if he
were to give me the EFI upgrade for $1500 and throw in the cover for free.
He replied that he didn't have that kind of room with the price I'd
been
offered. I asked him what he could do (leaning forward towards him)...
To
my great surprise, he informed me (after tinkering around on his
calculator
for a few seconds) that he could give me the motor upgrade at his cost of
$1850 and would throw in the cover for free. I shook his hand and we
started the paper work.
Below is the deal I was able to work out:

Original list price - $28,573
With Minnkota, custom color, boat cover and 150hp Mercury EFI upgrade.
Don't
know how much the trailer swing away tongue should cost...so I added $250.

My final negotiated price - $23,650

I'm not certain how close this is to the best I could do, but I am
very
happy, and would like to thank the guys again who helped me with
negotiation
tips. I think it helped alot...
If anyone would like the comparison matrix I worked out in Excel
between
Nitro, Triton, Ranger, Skeeter and Stratos, feel free to email me. I'd be
happy to share it...

I can't seem to get the grin off my face... Now I just have to wait
4-6
weeks to get it!!!
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

"Charles Summers" wrote in message
...
WTG Andrew!!! I know you love the Triton... and hopefully when I get to
upgrade my boat, Triton is the way I'll get to go. They do make one sweet
boat.

Seems like you'll have it in time for the Southern Classic too!



Thanks Man,
Yeah, for some reason I'm pretty partial to the Triton. I thought they
were special when they first hit the market, and have not had that opinion
changed by time... I was, however, shocked as to how good the boats were
that many of the manufacturers had available now. Lots of choices out there
for the consumer.
As for the Southern Classic, I'm unfortunately already commited to
Georgia over Spring break with the wife and kids. That, and the new boat,
kinda taps out all the fun money for the time being.
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

"Andrew Kidd" wrote in message
newstt2c.190210$jk2.678156@attbi_s53...
"Charles Summers" wrote in message
...
WTG Andrew!!! I know you love the Triton... and hopefully when I get to
upgrade my boat, Triton is the way I'll get to go. They do make one
sweet
boat.

Seems like you'll have it in time for the Southern Classic too!

Thanks Man,
Yeah, for some reason I'm pretty partial to the Triton. I thought
they
were special when they first hit the market, and have not had that opinion
changed by time... I was, however, shocked as to how good the boats were
that many of the manufacturers had available now. Lots of choices out
there
for the consumer.
As for the Southern Classic, I'm unfortunately already commited to
Georgia over Spring break with the wife and kids. That, and the new boat,
kinda taps out all the fun money for the time being.
--
Andrew Kidd

But you do have a nifty, new toy to play with this year. And it's only a few
weeks until you get it, though might seem like forever!
Fished out of a Triton last year and was very impressed. Friend of mine has
one of the "Multi-Species" models (don't remember which one, though), and we
had a ball fishing on Castle Rock and Pettenwell lakes in Wisconsin.
Me, I'm a bit more of an aluminum, beat around kind of guy. You know the
type of boat I'm talking about. The one that has 2/3 of the paint scrapped
off of the bottom from seeing almost as many miles of submerged rocks as it
sees of open water. And Triton has a new Stick-Steer that I am going to have
to take a look at and dream about scrapping some more paint. Hope the wifey
is ready for another small hit to the bank account :-D

Fish often
Bob

"Bob" wrote in message
news:uku2c.510349$na.1171169@attbi_s04...

As for the Southern Classic, I'm unfortunately already commited to
Georgia over Spring break with the wife and kids. That, and the new
boat,
kinda taps out all the fun money for the time being.
--
Andrew Kidd

But you do have a nifty, new toy to play with this year. And it's only a
few
weeks until you get it, though might seem like forever!
Fished out of a Triton last year and was very impressed. Friend of mine
has
one of the "Multi-Species" models (don't remember which one, though), and
we
had a ball fishing on Castle Rock and Pettenwell lakes in Wisconsin.
Me, I'm a bit more of an aluminum, beat around kind of guy. You know the
type of boat I'm talking about. The one that has 2/3 of the paint scrapped
off of the bottom from seeing almost as many miles of submerged rocks as
it
sees of open water. And Triton has a new Stick-Steer that I am going to
have
to take a look at and dream about scrapping some more paint. Hope the
wifey
is ready for another small hit to the bank account :-D

You're absolutely right Bob... I feel like a very fortunate man this
evening. As for the boat you are speaking of, I know exactly what you're
talking about. My first boat was a twelve foot row boat, with a 1970's
trolling motor. If I had to guess, I'd say it was somewhere around a 10lb
thrust. The boat was so heavy, it took me and a friend to drag it to from
my Mom and Dad's chicken coop to the little one acre pond a hundred feet
away.-
Next boat I fished from was a friends 1970's style TomCat or TomBoy, or
something like that. We completely decked that boat out like a mini bass
boat. What great fun.... The building of it was *almost* as much fun as
using it.
The first fiberglass bass boat I owned was the 93 Nitro I just traded
in. It had more then it's share of war wounds, but was still in pretty good
shape. It was slightly sad walking away from it today. Over 10 years worth
of wonderful memories that boat helped build. More then worth the money
spent... Hope I get to build another 10 from the front deck of the new one!
Best of luck with your negotiations with the wife! :-)
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

Best Deal? I'd say you did a lot better than most! Congratulations!!!
You didn't rape him. He surely didn't rape you. Looks like a fair deal for
both parties.

--
Craig Baugher

"Craig Baugher" wrote in message
news:Fxu2c.71543$ko6.410888@attbi_s02...
Best Deal? I'd say you did a lot better than most! Congratulations!!!
You didn't rape him. He surely didn't rape you. Looks like a fair deal
for
both parties.

Thanks Craig... That's exactly how I felt!

--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

Congrats on the new Triton, Andrew.

See what happens when you go out fishing with guys with new boats!

What model did you buy? I'm sure when I see it I'll feel that little TR176 is
just inadequate.


Brad Coovert
2003 Angler of the Year, Greenfield Bassmasters
http://www.greenfieldbassmasters.com

"Brad Coovert" wrote in message
...
Congrats on the new Triton, Andrew.

See what happens when you go out fishing with guys with new boats!

What model did you buy? I'm sure when I see it I'll feel that little
TR176 is
just inadequate.

Hi Brad...
I don't know if I'd come around my wife for a while, if I was you! :-)
I've blamed this entirely on you.... (she didn't buy a word of it) :-)
I ended up opting for the TR186, with the 150hp EFI. I doubt you'll
feel all that inadequate, cause what you've got is an excellent fishing
machine! I can't wait to get out this spring. Should be good and warm by
the time I pick up the boat... But you know, that does
mean....ahummmm...that I'll be without a boat for about a month...
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
http://www.rofb.net/ - ROFB Newsgroup Home

I don't know if I'd come around my wife for a while, if I was you! :-)
I've blamed this entirely on you....

I figured as much!

But you know, that does
mean....ahummmm...that I'll be without a boat for about a month..

My back seat is open anytime you want it. That way, you'll be able to slide
into that new Triton all that easier!


Brad Coovert
2003 Angler of the Year, Greenfield Bassmasters
http://www.greenfieldbassmasters.com