Yeak PJC
These are all pionts we looked at and still are for a few yrs now.
It depends how money flush on is..
We are not..hence going 2nd hand low hrs , maintained 20" that took a couple yrs to turn up.
We where at the stage of increasing transom as getting close to moving west and 25" 140s where popping up every now and then... 2S dropping in price (thats sale price not asking price) with 4S coming in.
Capital cost of the new or newer 4S engine against the older cost of fuel for 2 S.
Then throw in sale value maybe another 10yrs down the line.
A balance of the maths sorta..
These numbers maybe of interest to some.
New wasnt an option for us.
Ended up buy the 2S 150 , 9K run it for 6months or so then sold the2S 115 for 7K .. fitting ourselves so the upgrade was 2K plus sealant etc... and well propped extra economy (so long as cruise at old speed)
Have put thru 3X 20L drums oil approx $340 each @ 1L per 48L fuel (which would use anyway) equates to around just over 2800L ...
yeah we do and have done lot fishing..
With around 12+ % increase in economy ..
think my of the top of head maths is close..
That equates to about $100 less oil
And fuel at older $2:20L around $600.
So cost engine swap less 700 still about $1200 todate cost engine upgrade
I have noticed the market with these older 'Commander' ranger hulls good condition, may need a coat paint to hide the odd chip here and there, sell around the 10 to 14K with a good post 2000 engine and trailer... even if have a later model 4S
And the ones with later model 4S list for long times and dont sell at the " what the boat owes me" prices.
.if you take the sum of $36 K could be a very nice deposit on something
newer.unless of course you having to finance motor in the first place.
Who has a lazy $26k ??
That is a a good point as well...
We have never (over 50yrs) brought anything paying cash, other than mortgages on previous homes.
Rather than pay interest even worse compound interest, we put what we would do aside, plus the disposable income used to eventually buy what ever ..
So cant comment on cost deposites etc..but what you are saying sounds right for those work do that stuff.
End of the day it does come back to bit of caught between the ocean and deep blue sea.. catch 22