Quality of Cooper Prowler 42 with DD 8.2 engines?

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cabin6

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I'm new to the forum, and looking at a 1989 Cooper Prowler 42 that has Detroit Diesel 8.2 4-stroke engines. In looking and searching on information about DD 8.2 diesel engines - i see two different points of view -- one says never own a boat with the DD 8.2 engines and the other says they're reliable and not a problem. Does anyone have experience with these engines?

Secondly - we're in the $80k range for this motor yacht, and it's in really good shape, but wondering if that's a great price for a Cooper Prowler, and what the overall quality is for this boat.

Would love your thoughts, as this is our first purchase.
 
Can’t address the DD question, but I had done some research into Cooper Yachts back in the ‘90s. That was back in my sailing days. At the time I really wanted a pilothouse and the Gulf 32 was on my short list. Then I looked at a few Cooper 353s and was summarily impressed. In my opinion, the Cooper quality was a notch above the CA-based Capital Yachts company that built the Gulfs. The 353s were more expensive and rarely available, too. Soon I lusted after the Cooper 41, but that model was out of my price range entirely. Around that time I knew a guy who owned a Cooper power boat (don’t recall the size, but I think it was around 36’?). He always raved about it.

Here in the PNW they are known as boats with very good build quality. I believe they went out of business when they lost all their molds in a fire. Otherwise we’d probably see a lot more Coopers plying these waters.
 
Check the archives here for lots of opinions on the DD 8.2. Boatdiesel.com also has a lot of info on these engines. As a sidebar note, I have 2 friends with them and they like them.
 
I had 2 and despised them...Whether you like or hate them...There is no denying they are a controversial engine and will cause you to lose potential buyers when you decide to sell....
 
I have a Tollycraft 37 which was repowered with DD 8.2’s in the 1990’s. They have about 2800 hours now and I’ve had the boat for 6 years, and they’ve never given me any trouble.
 
Agree the 8.2s are a love ‘em or hate ‘em engine. There are 1990 twins in the family with just over 7,000 hours. They have been meticulously maintained and have had no issues other than what you would expect and plan for. A failed transmission, turbo and alternator rebuilds or replacements, that kind of stuff.

The issue even this proud owner is facing now, is parts and finding anyone who has knowledge of these engines and/or can work on them. Hoses are tough to find. They have a less than favourable reputation, which I personally believe to be caused by a lack of understanding them and thus creating issues. Poor resale value.

Forbes Cooper built class sailboats and when, in the mid-80s, there was a market shift from sail to power, he went that route. Early builds were design and functionally problematic as he figured them out. I can’t put dates to issues. Comparing them to the local competition; Canoe Cove, Gulf Commander, Tolly and Uniflite, they were not high on the list of knowledgeable west coast buyers.

I can’t get a mental image of that particular model, but look closely at how you might pull those engines, if needed.

Cooper and his yachts have seen many iterations as Cooper Yachts, Queenship, Forbes Cooper Yachts and the West Coast, built on a Tolly 43 mold. Forbes also created Cooper Boating, the bare boat charter business that still thrives.

I personally think, if that boat was willed to me, I’m not sure I would keep it. $80k is high.
 
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cabin6 said:
I'm new to the forum, and looking at a 1989 Cooper Prowler 42 that has Detroit Diesel 8.2 4-stroke engines. In looking and searching on information about DD 8.2 diesel engines - i see two different points of view -- one says never own a boat with the DD 8.2 engines and the other says they're reliable and not a problem. Does anyone have experience with these engines?

Secondly - we're in the $80k range for this motor yacht, and it's in really good shape, but wondering if that's a great price for a Cooper Prowler, and what the overall quality is for this boat.

Would love your thoughts, as this is our first purchase.
Click to expand...

I'd say Sointula's post touched all the bases. Unless you are very hands on with engines, suggest you find the go to guy in the San Diego area for these engines. Talk with him, have him do an engine survey and determine if he has the time to be your mechanical savant. Any engine into its 4th decade is suspect until well examined due to a variety of owners with differing maintenance diligence
 
cabin6 said:
I'm new to the forum, and looking at a 1989 Cooper Prowler 42 that has Detroit Diesel 8.2 4-stroke engines. In looking and searching on information about DD 8.2 diesel engines - i see two different points of view -- one says never own a boat with the DD 8.2 engines and the other says they're reliable and not a problem. Does anyone have experience with these engines?
Click to expand...


Check threads here for extensive discussion.

We had one, worked fine.

-Chris
 
Rather than go back and edit, I'll add a missed point here.

Those 1990 8.2s in the family have been with the current, second owner, since 1992. They have been self maintained and watched over/advised on (I like that term Mechanical savant) by the original installer at Canoe Cove Mfg. That has been key to their healthy life.
 
DD 8.2s can be a decent engine if you do two things:

In the early years, head bolts were a problem. Check to make sure that yours are the higher tensile version.

On higher hp 8.2s, the aft cylinder would develop an air pocket and overheat badly. There is a vent kit that solves this.

David
 
DavidM said:
DD 8.2s can be a decent engine if you do two things:

In the early years, head bolts were a problem. Check to make sure that yours are the higher tensile version.

On higher hp 8.2s, the aft cylinder would develop an air pocket and overheat badly. There is a vent kit that solves this.

David
Click to expand...

As with many issues on older engines, if the engine has survived this long, it doesn't have that issue, either wasn't problematic on that engine, or if it was, has been effectively dealt with.
As for Coopers, I had a Cooper sailboat, a Seabird 37. When the admiral wanted to shift to power, we shifted. Had nothing to do with our choice of a Seabird as our last sailboat. She still tells folks that the seabird was the best sailboat ever.
No build quality issues whatsoever. Design issues, maybe, as the NA responsible for that boat, Stan Huntingford, failed to show up for work the day they did the keel, or there was an order from on high that made him put a long, shallow keel on a boat that might be asked to go to windward.
 
The go to guy in San DIego is frequenter of Boat DIesel. His sign in on B.D. is MDS.

He also advertises on B.D.

If I remember correctly his business is Marine Diesel Service.

Look him up.
 
Update…

Thank you all for your input!
Here is new info: boat was purchased in April 2021 for $50k.

Current owner has made some interior upgrades (carpet, flooring & new back splash in galley), plus new PSS shaft seals, fresh bottom paint, new blue/white underwater lights, new Garmin HD done for fly bridge chart plotter, new raw water pump on port engine, and new shower sump pump.

Asking price now is $89k. In my searches I can’t find many ACMY 42 Cooper Prowlers at that price… I’ve seen them at $69 (all have already been sold from what I can tell)…

Also - there is an 8.2 expert in San Diego… and he did the mechanical survey last April and also prior to that, so he knows this boat.

Would love thoughts on price/value of this boat - want a good one at fair price…
 
cabin6; said:
Here is new info: boat was purchased in April 2021 for $50k.

Current owner has made some (minor) interior upgrades (carpet, flooring & new back splash in galley), plus new PSS shaft seals, fresh bottom paint, new blue/white underwater lights, new Garmin HD done for fly bridge chart plotter, new raw water pump on port engine, and new shower sump pump.

Also - there is an 8.2 expert in San Diego.
Would love thoughts on price/value of this boat.
Click to expand...

From your latest then;

Why would a guy buy a boat, put what, maybe 10 grand into it and want to sell it 10 months later at a 50% markup? Probably less than 10 months; in reality they likely started thinking about getting out of it six months in.

If the “expert in San Diego” maybe the only one in CA, gives the engines a decent nod, will he be around long enough to hold your hand through 5-10 years of ownership?

With an average of only about 25 hours use per year, why the 150 hour difference between the two engines?

If you discover later, the reason your seller bailed after 10 months, or less, will it be easier to resell again?

Are you willing to be talked out of this boat at that price? What price?

If you must have it, give him his 50 grand. Better he takes the small loss, than you taking a big one.

I gather this is it?
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1989-cooper-prowler-42-8172050/

I don’t know, having watched those boats launched in the Fraser River and operated locally over a few years, I just can’t get excited about them. Are those blue underwater lights worth 30 grand to you?
 
cabin6 said:
Here is new info: boat was purchased in April 2021 for $50k.

Current owner has made some interior upgrades (carpet, flooring & new back splash in galley), plus new PSS shaft seals, fresh bottom paint, new blue/white underwater lights, new Garmin HD done for fly bridge chart plotter, new raw water pump on port engine, and new shower sump pump.

Asking price now is $89k.

Would love thoughts on price/value of this boat - want a good one at fair price…
Click to expand...


I don't see $39K worth of updates in that list.

OTOH, the market has been seriously skewed for the last almost 2 years... with $200K boats selling for $275, $450K boats selling for $550K and so forth (fictitious but representative examples).

-Chris
 
Great Comments! Thank you..

Thanks soin2la and ranger42c for your input -- I didn't either, which is why I wanted to ask thoughts and thinking - as I am new to this entire thing.

Essentially, the owner bought it to "flip" it, I guess, and now is looking for another boat to do similar. I agree that almost doubling price makes no sense...

Why the Cooper Prowler? They are super well made, handle well and also in rough seas, and the floor plan looks like it would work for us - and we love the teak wood on the interior.

But do we have to have this boat? Nope. We won't FOMO in -- we can wait and be patient and look at others -- we love the price point under $100k for our first stab at this whole idea - as it will be our first motor yacht. We've had other boats, but not one you could live aboard, etc.

So we also like CPMY style as well -- the others are in the $140 - $170k range - looking at Ocean Alexander 44/46 Sedan and Californian CPMY -- in the late 80's early 90's vintage.

I LOVE the expertise and thoughts!! Super helpful to have a sounding board here in this group of experts.
 
cabin6; said:
I am new to this entire thing. They are super well made, handle well and also in rough seas
Click to expand...

Meaning no disrespect, I can't connect those two comments.

Even though I'm not a Californian fan, I'd take one over the Cooper and OA is in another league entirely.

What is FOMO?
 
No offense taken… after reading a LOT of forum threads, people who own Cooper Prowlers LOVE them - one post talked about seeing how thick the hull was after putting in bow thrusters - lot thicker than he expected. Also talk about great handling, even in rough seas… so that’s the only way I could make those statements about well made and handle well. These were many comments I saw from people who own them and giving their experience about them.
 
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LOL! I don’t Twitter either! But acronyms have gotten easy over the past year or so.
 
Re: Cooper Yachts in general - I've owned a smaller Prowler (28') for 21 years now. The quality of the boat, hull, furniture, etc. is outstanding.

The hull is massively thick (which I confirmed a few months ago when installing a through-hull) and solid. The boat handles far better than any in this size range I've ever operated. Turns hard without losing a single knot of speed, cuts through massive wakes like you're on calm water.

Mine has the Volvo-Penta TAMD 41-B, which is a great motor (if you can afford the price of small parts, like O-rings, pump impellers, etc.!!). It pushes this 11,500 lb. boat to 27 knots, and only burns 4 1/2 gallons per hour at max RPM. I tend to cruise at 20.5 kts., and she burns a lot less at that speed.

Everyone I've ever met who owns a Cooper loves it. They rave about the quality.
 
I would research those engines extensively before you dive in. From memory, the design was poor with possible block and head distortion due to lack of infill/stiffeners between the cylinder banks.
Friends of mine had no end of trouble with their 8.2's and re-powered with Cummins 5.9's.
 
I spent a lot of time aboard my father’s 10 m Cooper double cabin. They are heavily constructed in true Canadian BC fashion. I would say the overall fit and finish was above average, of course, not on par with significantly more expensive boats. The teak work was top notch. The layout was excellent, two cabins each with own head, one with separate enclosed shower. This boat had twin Volvo’s, only 160 HP each. But it cruised economically at 18 knots, topped out at about 25. I experienced some truly concerning water conditions … life jackets on and one hand for the boat at all times, occasionally on our knees while on deck … while winter fishing off the WA coast. I never ever doubted the boat, just our sanity. I can personally vouch for seaworthiness. That was a 1989. I took a trade in value of $25k in 2014 with 1400 hours on the engines. I don’t think you should be paying more than $75K for your copy, improvements and inflation included..
 
cabin6 said:
I'm new to the forum, and looking at a 1989 Cooper Prowler 42 that has Detroit Diesel 8.2 4-stroke engines. In looking and searching on information about DD 8.2 diesel engines - i see two different points of view -- one says never own a boat with the DD 8.2 engines and the other says they're reliable and not a problem. Does anyone have experience with these engines?

Secondly - we're in the $80k range for this motor yacht, and it's in really good shape, but wondering if that's a great price for a Cooper Prowler, and what the overall quality is for this boat.

Would love your thoughts, as this is our first purchase.
Click to expand...

This thread is very interesting and informative. I am also considering the same model for sale in Washington, also the same price: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1990-cooper-42-aft-cabin-motor-yacht-7988457/.
The DD is actually a two stroke engine. Pulling the fuel in and pushing the exhaust out in the same stroke, meaning it is exhausting some unburned fuel, apparently not as fuel efficient as 4 stroke.
The reason to buy this boat is that it has a large comfortable inside seating area, a good size kitchen, a dedicated dining table separate from the salon along with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. I have not found another boat in this size and price that has these features. Not even close. So the engines are a big question. I am going to ask my local mechanic tomorrow if he can look after them, so I am still learning. I am curious what the cost is of new 250hp Cummins, if the price is right on the boat? Anybody have a good idea about that?
The problem with this question is that even with new engines you still have an old boat and the value does not increase that much. So I asking myself do I love this boat and want to keep it for a long time.
 
Ken Parkinson said:
This thread is very interesting and informative. I am also considering the same model for sale in Washington, also the same price: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1990-cooper-42-aft-cabin-motor-yacht-7988457/.
The DD is actually a two stroke engine. Pulling the fuel in and pushing the exhaust out in the same stroke, meaning it is exhausting some unburned fuel, apparently not as fuel efficient as 4 stroke.
Click to expand...


The older Detroit 53, 71, 92, etc. series are 2 strokes. But the 8.2 is a 4 stroke.
 
That's interesting, the broker said its a 2 stroke. If its a 4 stroke like every other Diesel engine out there, then what's the fuss?
 
Ken Parkinson said:
That's interesting, the broker said its a 2 stroke. If its a 4 stroke like every other Diesel engine out there, then what's the fuss?
Click to expand...


The DD 8.2 has a less than great reputation, so many people are nervous about buying a boat with them.
 
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