One thing that I hope has always been apparent with my articles is that we appreciate the budget boater. With boats, especially performance boats, it’s easy to get carried away and only report and test the expensive exotic boats. But that’s not what we’re about. We like those too, but there is something about a great budget performance boat or a neat vintage boat that gets you on the water. I think this 1985 Baja is a classic in many ways and could be the answer to your budget boat needs.

For one, Baja has always been a well priced boat brand that has had models of all shapes and sizes. When they started in Ohio, down the road from Checkmate, they started with a little 16’ ski boat. To me, this 1985 16’, which I believe is a 164 model, is a great example of what a Baja is. This thing is really cool looking, simple, and affordable. The eighties was actually a hey day for Baja boats, with production growing, the boats grew too but Baja always had small outboards up until the early 2000s.

Why would you buy an old Baja? In this age range, they made 16 and 18 that looked really similar and I think with the wrap around windshield and clean lines these are sharp looking. Baja has always been knocked for quality but at the time it was respectable quality and the designs always looked great to me. They looked good but didn’t perform like other performance brands and that’s okay, here’s the game plan for this budget Baja.

You are going to want to inspect it closely, it was made with plywood and a chopper gun. It’s heavy and possibly water logged. Keep it simple, if you’re lucky, it was repaired already but you may have to replace the transom, stringers and floor. This one had a decent looking interior. When it comes to material, used wood, there is no reason to spend a ton on this.

Second, these boats were knocked out quick, if you have the chance, inspect the bottom and do a mild blueprint on the bottom, repair major gouges, warping and do your best to improve them. Old boats like this aren’t worth spending too much time on but with some gelcoat and sanding you can improve major issues without too much effort. I would make every effort to not paint the boat. Wet sand it and polish it and live with the results. You can make it look significantly better with elbow grease and the right products without spending too much money, just your time.

If the interior wasn’t good, you can always find replacement seats for cheap at discount marine supply stores. I’ve seen decent little bucket seats for about $255, probably less than fixing and recovering old ones.

Another thing, this Baja is not a fast boat, it’s not a Hydrostream, or Allison, it’s an old sport boat, good for kids skiing and running around the lake. The good news is that you don’t need a ton of power to have fun with it, a 90 HP is probably perfect which is also great for your budget and fuel economy. Any newer four stroke 90 HP from Mercury, Yamaha, or Suzuki would be great. Older two strokes would be excellent too as they are usually really light.

Keep in mind, If you over power it, you won’t be gaining much in performance but you will be probably have a poor handling hull. I’d spend the time lightening the boat up, cleaning up the hull and just setting it up well with a 90 or maybe a 115 and enjoy. Finding the right prop, engine height and setback will be more practical than putting a 150 on it. If you get 50-55 MPH out of it, you’re doing well.

I love a vintage sport boat, and Baja made some really nice looking boats. What they lacked in performance they made up for in style. And, this thing is pretty practical for a little boat. With prices of all boats being so crazy right now, you could get on the water for $3,000 to $5,000 in a neat vintage sport boat, I’d say you’re winning the race.