Looking into purchasing a 1997 cobra viper 21 footer. Anyone ever owned one of these to speak on whether they are a good boat or not?

I have a 2002 with a merc 3 liter 225 and would not trade for any thing.the only problem I have had was today,i went to start it,long story short I need to get a new ignition switch tomorrow.the boat rides great and will run 70-73 all day long...just my 2 cents..

I've been in one, 2001 model I think? But it was a great boat.

Have a 99 model w/ MERC 225, great rough water boat, huge front deck love the boat just make sure your storage box seals are good or your stuff will get wet

I have a 1999 18'8 and I love it. Great ride and my front deck is big

You might p.m. Marc Mitchell, he had a boat deal with them a few years back. I know he liked them when he was running them.

I owned a 2000 model a few years back. It was awesome.

They can be hard to sell only because they aren't one of the Big 5 brands, but if you're not concerned about selling it any time soon you will love the boat.

Mine porpoised a little bit at mid-range speeds and you had to punch the gas to get it through the porpoise, but I have owned other brands that did the same thing.

I would definitely own another one if I found one that was real clean and well taken care of.

Good luck to ya' buddy.

I owned a 1996 20 footer for about 10 years. It was a great boat. Great in rough water, never had any problems with it. I have a buddy that bought one right after me in 1997 because he liked mine. He still has his and loves it. Hull almost identical to Champion. John Storey design.

I have a 2000, 201D, blew the 225 merc EFI, now have a 250 yamaha. Great boat, could land a small plane on the front deck, decent in rough water, but the ride can get wet. Of course, I could just be a bad driver.

man this is great news. im hoping the one i'm looking at this week checks out to be clean!

It says on cobrabassboats.com that they are gonna start making them again. Maybe I'm just mis reading. Check it out.

own a 2001 coosa 216 ... love the boat... blew the 01 225 merc efi and now have a 02 225 efi

Um yes that's from 2012.

What year did they start doing the transoms in composites?

Oh didn't see the date...that's too bad.

Took the words right out of my mouth..........Check the transom thoroughly, that year will probably still be wood.

I owned two of them and they were great boats. I would suggest checking the stringers or have a glass guy look at it if it's not a Coosa. If it fits your budget I'd try and find an early model Legend.

I've fished mine for 10 years and love that boat. I'm actually gonna list it here soon though. 1995 Cobra Viper 201 w/200 Evinrude if anyone is interested...

I own a 1998 201d. Awesome boat. Great deck. Great rough water. It should have a sticker on the transom if it's composite. Mine does.

what does the sticker say?

I've got a 201D with a Merc 225. Fishes great, handles big water decent and it's pretty quick too!

Both my dad and I have 1999 202 cobra's and we love them and they are great rough water boat.

TtownBassDude
Those were great hulls and fishing platforms. 93" beam and weighed in around 1450 lbs. One of the nicest boats that I ever had the priviledge to fish out of. You might be interested to know that in April 2000 the all time B.A.S.S. 3-day weight was shattered at Clearlake CA using a Viper. 83 lbs 5 oz. That record has since been broken but I bet that old Viper is still around somewhere.

Great boat! I bought a 21'6" Coosa in 2001 w/XB250. Very tough boat and great rough water ride. The only problem I've had in 13 years was a broken throttle cable.

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Cheers,

George

i have a 2003 cobra coosa 201dc. Love the boat. the front deck is huuuuuuuuuuge. love the way the boat runs. i'd buy another.

I've seen quite a few cobras on lake belton over the years, they seemed to have a following in that area.

i have a 98 201D and love it. The Front Deck with the extension has prenty of room for both my son and I to fish.

Same layout as early Legends, ride is good but wet. Quite wet.
My Dad has one and it's a good boat.

September 2013 on the "cobra bass boats" Facebook page they posted this:

"Who is getting excited? The trailer is in and the boat is sitting on it!! We just need to complete the interior, hang our first motor and we will have photos to show!! (ps we are taking a "build it right the first time" approach so when we show photos and take orders, there aren't any recalls, it is as strong and durable as possible! Customer satisfaction is our #1 goal, it WILL be worth the wait!)"

We shall see what's going on...maybe

that has to be the driver.. we RARELY get wet in my Cobra

The only time I have gotten wet and it was once is when the wind was blowing 40 mph out of the NW and I was heading north. Sucked big time. Now I have only owned the boat for 8 months.

This^^^^ There has to be a big wind a blownin' for me to get wet in mine.

Cheers,

George

I've rode in a couple 201's including my Dad's and compared to other 20'+ boats I've ridden in (Champion, BassCat, Triton, even Ranger!)they are wet. Even my Dad agrees and he's had his for several years now. They have a long front deck and ride pretty smooth but that's my one knock against them... other than battery access. LOL! Hey, it's just my opinion. Heck, my buddys old Z21 Ranger was great to fish off of but it was a wet ride too. His new Triton 21XS? Much smoother and drier riding. Like night and day.

i rarely get wet in mine when the wind is under 5mph

been on Big Sam in Feb... never got wet... been on Twok with 4ft rollers and never got wet... only time i EVER got water over the bow was on the trollin motor and was waked.

I never get wet

There are several thousand older Kingfishers, Hydra Sports, Cobras, Hawks, Vipers, Champions, Rangers, and BassCats out there running all around the lake with wooden transoms. Wooden transoms are not all bad providing the manufacturer knew how to properly seal the wood.

These guys did. I wouldn't be afraid of an older boat that has been properly cared for. Inspect the transom area for cracks. Hairline cracks in the gelcoat are normal for older boats. Anything more than a hairline crack and I would have a reputable fiberglass guy look it over before you buy.

You couldn't be more correct Ken , the only thing wrong with a wooden transom is one that has rotted out. Hence the suggestion to check it thoroughly

Cobras were a Ranger 482 mold splashed. Nothing original other than a few strake and chine mods. Same mold(s) were used on Cobras, Hawks, Vipers, and early Legends (and maybe some other brands as my older mind gets crowded).

John Storie was a consultant and partner on the boats but they are a long way from a Champion hull . But, under a do not compete agreement he (Storie) could not copy any of the unique Champion features (specifically hull features) on another boat brand.

Information comes from Champion guru and professional boat driver now professional retiree Pat Goff. The whole story can be found here:

http://www.bbcboards.net/champion-boats/59135-champion-world-%96-according-pat-goff.html

Very interesting reading for bassboat folks.

Hmmm looks like they're back, not sure how many boats they've built yet. That Tohatsu looks a whole lot like a black Honda, those motors share any heritage?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1IU-JxgU5tj6gtHGGlhGg

What kind of motor? A friend had a 202 (not sure of the age) with a 250 XB. Great boat! Huge deck. Only problem with the 250 XB it runs on premium fuel. Gets kind of pricey.

I have a 99' that I just repowered with a 2006 Yamaha 225 HPDI. I love the boat and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a used boat. I have owned 2 Skeeter's, a Triton and a couple others going way back and I wouldn't trade that Cobra for anything; well, maybe a new Legend. Mine came from James Wilkins - Bowie Marine. Buy now, you won't regret the boat, can't speak for the motor.

My older brother owned a Cobra. I believe it was a 21 footer. It had the older Mercury 225 on it. After a little tuning with the prop and jackplate, that thing would jump out and fly. We hit a rather large pecan tree stump one night at Possum Kingdom. In fact we drove right over the top of it covering the majority of the hull right down the middle. It did some damage to it but we were able to get back to Fox Hollow and we hit it up by Sky Camp. If you do not know how far that is, it is a pretty good hawl even at top speed. I have never done anything like that in another brand boat so I cannot do any comparisons but if the Cobra's were still being produced I would recommend one.

I have a 2000 201D with the Merc 225. I love the boat. I have gotten wet a few times in mine. But, I love the boat. When they produce the new ones, I'll probably get a new one then.