New carp carp!

[Ericelgin1]

I am going to get a quote from a guy on redoing the interior on my 1984 18' skier.  I think there will be some flooring that needs to be replaced.  Is this something that is going to be clear and easy for the guy to do or is there a good chance he could damage the boat in the process?  I would be grateful for any experience and knowledge that you guys have.

[RonT]

Thats a loaded question... Any soft spots in the floor?? Most interior shops only do upholstery & sometimes carpet. The questions come in when the carpet is pulled out & floor areas are found needing repair/replacement. This is when I find upholstery shops tend to do poor patchwork & cover it up with new carpet & upholstery & it looks great but the true issues are still lurking below the floors. ALL ski boats of this era are prone to water saturated flotation foam below the floors, the extent of this is largely due to how the boat is used & stored. The real solution can be expensive or DIY labor intensive but worth the work. If the boat were in my shop I would start by removing the fuel tank, boring an exploritory 3" hole in the floor where the tank sat & inspect. If the foam is dry, floors are solid everywhere else, your good to go with carpet & interior work. If saturated you need to ascess your use, money, time etc. wet foam & solid floors only mean the time is coming for floor & foam replacement. If the project is delayed at least replace the fuel lines when the tank goes back in because they are not rated for todays fuels & will only cause greif with the motor.
A true restoration includes removing the deck, engine, floors, foam, & wiring. 

[Ericelgin1]

Sounds like I need to decide which way to go with this thing....is there an easy no brainer way to tell what should be done?  How much would the work you described cost  at your shop? (ball park of course).

Not really any soft spots there is one spot that that feels "different" and the wood is a little beat up in a few locations around the motor.  just feel like it needs it I guess, a hunch. 


Thanks

[RonT]

I generally advise the following when the floor seems pretty good but has worn carpet, tired upholstery, & is 20+ yrs old:
A) Use the boat as is while putting away $$ for a complete overhaul
B) Use the boat as is until you get too embarrased to run her & then sell at a discounted price to a DIYer
Additional thoughts: A new ski boat costs 40K+ A good used 10yr old ski boat costs 20K+ A worn out tired 20-30yr old ski boat is worth 2-4K+/-
To justify the cost of rebuilding as a DIY project & maybe some professional help is pretty easy to make the numbers work, in this manner you could spend 3-5K and come out with a really nice boat that will last for decades
To a pay a professional to do all the work becomes very hard to justify unless there is additional sentimental value to the owner.
Here are some rough estimates for professional work: Closed bow ski boat

Remove deck, motor box, engine  (500-700)
Remove carpet, cut out flooring, remove foam  (700-900)
Replace stringers IF NEEDED  (rare on A/S boats) (900-1500)
Replace flooring w/composites, replace carpet  (800-1000)
Engine/trans work (depends on hrs, cond.)
Replace wiring harness (same dash)   (200-400)
Replace fuel hoses (all)    (100-200)
Replace upholstery    (1000-3000)
Return deck to hull, motorbox, engine, new rubrail, (600-900)
Above does not include any exterior finishing or trailer work.
 
PS I am always looking for the "B" boats above   

[RonT]

There are some very good examples of members on this forum who have tackled the job themselves with very good results. My brother & I looked at MYagers project last summer & was impressed with his boat. (He has a rare Carrera model) The pride that these owners have when completing a project is awesome, especially when the young punks with their new 50K+ ski boats ask what you boat is & you tell them its 25 years old & looks like it just came out of the showroom!

[art]

Mine is a 1989, all original.  Not showroom condition, but pretty well maintained and I was genuinely surprised by the number of compliments I got on her last summer.  And it's a hell of a lot better looking than most of those $50+k boats the young punks are tooling about in - I still maintain these boats are American classics.  Not sure I'd trade mine even if I had the $50k to spend.  How much longer until summer? 

[art]

Hey Ron- You might check this one out.  This guy had this listed all last summer, continuously dropping his price.  He's down to $4k, but I'd guess it could be had for less.
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/boa/2163366195.html

[Mike Harry]

Im so proud of mine I cant hardly stand it. The more I learn about the history the more I love it. I did do all the work myself, its not that hard......... takes up quite a bit of time, but its not that hard.

I hope you figure out what is best for you, but personally, I would NEVER trade or sell my boat to look at a newer one........