help with comp decision

[blazerman]

I am going to buy a comp soon and am torn. Which would be better, a pre '92 wood boat in really good shape w/low hours or a later model classic/sts composite boat in so-so condition with 700 or so hours (still no salt) for the same money? I have found both but am leaning toward the composite just because of stringer issues but want to get opinions.

[Salty87]

well-maintained hours are nothing to be afraid of. bad stringers are. in fact, low hours can be bad. problems creep up when things sit too long. unused does not equal well-maintained.

[DAFF]

Composite all the way... You can do many repairs to a ugly composite for the price of a stringer job. Just make sure the STS is infact a true all composite boat. Some of these were the exception to the round windshield rule.

[blazerman]

Kind of the way I was thinking too. From what I am reading it isn't a question of "if" but "when" you have to do stringers in the older boats, correct?

The boat in question is a '97, as I understand it they were all composite by then. It does have the old school windshield shape that I like, is wood something I need to watch for in this year?

[DAFF]

No totally sure but I remeber something about wooden stringers in the newer comps of that era... I would find out 100% for sure before purchasing.

[blazerman]

Crap, I thought all of them after 93 were composite. How do I know, is it obvious? The boat is about 2 hours from me and I am going to try to check it out this weekend but don't know what exactly to look for visually.

[kriley]

Rounded windshield equals composite, squared windshield equals wood!

[blazerman]

Rounded windshield equals composite, squared windshield equals wood!

More confused than ever now, I thought the transition year was '92???
How do I know?

[Ptownkid]

Yeah, i have ALWAYS been told that round windshield = composite. What is causing you to second guess that Daff? Have you actually seen or heard of different? I spoke directly to Jim at Viper about that once and he confirmed that the rule was true.

Besides...we're talking about a 1997 here...it must be composite.

[DAFF]

Here is a pic from a 1997 Supra Comp Classic. Notice the wood on the inside of the engine housing !!! A all composite engine cover would not be built like this. As I remember the classic was a non composite built boat value priced in the late 90's.

http://www.boats.com/boat-details/Supra-Comp-Classic/108029511

Sorry for the bad news but its better to know now than later.......

[blazerman]

Wow, I'm glad I asked. I was under the impression anything built after 93 was composite, that would have been a big mistake. What would I look for to be sure if I do make the trip to look at it?

[DAFF]

A comp with a round windshield would be more than likely composite. I think the Classics were created due to the slow boat sales in the late 90's and people were looking for a bargin new boat pricing. If it has the square I am 95% cetain it is a all wood construction.

Are you fixed on a comp ?? If so look for one with a recent stringer reconstruction. Typicialy these boats are built better than factory.

[Jetlink]

Haugy, correct me if I am wrong but didn't Supra or whoever owned the line back in the late 90's do a "retro" style boat with the classic windshield and cap but all new composite construction below? Thought we beat this one to death a few months back.

Sorry to add even more confusion but I think this boat might truly be a composite boat with the look of the classic comp without the wood stringers. This boat might have a few things made out of wood like seat bases or a dog house base but that is nothing to really worry about as the structure and stringers should not be wood.

[haugy]

Haugy, correct me if I am wrong but didn't Supra or whoever owned the line back in the late 90's do a "retro" style boat with the classic windshield and cap but all new composite construction below? Thought we beat this one to death a few months back.

Sorry to add even more confusion but I think this boat might truly be a composite boat with the look of the classic comp without the wood stringers. This boat might have a few things made out of wood like seat bases or a dog house base but that is nothing to really worry about as the structure and stringers should not be wood.

Jetlink, you're right.

Sorry I didn't jump in here earlier. Yes, even though it is old style, the 1997 Supra Comp will be all composite inside, just classic exterior. They did make a Comp Classic to match the old styling but was built using the more modern techniques of composite. Since the lower hulls hadn't changed yet, it was very easy for them to make a new style lower hull with all composite structure, and put an older cap on top. Some of the reasoning I heard (but could have been a rumor) was they had quite a few extra top-caps left-over and this was a way to move them out of storage.

Personally I'd jump all over the Classic. I prefer the older style, but would love to find one that is all composite.

Let's see some pics of the two you're comparing.

[blazerman]

First of all, thanks for clearing this up for me. I have been looking for an old school square windshield comp for several years but the wood stringers scare me away from any boat that isn't spotless so I thought the later model ones would be the perfect solution. If the wood is only in the doghouse and seat frames I can live with that but have no desire to deal with deck and stringers. The '90 that I was looking at sold real quick for way too much money (probably someone who didn't know about the potential rot issues) so that option is out at this point. I am going to go check out the late model one this weekend, it is a little rougher but a little elbow grease and a few bucks will get it right.
I still don't really know how to confirm composite stringers, do they look different? Where is the easiest place to confirm?
Thanks guys.

[DAFF]

Haugy, correct me if I am wrong but didn't Supra or whoever owned the line back in the late 90's do a "retro" style boat with the classic windshield and cap but all new composite construction below? Thought we beat this one to death a few months back.

Sorry to add even more confusion but I think this boat might truly be a composite boat with the look of the classic comp without the wood stringers. This boat might have a few things made out of wood like seat bases or a dog house base but that is nothing to really worry about as the structure and stringers should not be wood.

I must of missed that thread.... Was going from what I rembered in researching my comp many years ago.... If that is the case in composite stringer then this would be a slam dunk IMO. I too prefer the square windshield with the benifits of composite..... PERFECT!!!

So in 92+ all boats are stringer composite then no matter windshield design???

[Ptownkid]

I must of missed that thread.... Was going from what I rembered in researching my comp many years ago.... If that is the case in composite stringer then this would be a slam dunk IMO. I too prefer the square windshield with the benifits of composite..... PERFECT!!!

So in 92+ all boats are stringer composite then no matter windshield design???

No...in 1992 they made three barebones models with square windshields that were still wood stringers. The impulse, the spirit and the something else that eludes me right now...it's possible that one can say 1993 and on are composites though. I guess the comp classic is the one oddball.

My 1992 saltare has composite stringers, but the doghouse base, seat bases and backing plates (rudder and strut) are wood.

[haugy]

No...in 1992 they made three barebones models with square windshields that were still wood stringers. The impulse, the spirit and the something else that eludes me right now...it's possible that one can say 1993 and on are composites though. I guess the comp classic is the one oddball.

My 1992 saltare has composite stringers, but the doghouse base, seat bases and backing plates (rudder and strut) are wood.

Right on the money. You have to be careful with the 92's. They could still be wood stringer. I know the Impulse, and the Esprit, but can't think of another.

[kvand347]

FWIW--My '93 has a wood doghouse base and some wood in the instrument panel. Seat bases, stringer, etc. are all composite.

[blazerman]

OK, went and saw this boat, now I need advice....
The good:
It is a 97 composite comp classic with the square windshield, the only wood I could find was in the motor cover, everything else is composite including seat frames.
The exterior of the boat isn't in bad shape, just needs to be cleaned up and buffed.
The colors are maroon and white, there is an absence of the 80s colors
The steering turns free, prop looks good, generally mechanically clean
All the fluids look/smell OK
No evidence of salt water use

The bad:
It has been outside and unused for the last 2 years under a cover, 680 hours on the clock
It won't stay running for more than about 10 seconds (carb or fuel pump???)
The exhaust manifold risers and bolts are corroded all to hell on the bottom side
When running on the hose water comes out of what appears to be the exhaust risers but unable to confirm, the boat wasn't winterized last year but no leaks from the block.
The bilge pump doesn't work
The wing windows are missing from the windshield
The dash is scratched & faded
The carpet has some frays/tears
The seats have some tears on the edges but overall OK
The trailer rims are rusted (chrome rims)
There is a dime sized chunk out of the gel coat on the hull toward the back

I still think I can make the boat what I want it to be but it will take some work. What do you think the boat is worth, opinions are appreciated

[DAFF]

Most block leaks are internal. To be safe I would assume the engine is toast if it wasn't winterized. I do recall something about the risers cracking and leaking but from what is the question. As for price I would start off around $4000.00 and go from there. There will be many suprizes along the way with this one, so you need to be in it at a bargain basement price.

[NorCalPR]

I would say 5-7,000 is a fair price for both you and the seller, depending on what it comes with. FWIW, I got my 98 Comp (All composite) with a trailer, 400 hours on the clock and in excellent condition for 10k.

NADA book on that boat with a trailer is 9,840 (Low)

[blazerman]

Well, I made an offer and we aren't far apart on a price on this thing. I am hoping against hope that there aren't any cracks in the motor, the oil wasn't milky and it had been run for a few minutes sporadically when I looked at it. The water that was leaking wasn't coming from the block so I am crossing my fingers that the manifolds are the culprit.

I have done the math on the parts needed from skidim to get the mechanicals right but there are some salvage parts that I need and don't know where to get them or how much they will cost.
I need: glove box door (broken), wing windows, possibly windshield parts to hold them in, and a clock or plug for the clock hole in the instrument panel - any ideas?

The boat needs TLC and a little wrenching but it comes with a cover, ski pole, ski, ropes, and a fat sac/pump.
I think I am going to take the risk on this boat that it is only the manifolds that leak if I can get the price right. If it needs a motor I will be in it total around 8K but at least then I know it is pretty much mechanically new and the hull is composite so no surprises down the road.

[Salty87]

cool, i hope it works out for you. pics of the signs of a leak?

you might find some of those parts when someone parts out an old hull on here. happens a few times a year. check the classifieds section.

my clock was replaced with a depth gauge.

[crystal waters]

here is one locally --94 with the classic style so believe it would be composite stringers
Road Trip anyone???
http://classifieds.castanet.net/details/1994_supra_comp_skiwakeboard/1598288/

[sunmingxing03]

Some of these were the exception to the round windshield rule.

[kriley]

American Marine for the windshield -located in Florida. I made my own lid for the glove box - I have a 90 comp. AS for the extra parts - Try viper customs - I picked up a few parts that he had laying around...

[blazerman]

here is one locally --94 with the classic style so believe it would be composite stringers
Road Trip anyone???
http://classifieds.castanet.net/details/1994_supra_comp_skiwakeboard/1598288/

Huge thanks to Crystal Waters, road trip indeed!

I left saturday am at 6 and got back saturday night at 10:30 but the boat is in my garage. Nicest one I have seen and it is all 'glass except the seat frames and engine cover bulkhead. I got it for a fair price and I like the colors. Don't see many with the white windshield frame but I kind of dig it with the all white gelcoat, looks different than most.
I will post pics up when I get done detailing and buffing her out, I am so excited - finally got my comp (my first non pontoon boat)!

[crystal waters]

sounds like you are in the lower mainland .
glad it worked out for you!
I believe big time in road trips for the right boat!
how about some quick pics pre detail

[blazerman]

sounds like you are in the lower mainland .
glad it worked out for you!
I believe big time in road trips for the right boat!
how about some quick pics pre detail

Yup, I'm about an hour south of Seattle so the trip was just on the edge of an overnighter. I was surprised to find snow and ice on the road going there and it slowed me down a little, pretty nice up there though.

The boat was a little dirty and oxidized, he had it at a marina last year for sale and they had it out in the sun unprotected. I'm going to get it detailed out and then do a fluids/belts/impeller service and tune up next and then it should be water ready. I will snap a couple pics tonight.

[crystal waters]

good on you! large drive in one day! Still getting snow in the passes which are hard to avoid from your place to Kelowna!
glad the boat worked out for you.

[Gregmacdog]

There are plenty of good boats out there. I just bumped into a nice comp in California, a 2000 for around 17k, with 300ish hours.
Google Supra Comp for sale.

[blazerman]

Tried to post these yesterday but somehow screwed up. All cleaned up and ready to spend some time on the water.

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab97/blazr_man/IMAG0816_zpscadc4cb3.jpg (http://s853.photobucket.com/user/blazr_man/media/IMAG0816_zpscadc4cb3.jpg.html)

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab97/blazr_man/IMAG0814_zpsad984c6c.jpg (http://s853.photobucket.com/user/blazr_man/media/IMAG0814_zpsad984c6c.jpg.html)

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab97/blazr_man/IMAG0817_zpsa0914ebf.jpg (http://s853.photobucket.com/user/blazr_man/media/IMAG0817_zpsa0914ebf.jpg.html)

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab97/blazr_man/IMAG0815_zpscfbaafd6.jpg (http://s853.photobucket.com/user/blazr_man/media/IMAG0815_zpscfbaafd6.jpg.html)

[ts6mnewbie]

Very, very, very, very, jealous. Congrats !

[DAFF]

Nice first choice in boats. You will enjoy the white Ferarri while carving up the lake. Did you get the extensions for the trailer ?? Mine were nice when loading solo...

[crystal waters]

awesome boat !!!!! very pleased for you!
Enjoy it to the hilt! treat her like a fine lady and she will be good to you in turn!

[blazerman]

Well, after a little work I love my comp!
I did some optional things like fluids, filters, cap, rotor, coil, tinted the windshield and some mandatory things like new batteries, tighten up the shaft seal to stop a pretty good leak, cleaned and caulked the rub rail (there were a couple of small gaps so I cleaned and did the whole thing) and take the carb apart and clean it up.

She has given me several trouble free weekends and I get compliments from everyone who sees it, still one of the best looking hulls on the water. I don't care for towers but after using it I am glad it is on there or half the boat would be useless when towing people.

I have a couple of things that I am working on though:
I have a leak I can't seem to pinpoint. The shaft seal is leak free but I still have water in the bilge after running around (doesn't seem to leak when sitting still much). The pump will run every 20 minutes or so and pump what looks to be about 1/2 gallon out. It isn't coming from the motor or exhaust and when I am running around with the bilge pump cover off I can see what appear to be little bubbles right next to the pump like it is coming in right there - any ideas?

Also, at part throttle under load there is a weird slight vibration that resonates through the boat - not a shake or anything but the tone of the boat changes if that makes sense. Is this normal? I have checked everything to be sure it is all tight from the tranny back and can't feel anything, I replaced the prop with a new in box stock michigan unit I got locally from a friend who bought it for a spare and never used it.

Oh yeah, and you can tell the boat was made in the days when gas was a buck a gallon! I am lucky to get about an afternoon and a half of tugging the kids around on a tank of fuel.

In spite of these things I love the boat and she was worth the wait, thanks for everyone's input while I was looking!

[DAFF]

Seal on the rudder might be the leaky culprite. Some had a grease nipple on them others need to be removed and serviced.

[Jetlink]

When you are talking about the part throttle issue, is it a tone that is resonating throughout the boat? Mine does that, there are certain speeds where it seems like the whole boat is resonating the exhaust tone.

[blazerman]

When you are talking about the part throttle issue, is it a tone that is resonating throughout the boat? Mine does that, there are certain speeds where it seems like the whole boat is resonating the exhaust tone.

Yes, exactly. It doesn't feel like anything is wrong necessarily, it just resonates. The loud exhaust is actually one of the things I enjoy about the boat, my wife says it doesn't sound like anyone else on the lake. It cracks me up that they call it a "marine silencer" on the exhaust, talk about false advertising.

[Jetlink]

It's your exhaust resonating off the water and the swim platform. Let me take a wild guess here...you have the fiberglass swim platform, flapper exhaust and it occurs around 13-18 MPH or so in the range where you are not truly on plane and not displaced either.

[blazerman]

It's your exhaust resonating off the water and the swim platform. Let me take a wild guess here...you have the fiberglass swim platform, flapper exhaust and it occurs around 13-18 MPH or so in the range where you are not truly on plane and not displaced either.

No, wood platform but the rest is pretty much spot on. Towed a skier this weekend and at 30 on a plane it is smooth as silk, just the part throttle thing. The guy I towed is a pretty seasoned slalom guy and he couldn't stop raving about the ride, said it was the best he'd ever been behind.

[NorCalPR]

My comp doesn't vibrate at all, loaded down or completely empty, no vibes, no resonating...

I wonder if your driveshaft is slightly bent.

[Jetlink]

My comp doesn't vibrate at all, loaded down or completely empty, no vibes, no resonating...

I wonder if your driveshaft is slightly bent.

I'm looking at this via my iPhone at the moment so I can't see signatures with boats/years but if your a newer boat as in not a classic vintage, you might have mufflers that deaden the sound. I know I don't and that is the reason at certain speeds my boat exhaust is just ridiculous in the boat. But it's only at that one speed regime and it literally started the moment I removed the Supertrapps and went to straight pipes with flappers.

Also, even a slight driveline issue would be noticeable at all speeds I would think.

[NorCalPR]

It's a 98, with flaps under the teak, 350 Indmar

[comp92]

It's your exhaust resonating off the water and the swim platform. Let me take a wild guess here...you have the fiberglass swim platform, flapper exhaust and it occurs around 13-18 MPH or so in the range where you are not truly on plane and not displaced either.

That's my 1992 Comp to the T!
haha :D

[blazerman]

Well, found the leak...the hard way. My bilge pump took a crap and I wasn't paying attention and I had about 8" of standing water in the bilge! When I adjusted the stuffing box I either got it too tight or the packing was shot because it was leaking quite a bit again. I just repacked it again with the gore tex stuff, I will sneak up on the adjustment this time to be sure. While I had the floor up I shot some grease in the rudder for grins, what a pita! I had to put a 90 deg zerk in it to get the grease gun on it.

There is a small hole next to the bilge on my composite comp, looks to be a weep hole? Water comes out of it when I empty the bilge sump completely (on the trailer).

My sister took a picture of it on the water, this is just as I am pulling in after noticing the water in the bilge, looks a little lower than usual!

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab97/blazr_man/boat/waterpic_zpsc88ebab4.jpg (http://s853.photobucket.com/user/blazr_man/media/boat/waterpic_zpsc88ebab4.jpg.html)

[92SupraComp]

Wow, I have the exact same resonance problem! 1992, with dual 3.5", fiberglass deck, only thing though, The first owner (I am 2nd) over heated the exhaust, bad. So now my "muffler" is a giant hollow tube on the back of my motor. It is heard over 2 miles away (sweet), but from 1100 to 1900 rpm, is unbearable! Also, guys, I have the wood motor box base, but the newer Supra look, Is my comp Composite? Would love to hear it if it is. Those CCFan guys brag about how in 93 CC made ONLY the Ski N. Composite in 93 and up... Just found out about the composite in 1992 and the lifetime warranty. (My dad knew about the useless warranty lol!)

[blazerman]

I think the comp is just a noisy boat......not a problem for me, I like it!

If your 92 has the round windshield it will be a composite, if it has the square windshield probably not is the general concensus from all of my research. While I haven't seen a wood comp in person one easy way to tell is to open the motor box and peel a little bit of carpet back from the edge of the floor deck. Mine looks like a really loose particle board that is clearly a fiberglass type of material (not plywood), I believe this is the "starboard" composite deck material. Also, if you look at the stringer area in the bilge there are no visible seams or anything anywhere, it looks like a single piece that is all the same color. From the pictures of wood ones I have seen the bilge area isn't like that.

My motor box and the seat bases are wood but I don't believe there is any wood below the water line. This was a huge factor in whether or not I bought a comp, the stringer redo project is not for me..

[92SupraComp]

I agree on the stringers... I have done a little more, I have the composite boat. :D

And, oh, believe me I love a loud boat. My comp is heard over 2 miles away. It has to make up for the CC. You see, 88 and before CC had the standard dual 3" exhaust. Nice sound, not to loud, not too quiet. Just about right. But, in 89, CC got into the 'good neighbor policy". So that meant silencers for all of their boats. I can't hear our CC once it gets 1/8 mile away. Its like an i/o :(

Just, between 1100 to 1900 rpms is unbearable inside the boat.