Project Beast

[Southerngrounds]

I picked up a supra beast last week....let the fun begin! Like all old supras it will need floors, stringers and a complete interior redo. The beast has a 454 but unfortunately it has a cracked block. I will tackle to motor last. Shanne at The Boat Works will be helping with the restore. His guys have already started on the floors and stringers. It will have a custom paint job and interior. I will try to post pictures as soon as I figure out how to.

[Southerngrounds]

http://s46.photobucket.com/user/brandon26/media/5A71F50B-E270-4633-899B-390A478ED629_zpsvhjq3yh7.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4

[dirtydawg]

Hats off to you. That will be a Beast of a project but you will love the end result. And if tastefully done, you will get more looks and compliments than brand new boats. Definitely need pics.

[Southerngrounds]

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Pictures from last Wednesday

[Southerngrounds]

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The next few pictures are from Friday
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[chris young]

So is the Beast a Rider with a 454 or are there other differences?

[Southerngrounds]

I think they are the same hull but the 351 is a rider and the 454 is a beast 14959 14960

[chris young]

Take lot's of photos! I've referenced the photos from the crazy restoration that was done here; https://suprarider.shutterfly.com/pictures to work on my boat many times. This one had a 454 in it and he called it a Rider.

Looks exactly like my boat (84 Rider) except for the side windshield, which I didn't notice when I first looked at your photos.

[Moor]

So is the Beast a Rider with a 454 or are there other differences?

I think they are the same hull as the earlier sunsports also... I don't think there is any difference in the hulls between the three, just engine size and open/closed bow. Definately take lots of pics! Your going to like that boat when its done, 19ft with a 454 will put a smile on anyones face

[Southerngrounds]

The cap is sanded and almost prepped for paint. Stringers may be done by Monday. More pics to follow.
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[Southerngrounds]

A few hundred pounds of foam removed. 15062 15063 15064 15065 15066

[SUPRA_ALLEGRO_LANE]

My Allegro share the same lower body, with the 454.

[ngavchris]

I think they are the same hull but the 351 is a rider and the 454 is a beast 14959 14960

I hate to tell you this but those graphics are not original to that boat which is misleading for a number of reasons. Some people have questioned whether RIDER or BEAST.
Let's discuss...
The BEAST was a closed bow with a 454. The first model Supra made. I know you have the 454 but The BEAST is NOT an open bow boat.
An open bow is the RIDER which was available with either the 351W, 440 Chrysler or Chevy 454 (rare) starting in 1983. The first open bow inboard ski boat available.

What year is it? Last two digits on the HIN will tell us. Take a close up pic and post. That will tell you engine size also.
Do you have any original paperwork with boat? Do you know if the motor is original?

The windshield is a later model after '83. The '83s had short cut side windows with long arms going back to the rear seat.
Looks like an '84 or '85.

Your Rider has had a re-stripe at some point. Two ways to tell. Supra did not end graphics at the bow the way yours currently is. Someone did not know what they were doing or ran short on the rainbow vinyl which was available on a roll.
Secondly, the waves on the sides were just striped outlined and not full color vinyl until the mid-eighties.

The trailer unfortunately is not original either. Boat should be closer to bow stop and that is no SMP trailer that Supra used exclusively until switching over to Boatmate.

Anyway, it is a good project and a great boat so after the rebuild, you might have to start a thread called "Project Rider Completed".
Good luck and don't forget to show us HIN on back of boat. Thanks.

[Southerngrounds]

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[ngavchris]

George Fowler has been part of the boat business since he and Rob Shirley built the first MasterCraft in a garage. He is also the founder of Ski Supreme, Supra, Moomba, Aztec and now, Backwoods Boats. It's been an interesting ride . . .

L10: What's next on your agenda?

GF: I left and I took my $25,000 and started Supra in February of '80. At that time, when I started Supra, we were going to make a real recreational inboard ski boat. A cross between maybe a Sea Ray and a Ski Supreme or a MasterCraft.

L10: Now where was this at? In Tennessee still?

GF: In Tennessee. Right outside of Maryville, a little town called Greenback. MasterCraft was in Maryville. One of the little communities outside of it was Louisville, that's where Ski Supreme was. And then a little to the south of where MasterCraft was Greenback. I rented an old farmer's co-op warehouse where they stored fertilizer. I started Supra there.

L10: Now you had no partners at that time?

GF: No. I didn't have any partners. In '80 we were in another recession, big time. I liked that because if you try to get in a business when everything's running hard, it's like trying to get on a merry-go-round at full speed. It's hard to grab it and jump fast enough. So I felt that the best time would be to start in a real down economic situation so when the economy got better we could grow with the economy. So we started. We built a wide, high sided, fat looking boat. And it was a closed bow. We made three models of that boat by just changing the windshield style.

L10: What was the first model?

GF: It was Supra. One was called the Sport. One was called the Star. And the other one was called the Beast. In the Beast we put a big 454 in there. The side windows was what we changed on the windshield to make them look different. And of course the graphic name on it. We kind of broke new ground with this fat model. We even advertised it as just a family run-about and ski boat. After the lawsuit with Rob Shirley and MasterCraft I couldn't afford to retain an attorney for somebody coming after me again. So I went off in the southern area where CorrectCraft and MasterCraft and these other guys wouldn't even think at all. I wanted to get established before I did anything to invade their territory. So we started with this fat thing. They all laughed at it. But the people that still have them love them. The old ones.

L10: They're almost reminiscent of the boat that's now known as the Supra Launch, aren't they?

GF: Yeah, they sure are. They were all closed bows. So in '83 we cut the front of the boat out and made a bow rider.

L10: Now that was the first example -

GF: We called it the Supra Rider. And it was the first open bow inboard family ski boat at the time.

L10: The first inboard open bow?

GF: Yes. A friend of mine had a Sea Ray open bow. I sat and watched him and his family for two weekends using their bow ridge. And I thought, "Well, this makes good sense. We can waterski with the rope on the tow line.

Everybody's got to get up in the front, out of the rear seat, so we'll just open the bow up. It'll work and we'll make this open bow and families can still have a ski boat, and high sides will make everyone with kids feel safer. We were all comfortable with that so we went that way.

L10: What was the market response?

GF: Oh, it was real good. The biggest thing that I did different was that I didn't really make it a true walk through like you would see in a Sea Ray or in a lot of the boats today. I made a padded "playpen" area up in the front so that I could use the room that the walkthrough takes up for storage. I built in a cooler and made storage underneath the bow area. My goal was - is still - to make a smoother riding direct drive inboard ski boat with lots of room to put all your towels, pocketbooks and stuff

[Southerngrounds]

The trailer is not the original one. I have located the trailer that originally came with the boat and I'm trying to purchase it. As far as the beast goes I know this has been debated time and time again.... Closed bow/open bow, 454 vs 351. The interview with George Fowler still doesn't offer enough information to say it's not a beast. In 83 supra started making an open bow called the rider. What motor came in the rider? Is it possible if it had big block it was a beast? I have seen a couple open bows with beast on the side.

[Southerngrounds]

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/boa/4658606487.html
http://www.monstertower.com.ua/d/photo.php?type=towboats&tower=1&boat=23. Look at the last boat

[Southerngrounds]

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/273499.html?1136959384
http://columbus.craigslist.org/boa/4552778469.html

[SUPRA_ALLEGRO_LANE]

Lots of confusion on what is what. George Fowler never said they didnt make a open bow Beast. Sorta hard to believe that there are that many Pictures of Beast's with open bows out there. I will say I have the weirdest and rarest of them all.

[vvfdfirefighter]

Well I have an 87 supra Marauder. It's basically the rider/sunsport but closed bow. With a 454. So if the beast is a closed bow with a 454 why is mine a marauder lol

[SUPRA_ALLEGRO_LANE]

Good point vvfdfirefighter.

[Jetlink]

Well I have an 87 supra Marauder. It's basically the rider/sunsport but closed bow. With a 454. So if the beast is a closed bow with a 454 why is mine a marauder lol

Model name changed with the years. Like the Rider morphed into a Sunsport, that was evident when at the Supra reunion in TN this year seeing Daniel's Rider next to DirtyDawg's and Hunter's Sunsport. You could see how the Sunsport roots trace back to the Rider. I bet the Maurader traces its roots back to the Beast.

[SUPRA_ALLEGRO_LANE]

That would make since. I would love to see Supra do a picture history on there sight of profile view and floor plans, with engine options.

[Southerngrounds]

I have an 85 and 87 sunsport parked next to mine and I can't find any differences.

[Jetlink]

I have an 85 and 87 sunsport parked next to mine and I can't find any differences.

Daniel's Rider has a very high bow rail, DirtyDawg's had a slightly lower bowrail and the Sunsport is longer than a Rider and then Hunter's Sunsport had an even lower bowrail than the older Sunsport. It's going to be minute differences in the Sunsports and such but they are there.

[Southerngrounds]

You are correct about the bow rails. The interior will also have differences, however, I just measured all three and they all are the same length. The molds seem to be the same. Behind the observers seat in the sunsport and the passenger seat in the rider/beast are slightly different.

[Awill10291]

Supra Wakeboard / Ski Boat $5200
http://lincoln.craigslist.org/boa/4609535738.html

So is this a beast by the looks? Was gonna purchase this for $3000 tomorrow, but forum members talked me out of it. I have $5000 as well to restore the boat. Thing seems VERY jerry rigged with a 460 ford car motor dropped in along with custom aluminum ballast tanks and homemade tower. Not to mention it has a homemade tower (although very sturdy). Owner claimed engine is mounted to the Fiberglas hull lol, but gave me the boat repair shops number that has worked on it to assure that this boat is peiced together appropriately. I don't plan on buying after the remarks and awesome feedback I got from users on here but it still intrigues me so I thought id post on general forum and see what I hear back. Thanks.

[Awill10291]

Is this a beast?

http://lincoln.craigslist.org/boa/4609535738.html

If I could pick this up for $3000 is it worth it? I have another 5k to restore it. The owner says the engine is mounted to the hull, but I'm assuming he has no idea what he's talking about. Forum members advised me to walk away with the 460 motor swap, home made tower, and not much info on history, but I am so intrigued by this model. What if I even got it for under $2000? Saw some guys on the general forum owned a beast? Was it like this one and how was the wake? I plan on walking away as advised unless someone on this can persuade me otherwise. :) thanks guys!

[Southerngrounds]

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[Southerngrounds]

If anyone needs some of the teak that comes on the riders/sunsports let me know. I will probably build a new swim platform so it will also be available.

[Awill10291]

Is that an aluminum ballast tank in the back? Just bought a supra beast project myself. Closed bow with a 460 ford motor (not original) I was advised not to used aluminum ballast tanks, which are currently in the boat now. Do you know why someone told me not too? Are the regular sacks better? Thanks.

[Southerngrounds]

Is that an aluminum ballast tank in the back? Just bought a supra beast project myself. Closed bow with a 460 ford motor (not original) I was advised not to used aluminum ballast tanks, which are currently in the boat now. Do you know why someone told me not too? Are the regular sacks better? Thanks.
No its the fuel cell.

[vvfdfirefighter]

Dang why can't I see the pictures

[SUPRA_ALLEGRO_LANE]

I can't see the pictures either.

[Southerngrounds]

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Last night we filled all the holes and spider cracks.

[Southerngrounds]

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Testing fitting the tower so we can add blocks under the cap to reinforce it.
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My wife and I recently got custody of my second cousins. Being on a boat is a new experience for them

[vvfdfirefighter]

Southern are you painting or gelcoating the cap

[Southerngrounds]

There will be new gel on everything

[Southerngrounds]

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Some of the holes and cracks we filled
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Spraying some gel for fun

[Southerngrounds]

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[lmnelson86]

What type of tower is that? I really like it. Boat looks good!

[SupraLaunch21V]

coming along nicely man! Great work

[Southerngrounds]

Looks like the old supra project is about to start again. Life kinda stepped in the way of the boat project (selling our house, buying another house, and trying to adopt two children). However, progress should begin this coming week. Our original goal was for the boat to be completed by the supra reunion. That's not going to happen but we are now hoping to have the gel done by then and possibly the motor. Let the fun begin.

[chris young]

Was that "trying to adapt to children" or "trying to adopt twochildren?

Either way, I share your pain regarding the house, we're moving into our new digs in 6 days, and I now have a heated shop in which I can work on a boat, problem is, no trailer, and nothing big enough to tow with.

Good luck with the beast.

[Southerngrounds]

Was that "trying to adapt to children" or "trying to adopt twochildren?

Either way, I share your pain regarding the house, we're moving into our new digs in 6 days, and I now have a heated shop in which I can work on a boat, problem is, no trailer, and nothing big enough to tow with.

Good luck with the beast.

We just taught our kids which "to,two,too" to use. You caught me

[Southerngrounds]

Just a few more days and I should have some shop space. Out with the Malibu in with the Supra 15824

[jet]

Man I like that tower! What brand is it? Jet

[Southerngrounds]

Man I like that tower! What brand is it? Jet

Monster MTK

[thepadokc]

Looks great so far man,

I am about to start the exact same project... any tips? How did you get the old stringers out? Mine are super rotted which i've heard makes it much easier to tear them out.

How long did it take you to remove the old stuff and how long to get the new stringers in? Just wanna gauge how much time i will need.

[Southerngrounds]

Looks great so far man,

I am about to start the exact same project... any tips? How did you get the old stringers out? Mine are super rotted which i've heard makes it much easier to tear them out.

How long did it take you to remove the old stuff and how long to get the new stringers in? Just wanna gauge how much time i will need.

I took the easy way out and paid shanne at the boat works to do the stringers. After lots of research on here I decided the $2500 he charges for it isn't that bad. I uncapped it. He removed the floors, stringers, and foam. Then he installed the stringers and floors

[Southerngrounds]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZH2hSFb6U0 Time lapse of capping the boat

[Salty87]

Could they have made that look any easier?

$2500 was a good deal.

[Southerngrounds]

Project beast has come to an end. However, project 85 sunsport has commenced. Back before I started on the beast I had found a 1985 Sunsport that had the floors and stringers done in composite material. I called the guy who was selling it but he said a person had just bought it. I asked for the buyers information and called him. The buyer said he wasn't interested in selling it. The original seller had worked at supra and did the stringers and floors at supra. He said he just rebuilt the motor and it put new heads on it. Then I bought the beast from Shanne at the boat works and we started that project. About two weeks later a guy pulls up with the sunsport I had tried to buy. He wanted Shanne to restore it also. The whole time we have been working on the beast in the back of my mind I really still wanted the sunsport. Fast forward to this past Thursday. I received a call from Shanne and he told me that the guy with the sunsport wanted another project done instead. Shanne had worked out a deal to trade out his labor for the boat. He then preceded to tell me that he would give me the sunsport and take the beast back.

[Southerngrounds]

The sunsport has an extremely nice trailer and "rebuilt" motor (you never really know). The 454 in the beast is cracked and locked up. Now there is a chance to have the boat completed by the end of this summer. We still would like to make it to the supra reunion but that probably is unrealistic. Yesterday I got the motor started. Today we gel coated the floors. Hopefully by Tuesday we can gel coat the boat. The interior will be the hard part since the vinyl will not be here until Tuesday and we have to rebuild all the seats.

[Southerngrounds]

15873 Last night
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[dirtydawg]

Hope you have as much fun building your Sunsport as I did. Your going to love it when its done. Keep the pics coming.

[Southerngrounds]

Monday I will have new foam cut and I will be dropping off the interior so it can be sewn up
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[Southerngrounds]

Unfortunately the previous owner sprayed gel over the top cap and it did not adhere correctly......Lots of sanding
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[Southerngrounds]

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[Southerngrounds]

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[Okie Boarder]

Coming along nicely.

[Southerngrounds]

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[Southerngrounds]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P-sa1iT2Jk

[flipz96]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P-sa1iT2Jk

That looks pretty awesome man. That had to be ALOT of sanding and buffing!

[BOWZ]

WOW, JUST WOW! I love the black, can't wait to see some more pictures/video.

Bowz

[Southerngrounds]

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[Southerngrounds]

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[wotan2525]

Love that diamond stitch! Really sharp!

[Southerngrounds]

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I was worried how it would turn out but it looks good with the black

[Okie Boarder]

I like it too...really nice!

[UKandH]

Black trim on the seats...OUCH, burnt legs in hot sun haha....but it looks sweet :D

[Southerngrounds]

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[jet]

Nice.........

[jtryon]

holy cow, that looks awesome!

[Southerngrounds]

It has been busy at work for the past few months so it's coming together a little slower than I expected but we are making progress!
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Before and after
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[ckracing]

'Dat ass....
Supra logo looks great. Are you keeping the Supertrapps or going to straight pipe - rubber flaps?

[Southerngrounds]

It's basically done. Monster towers invited us to their 2016 calendar shoot so we have lots of pictures with the boat and some eye candy too.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/26/79361209bf0c42bfb97a513d3a429cf8.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/26/0f24a3c6ed5cb160d0af3aef89252651.jpg


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[Southerngrounds]

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[Southerngrounds]

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[Southerngrounds]

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[Southerngrounds]

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[Jetlink]

Like the shirt, great to see the end in sight. Do you get to ride with that eye candy when you go out again?

[Southerngrounds]

I don't think my wife would like that


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[flipz96]

Looking sweet man...and the boat isn't too bad either! ;)

[jtryon]

very cool.

[UKandH]

Man that is the sweetest Supra out there and a credit to your skills.













And the Eye candy is very nice too.

Great work there my friend :o

[Sdc77]

Very very nice boat. Love that color choice. Isn't the moka too hot under sunshine ?
Girls make those photos unreal ;)

Enjoy the ride, and the boat too :D

[Southerngrounds]

When we were out the other day the mocha didn't seem that hot but I will let you know on our next lake test. The transmission started slipping during the photo shoot. Checked the bilge and it was full of tranny fluid. Unfortunately the tranny is toast. Hopefully I can rebuild it one night this week and try to test it out again next weekend. I rewired the whole boat also and now it's not charging. I have a few kinks here and there to work out.

[UKandH]

You always get gremlins in a fresh rebuild mate, even so that is impressive considering the ground up rebuild.
Transmission....ouch :( was it a hose failure or something more sinister??

[Southerngrounds]

The hoses were dry. I'm guessing a seal. Hopefully I can pull it tomorrow and start the rebuild. It also stopped pumping fuel so today I'm installing a new fuel pump.


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[BOWZ]

Unreal the finished project. Looks soooo good! You did a great job!

Bowz