1983 Supra Rider. Need advice!

[Nickb6]

I am looking at buying a 1983 Supra Rider for sale on Craigslist. Any advice ? I've never owned a Supra boat before.

[Mischief IV]

I own an '83 Rider. What specifically do you need advice on?

For early 80s Supras, this will help out.
S= Something
U= Underneath
P= Probably
R= Rotten
A= Already

With that said, check the stringers, the motor mounts and the flooring. If it is rotten and you are willing to take on a project boat, once bought, then start a thread on here and have at it. Demo day is fun and after one or two or three years, we will await the finished product. The Supra forum will issue you a man card if you ever succeed at finishing the project while simultaneously keeping the wife or girlfriend happy during the process. Yes ladies, if a man say he will fix it, he will...there's no need to remind him every six months about it.

If the previous owner did all the work, then skip the afore mentioned advice and go buy yourself a lottery ticket but not before checking out the motor. Do a compression test, change plugs, replace impeller and look into swapping over the points to an electronic ignition.

Remember, dumb questions are easier to deal with than dumb mistakes so ask early and often. Seriously, they are fun boats and I'm glad to see another oldie on the forum. Post some pics up if you can.

[Mischief IV]

Post up the Craiglist ad if you want to. Would like to check out...you mentioned $8k on another post I just read? I would like to see what the owner says.

[scottschmitt]

Like he said. Supra didn't switch to composite floors and stringers until about 92. And the wood stringers were notched (in retrospect a design flaw), so they almost inevitably rot. A soft floor is one thing. But rotting motor mounts are another. If those are still tight, you may have a few years before you have to replace the floor and stringers. But it will need doing.

Also, there are several places where these boats can leak. The drive shaft packing needs to be replaced every so often, and it common to leak there. That's easy. The packing gland on the rudder can leak, and that's harder to replace. If the transom plywood rots, you can get stress fractures in the fiberglass and leaking around the swim deck support, the wakeplate stays, or the mufflers.

They are lovely boats that can put out a great wake. Just imagine buying a 83 Ford F150. It wouldn't surprise you to find that the emergency brake was operated with a pair of vice grips and that the engine needed a soft caress to start on a cold day.

[MJHKnox]

I am looking at buying a 1983 Supra Rider for sale on Craigslist. Any advice ? I've never owned a Supra boat before.
What is your goal of the boat and budget?

There is a difference between someone buying an older boat not looking to put much $$ back in it VS someone buying an older boat to restore back VS something else.


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[Cooose]

I'm guessing OP is looking at this one
https://littlerock.craigslist.org/boa/6012397101.html

[Mischief IV]

Such a beautiful interior...nice to see the original style with that gorgeous teak.
Then there's that wrap. Even the dog in that pic hates it. Usually the rotten floors devalue a boat but here I think the wrap takes precedent.

[MJHKnox]

Yep, that wrap is "amazing", as the ad states.
That would be one word for it.

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[DAFF]

Have a feeling this one might have good bones. Look at the interior. It has been done with a high expectation budget. I would suspect the stringers are the same. The wrap reminds me of the girls who would get tattooed makeup to save time in the AM, while at the time it seemed like a great idea. Trends change and then you are left with a mess to doctor up.

Love to know what was the original colour was. Thinking off white with the red stripe.

[Salty87]

On the other hand, talking more about the stereo than the boat is a bad start. I'm thinking if he had gone thru the torture of DIY stringers or expense of farming it out that would be the first horn to toot.

And, what's under that wrap...gel coat quality-wise?

Caveat emptor!

edit- check the keel, not a beaching friendly location in the pics

[Fuscanini]

Those interior pics look to be from the pre-tricked out days. Better get some updated shots. Some things are best left alone.

[Mischief IV]

On the other hand, talking more about the stereo than the boat is a bad start.

edit- check the keel, not a beaching friendly location in the pics

Good catch Salty on both although he did say it "floats" which is preferable for all boats I would think. 10 speakers in a Rider? Where? Why?


Those interior pics look to be from the pre-tricked out days. Better get some updated shots. Some things are best left alone.

Good catch as well Fuscanini. No tower on boat with those interior pics.

I went delirious as soon as I saw that wrap. My brain knows what an '83 Rider looks like and is supposed to look like and then at some point I threw up in my mouth and had to close that ad.

[Fuscanini]

I'd also ask the owner if they still have the bow and stern rails that seem to have been uninstalled. It also looks like the teak that cases the windshield has been removed. I wonder what else.

[Salty87]

....at some point I threw up in my mouth and had to close that ad.

and how...[shudder]