Is a 86 Supra worth rebuilding?

[Airtech2010]

I have a 1986 Supra Sunsport I bought for 4K last year online. I didn't inspect the Stringers but I was told they were good. I picked it up and drove it home to realize they were bad. That's what I get for buying a boat off of Cranky Ape.

My question is does this boat provide a good Wake? My son loves to Wakeboard. I know I can repair the stringers but I don't want to if the boat doesn't provide a good Wake.

Engine runs great by the way..

[zroe]

Sorry to hear about your luck, I may have made a similar "blind purchase" and have already started to tear out the floor and waterlogged foam....

How is the interior? Check out this thread for weighting for Wakeboarding.
https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?15642-Weighting-my-Sunsport-for-WAKEBOARDING

There is also a ton of information on weighting these boats for WakeSurfing. Due to the tall freeboard there is potential to put significant weight in these boats.

[Zkdk3000]

I have a 1986 Supra Sunsport I bought for 4K last year online. I didn't inspect the Stringers but I was told they were good. I picked it up and drove it home to realize they were bad. That's what I get for buying a boat off of Cranky Ape.

My question is does this boat provide a good Wake? My son loves to Wakeboard. I know I can repair the stringers but I don't want to if the boat doesn't provide a good Wake.

Engine runs great by the way..


Hard to say, some will say it's worth it and others won't. Just know its lot of work and you'll most likely discover other issues. I would think you could get a sunsport with wooden stringers already redone for around 7/8. Composite sunsport 12/13. From what I've heard a stringer job done the right way will cost you 4.5/5.

Zk

[Salty87]

$4k isn't a bad starting place. Many around here including me paid more...alot more. The question is...is it worth it to you? If you DIY you're looking at a ballpark of $2k for materials and some 'while you're at it' new parts. You'll have a like new boat when you're done. For around $6k it''s a darn good deal but it's a big project.

Sunsports are very versatile. I'm partial to Saltare's for sure but in some ways Sunsports outperform. They don't require as much weight to make a big meaty wake. They're more fuel efficient. They don't take up as much space in a garage or driveway, easier to single handle. Damn good boats.

Edit- Moving this to General to get it more eyeballs.

[Cooose]

I agree with what Salty mentioned, if you are DIY inclined you could spend a little money and a ton of labor and have a great boat How does the motor check out?

[Cooose]

Engine runs great by the way..

Scratch the motor question...missed this from the original post

[scottschmitt]

I have an 89 Sunsport. Without weight, the wake has been fine for standard tricks. I've had a friend out who knew what he was doing, and he was throwing down tantrums, so good enough for that anyway. With a little weight in the back, it's a fine wakeboarding wake. The ski wake is also quite respectable, although not the softest and butteriest out there.

It's about comps. If you pay someone 4-5k to fix the stringers, now you are in 8-9k boat. If the engine is solid, then you have to ask if you can get a better wake for <10k. I think that is hard. I tend to think that an older Sunsport with documented stringer repair runs 10-13k and a composite runs 12-15k. Zkdk3000 may be better at finding boats and negotiating than I am though. I think a composite MasterCraft or CC will also run 10-18k (maybe a little higher than the Supras). Here's the outdated graph of budget wakeboarding boats (http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=59748).

The Sunport is also pretty comfortable with 8 people. And that's a real bonus on Saturday afternoons with the kids and their buddies.

How are the engine mount bolts? Do they spin? If they feel ok, run that baby this summer and see how you like the wake. It won't be as good as a modern wakeboard boat with all the fancy hidden ballast, but it costs a lot less. And with some fat sacs in the back, I think you'll be pretty pleased.

[ATXts6m]

Hi there, I just bought an '87 Supra Comp, same price as you paid, and it came with a receipt that the floors and carpet were replaced in 2003, but didn't see any "stringer" work. The boat has under a 100 hrs and is in great shape and was told it was taken good care of, and I do believe that, however, the stringers may still be compromised, can you tell me how I can look for evidence of that before I begin to use it pretty regularly under a load? Thx

[jasun]

Hi there, I just bought an '87 Supra Comp, same price as you paid, and it came with a receipt that the floors and carpet were replaced in 2003, but didn't see any "stringer" work. The boat has under a 100 hrs and is in great shape and was told it was taken good care of, and I do believe that, however, the stringers may still be compromised, can you tell me how I can look for evidence of that before I begin to use it pretty regularly under a load? Thx


Check and see if the motor and tranny mounting bolts are tight or if they free spin. If you really want to know, drill a hole and see if the wood coming out is wet or dry. If its dry, seal it back up with some epoxy and enjoy! If its wet....

[ckracing]

Yes, you'll have to do work - you'll have to make strategic decisions on dollars spent. In my opinion, for the money there's no better open bow boat that provides great options for all water sports. My starting point was $3k. I did the restoration over 2 years and have had 6 years of fun. Great boat, easy to work on and I get more compliments and questions than $100k new boats on the water. Dollars spent??? I'm upside down, but not much. Enjoy!
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