The elusive 02 legacy ski boat on a pretty hefty hull

[JBreezy]

Hello all - Mostly just an intro here because it seems like we could use some new blood. I bought my first inboard this spring, it is a 2002 Legacy which my research on this forum informed me that it is a bit of an anomaly. For that one year, the Legacy shared a hull with the Sunsport but has a walkthrough bow instead of a playpen. Traditionally the Legacy was the open bow comp, which of course is an awesome boat as well.

19470

No tower on this bad boy, but I'll likely be adding one in the next year or two depending on how my kids take to wake boarding. This year we used it mostly as a family cruiser but with some tubes and some pulling a full size ocean surfboard because that's what I have.. Next year we'll invest in some more toys.

19472

Bought it with 130 hours.. I know some are scared by that low number on an 18 year old boat, but honestly seems to be in great shape. Compression is good... finish is not perfect but definitely don't need to replace anything anytime soon. One major issue so far is that when I was having it winterized my dealer told me that the exhaust and pipes were severely burned due to an impeller failure at some point in the boats history.. So getting that stuff fixed was not cheap. But hoping this was the worst of the unexpected surprises. 15K on Craigslist. What do you guys think?

19471

[michael hunter]

You bought it for 15k? That is a very good price for a cherry turn key inboard with next to no hours. What did the dealer suggest you do about the overheat?

[JBreezy]

Thanks, Michael. Yes, 15K even and that includes the boatmate trailer, heavy duty canvas snap cover, sunbrella bimini top, a fly high pylon, and a barefoot international boom. I had been shopping for an inboard casually for just a couple of weeks and really wasn't planning to buy as early as I did. But when I saw this boat I kind of knew it was the one to go after. Only 2 hours away, too.

I messed up a line in my initial post.. I didn't bring my boat to a dealer at all, it's actually just the local repair shop type marina. They don't sell boats or much of anything except for fix parts. During winterization drop off, I told them that I was taking in more water than I'd expect and asked them if they could check the shaft packing. They called a couple days later and said they found soot and char and evidence of overheating and so they looked further and found that the muffler and tubes that run out to the exhaust were completely burned and brittle and were leaking when expelling water out the exhaust after cooling, which was causing the excess water. So I did have them replaced with factory mufflers and new tubing. When I picked up the boat they asked if I wanted to see the old parts they replaced, and yeah, they were did have a lot of blistering and char. I guess it remains to be seen if it solves the excess water issue.

[crystal waters]

I would check the engine over thoroughly to see if the over heating also did some damage there.

[JBreezy]

Yeah, crystalwaters, that makes sense to me. Or in the very least it may have added a significant amount of run life to the low hour engine. The marina said they thought thought the engine was solid and the tech said he didn't think the overheating caused additional damage but he didn't seem terribly confident in that statement. To be honest, I'm not an engine guy myself or really all that mechanically inclined or handy. But I do want to learn more about these boats and get to a
spot where I can do the routine maintenance and winterizations and so on.

[Mischief IV]

Hello all - Mostly just an intro here because it seems like we could use some new blood. I bought my first inboard this spring, it is a 2002 Legacy which my research on this forum informed me that it is a bit of an anomaly. For that one year, the Legacy shared a hull with the Sunsport but has a walkthrough bow instead of a playpen. Traditionally the Legacy was the open bow comp, which of course is an awesome boat as well.

No tower on this bad boy, but I'll likely be adding one in the next year or two depending on how my kids take to wake boarding. This year we used it mostly as a family cruiser but with some tubes and some pulling a full size ocean surfboard because that's what I have.. Next year we'll invest in some more toys.

Bought it with 130 hours.. I know some are scared by that low number on an 18 year old boat, but honestly seems to be in great shape. Compression is good... finish is not perfect but definitely don't need to replace anything anytime soon. One major issue so far is that when I was having it winterized my dealer told me that the exhaust and pipes were severely burned due to an impeller failure at some point in the boats history.. So getting that stuff fixed was not cheap. But hoping this was the worst of the unexpected surprises. 15K on Craigslist. What do you guys think?




Welcome to forum. A very good buy indeed for the money and solid choice with that Signal Blue and White combo. That was the B pattern for that year as it introduced a 3rd color below the accent color which is shown in gray. The A pattern was 2 color only which many Launches during that era favored.
I think that color combo holds up well and most people would never know that is an almost 19 year old boat. Very nice!!

In regards to the comparison of the Legacy being an open bow Comp, actually the Legacy in 2001 was already larger than the Comp of the same year by 5 inches. It had the same beam and draft, but weighed a bit more due to its size. It's basically a bloated Conbrio at this juncture.

You are correct when in 2002 for some reason, Skiers Choice had 7 identical hulls (out of 9 boats offered) which all measured 23' 10" with platform and all had the same beam at 95 inches.

1. Legacy (DD, walk-thru)
2. Sunsport (DD, playpen)
3. Sunsport V (Vdrive, playpen)
4. Santera (red headed stepchild)
5. Launch SL (DD, walk-thru with tower)
6. Launch SS (DD, playpen with tower)
7. Launch SSV (Vdrive, playpen with tower)

Back then, Skiers Choice made sure they had an option for everyone assuming not everyone wanted a tower. If this Legacy were mine I wouldn't put a tower on it but it ain't mine. :) I just hope you get one that looks quality and not like an cheap swing set.

Interestingly enough, the best seller and most popular Supra for 2002 was the standard Launch which was a DD, playpen with tower that was 9 inches shorter than the 7 listed above yet had a wider beam measuring 98". It also weighed the most and could hold the most passengers.
Funny thing however, it came standard with only a 310hp motor but with the option for the Assault 330 which was available for all models.

What I find peculiar is that the Legacy along with Launch SL came standard with a single axle trailer only. Along with the Sunsport and the Launch SS, these 4 boats all weighed the same and pretty much identical in every way, however, the latter two came standard with a dual axle trailer. Go figure.

So, there's some information you didn't ask for and probably don't care about which did not cost you a penny.

Now as far as the motor overheating, its a shame that someone didn't inspect the impeller and change seasonally. I made the same mistake with mine years ago and thought using the boat only a few hours a season that it wouldn't matter and then found out the hard way. There was no damage to motor when I caught it but did see blistering on rubber hoses on exhaust. I found quite a few pieces of rubber stuck in my thermostat too. Lesson learned and we move on.

[JBreezy]

Mischief IV - WOW! That was amazing and so much appreciated. I've been digging and reading all I can in this era of boat but almost every single thing you wrote was brand new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Thanks so much. And the comment that the Santera being the "red headed "stepchild" of the 2002 line-up..Gold!

Completely agree about the tower. I'm really only interested in the New Dimensions OEM type tower at this point. I like the boat without it and we haven't even tried the fly high pylon yet. If it's not too much a pain to take on and off and if the bow straps don't reduce seating space too much, we may just rock the wake boarding old school. However - if we get really into wake boarding, I can see how the tower would be pretty useful. I have no interest in tower speakers. It seems that many inboard boater types take their sound very seriously, and that's cool, to each their own.

I do wish it came with the duel axle trailer. The single axle it came with is a beast. Very beefy and it works just fine.. But, the boat is a lot of weight for two wheels so, yeah, too bad that the Legacy that year didn't come with the duel axle standard. One other issue I didn't mention earlier is that I need to replace the master cylinder on the trailer to get the breaks to a working state again. (at least that's what the marina said). I bought it with the c-clamp modification on the tongue slider to override the break engagement, which I know is not the safest way to tow. But in my neck of the woods here in Minnesota I have a two boat launches within a mile of my house and plenty more under 10 miles away so I haven't prioritized that particular fix yet. Something I would want to do if I ever come down for the Southern Supra Reunion

[Mischief IV]

Glad you enjoyed the read.

I meant to add that the standard motor option was the 320hp motor across the board except as noted on the Launch which was 310hp. You could option for the 330hp in all nine models.

Well, the Santera was an odd duck because it had a walk thru bow in addition to the walk-thru transom and if you wanted, you could get an optional sink. Woohoo! A very luxurious runabout but not very popular or beloved.

Also, 6 of the 9 models came standard with the 4 blade prop whereas the Comp, the Legacy and the Sunsport came standard with a 3 blade prop.

We did have a Legacy join us at the SSR for a few years but it may have been a 1999 or 2000 year model. I'l search for pics.

Anyways, good luck and hope to see more pics of yours posted here.

[JBreezy]

Mine is the 320 HP standard. Interesting that the upgrade is 330 HP and not something a bit more drastic than 10 HP on top of an already huge amount of power. But.. admittedly, this is a pretty new world to me still. I'm coming from a 25 HP outboard, so plenty to learn. 3 blade prop indeed, I did have the dings fixed up this fall. Considering ordering a 4 blade to use and keep the 3 blade as a spare, if I was going to buy a spare anyway. Interestingly there's reports of this being a game changer and totally worth it and others saying stick to 3 blade. I'm sure it's all about intended usage. Same thing with the Fresh Air Exhaust, I've heard great things from some and definitely others saying to stay away. I'm not as concerned with the CO2 piece, but the noise reduction is intriguing as we do a lot of family cruising. I am curious to see if the new mufflers which aren't all cooked and brittle will be quieter when I get back on the water.

[Mischief IV]

https://i.imgur.com/qaxbWGr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9WOhB3n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qIaqwwg.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LuDkQy8.jpg

[Mischief IV]

As the ad states, "Attention to Detail." I think that is what the guy is doing.

https://i.imgur.com/QNey2Dd.jpg

[Mischief IV]

Here's some pics of towers that would look good on your legacy. I think the last one shown on the Saltare would look best as it has a little more swoop.
Probably same tower they show in brochure on Launch.

https://i.imgur.com/IeUh2Az.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/x7IpuRW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TQDXjXv.jpg

[JBreezy]

As the ad states, "Attention to Detail." I think that is what the guy is doing.

https://i.imgur.com/QNey2Dd.jpg


Hahaha indeed, sunglass guy most certainly does appear to be enjoying the great looks and luxurious appointments of that…. boat.

[JBreezy]

My original reply last week never posted so thought I’d try again. Thanks for the tower and brochures. It’s very fun to see these, kind of hit me with that that thrill of a new purchase and pride in having something great - albeit, Supras have evolved just a little since the time of the brochure and my model year. But I’m fine with manual gauges and physical switches, to be honest I prefer them. I get enough screen time at work. Anyway, thanks again for the info and comments on this thread. And I agree with the swoop tower, though I have been thinking more about not adding one. Do they make the boat seem more cramped? I’ve never been in a boat with a tower but I do like the feeling of being out and open on the water. Seems like a safer alternative to motorcycling. Also my barn clearance is 9.5 feet which is probably slightly low unless I want to play the up and down game. Maybe. Just excited to get out there again and see how she’s running and sounding after the exhaust work. But we’re a ways off - it’s a nasty one weather wise here in MN.

[Salty87]

Cool purchase. I learned to wakeboard behind a similar vintage Supra. Manual gauges and switches are the way to go.


...Do they make the boat seem more cramped? I’ve never been in a boat with a tower but I do like the feeling of being out and open on the water...

If all you do is short cruises then yes you lose some of the open feeling.

If you want to add a bimini to stay out longer or take people boarding/surfing then the tower sets you free from clutter. Tower speakers will let your stereo come alive (even if you don't break the bank and play it loud enough for the whole lake to hear).

There's a reason so many boats including i/o's have towers. They are very helpful if you use the boat in those ways.

[JBreezy]

Cool purchase. I learned to wakeboard behind a similar vintage Supra. Manual gauges and switches are the way to go.



If all you do is short cruises then yes you lose some of the open feeling.

If you want to add a bimini to stay out longer or take people boarding/surfing then the tower sets you free from clutter. Tower speakers will let your stereo come alive (even if you don't break the bank and play it loud enough for the whole lake to hear).

There's a reason so many boats including i/o's have towers. They are very helpful if you use the boat in those ways.

Thanks, Salty87, for the insight, I do appreciate your thoughts. And nice job on the saltare resto, I looked through the thread in your signature. Very impressive. I don't know how some guys are capable of this sort of work while others of us max out our man cards changing oil. But it's cool nonetheless.

[h2wow]

Hello all - Mostly just an intro here because it seems like we could use some new blood. I bought my first inboard this spring, it is a 2002 Legacy which my research on this forum informed me that it is a bit of an anomaly. For that one year, the Legacy shared a hull with the Sunsport but has a walkthrough bow instead of a playpen. Traditionally the Legacy was the open bow comp, which of course is an awesome boat as well.

19470

No tower on this bad boy, but I'll likely be adding one in the next year or two depending on how my kids take to wake boarding. This year we used it mostly as a family cruiser but with some tubes and some pulling a full size ocean surfboard because that's what I have.. Next year we'll invest in some more toys.

19472

Bought it with 130 hours.. I know some are scared by that low number on an 18 year old boat, but honestly seems to be in great shape. Compression is good... finish is not perfect but definitely don't need to replace anything anytime soon. One major issue so far is that when I was having it winterized my dealer told me that the exhaust and pipes were severely burned due to an impeller failure at some point in the boats history.. So getting that stuff fixed was not cheap. But hoping this was the worst of the unexpected surprises. 15K on Craigslist. What do you guys think?

19471

Seems like a pretty sweet deal to me, as long as there are no major problems. The prices for new boats these days are insane, out of my reach. So if you can find a decent one at a decent price, even if it needs a bit of work, seems like a good purchase.

[logodesignsus]

Very Nice Boat love it