1987 sunsport

[rustey]

I'm going to be looking at a sunsport skier in a few days or so and not knowng alot about boats. I was wondering what kind of things I should be looking for?
Anybody know of common problems on these boats? There is still alot of snow and ice where I live, everyone talks about test driving boats but i'd rather just make it easy and if it looks decent buy it quick. He didn't run it at all last year but he thinks it'll fire right up is there anything you can do to check out the transmission when it's not in the water? Also how do you inspect the floor? If there are soft spots how can you determine if they're structural or not? I've attached a few pictures of the motor he sent.The hull sounds like it's in good shape. But there might be some issues with weak floors and not being run in a year some other things.

[Salty87]

sunsports are great boats. i hope it turns out good. i wouldn't buy a boat without running it though, unless it was priced accordingly so. running it on the hose isn't the same as putting a full load on it...esp since it didn't run last year.

hard to tell from those pics but the carpet looks like trailer bunk/outdoor carpet...i'm thinking it might not be original?

this thread is about buying an older supra.... http://supraboats.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=3625

[michael hunter]

Where is the boat been stored inside or out side?
IMO you should be able to look at the boat and tell how
well it has been maintained. Keeping a boat up for that
many years is a lot of work. How many hours are on it?
Is he willing to start it for you? Would he be willing to sell
it to you contingent on a test drive in the spring?
The one thing you have to be careful of is floor and
stringer rot. There are many posts on the forum about this
and 80s Sunsports are prone to this. I would look it over
and if you are serious about buying take it to a local dealer
for a complete inspection at your expense then you will know
what you are buying.
Good luck its a great boat I have owned my 89 since new.

[csuggs]

Rustey -

Salty's right about the thread he attached to his reply - it should give you a lot of really good things to look for. I would reiterate what is being said about checking out the floor and stringers. My 86 Sunsport Skier is a great boat and I really have no regrets buying it, but I didn't know what to look for when I bought and I WILL end up paying for a complete stringer and floor rebuild in a year or so. But I ran mine on the lake before I purchased and knew it had good power. I don't think I'd recommend buying without a real test drive unless you're "stealing it". But even then it's good to know what the boat will do when in the water. Spring's just around the corner, this boat's probably not going anywhere and besides that, there are going to be lots of boats for sale in the coming months. I actually wish I was in the market for one because there are a lot of good boats out there for sale! Don't get me wrong, I love my Supra and look forward to keeping it for a lot of years - but the market is right for buying and should stay that way for a while. :D

[rustey]

Thanks for the tips. I was thinking if I liked the boat I would give a deposit and settle on the price then take it for a test drive when the ice melts and it's ready to go. He said he did some work on the floor already, how do I know if the stringers are in ok shape or not i"ve read part of the other thread but I don't know exactly what to look for to see if the stringers are in good shape.

[Salty87]

stringers are fiberglass encased wood, plywood actually. you're looking for signs that the fiberglass is failing. water makes the plywood swell and the fiberglass gives way. look at attachment points where bolts have been used, where the exhaust enters the floor, signs of rust stains...general condition. smells are good too...well, usually bad for the boat. if it smells damp and musty, bail.

you really want to see the condition of the bilge and stringers forward and behind the engine. that's about as invasive as you can get looking.

i agree with michael...if the seller can't take care of stuff, they didn't take care of the boat. look at everything around you. you're shopping with perfectly good dollars, don't let someone scam you with a shoddy boat. it takes effort to make a boat last 20 years, you want to buy from a knowledgeable seller.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

I would say that is all original carpet and it looks exactly like my 87 SunSport. It is a great boat see my thread here: WakeMikey's 1987 Supra SunSport wake/surf (https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?t=3630)

You wanna check the engine mounts to be sure they are not rotten and also walk around the inside without shoes on and carefully feel the floor.

If the carpet or vinyl has been replaced it may mean the boat has been left out in the sun/rain.

I paid $7500 for mine w/500 hours.

[rustey]

Well I went and looked at the boat it seems to be in pretty good shape. We started it up and ran it for a few minutes. Seems like it was well taken care of. All I have to do now is go pick it up. The one issue it does have is that the upholstery in the front is starting to shake loose. It looks like there is plywood on top of a fibreglass floor and the upholstery is not staying attached to the wood because it's rotting (falling apart it is all dry). It is not that bad but I would like to tighten it up.

[mapleleaf]

Hey Congrat's on the "new" boat!
You'll get through those interior details without too much trouble....
As Salty like's to say.....
LETS SEE SOME PIC'S!!!!!!

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Some of the staples in my bow and rear bench have come loose too. They hold the vinyl trim pieces in place near seams or where the wood meets the vinyl. I think you can see it in my gallery pic of the rear bench. I haven't gotten to staple those back down yet but it would look nice.

The vinyl is a little dry but not ripped or fragile. I will try to get some life back in it this summer with regular vinyl spray treatments.

[Blackntan90]

Mikey, some areas in the bow of mine have come loose also, I am about to order some staples to fix this. The one question is would you use stainless or monel staples and why? I mean the staples will not be visible, so they don't have to look good- just dont want any rust/corrosion issues!

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Blackntan, I totally would use stainless/monel staples. I know they are hidden, but I have cut/scratched/poked myself a few times while working up there. I know it's not a huge deal but I wouldn't want to have to pay for anyone to get tetnus shot. Even though I have insurance for medical accidents up to a small amount with no deduction.

I read somewhere else that some boats or other industries use upholstry screws instead of staples. That could work. I think as long as you have a long enough staple and a good high powered staple gun you'd be fine. Or maybe like a brad nail (small nail w/ tiny head used in nail gun)?

[mapleleaf]

stainless are the way to go, OEM. Paslode makes a 22 gauge pneumatic stapler avail. at Lowes, Home Depot, etc.... For around $70 Can., probably $50 ish US. I think if you've got an air compressor it's a no brainer......

[csuggs]

I am using the stainless staples to fit a regular staple gun - T50. They are also available in Monel. The stainless package says rust resistant - not for marine use and the monel package says totally rust proof. I bought the stainless because they are about half the price of monel.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

The staple has to travel through a lot of material; at least two layers of vinyl, foam, then into the wood. I think it might take the added power of an air staple gun which I can borrow. But that's also why I said staples with longer teeth to get them to dig in deep enough. I guess I will take a look and take a couple pics sometime.

[Blackntan90]

Thanks guys. I have the air stapler, and I think staples would hold better than brad nails. My main concern was rustproof fasteners! So I will be saving up for the monel it looks like! I will have to look into those upholstry screws- that would be very strong!

[87SunSportMikeyD]

How much more expensive are they???! :)

[rustey]

Where do you think I could get an owners manual? Also have any of you rebuilt the carb? There's probably a manual for that floating around somewhere. The boat starts right up but it seems like it would be a good idea to change out some of the parts on the carb to keep it running right.

[rustey]

Hopefully I'll be able to put some pics up later this week.