1989 Supra Guidance Needed

[greymac]

Hi. I have discovered dry rot in the stringers of my 1989 Supra Comp. Two screws holding the ski pylon fell out today. Tried screwing them back in and they ony spun. Checked the engine bolts and found out about half of them spin.

My dilema is that I do not have the skills or talent to repair the stringers myself. My trusted local boat repair shop wants to charge around $12K for the repair. And the boat lists on NADA for around $7.5K.

Other then the stringers, the boat is in great condition. 675 hours. Upholstery is good shape. Engine runs solid. No damage to hull or exterior. Truly a clean boat.

So my question is what could I sell the boat for? (I am in Portland Oregon)

Thanks
greymac

[mapleleaf]

I'd say you should keep looking for a better stringer quote, You might get 2k with rotten stringer's maybe a little more, not disclosing them wouldn't be very cool, Problem is you really don't get your money back for fixing them, it's a no win situation, unless you decide to keep the boat.....

[jasonba1]

that is a outrageous quote I can get thatn done for you for a whole lot cheaper.

[Okie Boarder]

I'm in the same situation as you. You have two choices...

1. Lose money by selling it.
2. Spend the money it takes to fix it (either yourself or a shop) and plan to keep it for a while since you won't recoup the investment it took to fix it.

[michael hunter]

I heard you can take it to the factory and have the stringers and floor done for 5k using all fiberglass. No more rot ever I dont know if its true but I would check before having it done in wood.

[jasonba1]

you can get it done at viper customs for less than 5 k and it will last you forever.

[Sacymn]

The burgundy one has the same kit as mine, but with a stock spoiler.

Flash, the supra stays, i wrote a thread about it a while back...

Ricey, that could be a shout in a month or 2, what sort of money would he be looking for? They go for 200 in GRP form on Ebay...

[csuggs]

If you like the boat, spend the money for repair (you can get it done between 4 and 5K) and keep the boat.

[Salty87]

My dilema is that I do not have the skills or talent to repair the stringers myself.

it's not as hard as you might think. lots of people DIY new stringers.

it takes some time, a decent bit of money (nowhere near $12k or even $5k), and space to work but not all that much skill or talent. there are few straight lines and no 90 degree angles on a boat. everything is basically custom cut on these older boats. a stringer rebuild is very much like horse shoes...you have to be close but not exact.

you can do it yourself for about $2k and 150 hours give or take a little. it's messier than it is hard.

as to your original question....you'd be better off parting it out than selling it as a package.

[greymac]

Thank you for all the suggestions and guidance. I am going to see if there is a shop locally in the Pacific Northwest that will replace the stringers and floor using all fiberglass for around $2-5K.

Does anyone have a recommendation of a shop that does this kind of work in the Portland, Oregon area? Or somewhere within a days drive?

To Viper Customs, wish you had a shop on the West Coast. Tennessee is just too far away from Portland.

[Salty87]

pm'd you what little info i might have

[rludtke]

Hi Greymac,

I haven't asked or shopped myself, but with all of the boat building companies peppered around our Pacific NW, there should be some adequate skills and knowlege, and considering the economy, interest by shops to do your repair. I fully expect you can find someone capable who would do it for half as much, or less.

I could do a little investigation around the Puget Sound area for you if it would be helpful.

Perhaps you could post the results of your search? Lets us know who it boils down to, and why you decide to choose whomever you end up choosing.

Thanks, and good luck...

[OUI]

Here's a thought. There is a product called Smith's Penetrating Epoxy. It's incredable stuff, it is absorbed by wood then sets as hard as any expoxy. Try drilling holes in your stringers then inject the expoxy, let set and then seal the holes. From there, I would fill your motor mount holes with an epoxy blend of micro ballons. Let it set, predrill smaller holes and then remount your motor mount lag bolts. Call the guys at Smith's they know their stuff and are very freindly. This could be an easy fix, and I'm thinking about it as a preventitive for my 89 Saltare.

http://www.smithandcompany.org/

[rludtke]

Here's a thought. There is a product called Smith's Penetrating Epoxy. It's incredable stuff, it is absorbed by wood then sets as hard as any expoxy. Try drilling holes in your stringers then inject the expoxy, let set and then seal the holes. From there, I would fill your motor mount holes with an epoxy blend of micro ballons. Let it set, predrill smaller holes and then remount your motor mount lag bolts. Call the guys at Smith's they know their stuff and are very freindly. This could be an easy fix, and I'm thinking about it as a preventitive for my 89 Saltare.

http://www.smithandcompany.org/

Further to that, if you are needing to fill areas missing the actual wood (voids etc), then make two holes in the fiberglass, one for injecting the epoxy, and another to allow air to vent while injecting. This will ensure that the void is completley filled.

Temporary measures such as this may buy you several more years. I'd try it.

[greymac]

Wanted to update everyone on my search to have the stringers replaced in my 89' Supra Comp.

My first thought was to email the shop where I bought the boat in Portland. Got no reply. After a week, I called them up. The person on the phone told me they hadn't done that type of work in awhile. They would take a look at it and see if they might be able to replace the stringers. This wasn't a real confidence builder for me on their ability.

Then I called another large boat repair shop in town. The shop said they didn't do that kind of repair. But was told, "a guy left a card" that might be able to help. I asked if they have ever recommended this person before. He said no. He had only looked at his portfolio of pictures.

I decided to Google all boat repair shops in the Portland metro area. Then reviewed each of their sites for services provided. From that, I have found a couple of shops that replace stringers and made some more calls.

The three I contacted could only replace the stringers with fiberglass over wood. (Viper you may want to open a shop in town) Price estimates over the phone were consistently 4500-5K approx. for stringer, deck, and some carpet. All wanted to see the boat first for a formal quote. Only one mentioned that price might go higher if they found additional problems after tearing it apart.

So my search results have my head spinning.
-greymac

[michael hunter]

Does Viper replace wood stringers and deck with fiberglass?

[greymac]

Got a quote yesterday for $6-8K to replace the stringers, deck and carpet. That price is for fiberglass over wood replacement. They cannot guarantee the rot won't show up again. Now I am really torn on whether to spend a wad of cash for the repair or sell it for next to nothing.

[SuperSaltAir]

Have you tried putting up an add on CL that’s what I did. I lucked out and after a few bad replies I found a guy that has been building custom boats in Florida for 15 yrs or so he had just moved to Az and was out of work he helped me finish the stringers and do the floor for about $400 cash for the labor. I would assume that you can find someone like that in your area out of work. Supply material and let them do it as a side job. I used about $500 or so in resin and fiberglass and wood

[87SunSportMikeyD]

That is a pretty good idea actually! In your area and North Cal I would think you could find some good help. There are so many boat manufacturers out there. You may want to post on a larger forum like WakeWorld.com, they have a very large cali demographic.

[riveredge]

Agreed that you might find someone willing to help... do you have the space to do it?

If you're going for a shop to do it, 4-5k is pretty much reasonable for a professional shop. Maybe you could do a lot of the work, like getting the engine out and taking off hardware, rubrail, etc. and keep the cost down a bit?
Keep in mind when they say "can't guarantee rot won't reappear," that the current wood in your boat lasted 20 years so far. Of course fiberglass will last longer, but wood isn't all bad.

[jasonba1]

if you broght it to viper it would be about half that price. Talked to Jim and he can encapsulate pressure treated wood and cover everything in glass and go back and foam fill between hull and floor and put more drains in than the factory had or he can use a urethane composite sheet stock for floors and stingers which is about 10 to 20 percent higher and that is encapsulated in glass they also use a polyester puddy to bond everything same thing boat companies use now to do boats. Hope this helps what all this means I have no idea lol to many big words for me lol but it sounds good. Anything he does a complete floor and stringer repair comes with a warranty and viper is licensed and insured shop

[AKSupra]

Hi. I have discovered dry rot in the stringers of my 1989 Supra Comp. Two screws holding the ski pylon fell out today. Tried screwing them back in and they ony spun. Checked the engine bolts and found out about half of them spin.

My dilema is that I do not have the skills or talent to repair the stringers myself. My trusted local boat repair shop wants to charge around $12K for the repair. And the boat lists on NADA for around $7.5K.

Other then the stringers, the boat is in great condition. 675 hours. Upholstery is good shape. Engine runs solid. No damage to hull or exterior. Truly a clean boat.

So my question is what could I sell the boat for? (I am in Portland Oregon)

Thanks
greymac
If you tear down the boat to the decking, it will save you $$.
I had a similar problem (not as bad as yours - but my sign came from a snapped propeller shaft). The job took about 90 hours of labor (multiple by shop rate) by a professional who had the knowledge and tools. That does not include time to tear down and build back up engine, seats, wiring, ... I did that myself.
Don't believe those who tell you this is not that bad of a job. It is messy and takes a great deal of time to complete...this is a big job!
I love my 89 comp but I only use it for slalom skiing. Lowest wake on the market...period. So, I spent the $$ to fix it. Was about $9k by the time I finished. Also put on a new 4 blade OJ prop - way smooth. Anyway, I kept mine and paid the buck - cheaper than a new boat and no headaches of doing the job myself.