Supra Soltaire '89 Information Needed

[HambonePoke]

I am looking to purchase a 1989 Supra Soltaire from a local person and need information on what I should be looking for as to potential problems, etc. Here is what I am needing and can't find anything at all on the web yet :)

1) What is a boat this age worth? The interior was redone about 5 years ago and looks good - The trailor is in decent shape and the boat has a new cover. Any ballpark estimates of what I should pay? They are asking $12k.
2) The boat has the 454 engine
3) Where can I find seating configuration, person capacities, etc on this boat?
4) Where can I find other general information on this boat?

Thank you!

[86Pirata454]

pics would be great, take a peak at the thread i started about the junk supra. will tell you what to look for

[HambonePoke]

Well - I am guessing that the attached pictures are of no help since the cover is on?

I will see if I can remove the cover and get some pictures of the interior in the next few weeks.

But feel free to comment if you see something that you can comment on :)

[HambonePoke]

Also, if you can like to that junk supra thread I would appreciate it. I searched for "Junk Supra" and looked through all your posts and didn't see it jump out.

I do remember seeing it at one time, but let me know if you can link to it or provide the exact title of the thread.

Thanks!

[mapleleaf]

The outside of that boat looks good, but the the insides aren't always the same! If that tower's homemade it sure does look pretty good for DIY.
In that year your looking at wooden floor and stringers, so you gotta dig around the bilge valley, maybe pull the removeable floor behind the engine cover, check the engine mounts to see if they're stripped (rotten stringers!). Soft spots in the floor?? Engine Hours??? Condition of belts and hoses??The over all condition is some kind of indicator of how the boat's been treated, but with a new interior it can be hard to tell..
I'd want that thing for about 8-10k, for 10k I'd hope there were some goodies inside!!
Not to speak out of turn, but I also think it's still a better time to buy a boat then sell one!!! Sorry seller's!!!!
If the floor and stringers are gone, that's a 3-5k job right there, boat might be worth 5-6k.....

[86Pirata454]

http://supraboats.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=3798
there you go
is that an oklahomo trailer its on?

[sybrmike]

1. I think Maple's on the right track. It's hard to tell until you really go digging around in/on/under/around the boat. I picked up an 89 Salt last Nov, but it's rough & needs a complete interior, some trailer work, and there are hints of a stringer job in my future... It ran well, but I managed to pick it up cheap from a motivated seller. fwiw - NADA lists around $6-7.5k.

As for potential problems (costs) - Wood is the big concern. It can hold up very well if sealed properly and taken care of - or it can turn to mulch if neglected or abused. Check the wood anywhere you can - seat backs (especially lower edges), seat bases, floor soft spots (especially either side of engine). Pull the rear driveline floor panel & engine cover to get a good look at the inner stringers - motor/trans mount bolts should be tight, check where the gas tank straps mount to the top of the stringers, check where the ski pylon cross mount attaches to the stringers. You just never know for sure about the inner stringers & foam, but the general condition of what is visible can be a guide.

After the wood, engine & drive line would be next costwise. Mechanical check out is pretty easy. Parts are standard, readily available, but some get a little pricey. Otherwise, look for model specific trim items that can be hard or impossible to source - glove box (wine bar in the Saltare), rear ski locker insert, etc. or plan on some fabrication.

2. engine hours?, compression check, test run (fake-lake or in-water)?
3. 10 persons or 1800 lbs, 2165 lbs, persons, and gear.
4. Check out the 1990 20-23' Series Users Manual in the Library section from the home page of this site. It only goes back to '90, but I couldn't find any differences from my '89.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Hey there, good luck in your search! They are great boats. Well there are a couple neat things I can see. Looks like homemade tower, looks pretty nice but dont like the styling myself. Can't tell if they maybe repainted the hull or just the stripes? Maybe not though because they match the trailer so well. Gotta love that nice trailer and the fiberglass swim platform. Also that cover is very very nice.

Assuming the stringers and interior are good: If NADA lists 6.5-7k for an average condition boat, I would guess this one should sell at $9.5-10.5k

Make sure you check out the floors and stringers as best as possible.

[HambonePoke]

Thanks for the link - and yes that is an Oklahomo trailer - how could you tell that? Good eye!

I am getting more details on the boat and will post when I get them.

[HambonePoke]

Thank you to all for the information to date! Here is a bit more information - I will post some more pictures when it thaws out here ... been frozen for a few weeks solid.

- Engine Hours = 450
- Tower was a custom rack designed and done locally, powder coated, etc.
- Stereo was installed locally - 700W, 3 Amps, Sub Woofer, Klipsh Speakers hung on the tower. I am not much of a stereo guy, so I likely can't appreciate how much was spent/included here.

The seller indicates NADA was $14k not long ago, but he is only asking $12k.

Keep the comments coming! Thank you.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

450 hours is pretty low. The only thing I dont like about the tower is the front legs in the bow where there are two feet. The stereo is probably an item that is contributing to the higher price. Maybe ask him how much it cost originally. Is NADA 7k or 12k? Better find out and come prepared. Don't overpay. Tell him for $16k you can get a v-drive 95 super sport nauti easy. He may have put more money into it, but the market will have a tough time supporting that resale value. My buddy sold a 93 Sport Nauti DD for $12k recently and it is no wood all fiberglass boat.

[Salty87]

that is an interesting tower design. i don't think i'd like having a leg in front of the windshield like that. it may be the pics but the finish looks odd too. even the board racks look a little rough....just some talking points....a few other points on the custom tower....does it fold down? that can limit your storage options.....does it have a bimini? accessories are going to be harder to get since it's a no-name. my tower is no-name made in austin, i've had to deal with these issues. is it sturdy? does it rattle when it's loaded? custom sounds cool but it's really just fancy talk for DIY.

looks like they put some graphics on it. nice touch, looks like they cared about it. the cover looks pretty nice too. how long have they owned it? you'd like to hear that it's had nice covers all of its life.

450 hrs is low. doesn't add any value, it's still 20 years old unless it was replaced. def compression test it, it's easy to do.

stereo's get out of date really quick. he knows he couldn't sell that stuff on ebay and get even half of what he paid for it. most after-market gear isn't going to add much value, sucks but it's the truth. 700 watts, 3 amps, sub, klipsh...after a couple years there's little value left in a played system.

all of this is just my point of view and thoughts on the topic.

$14k hasn't been the nada in many years. the boat market is nothing like it was even 2 years ago. sounds like someone is smoking crack or has ownership goggles on. he might have receipts showing that much spent, it's not hard to do with a boat. still doesn't make the boat worth that much.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Where would you store the boat? If under a boat lift with canopy you may need it to fold below the windshield. In a garage you just need under 7'. Also with the double bars in front, as long as they dont block the windshield from opening up, I don't see an issue with it other than cosmetic. In fact, it makes a nice backrest for people sitting in the bow, sometimes they like to perch on the padded cupholder spot on the gunwale right in front of the windshield.

Saltys right about the stereo - if he says he spent $1500 on the stereo, it's only worth $5-600 now at best. I still stand by my guess/offer of $9.5-10.5k assuming the floors and stringers are good and it runs well/compression test ok.