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michael hunter
02-26-2010, 02:04 PM
Here are some pics of the under dash storage in the side panel Okie asked about.
I thought I would share in case anyone else is interested. You can still see the measurements from the factory I never saw that before. I guess the camera is better than my eyes?

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/Supra%20radio%20upgrade/suprahorn020.jpg

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/Supra%20radio%20upgrade/suprahorn019.jpg

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/Supra%20radio%20upgrade/suprahorn017.jpg

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/Supra%20radio%20upgrade/suprahorn015.jpg

Okie Boarder
02-26-2010, 05:27 PM
Michael,

Thanks so much! The cutout is still there on mine in the plywood, but they put vinyl over the hole when they redid the upholstery. I might turn that into something like the factory had at some point.

LOL @ the measurement markings.

87SunSportMikeyD
02-26-2010, 07:37 PM
Interesting Oakie, my 87SS has the same storage pocket. I also keep my amp behind that panel inside the gunwale, it is mounted to a removable amp rack.

purple boat
02-26-2010, 09:04 PM
My 88 Sunsport has the same pocket. I punched a small hole in it and ran the cable for my ipod into the pocket and that's where it stays so it is semi-stable and somewhat protected.

On the spotter side, the storage area has a bottom that is even with the seat. Does anyone know if that bottom can be removed to make the storage area larger? I would like to open it up for more storage because the area seems to be empty.

michael hunter
02-27-2010, 09:20 AM
Purple
Are you talking about the area below the passenger storage and in front of the spotters seat?

Okie Boarder
02-27-2010, 10:44 AM
Purple, yes there really isn't anything under there. I can verify that having taken off my top cap during my rebuild. I'm planning to remove the floor of it and also remove the "wall" between the spotters seat and that storage to open it all up. I'm going to look at how everything fits up from there and I might add back in some "studs" for support if those were "load bearing" panels.

purple boat
02-27-2010, 12:11 PM
Yes, the area you describe is the place I am talking about. It seems like it is a bunch of wasted storage space. I was thinking about removing the grab handle which is on top of the area on mine and putting in a smaller "glove box" to hold keys and other small stuff and removing the bottom of the existing storage area to open up a larger storage area similar to most newer boats. When you put in ballast, the cooler, a second battery, and life jackets and toys for everyone, you run out of space pretty quick.

michael hunter
02-27-2010, 07:59 PM
I made the wall between the spotters seat and that area removable. That is where my second battery is mounted. I put both batteries under the dash first but that much weight on the drivers side through my wake off. That is when I found that dead area it works perfect for the second battary. You don't even know its in there.

87SunSportMikeyD
02-28-2010, 10:21 AM
I'm not picturing this one... Unless you mean the dead space that is UNDER the spotters storage compartment and only accessable from the open bow. This is where I put a 400 sac in the bow. Totally hidden.

purple boat
02-28-2010, 08:09 PM
That's the area I, at least, am referring to. If you put a 400 pounder under there, doesn't it make your boat off balance? If you are surfing it makes sense I guess. I put a 350 pound sac across the bow storage area. I lose some storage, but it seems to work well.

Okie Boarder
03-01-2010, 01:26 PM
Michael,

I'm removing that wall and the floor of the storage area. I want it completely open. Then I'm going to shove my batteries to the front of that space and mount them in cases together with my switch set up. That should work good and opens my spotter seat up for more storage.

Mikey,

From the pics I've seen, the configuration on the '89's compared to earlier ones is different.

Okie Boarder
03-01-2010, 01:46 PM
Mikey,

See if this helps. I made a quick drawing and pulled up some pics from last year. The two red lined "walls" are what I'm talking about removing. The pictures show looking in the door of the compartment behind the spotter seat back. The view with the batteries is looking down into the spotter seat storage with the seat cushion lifted off.

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/OkieBoarder/StorageandSpotterSeatDrawing.jpg

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/OkieBoarder/img_3394.jpg

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu144/OkieBoarder/img_3396.jpg

Salty87
03-01-2010, 05:33 PM
i cut a hole in the vertical red line in okie's drawing. i can slide batteries under there and clear the space under the seat for towels and stuff. i left the shelf in the interior storage area.

on a saltare and i think on sunsports, you can access that storage area from the bow too. it's not easy to reach and you have to work around the vent hoses but there aren't any walls blocking it off. you could slide an empty sac in there and plumb it w/o cutting.

Okie Boarder
03-01-2010, 06:34 PM
I can't access that area from the bow on mine. It has a vertical "wall" there too.

michael hunter
03-01-2010, 07:25 PM
I'm off tomorrow I will take pics of my set up.

87SunSportMikeyD
03-02-2010, 01:08 PM
Ok, sorry for the confusion, but yes that is the area where I put a 400lb sac. I balance it out by putting another 400 on the drivers side. The drivers helm area is very deep and I have leg room, a 12" sub-box first, and the the sac behind that. It takes up some of the storage space but there is LOTS of storage space still open. It gives me 800lbs and also the ability to drain one side or the other for surfing either wave.

The space under my spotters seat was large enough for me to turn the batteries sideways (pos towards bow, neg towards stearn) and save some room. I also have the ballast pump next to the batts and there is still a cubic foot of space or so for shoes etc.

I can get pics once the snow melts lol!

purple boat
03-02-2010, 04:26 PM
No snow here but it has been raining pretty regular for the past couple months.

I think I may remove the bottom from that compartment behind the spotter's seat and put my batteries there. Then I can have a lot more space in that compartment and I free up the area under the spotter's seat for smaller stuff. Do you have to cut the bottom out or are there screws holding it in? A lot of newer boats have that entire compartment open and it is HUGE. To access that area from the front on my boat I have to remove a 2x6 that goes across the bow under the front playpen.

I originally thought about putting my sub under there but instead put it by the driver's feet. I re-did the driver's seat and built a box that my stereo fits in and mounted a short pedestal swivel on top so I have the swivel seat at the right height and my stereo is out of the way. The amp is mounted on the back of the bow seat on the driver's side.

I wish I had thought some of these things all teh way through when I had the interior re-done 4 years ago!

Okie Boarder
03-02-2010, 06:51 PM
If it is like mine it is just a panel of a material called "core-mat". You should be able to cut it out. You can figure it out really quick if you peel up the carpet. If it looks orangish and it looks like it has little holes in the base mat it's that core-mat. It's a composite product so be aware it's going to be like cutting fiberglass. Put on some gloves and a dust mask.

So you used your sub box as the seat base?

purple boat
03-02-2010, 08:52 PM
No, the box only holds the stereo (it's a Jensen remote controlled unit so it is the size of a changer with the remote on the dash). The seat pedestal is mounted on top of that box and the sub is in front of the driver's feet near the bow. The amp is mounted on the back of the bow seat above the sub box. I built the box and relocated the stereo unit because the original pedestal was mounted so the screws went through an area where 2 of the pieces of wood for the floor came together and they kept coming loose. I also needed to put the sub where i had previously had the stereo mounted.

Okie Boarder
03-03-2010, 12:53 PM
OK, gotcha. I thought maybe you were essentially sitting on the box. I was gonna say that would give some good vibrations ;-) I might have to consider if something like that would work with my seat. It might make driving more enjoyable for my wife...hehe!

michael hunter
03-03-2010, 02:43 PM
Here are some pics of the area below the passenger side storage.

Bow storage showing the rear wall behind witch is the area in question.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/suprahorn021.jpg

Inside of factory storage compartment. The gray box at the top is the new glove box.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/suprahorn023.jpg

This is the area below the factory storage. I cut the back wall to gain access it is just tall enough for the battery to fit. With the wall in you dont know the battery is there. The white hose is the glove box drain.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/suprahorn025.jpg

Another shot of the area.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/suprahorn026.jpg

michael hunter
03-03-2010, 02:45 PM
More pics of the glove box.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/suprahorn030.jpg

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/suprahorn031.jpg

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/suprahorn032.jpg

Okie Boarder
03-03-2010, 06:14 PM
Great pics. You can see the vent hose coming down on the left, too. I like what you did with the glove box. Now I see why you have your stereo mounted on the other side. ;-)

Salty87
03-03-2010, 06:32 PM
that hose dangling there is odd, it's not feeding any fresh air to the engine. the carpet 'appears' to have some sort of stain too. is there no hole/fitting in the floor for the hose to connect to?

purple boat
03-04-2010, 01:38 AM
Michael, where did you get that glove box? I like it. Also, is that first picture of the base of the spotter's seat or the bow playpen area?

michael hunter
03-04-2010, 09:23 AM
Purple
The glove box is made out of 3/4 plywood covered with fiberglass resin. It is epoxied to the top of the spotters seat storage. I cut the original glove box keeping the top only to keep the original look. Make sure you put a drain in I found out the hard way . The first pic shows the playpen storage area.

purple boat
03-06-2010, 01:04 PM
I see from your pics that your access to the storage area between your spotter's seat and the back of the bow seating is from your walk through area. My access on my 88 Sunsport is behind the spotter's seat. The back of the spotter's seat is attached to the seat base and there is a small (~13x10) cushion which you pull out of the middle of the seat back to access the storage area. I am thinking real hard about removing the seat back from the base so I can hinge it to the fiberglass top of the storage area so I have a larger access and so if I cut the bottom out of the storage compartment I can put larger stuff in there. I would probably also relocate my batteries from the spotter's seat base to the front of that compartment.