fully restored and customized supra rider

[khelfrich]

For sale… completely restored Supra Rider. You can own a piece of history with this boat. The rider was the first open bow ski boat ever built. I am the second owner and have the original bill of sale from when it was bought for $19,995 at the Charlotte boat show. The boat had about 350 hours when I got it .The boat had been babied, always stored on the trailer covered and under a carport. The boat was never left in the water for more than a weekend.

But as with most old Supras, Mother Nature got the best of it and the floor and stringers rotted out The original owner stopped using the boat in 96 or 95 after his kids went to college and stopped going to the lake. The boat sat from then till December 2006 when I bought it and started restoring it. I worked on it from December 2006 till July 2008.

I completely tore the boat apart, took the top half of the hull off to replace the floor and stringers. The new stringers were made out of Douglas fir that was then treated with rot doctor to preserve the wood, completely wrapped in fiberglass then fiber-glassed to the floor. There is enough fiberglass in this boat the wood could rot out and you would probably still be fine. The rudder box mount was reinforced with a 1/4 steel plate glassed into the hull and bolted to the stringers.

The whole hull was re gel coated because I did not like the old tan color and wanted a white boat. The original fiberglass was beautiful just faded with age and needed buffed, just not my color. I rebuild the engine which is a Chrysler 440 a really good marine engine that is rare to see in a ski boat. The engine has been bored out. The crank journals were line bored. The rotating assembly was balanced. It has forged flat top pistons, solid lifter performance cam, high flow aluminum heads, shaft mounted roller rockers, Edelbrock performer intake and marine carb, fabricated aluminum valve covers, Mallory marine distributor, Taylor plug wires, high output coil, and closed cooling system so there is antifreeze running through the engine block so you never have to worry about the block freezing and makes winterizing very easy. The transmission was rebuilt with all new forward and reverse clutches and seals, new heat exchangers for the transmission oil and for the engine oil.

I re-molded the fiberglass of the dash and put in all new gauges and switches. I added Perfect Pass Stargazer, GPS controlled cruise control system, custom billet dash, switch panel, and rack mount tilt steering helm. I made custom mounts to add a tower off a 2004 Supra SSV gravity games edition with board racks and tower speakers and a custom light bar with spot lights and LED lights. The boat has a Clarion sound system with ipod hookups and two 4 channel Clarion amps and transom remote. high output alternator with a custom 3 battery system, one for the starting circuit on the boat and the other two for the stereo and accessory circuits. The driver’s seat is from a 2006 Supra so it has the flip up bolster. The engine cover was reshaped to make it round and more modern and to give the interior a roomier feel. A custom molded panel to hold speakers and cup holders was added to the sides of the boat along with a custom observers seat.

The interior was completely reupholstered. All the seat frames were made out of azek board which is a PVC board, so you will never have the seats rot out again. In the spring of 2010, I removed the floor and added an infloor ballast system and made a composite floor so now the only wood left in this boat is the core of the stringers.

There are a ton of pictures on my facebook page. Just look for me, ken helfrich and you will see pictures through the whole build. I have 5 or 6 albums showing the whole build.

The boat is sitting on the original SMP trailer that has also been completely restored. I added another cross member for extra strength, made all new steps on the outside of the frame, added a rear bumper with flush mount tail lights and a prop guard, added a swing tongue with a new UFP disk brake actuator and new UPF disk brake torsion suspension axles. The axles and actuator were bought from Boatmate along with the new fenders and swing tongue kit. The trailer is a C channel frame which I think is better because all surfaces can be painted. The whole trailer was sandblasted then painted with a self etching primer followed by and epoxy primer/sealer and then an automotive enamel paint.

The trailer is sitting on 18" wheels with low profile tires. The brake lines are all either braided stainless or 304 stainless hard line. The whole trailer was rewired. All lights are wired with a ground running back to the plug and not just having the frame as ground so you should never have a problem with a bad ground. All wiring connections are soldered and shrink tubed where possible.

Since first building this boat and then working out all the kinks, I have never had a problem with it. No expense was spared in building this boat . It always starts right up and runs great. I can't count the number of times that while waiting to launch or load this boat that people asked me if it was a brand new boat. The only reason I am selling it is because I wanted a bigger boat so I could fit more people. I have over 25k put into this build and it really shows with all the little details.


you can email me at kenhelfrich (at) g mail
or call 412-805-0830

lots of pictures close to 1000 pictures at http://suprarider.shutterfly.com

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs006.snc6/165689_734485717699_12805680_39440963_6461305_n.jp g

when I first bought the boat
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v61/57/48/12805680/n12805680_31557476_6155.jpg

new stringers
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v61/57/48/12805680/n12805680_31557470_4492.jpg


after hours of spraying gelcoat
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v71/57/48/12805680/n12805680_31905445_866.jpg

[wotan2525]

Ken -- Sounds amazing!! Unfortunately, your facebook photos are set to private. If you want to sell, I'd start by listing an asking price and some photos right here.... GLWTS!

[khelfrich]

I will change my photos to public later tonight and I was thinking of asking 19,995 obo since that is what it sold for in 1983 and has more than that invested into it

Ken

[jsandy]

wow thats alota coin for a 28 year old boat. not be'n debbie downer here but wow

[khelfrich]

well from talking to different people some thought I should start there and others thought I should start with what I have into the boat. the boat has new gel coat and the motor is rebuilt better than when it was new, the boat has a lot of options that newer boats have. and the money invested was all with getting really good deals and doing all the work myself except for the machine work on the engine, I assembled the engine and transmission myself. did all gel coat work and all fiberglass work. did all the welding and painting trailer. and machined all the custom parts for the boat on the vertical milling machine in my garage. I would hate to think what this would have cost if i had this built by someone and paid for all the labor. and the price is obo so feel free to make offers the worst that can happen is the offer is declined.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Thanks for editing your post. Everything looks great, best of luck on your sale. She is a beauty. Keep the pics comin!

[khelfrich]

sandblasting trailer frame after adding bumper, prop guard, etc
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v71/57/48/12805680/n12805680_31905448_1784.jpg


rebuilt engine and transmission
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v200/57/48/12805680/n12805680_33403666_3888.jpg

after months of sanding, buffing, and waxing new gel coat setting hull on rebuilt trailer
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2115/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35117737_6407.jpg

gel coated top half with old speaker holes filled and reshaped dash
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2115/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35117789_3608.jpg

[khelfrich]

top half back on with stripes painted on bottom
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2256/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35181184_653.jpg


going to friends shop to put engine back in
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2256/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35181119_9714.jpg

engine going back in
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2256/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35181122_573.jpg


working on new upholstery
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2256/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35181137_5763.jpg

[oldman]

It must of been tough spraying all that gel coat. Your boat is worth every penny your asking. Also nice job on the stringers!

[khelfrich]

add me as a friend will be easiest Ken Helfrich Georgia Tech am working on adding more pictures the most recent once it was all done. i raised it up on the trailer cause there were some not really scratches but marks from the boat rubbing on the trailer fenders so i raised it up to be over the fenders, I have no problems launching or loading the boat. it is actually much easier to load than my new boat. why am I selling? well cause this was my first boat and i had so much fun on it and have a ton of friends that always want to come out, I decided it was time for a bigger boat. so since the rider holds 8 but i have actually had up to 10 on board and fit just fine. the new boat holds 16 and is a 2008 wake setter 247 with the 8.1 motor, which i bought as a dealer demo this past fall so I am the first owner of the new boat

Ken

[khelfrich]

with the graphics
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs056.snc6/168616_730351931839_12805680_39361331_7214388_n.jp g

reshaped engine cover
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs795.ash1/168578_730354571549_12805680_39361444_585551_n.jpg

boat going together and dash before perfect pass
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs013.snc6/166313_730354806079_12805680_39361452_470115_n.jpg

rear seat with out armrests
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs042.snc6/167227_730354915859_12805680_39361456_3305405_n.jp g

[khelfrich]

radio mount and throttle
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs036.snc6/166620_730393648239_12805680_39361948_3966134_n.jp g


amps
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs079.snc6/168903_730394780969_12805680_39361976_1611285_n.jp g


custom observers seat
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1382.snc4/163402_730395459609_12805680_39361992_1390594_n.jp g


custom dash with perfect pass
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs780.ash1/167026_730396587349_12805680_39362022_2041738_n.jp g

[khelfrich]

back seat with arm rests
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs797.ash1/168734_730396722079_12805680_39362028_6092532_n.jp g


with tower speakers and racks
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs069.snc4/34827_730396557409_12805680_39362021_3216209_n.jpg


custom speaker holders in primer prior to stainless cup holders being added
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1354.snc4/162623_730395983559_12805680_39362003_7598339_n.jp g

the reason the boat is for sale
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs313.snc4/41002_693755351679_12805680_38512335_4696063_n.jpg

[TitanTn]

Holy cow man. I just looked at all 300 photos you have on Facebook. This book is worth every dime. It essentially is a new boat. I can't imagine how many hours you spent on this and also can't imagine how you got the other guy in the photos to help so much. That's a true buddy! Awesome job, and I hope you get what you need out if it.

[khelfrich]

The guy in the photos helping me is my dad, and all the seats were sewn by my mom, they really helped me a lot in this build my mom did most of the sanding of the gel coat for me while I was in my last semester at college. there is a lot of fun in building one of these boats and it is amazing some of the stuff you find that the factory did when building these old boats. like the original side stringers were at different distances from the center on either side. and after building this boat i can say that this boat was built correctly and no corners were cut.


some surfing
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs141.ash2/40373_419470864693_825454693_4534460_2724795_n.jpg


rear seat frame made out of Azek board
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2256/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35181142_7380.jpg

testing transmission after rebuild
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2256/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35181174_8801.jpg

cleaned and clear powdercoated underwater gear
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2256/57/48/12805680/n12805680_35181104_5655.jpg

[wotan2525]

I really think this might be the best restoration I've seen. I'm truly amazed at the lengths you went to and the quality if the work.

Like any project like this -- you probably won't get your money out of it. That being said -- I honestly don't feel like $20k is CRAZY high for this thing. It might take some time to find the right buyer, but there's no doubt that the right person would have to spend WAAAAY more than $20k to have a turn-key boat like this.

Well done! How many years did you work on this?

[sybrmike]

O.K. now I don't know whether to feel inspired or defeated... You definitely raised the bar with that one!

Like Wotan said, you'll most likely never recoup the costs of a rebuild like that (similar to muscle cars and custom bikes), but might come close if you can find the right buyer that appreciates the time, effort, $, customized features, & the fact that there's no other way to get into that kind of boat for that "little" of a cost.

Great job & good luck finding that right buyer.

[mapleleaf]

Really like that reshaped doghouse, what'd you guys use to hold the form????

[khelfrich]

well i just started with the flat curves and used .040 aluminum sheeting as the mold cause it flexes and makes a smooth curve then the corners i used about 3" wide strips of aluminum and smoother the joints with plaster let the plaster dry waxed it and laid the fiberglass then removed all the aluminum and plaster. smoothed the inside out al little and sprayed gel coat on the inside

Ken

[dshaff24]

O.K. now I don't know whether to feel inspired or defeated... You definitely raised the bar with that one!

.

Yeah Really... I thought I went out of my way to get my boat redone and looking newer... All I have to say is SWWEEETT Build

[tallnfast]

i got goose bumps, that is so cool, if i had the money, and not two boats i would jump all over that for 20K, good luck with the sale

[khelfrich]

cup holders complete
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs746.ash1/163857_732544467979_12805680_39407490_5593623_n.jp g

finished observers seat
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs059.snc6/168987_732544502909_12805680_39407491_437737_n.jpg

glove box
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1371.snc4/164373_732544527859_12805680_39407492_2445837_n.jp g

dash with ballast pump switched
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs250.snc6/179845_732544572769_12805680_39407494_7063773_n.jp g

[khelfrich]

cup holder led lights
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs057.snc6/168790_732544737439_12805680_39407500_3289873_n.jp g


other cup holder
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs797.ash1/168774_732544692529_12805680_39407499_4984602_n.jp g

light bar
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1389.snc4/164189_732544767379_12805680_39407502_572524_n.jpg

transom remote and custom billet rear vents
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs773.ash1/166357_732544822269_12805680_39407504_136234_n.jpg

[TitanTn]

Unreal. How long was this project? I'd be scared to ask if you knew the amount of hours...

[mapleleaf]

Amazing, Did you guys make those cup holders??? Fiberglass????

[khelfrich]

yea made a mold then made then out of fiberglass smoothed them with some body putty and primed and painted them

[sybrmike]

Again, amazing work! What's with the 2 temp guages?

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Rate Thread: FIVE STARS!! :)

[khelfrich]

one is engine temp and one was going to be the temp of the raw water coming out of the heat exchanger but i never did hook the second one up and the trim gauge isn't hooked up to anything yet either i had it and it was put in to hold a spot in case i wanted to add another gauge like a fuel manager

[khelfrich]

this is the first an only place I have listed it so far as we get closer to the spring I am going to start listing it more places

Ken

[jet]

Incredible work man. Pat your self on the back. Jet


I feel like a rookie now...

[Okie Boarder]

Awesome work all around. This thread gives me lots of ideas. :cool:

[jet]

Yeah..my head is spinning now. Jet

[Okie Boarder]

jet,

You're thinking too much.

[jet]

What else is there to do in winter but cry and think up new sh*t to do to the boat. lol

[khelfrich]

close to 1000 pictures at http://suprarider.shutterfly.com still trying to find the pictures from when I added the ballast system

[stinky_1]

love it. Thanks for the pics. This should keep me busy for a few hours

[khelfrich]

the 440 was factory that is how the original owner ordered it it is a very rare option, the original owner was in the navy and some or there boats had the 440 in it and he wanted it with that motor.

Ken

[khelfrich]

just added 97 new pictures of the ballast tanks going in and the all composite floor hydraulic trim plate/ wake shaper and 4" turn down exhaust

Ken

[jet]

To your FB page?

[sybrmike]

More great mods to a fantastic build! How many #'s were you able to get under there?

[TitanTn]

To your FB page?

He's talking about his Shutterfly page: http://suprarider.shutterfly.com

[TitanTn]

I'll have to admit, I'm confused about the timing of the rebuild. There are pictures testing the boat on a body of water without any graphics on the side. And now there are pictures of the graphics on the side and it looks like you're sanding the stringers. Surely you didn't pop the cap twice? Carpet twice, etc?

[stinky_1]

from the looks of it yes, he did pop that cap twice. You can see his speakers all painted and installed in the one pic. As well as his custom interior

[khelfrich]

I did pull the cap twice and the second time i sanded the stringers to i could make fiberglass tanks under the floor and the floor the second time is all fiberglass made of layers of 1708 biax and 2mm bulking laminate then leveled off with a filler and sanded and a final layer of 1708 biax, the boat was in the water once in November 2007 and tested that is the pics without the interior then then finished at the end of July 2008.

Then in the beginning of September I decided to change the cam to a solid lifter higher performance cam and put on the aluminum heads and a new bigger edelbrock marine carburetor. and sometime in there I changed the mechanical fuel pump to a holly electric and it kept leaking so then I changed to Mallory electric fuel pump and haven't had any problems since.

Then in spring 2010 I decided to take the top back off and pull the engine out and rip the floor out sand the stingers and everywhere inside I needed to fiberglass in the tanks with baffles and make a fiberglass floor and add the hydraulic wake plate and finished it for the last day of the 4th of July weekend this year, in a lot of the pics the U is missing from the supra on one side but I have all new supra graphics for both sides to fix that since they only sell them as a pair where I bought them

[TitanTn]

Now that blows my mind again. It's one thing to do this once, but to decide to take it back down to the stringers again is amazing. Selling this boat should just be a matter of advertising.

p.s. I showed the pics to my wife that showed your mom out there helping and it guilted her into helping me this weekend on my rebuild!

[bzubke1]

I don't know how you can sell it after all the work you put in. Gorgeous boat!

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Paragraphs man, they are your friend. :p I was unable to see clear pics of the ballast or wake plate did I miss that album somehow?

[jet]

Me too. Ballast?? In the floor??

[khelfrich]

the album is on shutterfly and facebook

tanks
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs800.ash1/169063_734481745659_12805680_39440890_503066_n.jpg

fiberglass floor and steel plate in the middle of the floor for the drivers seat to bolt to
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs783.ash1/167389_734481980189_12805680_39440896_1471437_n.jp g

ballast pumps
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs789.ash1/167971_734483102939_12805680_39440926_1938614_n.jp g

wake plate and 4" turn down exhaust
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs897.ash1/180509_734479430299_12805680_39440809_1529490_n.jp g

[stinky_1]

its there, you guys are picturing him installing a tank. he did not install a tank. He waterproofed the entire floor space, and sealed it up. Then he pumps that floor full of water. He is essentially turning the entire hull (except the bow it looks like) into a giant ballast.

The baffles in there I am thinking are to stop water slop while driving around. this could be an issue with high speed cornering, and would make the boat bob from side to side. By adding those baffle looking things int he middle it compartmentalizes the whole system. Even though it looks like he can only fill one side or another using the 2 pumps.

Something that may be too late to consider would be running the electric gates on there into a thru hull on the back of the stern. This would make the system the same as the MB boats. while sitting in the water you open the gates, this floods the system with water. When you want to empty them you just get up on plane, open them up and allow the water to dump back out. No pumps needed. And your fill time would be down to less than a minute.

Interesting build ideas though. If I do a stringer job I would consider doing it like that as well.

[stinky_1]

Ooops. It looks like he did save a space in the front for some water as well.

[stinky_1]

Also, without having the actual dimensions its hard to be accurate. BUT, I think he has between 600 - 700 lbs of water on each side of that boat. I didnt try to calculate the front. Overall he has added somewhere around 1500 lbs under the floor. Which would be very respectable.

I guessed his long tanks to be

15 feet long.
1.2 feet wide
and 6" tall.

Makes for just over 80 Gallons of water per side. At 8.35 lbs per gallon he is in the neighborhood above.

[khelfrich]

I think the side tanks actually work out to be about 30-40 gallons and i have not even hooked up the front yet to see what it is. there really is not a lot of room under the floor but doing it this way I kept the weight as low as possible which i figured would help with handling and the boat really does handle great i thought about dump valves but the thing i did not like about the mb set up is that you have to be running to empty them and i wanted to be able to pump the tanks out the side tanks have rear drains that if you wanted to you could pull the plugs and let it fill faster if you wanted. also with the pumps i can fill while running cause my intake for the pumps is the same as the intake for the engine cooling but on the other side. also i ran the system with check valves so you can see the water pump out the side port while draining and blow out the vent when full. also if i wanted to add more weight like sacks under the rear seat could run the vent from the floor tank to the fat sack then fat sack to vent on side of boat automatically filling the sack like alot of guys to on the newer Malibu boats

Ken

[dusty2221]

Where did you buy the graphics?

[khelfrich]

the graphics were bought from supra any dealer should be able to get you them

Ken

[87SunSportMikeyD]

So much total weight or gallons in all three tanks?

[stinky_1]

I think the side tanks actually work out to be about 30-40 gallons and i have not even hooked up the front yet to see what it is.

8.35 lbs per gallon with around 35 gallons per side. He has around 300 lbs per side. Add another 50 or so lbs in the front, he has somewhere around 600 - 700 lbs in the floor.

[khelfrich]

the front is actually pretty deep I would bet I have somewhere between 200 and 400 lbs up there so around 800-1000lbs total which is a good bit for a 19'-20' my wake setter is a 24'7" boat with a 102" beam and has 1500 lbs. I actually have fittings for the space between the inner and outer stringers set up to make them tanks if wanted. just need to seal the back off by the exhaust to seal them. plus figure the engine and trans weighs more than the 351 most have. I weighed my engine and transmission and i believe it was around 1200 lbs. I'm going to start working on getting the front tank hooked up and then as soon as it warms up I will fill them all up and figure out exact ally what each holds.

[stinky_1]

I wouldnt have guessed the front to hold that much. But I have never pulled the floor up on the boat either.

It would be nice if you did get that much weight in there, you shouldnt have to put anything up in compartments then until you want a monster wake.

[khelfrich]

still for sale I will be adding the teak trim around the windshield and putting up some more pictures when I do. also i have the original bow rail if someone would rather have that for the boat and i also have all the original teak trim from the boat that I can refinish if you would want that, come take a look if your interested and make me an offer

thanks
Ken

[khelfrich]

I get a lot of interest but no has come to look yet is my price too high? i know its still kinda early to sell a boat around here

Ken

[jet]

That boat by man hours is worth $30,000!! But times are tuff and Its still early. Tax checks are coming late this year..and warm weather really hasn't hit yet. I have seen boats in variuos places being sold and they have been advertising for 8-months and longer! Just use her till you sell her. Brilliant engineering and work on this one. If your redoing her NO REASON TO GO BACK STOCK! Make her better. Mine is getting auto ballast and a wedge soon. AHH! I cant wait. 10-THUMBS UP!! Jet

[TitanTn]

I agree with Jet. She's worth what you're asking, it's just a little early in the season.

[Okie Boarder]

Another point to consider is that you are appealing to a little smaller market than the average boat sale transaction. First of all, you're appealing to people that want an inboard. Second you're appealing to a smaller cross-section of that group that has to understand and appreciate what this boat is really worth. You may want to make sure any ad you post clearly makes the person realizes they are getting a truly "restored" boat that is as good or better than new in a retro styled package.

[stinky_1]

I deff agree that your target market is much smaller. I think the best way to get your boat sold would be to show up at swap meets or shows of some sort. People will truly appreciate your boat a lot more when they see it in person.

Your boat may have crossed the line from a restoration to a labour of love. People are looking for a reasonable priced restored boat. Yours has a lot of extras that people are maybe less likely to pay for in an old boat.

I am not trying to take a bump on your work. It is clearly top notch. And there are a ton of things on there to make it compete with even a brand new boat. At the same time though, look at what can be bought for 20K. You have to realize you are not competing with the other classic supra's, your competing with a late 90's boat pricing, possibly even early 2000's boats.

Its kinda like having the nicest house for sale in a trailer park. Or having a starter home for sale in a rich neighborhood. Both houses are the same price, guess which one will sell first. Your boat for lack of a better analogy is the nicest one in the trailer park. But too many people would rather live in a cardboard box in the rich neighborhood. Pride plays a big role in what we buy.

Some where there is a guy that knows what you have done to your boat, and will appreciate it. You will be waiting longer to find that guy though.

Wait another month or two and see how it goes. If you are not getting any bites at all, not even emails asking about it, then the ONLY thing you can do is lower the price. Is there a hit counter for CL ads? One way to tell whats going on is to look at that. if you have 1000 hits and not a sinlge email, then your boat is good, and your ad is good, your price is wrong.

If you have no hits and no emails then your ad needs work (more catchy title) and your price is still too high

If your getting little hits and a few emails, but there is a clear ratio there then your in the right range.

Hopefully it works out for you. And I hope I didnt offend you in any way. I have the utmost respect for what you have done. And my hat is certainly off to you for your efforts.

[chrisk]

Well said Stinky

[DAFF]

Yes, the boat fits into the niche market. But, it only takes one person with the cash to seal the deal. Be patient it will sell for what you are asking. All I know is that person will have one beautiful Supra wich every one will drewl over.

For Sale:

Kelfrich Edition Supra
1 of 1
No expence spared
None better period....
Over $100k invested, remember your time counts....

Sometimes less wording is better when selling. Let the buyer ask the questions!!!!

[chrisk]

Khelfrich, anybody biting on this yet? This is just such an incredible project, keep looking at it for inspiration! It's a shame it doesn't just sell like hot-cakes!

[khelfrich]

getting some calls but no one has shown up with cash yet, but it is still kinda cold up here to take it out on the river for a test drive

Ken

[khelfrich]

weather is getting warmer and getting some interest but still for sale

Ken

[TitanTn]

I think you're entering the prime-time for your area. Have you considered eBay, if for nothing more than to get some publicity?

[khelfrich]

still for sale summer is here make me an offer

Ken

[Ptownkid]

Man, this is such a sweet, sweet boat, and an amazing end result. I hope you get your asking, because it's worth every penny!!!

All the best Ken

[mapleleaf]

this one truly is amazing to look at, might sell faster if you could wrap up that V drive conversion...lol

[khelfrich]

that would be getting a little too crazy best way to a v drive it to buy one this one has all that I'm going to do to it. there really isn't much more that could be done at least not that I could think of

Ken

[khelfrich]

new price 18k obo have someone coming to look at it tomorrow but figured I would still give others a chance at the lower price

[Ptownkid]

Good god...that is such a steal for that boat...it's too bad the majority of buyers have no idea about anything...

[jsandy]

where did you get the cup holder/speaker pod thing? did you make it? cause i would buy a pair.

[doc 1]

where did you get the cup holder/speaker pod thing? did you make it? cause i would buy a pair.
He made a mold for it and then fiberglassed over it and took them off. How Much it cost to have two them made just in fiberglass no holes drilled, no gelcoat or anything?

[haugy]

I personally don't think you should sell it. This is beyond a rare gem. And the time you've put into it really says something about the boat, and the owner.

I project as great as this I don't think I would want to part with just to get a mass-produced newer one. But that's just me, I'm old school.

Love the boat though.

[khelfrich]

got to go cause I got a new Malibu and need this out of my garage I wanted a bigger boat and could afford it so i did but this has been a great boat and learned a lot and had a lot of fun working on it, the knowledge i gained from building this boat and from the many many cars I have rebuilt saved me a lot last summer, when i went and almost bought a black and green 2008 Wakesetter 247 in Utah with about 30 hrs on it that had been totaled and the guy said that the boat was perfect after test driving it and looking at it I spotted some orange peal on the back and which made me dig deeper and found there was major damage to it. I later found out the malibu hit a rock shelf so hard that the strut was pushed up and cracked the oil pan.

Ken

[khelfrich]

Sold sold sold

[TitanTn]

Congrats! I'm sure that's a load off. Just be sure to tell the new owner about this forum and encourage him to join. I'd like to see more pics of that boat being used.

[khelfrich]

will do and and you can all tell what a deal since he got it a good bit less than asking

[jsandy]

any chance you still have the mold for the cup holder/speaker pod?

[haugy]

If that boat had been the style I prefer 89-92 I would have bought it as soon as I sold my old one. The detail you did, and the customization was just awesome.

Congrats on the sale.

[james&AnnasSupra]

I am the proud new owner of this supra rider and i Love it great boat! the detail in person is more impressive than the pictures can even show.

[dshaff24]

Nice! how much you pick it up for?

[TitanTn]

...I ever so tempted to trade mine in on a fully customized Rider being sold in PA last week when the price dropped...

I think the this guy is the new owner of the boat you're referring to.

[Okie Boarder]

Welcome and congrats!

[sybrmike]

Congrats on the sale, Ken. Simply amazing transformation of that boat.

Congrats on the purchase & welcome to the forum, James&Anna.

Hope it was a win/win deal for all...

[Ptownkid]

THANK GOD! Such an awesome boat, you were very smart to buy this one!!!

[khelfrich]

i still have the mold for the speakers some have asked about buying it but i think it would not ship very well. I am thinking of making another cup holder speaker assembly and then making a good mold off it and selling them to whoever wants them, not sure on price yet I have to figure out what it cost to make them and how long it takes to do so and how much interest there is in them, so anyone one that wants them let me know and how much they would be willing to pay for a set. so I can figure out if it is worth trying to make them

[TitanTn]

Yes, I know. My way of saying I wanted that boat he just bought. I was very tempted...very.

Sorry. Sometimes it's hard to see the <wink> through text.