Rotten Flooring

[KamaSupra]

So I have a 1987 Supra Saltare that's floor has started to get pretty rotted out. The worst part is the back section right behind the engine housing compartment. I was wondering if anyone has used Taco Marine Lumber (a marine grade polymer) to redo a floor. I was thinking of starting with just this back middle section (approx 2" wide by 4" long) as it has gotten so bad that the rotten plywood pieces are getting into my bilge pump and causing issues there. I was wondering if anyone has used this type of product or what someone would recommend using for a floor replacement.

I would not consider myself that handy but I received a quote for 4K to replace the floors and almost cried. So I thought I would see if there was anyway I could do the repairs myself.

Thanks for the help.

[wotan2525]

Hate to be the bearer of (potentially) bad news, but chances are that your stringers are also gone. I'm sure taco marine would be AWESOME for a new floor but.... I think if you start digging into your stringers (engine mount bolts is a good place to start) you're going to find bigger problems.

$4k sounds like a lot for just the floor. Did they see the boat? Did this include some kind of stringer repair, too?

[KamaSupra]

Yeah they saw the boat said that one of the stringers had a little rot as well and the 4K would cover the flooring and both stringers.

As of right now I dont have 4K to sink into the boat so I thought I could get away with a temporary fix (just the really rotten sectons) at least until I can afford to get the stringers repaired as well as the rest of the flooring.

Does this make sense or do I just have to bite the bullet and get it done the right way? The only problem is I imagine that this kind of repair would take quite awhile and being in MN our summers are so short I would hate to be without it for an extended period of time.

[sybrmike]

Hate to jump on the downer bandwagon, but agree with Wotan - rotten or soft spots in the floor are usually accompanied by saturated foam and mushy stringers. $4k is high for just a floor IMO. Professional full stringer/floor jobs typically run $4-6k. You can check the motor mount bolts & see if their still snug into good wood as an indicator (but not a guarantee). Same with the ski pylon support brackets at the stringers. Or drill a few test holes (can be glassed back over) in the stringer walls. I think the floor of the 86 runs all the way to the transom, but if you have a lift out center section behind the motor box - pull the rear seat bases, lift out the panel and inspect below & towards the rear. The area under the seats & gas tank are often the worst & first to go. Good luck.

[sybrmike]

Oops, beat me with your reply. $4k is reasonable depending on what all's included - inner & outer stringers?, foam/no foam?, cap off?

Besides the lost down time, you run the risk of the engine shifting & really screwing things up (just ask Wotan:(). Bad thing is you just really never know how bad things are down there until it's opened up.

[devovino]

Yes indeed, that seems to be the thing you have to do is dig in there and examine the extent of the rot. I just did this and found that where supra attached the floor/base of rear seat, floor was done and so was the stringer, especially on the drivers side. Main stringers were blacked out where the connect the cross beams. Get a sawzall and skillsaw, know where your stringers are get in there.
Most of the guys on here have all had to do this in one way or another, so there is a lot of good advice on here thats for sure.

[wotan2525]

Yeah they saw the boat said that one of the stringers had a little rot as well and the 4K would cover the flooring and both stringers.

As of right now I dont have 4K to sink into the boat so I thought I could get away with a temporary fix (just the really rotten sectons) at least until I can afford to get the stringers repaired as well as the rest of the flooring.

Does this make sense or do I just have to bite the bullet and get it done the right way? The only problem is I imagine that this kind of repair would take quite awhile and being in MN our summers are so short I would hate to be without it for an extended period of time.

How long have you owned this boat? I wonder if it's one that I'm familiar with.

I feel your pain. I tried to bandaid the repair on my boat and it ended up sinking. Not to say that it WILL happen to you.... but the fact that it COULD happen would be enough to convince me to pull it for the season.

I patched mine. Sank it. Started working on it myself as I could afford to and paying for new parts as I could afford to. I think I was out of the water for over 2-summers. So yes.... The summers up here are short, but by trying to get by with a cheap/quick/easy fix you are just going to extend your downtime.

I didn't listen to the advice when I ran into the same situation, either. I really wouldn't blame you if you don't. It's a tough pill to swallow for both the $$$ and the time out of the water. If you can afford $2k and not $4k.... I'd buy a decent stand-up jetski and enjoy a couple of years while you save up the money to fix the Supra. The ski will still be worth $2k when you're done with it.

[KamaSupra]

I have owned this boat since 2009 and bought it from a local marina out by lake minnetonka.

I think I am going to try and patch it with some Taco Marine Lumber or a King Starboard polymer just to get through the season and then hopefully get some bids to completely redo the floor/stringers over the winter. I think at this point I have to cross my fingers and hope it doesn't sink.

Thanks for all the advice.

[cadunkle]

Check your motor and trans mount bolts into the stringers. If they're still tight, and don't just spin in the holes I wouldn't sweat it. Just run the season and do it over the winter.

[KamaSupra]

Wotan - Any idea of a good place to get the floor and stringers completely replaced?

I have had a couple different people come look at the boat and have received quotes anywhere from 4K - 8K. I dont want to just go with the cheapest because I want to make sure the work gets done right so that I dont have to do this again anytime soon.

Any thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[wotan2525]

Unfortunately, I don't. I did half the work myself and found an out of work bodywork guy to do the other half. Did he do the best job? Probably not. He certainly cut a lot of corners that I wouldn't have cut. The "professionals" that I talked to were coming in a lot closer to the $8k figure than the $4k figure.

If I did it again, I'd probably invest in taking the time to drive it down to Viper Customs in TN. http://vipercustoms.com/ Jim down there used to design boats for Supra and not only has everything I've seen him do turned out incredible, it's also turned out far cheaper than I found anyone local able to do it. I've spoken with him a few times on the phone and he's always seemed incredibly helpful and honest about things. He can be hard to get a hold of but I chalk that up to a combination of being busy and being a non-computer person.

Outside of the PITA factor (and assuming you have a decent trailer), I think you could incur the costs to deliver the boat to him in October, pick it up in April/May and probably still come out ahead vs. the expense of a local repair. Plus -- he's done this 10s (if not hundreds) of times and knows everything inside and outside of 80s Supras. Nobody local has that knowledge. They'd be taking a master class in 80s Supra repair and you'll be footing the bill. You could even employ the band-aid and finger crossing method of getting you through this season first.

csuggs on here had Jim @ Viper do far more than just stringers... but... his threads may be worth checking out. You could also send him a PM and ask him about his experience. http://supraboats.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=5186 and http://supraboats.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=5541 detail his work pretty extensively.

If Jims the best and the cheapest, it seems like a slam dunk to me. Of course -- you certainly have a lot more options on that side of the cities than I do over here. It's possible you could talk to one of the local fiberglass shops and ask them about "winter" or "cash" rates. This time of year it's tough to deal with those guys but usually come November they are eager to keep things on the schedule.