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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default 1988 Supra Mariah Floor Restoration

    Hello and thank you to everyone for all of the knowledge and information throughout the site, it has been super helpful! I had lurked for a few months before I signed up a while back. This site has been a great motivator and source of knowledge. Lots of cool stuff here!

    My family use to have a 1998 Malibu Sunsetter LX, bought it brand new and sold it around 2007 or 2008. I wish we still had it, so late this summer I started looking for an older ski boat to use on Lake St Clair. I ended up with this Supra after a conversation with a friend, turns out this one was right under my nose.
    She's a 1988 Mariah in need of some TLC, bought from a family friend. He told me I was "buying a trailer that came with a project." Right up my alley! The previous owner upgraded to a brand new Mastercraft last summer and no longer has a need for this ole gal. Motor is brand new a few years back, less than 25 hours on her with a re-man trans. Interior was all also redone with the exception of the captains chair, and maybe the motor cover if I remember correctly. Regardless, aside from a little mildew from being covered up for a year, she should clean right up with a magic eraser. She sits on a newer twin axle Shore Land'r trailer. I was told the floor was in need of repair, as it had started to rot underneath the captains chair and the captains footwell/tray. This spot had been repaired once before but it managed to take on water again and saturated the foam and new floor. The floor also began to rot in the rear left corner in front of the rear seat. Stringers were supposedly good, but you never know what's inside until you tear up the floor.

    This past weekend I started to dig into the boat to remove the floor. From what I can tell, I found that the previous repair had been breached by the hole used to fill the hull with foam. No surprise here, not a big deal. I managed to get the majority of the flooring and foam removed from the right side of the boat, and started on the left side for a few hours Sunday morning. The stringers are OK in some areas, but rotten at the ends. They will be replaced entirely. No half-arsing things here.

    Transom is soft, so it will also be replaced in this process.

    I will let these pictures speak for themselves. I have yet to remove the floor and foam on the left side, but my plan is to split the boat at the bond line and remove the top deck. This will allow for limitless access to the floor and stringers. No sense in crawling up under the front and back of the boat. All of that effort would be better spent in removing the cap and replacing the floor and stringers the correct way. I would like to keep this boat for a number of years to come so I am going to do it right the first time. I like the retro grey-blue color scheme, so I will probably stick with it. If I make a color change, it will be down the road as I would like to first get the boat fixed and on the water in the spring. I'll give her a good color sanding and wheel it out in the spring and see what the chalky exterior has left.
    I don't plan to add much to the boat. Off the top of my head things I would like to add to the boat are:

    Aerial Freeride Tower
    Interior and Underwater LED Lighting
    Updated Radio w/iPod/iPhone capability
    New Interior Speakers
    Tower Speakers (Eventually)

    Enjoy the pictures. I hope to add to this thread soon, weather dependent of course. I have an exterior shot of the boat but it is on my old phone. I will update soon

    IMG_0607.jpgIMG_0604.jpgIMG_0605.jpgIMG_0603.jpgIMG_0597.jpg


    Luke
    Last edited by lmnelson86; 10-20-2014 at 02:26 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default

    More Pictures. Sorry that these are sideways, I will figure that out later.

    IMG_0611.jpgIMG_0610.jpgIMG_0609.jpgIMG_0614.jpgIMG_0616.jpg

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default

    Well not a whole lot of progress since the weekend, but I did manage to get the rub rail removed as well as all of the screws that hold the two halves together. I ran out of daylight last night, so I will drill out the rivets Friday. I hope to lift the cap off on Sunday.

    I do not plan on using foam when I rebuild the core, nor am I going to use carpet. I think I am going to spray a base gelcoat with some gelcoat webbing instead. My brother has done this in one of his boats and it is not slippery at all, and looks great to boot. I would like to avoid using anything that retains water/moisture in all areas of the boat. I have also contemplated a modern laminated wood flooring, not sure on that though.

    Here are a couple shots from Wednesday nights progress, one of which shows the boat. I would love to paint the boat, but I appreciate its vintage look. I will be restoring the gelcoat as original as possible. Lots of time with the sander and buffer coming up!I Hope to have some good photos and progress this weekend.


    IMG_0636.jpgIMG_0635.jpgIMG_0634.jpg

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Hudson, WI
    Posts
    2,651

    Default

    Looking good so far! Sounds like you've done your research.....

    FWIW the worst part of the entire process is removing the rotten stringers and the foam. Once you're done with that it's smooth (but expensive!) sailing....
    Former owner of a 1987 Supra Saltare. Current owner of a Malibu 23LSV.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default

    Wotan,

    Thanks! So far the removal process hasn't been that bad. It certainly isn't the most fun thing to do, but I have been at a desk job for almost two years now, so anything hands on is fine by me. I'm having fun. Luckily I have a couple of huge rolls of fiberglass cloth, mat, and roving that the family has accumulated over the years for various projects. I am not new to fiberglass but this is certainly the biggest project I have attempted. I cannot wait for the end result. It'll be a fun boat!

    Quote Originally Posted by wotan2525 View Post
    Looking good so far! Sounds like you've done your research.....

    FWIW the worst part of the entire process is removing the rotten stringers and the foam. Once you're done with that it's smooth (but expensive!) sailing....

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default

    Well another weekend has come and gone. Got the top deck split from the bottom on Saturday, removed the rest of the carpet and took care of some miscellaneous stuff. The two halves split pretty easily as I suspected. A little pressure from the forklift and the bond slowly split. I will be removing the gas tank, blower motors and other accessories one night this week. I try and get a few little things done during the week before I run out of daylight. Every little bit helps. The lag bolts that hold the motor mounts down spin with no effort at all, so the motor will be getting removed soon, too. Fun stuff!

    What did I get myself into? Ha

    More pics to come Might have to find an easier way too attach these

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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default

    Used a couple of the forklifts and an empty trailer to aid in the process. Staged everything and took my time. Pretty smooth sailing, only had to snip a few speaker wires and the blower wires.

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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default

    Backing up the trailer and setting the top down. Used some 6x6 timbers to keep it from sitting on the cooler and sides.

    IMG_0708.jpgIMG_0711.jpgIMG_0713.jpgIMG_0714.jpgIMG_0716.jpg

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Lake St Clair, MI
    Posts
    272

    Default

    I pulled all of the carpet off of the top half before I set it down, and removed the carpet from the bottom half as well. To my surprise, the floor under the bow was pretty soft. Just another reason I am getting rid of that moisture monster: carpet.

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