new to supras and need some help

[jsandy]

so here it is. i'm josey and live in florence al on wilson lake, so i've always been on the water and around boats and actualy build hotrods for a living, anyways i got into wakeboarding last year goin out on my neighbors 1990prostar190. granted i'm not that good just now getting confident wake to wake. but have my own board and really enjoy it. so i have been saving for over a year and have wanted my own small wake/ski boat for a few years and now am finally goin to bite the bullet and buy one. now being a starving college student i have only been able to save around 5 grand. so i have found 2 boats close that are in my range. 1. 89 ts6m new interior, clean boat with 580 hrs but with no add ons. 2. 89 comp new interior,wake tower,6 speakers but with 1200 hours. so i will be adding a tower nomatter what that is why the 2nd is really cathing my eye. would the extra hours bother you? any suggestions as to what to look for would be great. i know the stingers and floors to check for rot and both boats are 351, and am actually in the process of helping a friend rebuild a 351 in an 84 2001.

[LloydP]

1200 hours is definitely not a lot for an '89. The general consensus is that these engines should go for close to 2000s before needing any kind of major rebuild. You would probably want to have the compression checked, but my guess is that you are already on that!

Be careful...this will be a gateway boat!! Before you know it you will be moving up the ladder to something bigger and more expensive

Good luck!

[jsandy]

yes my compression test kit will be goin with me to when i go look at them. and i want this to be my gateway boat, figured that i could pic one of the older classic supras up, play with it and improve it for a season or 3 and turn around and sale it for what i have in it.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Sorry to burst your bubble but I would HIGHLY advise you stay away from Comp models unless you are a dedicated slalom skier. They are a tournament ski boat which means they sit really low in the water and they are designed to make a minimally small wake. With respect, from someone who has been there, your consideration set could be:

1: Supra SunSport, Saltare, Maurauder, Pirata,
2: SN 2001

You would have a very tough time surfing a comp for example. Sorry to my bros AND homies who have Comps you guys rock too, but it's a fair warning I feel.

[oward1202]

Mikey is right. I have an 85 comp and love the way it sits and rides in the water. It's very low profile and sleek but it is not the boat to try to surf behind. Of course you can wakeboard behind it but the better you get at that, the more wake you are going to want and that limit is going to be rather low with a comp. You said you have been behind 190 Mastercraft so you can imagine the wake to be about the same. Again, the Comp is a great boat, but it just depends on what you want to do behind it and what your expectations are.

Good luck and I hope you get exactly what you are looking for.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Yeah it's not that it won't pull a few wakeboarders no problem, but once you try to weight it down, it gets pretty scary to drive. If you are dead-set on this boat, there are people who weight them and even surf them. It's just not as easy. Ask Jet and Maple.

On the other hand, if you find a SunSport, you're going to have a surf wave that rivals any 21' boat out there. The wakeboard wake is plenty big for learning beginner and intermediate inverts, 3's, 5's, etc.

[jet]

OK homies.. Yeah no surfing except with a tight rope,lol. The Comps are one of the pretties boats evermade stting on the trailer or in the water. If your in college everthing is going to be based on price. Go with the cheapest one and do all the work yourself your 1st boat really doesn't matter..your going for price and fun. I usually buy the best vehicles I can find and usually pay the most. But with these older boats Its best to buy old and warn out and do all the work yourself and build it to your likes..that makes it custom and yours! The comps arent REAL SCARY to drive with weght..you just cant go from pulling to neutral quickly, it lowers the nose and can bring water over the front. NOW having said that in any boat you want to back off slowwly, I have seen other boats bring water over the rear doing that, so Its always best to settle the boat down slowly. My boat has been a great boat and has served its purpose. Its cool, fun and looks GREAT! My wake is med sized, great for beginers and a good wake for inter riders to. It also makes you a better boarder because you have to make your pop rather than using the BIG wake to rely on. ANY boat you buy is a good one. Buy it, build it and have fun man. Mikey is right the other boats will be 10% better. lol. Good luck. Jet

[jsandy]

thats what i have read and i dont plan on inverts anytime soon (if ever). i mainly just want a good boat that will hold value and has the capabilities to wakeboard behind. if it is comparable to a 190 than that is fine with me. found one local with 580 hours clean as a whistle and is 4500. already inspected and it is solid so now i'm just try'n to decide

[jsandy]

i am very familiar with boats, driving dads 42 ft twin 454 scarab and our 21ft 250hp cobra bassboat that does exactly like yall say if you stop to fast be prepaired for a splash in the back. its just that all i have now that i could take out to wakeboard behind is the family pontoon. great for drink'n beer and dancing at tates slew but deff not wakeboard friendly, altho i did use it a few times last year to learn how to olly and what not

[jet]

Good point on the resale, I paid $12,500 for mine 12 years ago and would like to sell next year as close to $10,000 as I can get. Priceless!!