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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default Travis' 1984 Supra Rider

    Ok everyone. After months of slacking-off (and snowy, cold weather), I finally got out and took some pics of the "new" boat.

    Thanks to all who gave advice when I was seeking opinions on which boat to get.

    I settled on the 84 Rider in Texas. It's in really rough shape, the motor needs to be rebuilt, the interior is gone, and it's missing a few things. Accordingly, the price was cheap ($1,500), and the guy I bought it from re-did the main stringers from the ski pole back. So all-in-all, not too bad. It's kind-of an unusual set-up as it has a Chevy 350 in it. It was my understanding most of these boats had either a Ford 351 or Chevy 454. It def looks like the motor was transplanted out of a truck/car. I don't mind though 350 parts are super cheap so I can def make it work.

    The big expense ended-up being the trip to get it. I'm all the way up here in MT, so it was lots of gas, several spare tires, and a few wheel bearings to get her all the way home. I felt pretty crazy driving all that way, but I just absolutely could not find something in my price-range nearby.

    Once it got here, the snow came soon after so I didn't have much time to get anything done. I also used-up all of my boat budget on the trip, so I didn't have any $ left to get to work on it. I'm expecting my tax refund in the next few weeks though, so that should get me goin on it.

    Yesterday though I went out to get some pics and take the motor out for the rebuild. I don't plan on getting everything done this spring, just enough to get it on the water and have some fun this summer. My plans for this spring are:
    Rebuild the motor.
    Fab a temporary plywood floor.
    Find a gas-tank.
    Get it in the water, and start working-out some kinks...
    and of course, lots of wakeboarding!!!
    I'll post-up my pics as soon as I get home from work.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default

    So without further adieu here are the pics.


    Here are a couple from down in TX before the two main stringers were redone:








  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default

    Here she is sitting out at my dad's place after her long journey up from TX:


    Note the makeshift "tower" lol! Not sure what was going on here. Poor boat definately saw lots of saltwater use though.






    He left the engine sitting on a pallet for me after the stringer job so I could just take it right back out for the rebuild.


    As you can see most of the interior is gone, and what's left is in really rough shape. Some would see this as a bad thing, but I'm thinking of it as a blank canvas, so I can pretty much do whatever I want with it.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default

    Got her hooked-up and ready to pull over to our makeshift "engine removal area".









    Our chainhoist set-up for lifting the engine out.
    I was a little sketched-out but my pops is confident we wont pull the trees down.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default

    All hooked-up and ready to lift:






    Up, up, up and over. BTW, I didn't know the doghouse was all fiberglass on this thing. Neat.





    And setting it back down in the back of the truck.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default

    Ok. Got it home and into the garage. Time to start some tear-down.
    As you can see the thing was most-likely used in the saltwater. It came from the Corpus Christi area. Lots of corrosion, some of the bolts are stainless, some are not. It's debatable if this is actually a marine engine or not. I think the carb and distributor are automotive. It does have a Marine engine tag on the intake (last pic), but that could have been just stuck on there.











  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default

    I took the trannie off first:


    Here without the starter:



    A few bell-housing bolts and a little muscle later:

    Don't forget to take the dust shield off, it wont come off otherwise hehehe...


    The flywheel after the "coupler" was removed:



    With the flywheel off. Yep, two-piece rear-main seal.
    Last edited by sydneyACE; 02-16-2011 at 01:39 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default

    Next I took one of the risers and manifolds off to asses the extent of the rust and cracking.












    The risers are definately toast, but I thing the manifolds are good. I couldn't find any cracking on them.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Hamilton, Montana
    Posts
    188

    Default







    I'm going to take the other riser/manifold off next, as well as the intake, and heads. Hopefully tonight, we'll see if I have time.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    3,112

    Default

    Wow great pics! We will be watching!
    --WakeMikeys 1987 Supra SunSport--
    Thread - https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?t=3630
    Photo Gallery - http://photos.wakeboarder.com/showga.../35518/cat/500
    Videos - http://www.vimeo.com/user2034462/videos
    Follow me on Twitter @WakeMikey

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