just bought a 1978 ski nautique

Well did some cleaning up and tearing out today. And good news. Stringers look in great shape. Not sure if they are original or someone replaced them and refiner glassed them. I'm gonna replace the floor with marine plywood, and new carpet. Working on the engine this weekend, I'm going to try to get it running and see what needs to be worked on

If the floor is solid and has no soft spots why not just replace carpet. You're getting close to ski season. I'd get it running and use it for a year then go after it in the Fall. You'll get to know what it needs while having fun. The platform can even wait. Polish it up and get down to basics like others have said. Prop shaft seal, impeller replacement, engine tune and fresh fluids then start playing.

8122pbrainard wrote: mrjester12 wrote: Stringers look in great shape. Not sure if they are original or someone replaced them and refiner glassed them. I'm gonna replace the floor with marine plywood, Zane, Do you have any pictures you can post of the stringers? We could probably tell if they are original or not. What did you do to check their condition?

Zane,
Have you had an opportunity to look at any of the stringer threads?

^^what he said

Soft spots in the floor is usually a "tip of the iceberg" thing. Time to educate yourself.

What interior options were available in 76? And what year was the maroon pleated interior an option? I'm pretty sure that the vinyl in the boat now is factory as I have ordered a matching rear seat from Christines Marine. Maybe a special order? I'll defer to you that the carpet isn't original as it's in way too good a condition to be 40 years old, but it was certainly done well enough to look like it was original.

smac76 wrote: What interior options were available in 76? .

Scott,
Per the 76 brochure in the reference section, the colors available were red green blue and gold.

smac76 wrote: What interior options were available in 76? And what year was the maroon pleated interior an option? I'm pretty sure that the vinyl in the boat now is factory as I have ordered a matching rear seat from Christines Marine. Maybe a special order? I'll defer to you that the carpet isn't original as it's in way too good a condition to be 40 years old, but it was certainly done well enough to look like it was original.

Pleats (which may have been optional- seen plenty of boats with plain vinyl) would have been straight heat stamped, not the diamond "oven mitt" pattern. The latter was found on the '80-83 boats only. Your observer seat back cushion also looks very square (like the 80+ standard interior) so it's possible someone just swapped slightly newer seats in. (Seat back style through 79 had a little more taper- cushion was narrower at the top.) Carpet would have been the grass style and color matched to the graphics/vinyl color (red/black). Gray non-matching carpet wasn't common until ~1989.

Pm me if you are interested in putting an original steering wheel back on.