Boats For Sale:
Barn Find '89 2001 Ski Nautique |
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mrhemi 
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Joined: September-02-2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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 Topic: Barn Find '89 2001 Ski NautiquePosted: August-31-2020 at 11:53am |
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I have been a lurker on the site for a few years but not new to Nautiques. Life and careers took over for too many years. I purchased an '83 Ski Nautique 2001 from Correct Craft's promotional boat program in late '82. It was either hull #1 or hull #3 of the '83 production run. (it has it's own unusual story). Kept it until '91.
The "Barn Find" is not so in the true sense. In late '89 my father purchased an '89 Ski Nautique from Correct Craft's promotional boat program. It never saw much use, but that is it's own saga. My father passed in 2009 and the boat came my way at that time. I was in the midst of a very hectic point in my life and had no time for it. It shows about 130hrs on the Hobbs. Fast forward a few years and I find myself semi-retired and living on the water again. The pandemic has allowed me time to catch up on a lot of backlogged projects, so I find myself looking at the '89 Nautique again. This is my to do list in no particular order, feel free to comment. 1. Drain all engine and trans fluids. 2. Drain and flush fuel tank. 3. Inspect all hoses, replace if necessary. Probably replace all fuel lines. 4. Inspect stringers. Although I hope no issues as this boat has hardly been wet and has been in dry storage for 30+ years. 5. I do not wish to open the engine up unless necessary, although I may borescope the cylinders. 6. Complete tune up, plugs, wires, points, condenser, cap, rotor and probably coil replacement. I am a fan of OEM points ignitions and still run them in all of my vintage muscle cars. 7. Carb rebuild, or replacement if I find significant ethanol corrosion. 8. Replace all engine and trans filters and fluids. I am not familiar with the 1.23:1 trans. Anything in particular I should look at? 9. Replace the circuit breakers. I found at least one purposely jammed closed. (my father had some strange ideas). 10. Undo all of the non OEM repairs and mods. (see previous line). 11. Replace raw water pump impeller. Trailer: 1. Inspect and lube bearings. 2. Inspect and repair as necessary, surge brakes. 3. Repair / replace lights as necessary. (some storage rash). 4 Replace tires.    Top photo is in better days when the boat was new. Next two sad photos are in it's current state in my garden shed. Not abused, just waiting it's turn. I will try to post updates as I go, but it will be a lengthy process. Again, comments, observations are welcomed. Thanks for all the help from the Nautique community! |
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You know you are getting to be vintage when someone says "Back in the day..." and you can dispute their facts.
Mr. Mike. |
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Hollywood
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Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13510 |
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Posted: August-31-2020 at 12:27pm |
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Two thousand winning!
Welcome. Interesting stories. Thank you for the well thought out, grammatically correct post that made for easy, enjoyable reading. You have a good plan. The only thing I can think of outside of the original manual recommendations is I believe somewhere along the way people have switched from engine oil to trans fluid in those gear reduction transmissions. |
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mrhemi
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Posted: August-31-2020 at 12:45pm |
Thanks for the positive comments. You got me with the "Two thousand winning!" though. Cheers
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You know you are getting to be vintage when someone says "Back in the day..." and you can dispute their facts.
Mr. Mike. |
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phatsat67
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Joined: March-13-2006 Location: Indiana Status: Online Points: 6148 |
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Posted: August-31-2020 at 2:49pm |
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Cool stories indeed. Mr. Hemi? You must be a Mopar guy and sounds like you know your way around an engine reasonably from your descriptions. My brother owns a copy of your boat but has charcoal pinstripes rather than the Red (Pink??) on your boat.
The only quick notes I can add as follows. -If sitting that long I would absolutely pull the distributor and prime the oiling system after you do a fresh oil change. Run either Rotella 15W-40 or Valvoline VR1 20w50 (higher zinc content for the flat tappet lifters). -To add to the above, if you are pulling the plugs to have a look some penetrating oil into the cylinders and a cranking the engine by hand before starting wouldn't be ill advised. Looks a little faded but not beat up at all. That's a great starting point to make for a shiny looking rig with some elbow grease. Lastly, Two Thousand Winning! Edit: The points that are still in the Dizzy are likely of much higher quality than current replacements and have a ton of life left in them at only 130 hours. I'd give them a file clean up and some points cam lube and let it fly.
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Jonny Quest
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Joined: August-20-2013 Location: Utah--via Texas Status: Offline Points: 2857 |
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Posted: August-31-2020 at 4:04pm |
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All good advice. Sounds like you have a solid path forward. I will echo what Phats says about spinning the oil pump drive in the dizzy port before starting. Penetrating oil in the cylinders is also a good plan (before the oil change obviously). The dizzy Spark advance mechanism likely needs a little TLC. While you are in the fuel tank, look at tank vent and anti siphon fitting.
Nice looking boat. Love the colors.
JQ |
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Current
2003 Ski Nautique 206 Limited Previous 2001 Ski Nautique Open Bow 1994 Ski Nautique Open Bow Aqua skiing, ergo sum |
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SNobsessed
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Joined: October-21-2007 Location: IA Status: Offline Points: 7102 |
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Posted: August-31-2020 at 6:38pm |
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I would spring for a new fuel filter too.
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“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Ben Franklin |
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mrhemi
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Posted: August-31-2020 at 10:28pm |
Yes, I am a Mopar guy. This is what I towed my '83 Nautique with. '68 R/T, 440, 4 spd.  All good points everyone has shared so far. I will treat the engine as a "fresh start" so it will be primed first. Oil in the cylinders for sure. It is possible my father followed through with my process and fogged the cylinders with oil when it was put away last, albeit 30 years ago. If so, that would have helped. I started using 15W40 Rotella in everything quite awhile ago, for the reasons stated, even in my Hemi. It is easier to come by than the VR1 Valvoline. I do know my way around a Prestolite distributor (original equipment on 426 hemi). You are correct about the points. I have been buying up any NOS Blue Streak pieces I can find. Oh, about those stripes. They were red before the sun got at them.
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You know you are getting to be vintage when someone says "Back in the day..." and you can dispute their facts.
Mr. Mike. |
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fahtal
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Joined: August-31-2020 Location: NL Status: Offline Points: 42 |
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Posted: September-01-2020 at 3:17am |
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I think i would run the engine before i would drain it.
first let it crank without ignition. then when you see oil pressure i would start it and let it get warm. when the oil is warm turn it off and drain the oil. All of the above with a new inpeller off course and water connected to the engine... Because if you change the old oil and fill it with new, the new oil can loosen up cold pathec of thick oil and they can float around. warming up the old oil will be better. May be check with some local oldtimer mechanics what they would do. |
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frozenskier
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Posted: September-01-2020 at 1:07pm |
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I owned an 89 2001 from 1992 until 2016. Great boat. Had 125 hrs on it when I bought it and sold it with about 1500 hrs on it. Still on the water today with over 1800 hrs on it and running strong. No mechanical issues whatsoever. Good luck on the restoration!
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MourningWood
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Posted: September-01-2020 at 3:10pm |
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Another item often overlooked:
'Lube' the prop shaft where passing through the strut. (some silicone spray, or soapy water). Over time, it can become 'stuck' to the cutlass bearing and damage it when dry.
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1994 Ski Nautique "Riot"
1964 Dunphy X-55 "One 'N Dun" 'I measured twice, cut three times, and it's still too short!" |
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Revilo
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Posted: September-02-2020 at 12:18pm |
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That is the radest pic I have seen in years, you my friend are a bad ass! I have a '64 Lemans as a DD that I've thought about throwing a hitch on to pull my '88 2001. HAHAHAHA It has 3 times the torque as my Tacoma.
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Hollywood
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Posted: September-02-2020 at 3:16pm |
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Towing with cars is for real men.
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8122pbrainard
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Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41040 |
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Posted: September-02-2020 at 3:33pm |
I suspect the gear ratio between the Lemans and the Tacoma has something to do with the torque.
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mrhemi
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Posted: September-02-2020 at 4:13pm |
Then throw a manual trans into the mix as well.
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You know you are getting to be vintage when someone says "Back in the day..." and you can dispute their facts.
Mr. Mike. |
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phatsat67
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Joined: March-13-2006 Location: Indiana Status: Online Points: 6148 |
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Posted: September-02-2020 at 4:52pm |
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I love the Plymouth and Dodge 68 B bodies. I am sure that did the job very nicely with the 440 (and air shocks). When I was a kid my dad towed our red 74 SN with a minty 79 Lil Red Express. I could talk Mopars all day but that's for another thread.
Keep us posted on your 89 progress.
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mrhemi
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Posted: September-02-2020 at 8:59pm |
No air shocks on that beastie. Back in the day the boat ramp we used was quite steep and busy! I would always have a buddy back the trailer in to load and I would drive the boat on (lessor of the evils). Once buddy backed it in and forgot I told him not to rely on the parking brake, shut it off and put it in gear (the extra 3000# over comes the brake). He had stepped out leaving it running in neutral. When the Nautique was up on the trailer the whole works started to roll back. All the dockside spectators thought they were going to see a scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The R/T's trunk lid was even with the water level, exhaust burbling away, when I fired the Nautique back up and pushed the whole works out of the water. Buddy snapped on the turnbuckle, got in, and away we went. No harm done, didn't even get wet. Dockside crowd was dumbfounded. I will keep the board posted.
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You know you are getting to be vintage when someone says "Back in the day..." and you can dispute their facts.
Mr. Mike. |
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Fabcon
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Joined: August-27-2012 Location: Buffalo. Mn Status: Offline Points: 552 |
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Posted: September-03-2020 at 1:31pm |
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Great story, Nice boat
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1976 Ski Nautique 351 Escort
1984 Barefoot Nautique (Parting Out) |
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Hollywood wrote: