Buying My first Ski Nautique- Too many hours?

Hi all, my first post on this forum however I have been searching and reading the site for quite a while now as I look for my first Ski Nautique. I have been looking for about 2 years, the last 6 months being the most serious of that time. values are quite inflated right now, so good deals seem to go very quickly. I have found a 1978 that seems very promising online, and I plan to go look at it this weekend and drop it in the water. The owner reports solid floors and stringers, however I plan to take a look at things closely in person paying particular attention to the motor mount bolts which could point me towards rotten stringers and me walking away from the deal. The only other issues he reports are some gauges that aren't working, which I could handle. I am mechanically inclined and grew up around classic wood boats, just not personally familiar with these boats and their systems.

Most hour meters from 1978 will be not working. THe compression test will tell the health of the engine. 

Donald80SN wrote: Most hour meters from 1978 will be not working.

MitchInMN wrote: Something else I am curious on, how would I cut spark to the motor when performing the compression test?

Nick,

Thank you all for the information, it's really helpful not going into things completely blind. I have a known good compression gauge and read that a generally good number is 125 psi, but more importantly that all readings are within 10 percent of each other, something I have learned from all the 2 stroke jetskis I've had as well. if compression is all over the board then I'll have some thinking to do.

A compression test is never a bad thing to have- and if a boat is non-running or running very poorly then I’d want to confirm the issue is that of a tuneup rather than something more serious… but hardly anything beats a water test- if the boat runs well under load and tops out appropriately, without any other obvious signs of a problem (smoking, fluids look ok, etc) then that is really a more comprehensive test than a compression check alone. You confirm the entire driveline that way- not just the engine.

TRBenj wrote: A compression test is never a bad thing to have- and if a boat is non-running or running very poorly then I’d want to confirm the issue is that of a tuneup rather than something more serious… but hardly anything beats a water test- if the boat runs well under load and tops out appropriately, without any other obvious signs of a problem (smoking, fluids look ok, etc) then that is really a more comprehensive test than a compression check alone. You confirm the entire driveline that way- not just the engine.

Donald80SN wrote: 8122pbrainard wrote: Donald80SN wrote: Most hour meters from 1978 will be not working. Donald, You've had a problem with hour meters?  Yes, on my 1980. On several occasions I purchased gauge sets trying to find various ones that worked for my 1980. I still have several old ones in a box, I think.  I like an operational meter so the end of the season, I knew how much use the boat got. I always change the oil in the fall no matter the amount of use and have had to change it soon due to exceeded 50 hours in a season.   I have also seen many of these old boats with the hour meters not working.  It is my opinion the hour meters were not sourced to last 42 years , more like 10 years, but it is just my opinion. I am sure some have had them last longer, but it was not my experience. Even my 2002 Sport did not come with the original hour meter. The digital gauge was updated by the previous owner.  He did document the hours at the time of the swap. When I installed by Star Gazer, I loaded what I believe, based on what I was told to be the current hours of the boat based on the old gauges and the new.  It is all about cost of the boat, sure Correct Craft could of sourced a more expensive better built hour meter, but the boat had to meet a specific price point. In 1979 Correct Craft was still under bankruptcy.  I never trust hour meters running or not on a 42 year old boat, but that is just me. I look at overall condition to understand if the boat was properly cared for. Bottom End should go 3000 hours or more if properly cared for.

Nick

Mitch,

Mpost, I’m in St. Louis Park and the boat was just outside eau Claire.

I wonder if the owner was reading this thread?  I would have given you a call before I sold it but you wouldn't be my first choice as a buyer.  The boat was priced to sell.

tryathlete wrote:  These days the early bird catches the worm.