Looking at a 1992 Nautique Excel, what should I know?

[airden23]

I just moved onto a lake in Minnesota, am an avid wakeboarder and am looking at purchasing my first boat. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about it. Tomorrow I'm viewing a 1992 Nautique Excel with 600 hours on it. I know to check the wood stringers (if possible) for evidence of rotting and the general condition of the interior and gelcoat, but are there other known issues that people encounter with these boats I should be looking for? The seller has not used it very much in the past few years so I'm hoping to be able to validate somehow that the engine still runs well. I would appreciate any advice or help from folks who know more than me about this boat Thanks in advance!

[scott resick]

a 92 should have fiber glassed stringers which shouldnt be an issue. Take a screw driver with you when you look at it. Stab the stringer. If it feels like wet wood....dont buy it. If the engine looks clean, it probably runs clean. I know the excel is a V drive and I think it was a barefoot boat? If so, probably not the best wake boat, but could be remedied with some fat sacs, or fat chicks in the back seat.Excels have allot of room which is nice. Its hard to go wrong with a nautique no matter what your sport. Footers can foot wake boats, and boarders can board foot boats. Good luck!

[airden23]

Thanks, good advice! I'll report back how it goes

[bhectus]

a 92 should have fiber glassed stringers which shouldnt be an issue. Take a screw driver with you when you look at it. Stab the stringer. If it feels like wet wood....dont buy it. If the engine looks clean, it probably runs clean.

Little bit of bad advice here. While the stringers are glassed over, they are still wood. You need to check them thoroughly. Not sure the owner will be too keen on you stabbing one with a screwdriver??? And even if you did, you'd just have to fix it later. Take a small hammer or something with you and tap the stringers in different areas. It's pretty easy to tell what a rotted stringer sounds like. Kind of a dead thud. You want to listen for a crisp knock. As for the engine, do the simple things like pull the dipsticks and look at the oil. If it is fresh and clean and full then that is a good sign. Is the bilge clean? Is the spark arrestor clean? Look for signs of leakage around the risers, exhaust manifolds, head gaskets, oil pan, etc. These are all trouble points and very easy to spot.

[scott resick]

I will give you that. I should not have used the word stab. But poke, for softness. you probably wont know the sound a hammer would make through fiber glass Being your first board. But but bhectus ir right, you dont want to damage the stringer if in fact it is in good shape.

[markj]

I owned a 1991 barefoot (I think same hull) and that is a great wakeboarding hull. I'm not sure where Scott is coming from. You don't even need much weight to make a very respectable wake. That boat is a sleeper. My only complaint about that boat was the difficult steering/turning. The boat does not turn on a dime like the newer hulls so tubing (if you ever do that) or if you need to turn around in a ski lake while pulling a boarder may require some arm stregth. Otherwise a solid well built boat that not many people know is as good for wakeboarding as it is. It's a lot of wake for the dollar.

[airden23]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I am heading over there again tonight to hear the engine run. It appears to be in good condition; interior isn't ripped or cracked and the engine is pretty clean. The gelcoat needs a little buffing and the teak needs to be refinished, but I think those two tasks aren't tough if you don't mind putting in a little elbow grease. The radio doesn't work, but that can be fixed as well. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to drive it before purchasing, which is the only worry. Hopefully the engine sounds good & I'll check the dipsticks.

[1StopJeff]

Just purchased a '91 Nautique Excel on Saturday. I took it out on the water before purchasing. Ran strong, idled smooth, hull was solid and clean and so was the oil. I also ran my hands down under the V-drive to check for leaks, as well as under the manifolds while it was running.

Great boat, now I am really looking forward to summer.

[markj]

I PM'd you

[morfoot]

Mark, I'm a regular poster over at CCFan and ahave seen the very question that you are asking as far as what to look for in a boat that has wood stringers. I had the flooring up on my 88' to change out the OEM fuel line so I thought that I would shoot a training video to explain what you are looking for when doing an inspection on a potential 'new' older boat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r89aVI_LVBg

[kileyb]

I owned a 1991 barefoot (I think same hull) and that is a great wakeboarding hull. I'm not sure where Scott is coming from. You don't even need much weight to make a very respectable wake. That boat is a sleeper. My only complaint about that boat was the difficult steering/turning. The boat does not turn on a dime like the newer hulls so tubing (if you ever do that) or if you need to turn around in a ski lake while pulling a boarder may require some arm stregth. Otherwise a solid well built boat that not many people know is as good for wakeboarding as it is. It's a lot of wake for the dollar.

I have a '92 open bow Excel and love my boat for the money I spent. Most everyone who rides behind my boat likes the wake just fine, especially when we have some sacs in it. He's right, she doesn't turn fast, but they are built like a brick house. I can take choppy water much better than all the newer boats. We have really struggled to find a way to make a good surf wake with all that being said so if anybody has any suggestions from experience I'm all ears.