1998 Ski Nautique

[NautiqueJeff]

Heading up to Wisconsin this week to pick up the next project boat. This one is a 1998 Ski Nautique. This one might be a keeper for me, since I like the colors.

Looks like it is going to need half of a windshield (and yes, this is the next-to-impossible one to find), new carpet, a new stereo block-off plate and a Roswell Cybox, refurbishment of the dash, refurbishment of the swim platform, a new bimini top, a good wet sand and buff (along with removal of the old tower mounts), and new decals. I'll probably upgrade the Correct Craft Cruise to PerfectPass Stargazer with Zbox too. I am hoping that the upholstery might clean up enough to be salvageable. We'll see.

[SilentSeven]

Curious how you plan to source the windshield. Busting the glass in my 206 has become my back of mind nightmare...

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[fsts2k]

Looks good, where in Wisco?

[NautiqueJeff]

Not sure how I'll find the glass. It'll be a challenge.

This one is in Bangor, WI.

[SilentSeven]

Kind of a detour....but do you know of a definitive list on what glass is NLA?

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[NautiqueJeff]

Well, this particular windshield is technically still available, but they charge about $3,000 for it, and you can't buy pieces. You have to buy the whole thing.

Here's the proper full windshield, but I would hate to have to pay $3,000 and buy the whole thing when I only need one wing.

https://nautiqueparts.com/windshield...2-black-frame/

I'll probably end up getting a starboard side of a Full Throttle windshield (which is still available) and swapping the top frame piece to the one that is in the boat. It is bent, but I hope I can bend it back. The glass itself is the most important part.

I don't have a list of the NLA windshields, but all of the NOS windshields are getting more and more scarce.

[SilentSeven]

Thanks. I'm gonna re-read my boat insurance policy to see if glass breakage is covered.....I have no idea. That won't solve the NLA issue but might solve the $$$ issue.

Edit/just browsed nautique parts and don't see a single glass item for a 206. I wonder if the full throttle glass would also work for a 206.

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[NautiqueJeff]

Still haven't made it home yet, but I did give the boat a good looking over today and found a few good things.

First, the engine is the 5.8 HO, which I didn't realize. That engine has 285 HP, instead of the 260 that the standard 5.8 carb engine has. SCORE!

Hours are a relatively low 555, which is great!

It has Correct Craft Cruise. I've never had that system before, so it will be interesting to play around with that before I upgrade it to PP Stargazer with Zbox.

It has the extended pylon. Not a huge deal, but kind of cool.

I love the colors of this one. It matches my truck pretty well, too! And no, I am not 37' tall like I appear in the picture!

[SilentSeven]

That pylon is bizarre - never even knew it was an option. It's one piece right?

Wisconsin and abused boat....tell me the block was winterized. Thinking of that special engine surprise delivered by a prior project.

Know anything on the history of this boat and how it came to be in such condition? Private party sale? Bank sale?

As a prior owner of a bubble butt, I give this project two thumbs up!

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[NautiqueJeff]

This is the second boat I have had with the factory option extended pylon. They are kind of cool. Good for trick skiing, and they also support the cover well!

Yes, it is currently winterized. The engine APPEARS to be in great condition, but of course I haven't run it yet.

This was an estate auction purchase. No idea how the boat got into the condition that it is in. I never ask questions when I buy my project boats. The why/how really doesn't matter to me. I just buy them and fix them.

The more I look at this boat, the more I like it. I really like the colors, and it has some unique options. This one is going to be a keeper.

[NautiqueJeff]

Here are the magic three bars, indicating GT-40 heads, which is the main thing that makes this the HO version of this engine. The HO also has a slightly different cam and ignition, but those differences are minimal. The heads are the key.



Here's the data tag, indicating that this is a PLP engine (351 HO).
P - Pleasurecraft Marine
L - Left-hand rotation
P - 5.8L 351 CID HO Ford

P - Drive Manufacturer (Pleasurecraft Marine)
R - Drive Info (Reduction Gear)
R - Prop Shaft Rotation - Right-hand Propeller
12 - 1.23:1 Gear Reduction

[NautiqueJeff]

Now for the bad news...

The dirt/markings on the interior indicated to me that this boat was likely sunk on the trailer (plug left in, and boat allowed to fill with water). I noted this before making an offer on the boat.

The owner insisted that he had it running last year and made no mention of any water ever being in the engine.

I never ask questions when I pick up these project boats, but if they offer something (like that the boat is in running condition), that's fine, but usually I don't really base my decision on that. I could tell before I drove to Wisconsin that the boat had had water in it at some point.

Of course, the owner was a liar, or maybe it happened after he had it running last year, but I pulled the dipstick today and the engine is full of water. So is the transmission.

I am not upset because I knew going in that this was likely the case, and I have plans to eventually turn this into a Python boat anyway.

I will attempt to salvage this engine for now though. I have fixed MANY of these engines that were full of water, and they have all run fine for many years once I get the water out and change all of the fluids, plugs, etc. We'll see if I still have my magic touch. It has to run out at some point!

[SilentSeven]

Rat bastard. May the fleas of a 1000 camels infest his nether regions.

Fingers crossed it is recoverable.

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[NautiqueJeff]

Well, I just couldn't wait.

I just pulled the plugs, and I am very happy to say that there was no water in the cylinders! Maybe he did have it running. I can't imagine why they wouldn't have gotten that waterlogged oil out of there, but at least water hasn't been sitting in the cylinders for a year. Starter appears to be new, too. Maybe they did some of the required work to get it dried out, and just didn't change the oil. We'll see. I may try to crank it up tomorrow.

Someone has replaced some parts on the engine. The exhaust manifolds and risers appear newish, the starter looks new, and I even found the original flame arrestor cover with the 5.8 HO sticker on it. It was sitting in the glove box. No idea why the off-brand cover was on there if they had the correct one.

[sbaker]

If you do replace the engine, I’m going to pitch that we call it the PlanetNautique Python Project! Regardless, excited to follow!