$5000 Air Nautique = Help!

[agardunia]

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: $5000 Air Nautique = Help!

My boat is running!!!!! I thought I check the inline fuse from the battery but I guess not close enough. I went through all kinds of diagnostic test (even taking the computer off my boat and testing it on my friends boat). The fuse was fine but the contact inside the holder where shot. I spend hours and all it was just a stupid fuse. So $5 later, it is running(and running great). so now the rest of the work begins.. heat exchanger, interior, buffing the gel coat, fluids, impeller ect.. Thanks for everyones help.
Mike

[lffish133]

Congrats dude!, now that she is running your gonna have a great summer! Nautiques are the best boats on the water hands down. You will love it! I wish I could find an Air for that price LOL awesome!

[i_am_am]

congrats on the find!!! i found a 99 SAN for $4000 2 years ago...not quite as good condition though. GT40 was locked up, steering cable froze up....salt water boat....terrible shape, but about $2000 later she's running good, buffed out great, interior half done. you'll love it!!! add some ballast and you'll be surfn in no time.

[agardunia]

congrats on the find!!! i found a 99 SAN for $4000 2 years ago...not quite as good condition though. GT40 was locked up, steering cable froze up....salt water boat....terrible shape, but about $2000 later she's running good, buffed out great, interior half done. you'll love it!!! add some ballast and you'll be surfn in no time.

Man that is a nice find especially before the economic downturn. I would love to have a V-drive, but I am happy to find a inboard wakeboard boat in my price range. The motor is real clean on the 98 AN and was told it was never in salt water. The guy also through in some goodies like extra fat sac, wakeboard, ropes, lifejackes... Are you doing the interior yourself? I got some qoutes and came to the conclusion I am doing it myself(will have to break out the wifes sewing machine).

[Chexi]

Have you done upholstery work before? Cutting and sewing your own vinyl will take a long long time, and unless you are an expert in it, you will be hard pressed to get good results. Many many hours later you will likely scrap the project. I would recommend at least buying the vinyl pre-cut and pre-sewn from Nautiqueskins.com if you are really set on doing it yourself. I'm in the process of re-doing my entire 99 Air. I bought the skins from Nautiqueskins.com. Just the unstapling and stapling is a huge job. I cannot even imagine doing the cutting and sewing too.

Of course if you are an experienced boat upholsterer, then disregard my comment.

[agardunia]

Have you done upholstery work before? Cutting and sewing your own vinyl will take a long long time, and unless you are an expert in it, you will be hard pressed to get good results. Many many hours later you will likely scrap the project. I would recommend at least buying the vinyl pre-cut and pre-sewn from Nautiqueskins.com if you are really set on doing it yourself. I'm in the process of re-doing my entire 99 Air. I bought the skins from Nautiqueskins.com. Just the unstapling and stapling is a huge job. I cannot even imagine doing the cutting and sewing too.

Of course if you are an experienced boat upholsterer, then disregard my comment.

I just took apart the rear sundeck and the rear seat back and let me tell you it is very well put together with what seemed to be unlimited staples supply at correct craft. I have not done any upholstery work before but my friend that is helping has done some. We are going to do one peice at a time and plug away (very time consuming). How are the prices at nautiqueskins.com(can't spend 2-5k on interoir work)?. How are they to deal with and how is the quality of their work? I will have to check out the site and see if I can get a quote.
Thanks
mike

[Chexi]

Check out this thread http://planetnautique.com/index.php?...ic&t=13970

I think you will be hard pressed to find better skins. Are they perfect? No, but about as close as a human can get. Remember, when you buy the skins from Nautiqueskins, you get the factory patterns, factory colors, and they will provide answers to your questions pretty promptly, usually within a day. Everything is presewn. All you need to do is remove the old stuff, staple on the new, and in a few places, make some cuts where there are pass-throughs in the vinyl (e.g., throttle cover, bow walk-throughs, speakers).

[DavidF]

Yes, what Chexi said...we have done it or are doing it. ALL the skins for my entire '99 Nautique Super Sport cost me $3200 (shipped). My interior is a bit unique in that custom (non-standard) vinyl and colors were used by CC. This required Nautique Skins to order in custom vinyl for my project (very slight upcharge). If you order the entire interior, just be sure to tell them if your walk-thru side panels have carpet on the bottom or not. I did not tell them and I had to have the carpet section sewn onto the vinyl locally. Apparantly, CC did it both ways within the same year model (but not certain about that statement).

[Chexi]

Crap. I did not tell them either and mine was also sewn into the carpet. We are going to have to make a sticky thread for this (maybe not this one, but make a new one with just the pearls of wisdom).

[agardunia]

Check out this thread http://planetnautique.com/index.php?...ic&t=13970

I think you will be hard pressed to find better skins. Are they perfect? No, but about as close as a human can get. Remember, when you buy the skins from Nautiqueskins, you get the factory patterns, factory colors, and they will provide answers to your questions pretty promptly, usually within a day. Everything is presewn. All you need to do is remove the old stuff, staple on the new, and in a few places, make some cuts where there are pass-throughs in the vinyl (e.g., throttle cover, bow walk-throughs, speakers).

I found that thread after I posted and was able to find answers to most of my questions. I emailed nautique skins and have received a quote of $2700 plus shipping for the whole interior which is not bad considering the quality and to have an original look to the boat would be great. I just would not go with the black accent panels that boat original had(would be very hot). Would there be much difference in the heat from dark red verses black?
Mike

[Chexi]

I am speaking about something I do not know, but I'd guess that black will get hotter, but not that much harder than a dark red. There's very little of the black that would actually touch skin, just a bit on the seat backs. I would guess that if the black is too hot to touch, the red will be too hot to touch too. I would stick with the black and tan. On those really hot days, I would just put a towel over the back rests if it is a problem. Where are you located by the way? That will help determine just how much of a problem it will be. I can say that my royal blue was not a problem in Northeast Texas last year.

I paid $14k for my 99 Air last year, and I have to admit your $5k price makes me a bit sick to my stomach. Mine was running, but still... all you needed was a fuse! I'll have put about $4k-$5k in between the new vinyl, electrical system upgrade, some audio upgrades, the trailer work and odds an ends. I still think mine is a great boat for $18k - $19k, but paying $10k after the upgrades would have been oh so sweet. I guess I do have the FCT2, which is nice, but not $9k difference nice!

[Chexi]

One more thing. Buy some Aerospace 303 for when you replace your vinyl and use it frequently to protect it so it won't crack like the current vinyl. Be sure to get it in the seams too. They are often the first thing to go. Also, only use approved cleaning products. No 409, no magic erasers (despite what others will tell you, they clean the vinyl great, but they will ruin the coating and make it brittle), etc. You can use ePHx spray, which is made by the makers of the vinyl and designed especially for marine vinyl. I have some and have tested it, but not torture tested it. It seems ok and pretty benign, I'm just not sure how great of a cleaner it is yet.

[Nautibouys]

One more thing. Buy some Aerospace 303 for when you replace your vinyl and use it frequently to protect it so it won't crack like the current vinyl. Be sure to get it in the seams too. They are often the first thing to go. Also, only use approved cleaning products. No 409, no magic erasers (despite what others will tell you, they clean the vinyl great, but they will ruin the coating and make it brittle), etc. You can use ePHx spray, which is made by the makers of the vinyl and designed especially for marine vinyl. I have some and have tested it, but not torture tested it. It seems ok and pretty benign, I'm just not sure how great of a cleaner it is yet.

I have the ePhx cleaner as well...something just short of $20 a bottle. In a head to head against plain tap water, the tap water actually took off more dirt. Forget about it trying to take any mildew stains off. Agreed with the no Magic Erasers just used them on your wall in your house and look at how they dull the paint, and take it off and its easy to see that they will wreck your the clear protective layer on your vinyl.

[DavidF]

You will notice that my new inteior (as well as the original) does not have any black accent panels at all. This is unusual and suspected to be a special order request. I elected to forgo the black panels when ordering new skins for two reasons:

1. Heat here in Texas.
2. Made the interior look too much like Shamu.

[agardunia]

I am speaking about something I do not know, but I'd guess that black will get hotter, but not that much harder than a dark red. There's very little of the black that would actually touch skin, just a bit on the seat backs. I would guess that if the black is too hot to touch, the red will be too hot to touch too. I would stick with the black and tan. On those really hot days, I would just put a towel over the back rests if it is a problem. Where are you located by the way? That will help determine just how much of a problem it will be. I can say that my royal blue was not a problem in Northeast Texas last year.

I paid $14k for my 99 Air last year, and I have to admit your $5k price makes me a bit sick to my stomach. Mine was running, but still... all you needed was a fuse! I'll have put about $4k-$5k in between the new vinyl, electrical system upgrade, some audio upgrades, the trailer work and odds an ends. I still think mine is a great boat for $18k - $19k, but paying $10k after the upgrades would have been oh so sweet. I guess I do have the FCT2, which is nice, but not $9k difference nice!

Thanks and sorry to have made you sick to your stomach. I would love to have a nicer tower instead of the old school one, but I am not going to complain(first time to own a tower). What electrical upgrades are you planing to do? Just to let everyone know my gel coat is buffing out nicely. The black strip that was almost white is now shiny black and I was able the preserve the graphics.
mike