I have been into skis for years. First was a 1989 650 X2 in 1991. Became a jetski mechanic by necessity. Bought a 1989 650 SX then the Kawasaki dealership I worked at went out of business in 1995. 1995-1997 I worked for a private shop and in 1998 bought a SXI Pro then a few months later got lazy and sold the Pro and bought a new 1997 XP, still my favorite ski. A few years later the same old story I met a girl (wife now) sold the ski and bought a boat in 2001. Years passed and I enjoyed the boat but always took a ski out when offered and remembered the good old days of throwing the stand-up in the back of the truck Friday after work and just riding all day and sleeping in the truck bed at the lake for the weekend.
That brings me to a few months ago when my cousin called and asked if I wanted a seadoo his friend was getting rid of. I told him I did not want to get back into them and just did not want the trouble that comes with owning a ski anymore and did not want to buy a ski. Then he said those two little words that sucked me back in..... "It's free". FREE!? I asked. Yes free with a trailer but he only knew it was some seadoo two seater he thought 1992 or 1996. So I get off work and go look at it. It turns out to be a 1996 SP on a ShoreLander single ski trailer. It looks dirty but not too bad and upon further inspection it is all stock. His friend was in college four hours away, parents were moving and nobody wanted it because it had been sitting for 3 years and even the would run then not start. So home I go with a SP and two flat tires behind my truck. Made it home safe and within a few days and $100 in back tags both pinks were mine. I figured I would spend a little as possible and just get it running but as soon as the wife sees it she says, "how are we all going to ride on it"? We have a 2 year old now. My reply was, "It's Free".
It sucks me in deeper still! So a day or two later I am looking on craigs list to see if there is a market for this SP or any parts I might need and I see a 2003 GTI not running for $850 obo. That is cool I think to myself and a three seater would be more practical. Another week goes by and I see it again so I give the guy a call. What do you know, he is three blocks from my house so I went to take a look and it is in perfect condition but the engine will not turn over. He bought it in July for $2,500 and on the second trip it shut off going up the lake and would not restart. He did not want to spend any more money on it and bought a boat. I offered him $500 and hoped it would just need a top end because he would not let me take the head off. He was firm at $850 so I walked. Once a week for the next month I would check to see if it was still in his driveway and call to make my offer of $500 and again rejected. One more week passes and I decide this is it so I call and I think out of pure anoyance he tells me, "You must want it so come and get it". So I take my GTI home and convince the wife I bough it for "the family" wink, wink.
Now to the dirty part... Pulled the engine out of the SP and everything looked good but found an air leak on the intake so it is in the process of getting all new selas and gaskets throughout. Rings are within spec but worn so this ski will be getting put back together with as little money spent as possible but new carb kit, fuel lines and seat cover so the next owner does not have issues in hopes to offset the cost of the GTI.
The ugly part... I had hoped the GTI would just need a top end so as soon as I could I pulled the head. Damn! Pits in the head and on the piston so something went through the engine so out it came. The wife wants to know how long this is going to take? Damn lady... although I am glad she is just worried how much time I will be in the garage and not how much this is going to coas. Guess she likes me around after all. Back the the engine... I get the engin on the bench and pull the jugs off and teh MAG sleeve is cracked and the piston skirt is missing. It looks like the wrist pin bearing let go and all the loose rollers had a field day. They made it to the PTO side too. Ouch, this just got more expensive. Pulled the intake and rotary valve to find one of the rollers took a ride on the rotary valve and just like that, there goes the cases. Damn, Damn more expensive. Well, crank is shot from the small end of the rod being oval and who knows what is inside the bearings not, cases are shot, head is pitted and one sleeve is cracked. Oh, now I remember why I got out of skis!!!!
The return... So I decided to move forward with the GTI an dsell the SP. I found good used cases on ebay, a factory reman crank from a nice ex racer turned dealer, FullBore Online installed new sleeves in both jugs to bring it back to stock and supplied a new top end kit and Group K reconditioned the head while doing their "Swift" mod to it. Things are starting to go back together with a few small issues as usual but I am getting there. It is so nice to have all the online resources today and fun to be getting my hands dirty again. I can't wait to get this big pig out on the water and hope that I still am ahead financially when I go to sell it. I figure the muscle craft days are gone and the GTI will be just fine to take the little guy out for some quality time. Darn I miss that XP already, don't tell the wife.........
That brings me to a few months ago when my cousin called and asked if I wanted a seadoo his friend was getting rid of. I told him I did not want to get back into them and just did not want the trouble that comes with owning a ski anymore and did not want to buy a ski. Then he said those two little words that sucked me back in..... "It's free". FREE!? I asked. Yes free with a trailer but he only knew it was some seadoo two seater he thought 1992 or 1996. So I get off work and go look at it. It turns out to be a 1996 SP on a ShoreLander single ski trailer. It looks dirty but not too bad and upon further inspection it is all stock. His friend was in college four hours away, parents were moving and nobody wanted it because it had been sitting for 3 years and even the would run then not start. So home I go with a SP and two flat tires behind my truck. Made it home safe and within a few days and $100 in back tags both pinks were mine. I figured I would spend a little as possible and just get it running but as soon as the wife sees it she says, "how are we all going to ride on it"? We have a 2 year old now. My reply was, "It's Free".
It sucks me in deeper still! So a day or two later I am looking on craigs list to see if there is a market for this SP or any parts I might need and I see a 2003 GTI not running for $850 obo. That is cool I think to myself and a three seater would be more practical. Another week goes by and I see it again so I give the guy a call. What do you know, he is three blocks from my house so I went to take a look and it is in perfect condition but the engine will not turn over. He bought it in July for $2,500 and on the second trip it shut off going up the lake and would not restart. He did not want to spend any more money on it and bought a boat. I offered him $500 and hoped it would just need a top end because he would not let me take the head off. He was firm at $850 so I walked. Once a week for the next month I would check to see if it was still in his driveway and call to make my offer of $500 and again rejected. One more week passes and I decide this is it so I call and I think out of pure anoyance he tells me, "You must want it so come and get it". So I take my GTI home and convince the wife I bough it for "the family" wink, wink.
Now to the dirty part... Pulled the engine out of the SP and everything looked good but found an air leak on the intake so it is in the process of getting all new selas and gaskets throughout. Rings are within spec but worn so this ski will be getting put back together with as little money spent as possible but new carb kit, fuel lines and seat cover so the next owner does not have issues in hopes to offset the cost of the GTI.
The ugly part... I had hoped the GTI would just need a top end so as soon as I could I pulled the head. Damn! Pits in the head and on the piston so something went through the engine so out it came. The wife wants to know how long this is going to take? Damn lady... although I am glad she is just worried how much time I will be in the garage and not how much this is going to coas. Guess she likes me around after all. Back the the engine... I get the engin on the bench and pull the jugs off and teh MAG sleeve is cracked and the piston skirt is missing. It looks like the wrist pin bearing let go and all the loose rollers had a field day. They made it to the PTO side too. Ouch, this just got more expensive. Pulled the intake and rotary valve to find one of the rollers took a ride on the rotary valve and just like that, there goes the cases. Damn, Damn more expensive. Well, crank is shot from the small end of the rod being oval and who knows what is inside the bearings not, cases are shot, head is pitted and one sleeve is cracked. Oh, now I remember why I got out of skis!!!!
The return... So I decided to move forward with the GTI an dsell the SP. I found good used cases on ebay, a factory reman crank from a nice ex racer turned dealer, FullBore Online installed new sleeves in both jugs to bring it back to stock and supplied a new top end kit and Group K reconditioned the head while doing their "Swift" mod to it. Things are starting to go back together with a few small issues as usual but I am getting there. It is so nice to have all the online resources today and fun to be getting my hands dirty again. I can't wait to get this big pig out on the water and hope that I still am ahead financially when I go to sell it. I figure the muscle craft days are gone and the GTI will be just fine to take the little guy out for some quality time. Darn I miss that XP already, don't tell the wife.........
