Malibu Skier Questions

[rrkyle]

Hey everybody its been a while since I've been on here. Been spendin all my time on the river.

I was wondering if any of ya'll could help me out with a few things?

1. Im planning on installing a sub and amp (probably 10") and im wondering if any of ya'll have done this and where you put it as well as how. I'm considering either right inside the lower compartment behind the seat, or up in the bow.

Im also wondering how to put the amp in. Im considering putting it on the speaker box but wondering if i could screw into the "shelf that runs in the open bow.

2. The front bolts on my drivers seat are coming out. Are they bolted into the floor or stringers? My stringers are good in all the parts i can see and the motor mounts. So im wondering if thats what its bolted into. And also how to remount it?

Thanks in advance guys.

[Aquadisiac]

Our 90 Skier had the sub and amps mounted in the bow area. Tough to get to but safe and out of the way.

I'm not sure on the seat mounting? Somebody will chime in shortly I'm sure.

[rrkyle]

http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l494/rrkyle/Skierside.png

http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l494/rrkyle/Skierpole.png

http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l494/rrkyle/Skierfront.png

Figured it was about time i put up some pictures. Finally got a photobucket account. Not sure why it doesnt just show the pics? Oh and the guy messin with the pole is one of my buddies.

Edited May 18, 2011 by rrkyle

[skier_88]

I just had my floor up and the seat screwed directly into the floor. I'd imagine you would have a little rot starting there....an easy spot for water. I'd try a bigger screw first.

My Skier was all decked out from the PO (martinarcher). I'm sure he will chime in regarding the stereo install. He is amazing! Here is a link that he sent me documenting the stereo install. Boy do access to these pictures help answer many of my questions haha.

http://s497.photobuc.../Boat%20Stereo/

Your Skier looks great!!! I love these boats!

Edited May 18, 2011 by skier_88

[Bill_AirJunky]

Finally got a photobucket account. Not sure why it doesnt just show the pics?

Nice. Good to hear your out enjoyin it.

Try using the button in the toolbar.... then post your link in there.

Edited May 18, 2011 by Bill_AirJunky

[Lee52]

Hey everybody its been a while since I've been on here. Been spendin all my time on the river.

I was wondering if any of ya'll could help me out with a few things?

1. Im planning on installing a sub and amp (probably 10") and im wondering if any of ya'll have done this and where you put it as well as how. I'm considering either right inside the lower compartment behind the seat, or up in the bow.

Im also wondering how to put the amp in. Im considering putting it on the speaker box but wondering if i could screw into the "shelf that runs in the open bow.

2. The front bolts on my drivers seat are coming out. Are they bolted into the floor or stringers? My stringers are good in all the parts i can see and the motor mounts. So im wondering if thats what its bolted into. And also how to remount it?

Thanks in advance guys.

Mine is a 1988, but I'm assuming they stayed pretty much the same between '85 and '88. The seat base isn't bolted to the stringers; on mine there were two 2x4s underneath the floor that the base was bolted into. I realized when I pulled up the floor that the area around the drivers seat was the most waterlogged part of the entire boat. You can sort of see in the picture how the 2x4s are saturated with water ... they probably weighed twice as much as they should have, not to mention all the water the foam absorbed.

Repairing it could be kind of tough, depending on water damage or rot. The bolts on mine stripped and loosened well before I started the restoration, and there was no way to tighten them because the underside of the seat base was in such bad shape. If the seat is still comfortably solid to sit in, I would just leave it the way it is. Mine was fine for years with a few loose bolts.

I have an idea or two about how to do a temporary fix to solidify it, but without knowing the condition of the floor around the seat it's kind of a gamble whether more fasteners will hold anything down and really make a difference. Let me know if you need ideas. The second picture is the way I rebuilt mine, so that the seat is on a solid surface that will let water drain out through a weep hole in the bottom of the stringer. It's also going to be a completely different seat pedestal than the one that came with the boat.

[Sunscape fan]

I had an 86 skier with the same floor issue as you under the seat. I tried the larger bolt idea, but the floor was too far gone. When I sat in the seat it would recline till it hit the motorbox. It was one of the reasons I sold the boat, I didn't want to get into major repairs. Good luck with your boat.

[martinarcher]

I just had my floor up and the seat screwed directly into the floor. I'd imagine you would have a little rot starting there....an easy spot for water. I'd try a bigger screw first.

My Skier was all decked out from the PO (martinarcher). I'm sure he will chime in regarding the stereo install. He is amazing! Here is a link that he sent me documenting the stereo install. Boy do access to these pictures help answer many of my questions haha.

http://s497.photobuc.../Boat%20Stereo/

Your Skier looks great!!! I love these boats!

Agree with 88. Try a bigger screw since the rest of the boat is solid. Might be worth filling the holes in with epoxy and putting new screws in coated in wax. That will give you a nice spot to sink the screws into as it will penetrate the original 2X4's.

As far as the stereo, I installed the stereo in 88's Skier. It turned out pretty nice and I was int he same predicament as you. I thought about the bow, but didn't want the sub to be that hard to get to and also thought I would loose quite a few db's with it tucked under the bow. It turned out under the drivers seat was plenty of room to tuck a 12" Solobaric. I built a custom box out of birch ply and then color matched it to the boat with red vinyl and dressed it up with a stainless Malibu logo. I actually have the MTX 1000D monoblock amp mounted to the top of the box. The entire box was waterproofed with roll on bedliner before I covered it in vinyl.

Here's a few pics, but like 88 said, all the pics of the stereo install are here in the photobucket album.

Here's the back side of the cabinet. I took this picture while I was curled up in the tip of the bow looking back at the sub (looking toward the drivers deat)

[martinarcher]

Mine is a 1988, but I'm assuming they stayed pretty much the same between '85 and '88. The seat base isn't bolted to the stringers; on mine there were two 2x4s underneath the floor that the base was bolted into. I realized when I pulled up the floor that the area around the drivers seat was the most waterlogged part of the entire boat. You can sort of see in the picture how the 2x4s are saturated with water ... they probably weighed twice as much as they should have, not to mention all the water the foam absorbed.

Repairing it could be kind of tough, depending on water damage or rot. The bolts on mine stripped and loosened well before I started the restoration, and there was no way to tighten them because the underside of the seat base was in such bad shape. If the seat is still comfortably solid to sit in, I would just leave it the way it is. Mine was fine for years with a few loose bolts.

I have an idea or two about how to do a temporary fix to solidify it, but without knowing the condition of the floor around the seat it's kind of a gamble whether more fasteners will hold anything down and really make a difference. Let me know if you need ideas. The second picture is the way I rebuilt mine, so that the seat is on a solid surface that will let water drain out through a weep hole in the bottom of the stringer. It's also going to be a completely different seat pedestal than the one that came with the boat.

Dang! That's the most extensive and nice looking seat mount I've ever seen. I think my Sunsetter just has a large plastic panel screwed to the new floor with about a dozen screws. The new floor made of Malibu's composite material. What are you planning on putting on top of those beautiful new stringers? They look good enough to justify a clear acrylic floor!

Edited May 19, 2011 by martinarcher

[Lee52]

Dang! That's the most extensive and nice looking seat mount I've ever seen. I think my Sunsetter just has a large plastic panel screwed to the new floor with about a dozen screws. The new floor made of Malibu's composite material. What are you planning on putting on top of those beautiful new stringers? They look good enough to justify a clear acrylic floor!

I'll probably end up using the same composite flooring you did. I thought about something like Nida-Core to lighten it up, but that's way more fiberglass work than I want to do.

I'm happy with how the woodwork came out, but since I used mahogany it made it kind of sad to fiberglass over everything and cover it all up. The seat base should make a little more sense when I mount the pedestal. I bought a Garelick pedestal so I could have a height adjustment and maybe swivel, but that meant I had to mount it lower than the floor to offset the minimum height of the pedestal, and to prevent the whole seat from being higher than it used to be. Plus, this was the only way I could figure out to have it 100% watertight with no penetrations through the floor and into the foam.

[martinarcher]

I'll probably end up using the same composite flooring you did. I thought about something like Nida-Core to lighten it up, but that's way more fiberglass work than I want to do.

I'm happy with how the woodwork came out, but since I used mahogany it made it kind of sad to fiberglass over everything and cover it all up. The seat base should make a little more sense when I mount the pedestal. I bought a Garelick pedestal so I could have a height adjustment and maybe swivel, but that meant I had to mount it lower than the floor to offset the minimum height of the pedestal, and to prevent the whole seat from being higher than it used to be. Plus, this was the only way I could figure out to have it 100% watertight with no penetrations through the floor and into the foam.

Cool. I'm looking forward to seeing you finished seat. I need to do something with the height adjustment on mine....it's too low for me and way too low for my poor 4' 10" wife. Adjustable would be awesome......add it to the project list.

[Levi900RR]

Dang! That's the most extensive and nice looking seat mount I've ever seen. I think my Sunsetter just has a large plastic panel screwed to the new floor with about a dozen screws. The new floor made of Malibu's composite material. What are you planning on putting on top of those beautiful new stringers? They look good enough to justify a clear acrylic floor!

that is exactly what I thought. What a cool idea.

[skier_88]

OMG Lee...... Great looking structure. I just had the stringers and floor re done in mine and I'm sure your did a way better job. I had a company help and that is in a story of itself.... but anything is better than the original set up which can the Bu a good solid 22 years!!

RRkyle----Matt did an amazing job with the stereo install. The pictures don't do it justice. My only issue is and maybe you can work around that is Matt crawled under the bow and did most of the set-up of the amp and wiring. Well, I'm 6'4 and with the seat and everything out this winter, I couldn't crawl up in there. This won't be an issue unless something mal-functions then I think I will be heading to PA I'm just praying the steering cables lasts along time yet

These classic Skiers are worth the time and money. I find myself everyday thinking of something new to do. I should quick walking through the garage because that route usually ends up costing me!

[martinarcher]

OMG Lee...... Great looking structure. I just had the stringers and floor re done in mine and I'm sure your did a way better job. I had a company help and that is in a story of itself.... but anything is better than the original set up which can the Bu a good solid 22 years!!

RRkyle----Matt did an amazing job with the stereo install. The pictures don't do it justice. My only issue is and maybe you can work around that is Matt crawled under the bow and did most of the set-up of the amp and wiring. Well, I'm 6'4 and with the seat and everything out this winter, I couldn't crawl up in there. This won't be an issue unless something mal-functions then I think I will be heading to PA I'm just praying the steering cables lasts along time yet

These classic Skiers are worth the time and money. I find myself everyday thinking of something new to do. I should quick walking through the garage because that route usually ends up costing me!

Man can I relate!

Yeah...crawling into that bow is certainly not a job for the claustrophobic!

If I've gained any weight I know there is no way I'd fit....it was a tight squeeze and really ticked me off when I would wiggle my way in there and then realize I forgot a tool.

[rrkyle]

I'll try using bigger bolts and epoxy. Mines doing the thing where it leans back on the motor box also.

On the stereo I kinda came up with an idea of building a very small box to mount inside the storage just behind the observe seat up against the wall. I'm Also gonna check out the pawn shops in Waco this weekend and see if I can find a random box that will fit

Edited May 19, 2011 by rrkyle

[martinarcher]

I'll try using bigger bolts and epoxy. Mines doing the thing where it leans back on the motor box also.

On the stereo I kinda came up with an idea of building a very small box to mount inside the storage just behind the observe seat up against the wall.

A small sealed box for a 10" might fit in there. You could certainly add some volume to the box as well if you use the slope of the side of the hull.

[skier_88]

Thats not a bad idea, just that area gets jammed with storage and I'd be afraid to do damage to the sub. Also the tower amp is under that seat which works very well.

[msuwaterski]

1. Im planning on installing a sub and amp (probably 10") and im wondering if any of ya'll have done this and where you put it as well as how. I'm considering either right inside the lower compartment behind the seat, or up in the bow.

I had a '93 Euro F3 (very similar boat) and put my 10" sub under the bow on the drivers side with the sub facing up. It was located on the shelf you speak of right where the drivers foot are ends. I then mounted the amp on the side of the sub box facing the driver so I had easy access to it without having to crawl through the observer seat opening. I'll tell you that closed bow makes a nice trunk and my sub hit hard!

Man can I relate!

Yeah...crawling into that bow is certainly not a job for the claustrophobic!

If I've gained any weight I know there is no way I'd fit....it was a tight squeeze and really ticked me off when I would wiggle my way in there and then realize I forgot a tool.

Yeah, I'm claustrophobic and have breathing issues and got a myself stuck in there when installing my setup and had a little panic attack. Once I calmed down I was able to wiggle my way out but it was every bit of a day before I could muster up enough courage crawl back in and finish wiring her up.

[martinarcher]

Yeah, I'm claustrophobic and have breathing issues and got a myself stuck in there when installing my setup and had a little panic attack. Once I calmed down I was able to wiggle my way out but it was every bit of a day before I could muster up enough courage crawl back in and finish wiring her up.

Oh man...that would suck. I was probably in there 30 times between the stereo, ballast, batteries, etc. I guess I'm not at all claustrophobic. My buddy is and there's no way I could get him to go into the bow of that boat!

[rrkyle]

There's no way I would fit. I'm 6'2 and 240. My shoulders aren't gettin through.

The storage isn't too big of a deal for me as we only put vests up there. All i use the boat for is kneeboarding and they don't fit through the gap!

[rugger]

Not to change the subject -- but wow Lee52, looks like a fantastic job. Solid.

[rrkyle]

I got the system hooked up! Sounds pretty good.

I ended up using a 12 inch kenwood in a truck box, I turned it upside down and it fit the contour of the side of the boat behind the observer seat perfectly. Ive got a 600 watt amp pushin it and an Xplod head unit with 4 pioneer 6x9s.

Was gonna get out on the water and use it but a storm rolled in. I guess livin in Tx and being able to board 9-10 months a year the price we pay is random weather all the time.

Thanks for the help advice everyone.