Forum Please click on Forum Submission to post or reply to questions, comments, stories or anything else regarding Elite Craft. 1 « 2 « 3 « Page 4 » 5 » 6 » 7 » 8 » 9 Forum ID #: 175 Elite Craft membership 5-14-06 We have recently purchased a 1987 Elite Craft Riviera from the original owner. It only had 300 hours on the boat and was in great shape, but we are refurbishing it inside and out. We are interested in becoming Elite Craft members and would appreciate any information you can forward to us. We plan to take our boat to the Mt. Dora Boat Show in Florida this spring. If you would like pictures, please let us know and we will send them to you. You have a great web site. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Tom and Anita Gillis Forum ID #: 176 Elite Craft membership 5-14-06 First off Congratulations, I hope you both enjoy the boat and I am sure you will notice the boat draws allot of attention. We currently do not charge any membership dues. We will be adding your E-Mail address to our master list and update you on any events or publications. The Mt. Dora Antique & Classic Boat Show has already taken place this year at the end of March are you planning on another show? I would greatly appreciate all the pictures you can send. I will post one of them on the Members Page of the website if you would like. Where is the boat located by the way? Thank you very much on the compliment about the website, much time has been spent and it is greatly appreciated. Thank You, Eric Smith
Forum ID #: 177 Question from Proud owner 5-14-06 Wondering if you can suggest an effective cleaner/polisher that will best restore the bright finish to decks that have faded from sun exposure? Also is there any product that will prevent or at least slow this sun fading problem? Appreciate any suggestions. Also can you give me a rough ballpark estimate of the value of my 1980 Riviera Model - (excellent condition with the Ford 302 V8). Thank You E. West. Forum ID #: 178 Question from Proud owner 5-14-06 I would recommend using 3M Marine Products, but I would like to see some close up pictures showing the finish both straight on and at different close up angles. This would give me a better idea were you should start. Where is the boat located? I would also enjoy seeing some pictures of the boat besides the close ups of the finish. After getting additional information I should be able to give you better idea what your boat may be worth. Also besides the fading how does the fiberglass look all around the boat, how many hours are on the engine and how is the condition of the interior? Thank You, Eric
Forum ID #: 179 Question from Proud owner 5-16-06 Thanks for you response: My Elite Craft is a 1980 20ft Riviera Model. Unfortunately I do not have any photos to send as it is in storage up in Hessel, Michigan. The boat is in excellent condition (other than the deck fading issue) and the fiberglass all throughout the boat is still perfect, as is the upholstery. Boat has been used only in fresh water for usually just two weeks each season. Appreciate the information on the 3M Marine Products. Cordially E. West Forum ID #: 180 Question from Proud owner 5-16-06 I would estimate the value of your 1980 Elite Craft Riviera in very good condition both inside and out and not taking into account the engine hours, trailer or seeing any pictures would say the boat would be worth up to $25,000 for that year and model. Now for the deck fading I would recommend starting with a 3M Marine Super Duty Rubbing Compound, followed up with 3M Marine Finesse-It II Glaze and then finish up with 3M Marine wax. A qualified detailer could do this for you with a buffer but I would recommend doing this all by hand if you are doing this yourself. You can also start with a marine polish and then follow up with a marine wax. Please test all of these options mentioned above in a small area to see what works best. Again without seeing pictures I am just giving you a few options to start with. Take Care, Eric
Forum ID #: 181 Question from Proud owner 5-16-06 Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I plan to have the finish worked on professionally and will make sure they use the products you have recommended. Appreciate having a "ballpark" for the value of my Elite Craft since I have had several inquiries about selling, although I have no real interest to do so unless I get an exceptional offer. Once again thank you for your input. Cordially. E. West Forum ID #: 182 Question from Proud owner 5-16-06 Your are very welcome. I am glad to hear that you are having the work done professionally. The products I have recommended are ones that I have seen great results with. A professional boat detailer may have other products in mind that would provide a great finish as well. I would really enjoy seeing the before and after pictures of the detailing. No problem on the "ballpark" value of your Elite Craft. We would be more than happy to post it on our For Sale page of the website if you would ever want to part with it. By the way I thought I would mention since you live in Michigan that your boat was produced there. Take Care, Eric
Forum ID #: 183 Ski Elite for Sale 5-15-06 I am the owner of a "Ski Elite" Elite Craft. I have owned this boat since 2000. I bought the boat from a boat collector in Minocqua Wisconsin. It has been garage kept during both his ownership and mine. My understanding is he owned the boat for over 10 years. The boats is in excellent condition, except for the windshield. I have the windshield parts (Plexiglass, top frame, bottom frame, and 1 side strut...needs 2 side struts), but it is damaged. I currently have the boat listed on eBay...which will expire on this Friday afternoon. I just discovered your web site over the weekend, after a number of bids started coming in with strong inquiries. If you have interest or any information that would be helpful, please contact me. Thank You, Joe Brown Forum ID #: 184 Ski Elite for Sale 5-15-06 We have already added your auction to the eBay page of the website. Is the glass itself intact or does that need to be replaced? The original glass is safety glass that is two layers sandwiched together. I would recommend getting a replacement made in Lexan polycarbonate or another form of polycarbonate and qualified shop can use your windshield as a template to copy. Please let me know if can be anymore help, Eric Forum ID #: 185 Ski Elite 5-18-06 Does anyone know how much a Ski Elite weighs? I am looking to buy one, and want to see if my current lift is sufficient to hold it. Thank you! Wayne France Forum ID #: 186 Ski Elite 5-18-06 The Elite Craft Ski Elite should weigh around 2,200 pounds or more depending on the year. What year Ski Elite are you looking at? Thank You, Eric Forum ID #: 187 Ski Elite 5-18-06 Thank you for the information - good news! I believe it is an 87 or 88. Best regards, Wayne Forum ID #: 188 Ski Elite 5-18-06 No problem, the weight would be 2,200 pounds then for those years (dry weight). Take Care, Eric Forum ID #: 189 faded finish 5-19-06 Our Elite Craft has a faded finish, stripes that need replacing and a new flagpole/stern light connector. What compounds/buffing pads do you use to buff/polish with? How do we fix the stripes (I think they are tape) and where can we get a replacement stern light? Thanks. David Forum ID #: 190 faded finish 5-19-06 What year Elite Craft do you have and can you send both close-up and profile pictures? I have had great results using 3M Marine products. I would recommend starting with a 3M Marine Super Duty Rubbing Compound, followed up with 3M Marine Finesse-It II Glaze and then finish up with 3M Marine wax. A qualified detailer could do this for you with a buffer but I would recommend being very careful if attempting to do this with a buffer yourself. Please test these options mentioned above in a small area to see what works best. For the buffing pad I would recommend a 3M buffing and polishing pads. Depending on the year of the Elite Craft the stripes are either tape or white gel coat. The replacement stern light can be replaced through A & A Marine at http://www.classicboating.com/. I look forward to seeing the pictures and would enjoy seeing both before and after pictures of the project. Take Care, Eric Forum ID #: 191 faded finish 5-22-06 It's early 80's. It's over at Lake George in the Adirondacks and I'm in Milwaukee so I will have to get you more specifics and photos later. We'll take some before and after shots and I'll ask my brothers if they have any digital shots right now. I have a porter cable 7424 orbital buffer that I have used successfully on my aircraft with paint levelers and polish so I'm sure I qualify as an experienced amateur detailer. Are you using a light cutting pad with the rubbing compound or just a polisher and letting the compound do the work? What products did you use on the interior? I have lots of good products for the leather in my plane but that's a whole different environment. By the way, if you haven't seen it yet, one of the best polishes I have found for chrome and polished metal is called Long-Haul. Saved me hours and hours cleaning up the aluminum spinners on my plane and works great on chrome too. Designed for truckers who like sharp rigs. I'm also planning on finding a classy looking updated replacement for the cassette stereo they had in it. Any experiences you have had are welcome. The only other major problem is a leak in the fresh water side of the heat exchanger. Have you seen that before? Right now we just keep refilling...Any idea on sources for parts for that? Regards, David Forum ID #: 192 faded finish 5-23-06 No problem on the tips, it certainly sounds like you know what you are doing up there. I look forward to the pictures later. How do you like the porter cable 7424? I have been using a polisher and letting the rubbing compound do the work, you can always go more abrasive. I have not had a real need yet for interior products but I can do some research on what may be good to use. I appreciate the tips on the metal polish, I will certainly try it. As for the radio I would recommend a high end marine stereo in silver finish to pick up the chrome and aluminum parts. For any boat engine parts I would recommend Jack Chamberlin at Marine Exhaust there number is 1-800-262-2929. Jack used to be one of the original engine suppliers for Elite Crafts, he is both very helpful and knowledgeable. Good luck on the project, Eric Forum ID #: 193 faded finish 5-23-06 The porter cable 7424 is great. It has an accessory kit that you can throw a different counter weight on to change the pad size up to 6". Also has complete control of the rotation speed so things stay in control! I was put on to it by an aircraft detailer at the Oshkosh fly-in a few years ago. He told me that they have been easier to use and outlasted other units they have used by many generations. My general philosophy with the pads and compounds has been to start ''weak" and see the results before increasing the power of either the pad or the compound....I'll look for the marine products and give them a try with a new polisher pad before going to a cutting pad. Keep up the good work with the website. Regards, David Forum ID #: 194 faded finish 5-24-06 I appreciate the compliment, thank you very much. You certainly have my attention about the porter cable 7424, sounds like there is a lot of great features. I am looking to replace my old buffer and I think you have helped to decide on one. I enjoy the correspondences and look forward to updates. Take Care and thanks for the info, Eric Forum ID #: 195 deck stripes 5-24-06 I have been s l o w l y removing the deck stripes on my '86 Elite with a tool I made using a flat headed screw- works but.. anyway, I pressure washed the boat after an outing this weekend and when I got close to the stripes remaining, viola- it removed them with no fuss and left a clean surface to boot. I was using my 60 degree nozzle on a 2500 psi 4 gpm washer so while it is not a powerhouse, it is a decent washer. Thought you may want to share this with other owners who need to re-stripe their decks as well. John Forum ID #: 196 ski elite 5-29-06 We recently purchased a 1986 ski elite that is need of a new windshield. Does anyone have an old windshield that we could buy and use for a pattern? We are also interested in any manuals or information on this boat. We have looked at these boats for years and finally had the opportunity to buy one! We can't wait to get it back on the water!!!! You can e-mail us at dijoaul@comcast.net. Thanks, Rick and Di
Forum ID #: 197 ski elite 5-30-06 Congratulations, I would recommend getting a replacement made in Lexan polycarbonate or another form of polycarbonate and qualified shop can use your windshield as a template to copy. Is your Ski Elite the one that was on eBay earlier this month? If this is the Ski Elite from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that was on eBay do you have the Plexiglass windshield that the previous owner took off? I may have a less expensive contact to use for a replacement windshield if you can send the complete frame and old Plexiglass. I am happy to hear that you both had the opportunity to get an Elite Craft and that you both are so happy with it. I can E-Mail you an original Ski Elite brochure ad if you would like. We currently do not have any Ski Elite manuals but hopefully we will get some soon. Thank You, Eric Forum ID #: 198 Aligning 6-1-06 I am restoring a 20 foot 19Elite Craft Riviera. I am the second owner. The first owner changed the oil and let it go into the engine compartment. I removed the engine to clean the compartment. I replaced the motor mounts with new ones that I purchased from PCM. I now have a problem aligning the transmission with the shaft. Has anyone had this problem ? Do you have a solution or a suggestion? what can you recommend? Forum ID #: 199 Aligning 6-2-06 Every marine inboard engine application has the same potential alignment problem. Most manufacturers use metal shims to align the engine to the shaft coupler. The shims are placed under the forward and sometimes rear engine mounts to adjust for the correct engine angle. Remember the shaft is already aligned with the strut and the shaft log, so you shim the engine to align with the shaft coupler. When you have the two faces aligned then bolt the engine in place. Check the ease of the propeller and shaft turn as you proceed. If it gets very tight then this will tell you if you are not aligned correctly. You may have to try a couple times to make sure the shaft turns as freely as possible. Hope this helps. Dave Smith
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