Top 5 Cheap and Easy Upgrades for Your Old Ski Boat

All under $100 and all can be done in under an hour. I'm sharing five things that I always do to old ski boats.
Links To Products I Used:
- Best Self Adhesive Foam Decking: amzn.to/3fV0oO4
- Steering Wheel: amzn.to/37BpUU6
- Yeti Sidekick Dry Bag (shop around...it should be $50) (Field & Stream looks like it is currently in stock): amzn.to/3yLCpIr
- LED Lights: amzn.to/2Xg5XQE
- Bluetooth Stereo: amzn.to/3yNFMib
- Bluetooth Stereo Gauge Receiver: Our 1986 Nautique does not have a glove box to put the stereo in. We are going to put this bluetooth receiver in one of the gauge compartments on the dash: amzn.to/3CKYARK . They also offer bundles with the receiver and the speakers that is a good deal!

[@nolanreiter3407]

Your boat is awesome

[@purse60]

Very practical!

[@phil4080]

very nice and easy!

[@TheFtr27c]

I had 1984 ski Nautique. I install waterpresser gauge works awesome. Faster response for motor troubles

[@debbiebrodie1716]

Love your inexpensive upgrades here! We just got an oldie ourselves & I can’t wait to use some of these ideas to spruce her up! Thanks!

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

You’re welcome! Good luck with her.

[@valentarv1241]

Love the new intro

[@brenthollady]

Good video and Go Green!

[@nathanbuck929]

A lube caddy attached to the side panel. I have a repurposed Axe body wash dispenser with hand soap in it, for making it easy to get ski bindings on.

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

Awesome

[@nautiquecowboynautiquecowb5317]

Love your videos please please keep up the good work. I know it's a lot of trouble but there are some of us that really enjoy seeing them. Thank you.

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

Appreciate it Cowboy. It’s a lot of extra work to film and edit.

[@KMHogan224]

Nice vid! Do you have a link to the steering wheel?

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

Just added links to products ^^^

[@motoman2544]

What are the gray mats that you put on the back and other places called what kind of material where did you get it from that sort of thing trying to look it up? Was it all on one big roll?

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

It's on bigger role. That's what you want cause you could replace it every few years or come up with other places you might want to put it. I just went and dropped a link in the description of this video to the best option for you. You can choose a ton of color combinations if you want to customize even more. I just bought the gray with a blue background for the boat I'm currently restoring.

[@DanWebster]

I have an old 72 crews craft I want to turn into a fishing self bail no bail platform. The floor is rotten in the old girl so she ready for an upgrade, only problem is where to start?

[@vdubing01]

How is the foam grip stuff from Walmart holding up? I'm thinking about putting that on the floor of my boat.

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

It held up well I thought but that was for small accent areas. Like I said in this video, you’ll always have extra so it can easily be replaced when needed. However, not sure I would use these cheaper sheets for a floor replacement. I’d likely go with a company like seadeck. But… I still haven’t done that yet so I hate to be making a recommendation on that scale.

[@skisquad1023]

Is that just a normal palm sander that you are roughing the surface up with before sticking the mats down? What kind of sand paper are you using?

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

Yeah, it’s just taking glue/dirt off. I think it was somewhere around 120 grit. It stuck really well.

[@Coach.Ard.B]

Trying to find a Malibu sticker for my steering wheel. No luck so far. Any suggestions?

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

No idea, sorry friend

[@stephenrasmussen3001]

I have a 1979 Ski Nautique with a cracked block. I need a Ford 351 Windsor Commander rebuilt engine block. Do you have any ideas where I can get one?

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

I really don’t. “Ski Nautique Owners” is a great Facebook group with a lot of gear heads that could probably direct you. Sorry, and good luck with your search.

[@brandonrobertson6327]

Depending on the year, any 351W block will work. Just make sure you get a year that was compatible. Not sure what year, (but Google could help here) the 351W block has either a 9.48in or a 9.503in deck height. The internals will interchange, but you need to keep that in mind for compression changes and your exhaust water manifolds clearance. If using the same internals and you have a 9.48 deck height old block, you can still use a 9.503. Just have a reputable machinist mill it down to the 9.48 height. Or you can order the correct pistons for the 9.503. Also, if you not going with the same internals, go big. You can find cast or forge steel Crank stroker kits with h beam rods and forge pistons that can put you into the 393 to 426 cu in range.

[@vincentlamoureux8446]

Just redid the floors on my 93 Sea Ray Ski Ray tournament sportster br

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

Did you use nonskid foam?

[@vincentlamoureux8446]

@@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain yeah i pulled off all the old and installed new, I have 2 pieces left to do

[@usmcdrifter8759]

What do I search for to find that nonskid roll?!

[@vincentlamoureux8446]

@@usmcdrifter8759 I searched EVA foam on amazon. That’s where I got mine. Just put another piece down after work just now too!

[@vincentlamoureux8446]

@@usmcdrifter8759 EVA foam

[@Jenniferboyette941]

Will you be keeping your new project boat or will you be selling it?

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

We will sell it when it’s done.

[@matthewluna727]

@@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain how much?!

[@patjohn775]

Rear underwater drain plug transom light is about as easy as the other led install

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

Tell me more. How do you wire it. Also, the direct drive drain plug is in the middle of the boat under the engine.

[@shawnpotvin4794]

Yes please do tell more.

[@chilamzucker5995]

HI! Love your content. And we would like to invite you for boat product review. Can I contact you on other social media?

[@MakeSkiBoatsGreatAgain]

@EricValentine37 is my twitter handle. Would be happy to take a look at what you’ve got.