Or should I say Correct Craftsmanship. Ok, so my mom wanted a boat. I told her to buy an old 2001 ski nautique. She agreed as long as I would do all the maintenance and pay for everything on the boat. This is the boat I am taking to college at Texas A&amp;M. We have some sponsors for it, so I will post pics of that. <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/358365.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/358366.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/358367.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/358368.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/358369.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/358370.jpg" alt="Upload">

Sorry, I put some double pictures in there. <BR> <BR>That is a 23 year old boat. Now I know most of the people on here know about my malibu thread. Here is a picture of the bracket they used in our 2001 response (a 5 year old boat).<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/358374.jpg" alt="Upload">

01' OUCH!!<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/blush.gif" border=0> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Nice 2001,did you get the diesel in it?

leo what lenght is one of those 2001s?????

Dude, <BR> <BR>Congrats on the ride, it's sweet. Please be very careful with that trailer, your prop and rudder are inches away from death.

Luciano, I am assuming the nautique. It is a 19 foot boat. Feels bigger than it looks. <BR> <BR>Flux, I have the boat jacked all the way up. I know it doesnt have a prop gaurd, but there is about a foot of clearance when hooked up to my explorer.

We had a '92 Malibu for 10 years and none of the brackets looked anything like that. Of course we stored it inside and never had it is a salt environment. Any story on the Nautique, hours, usage, etc.? There can be a lot of stories here. I'm glad you enjoy trashing Malibu so much. You'll fit in well as a Nautique owner....<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/rofl.gif" border=0>

What Bracket and where??? <BR>I know I maybe a little Anal but I wipe my engine down, dry the bilge and make sure everything that might corode gets cleaned and sprayed with S-100 protectant. <BR>And when I clean any of my machines It also gives me a good chance to make sure things are tight and to see If I can make anything better! <BR>If I could see something like this rusting It would drive me crazy and I sure would not just leave to fall apart!

Nick you sure hit the nail on the head man!

Nick- I am not trashing malibu, I am just showing the world that they use iron brackets in their boats (and cutting corners). All of the brackets in the boat were iron. I have replaced all of them so far. Didn't realize the seat had a 90 degree iron bracket until it started moving. <BR> <BR>Scott- the bracket came off of the front passenger seat. But the engine cover and back storage compartment were also all iron. The Stainless steel replacements were not that expensive.

I saw a boat teardown comparison of malibu and MC and there was no comparison in the behind the scene constructiion-MC rocks

Somehow I bet MC ran that breakdown. Every boat company cuts corners in certain areas, and each of their competitors can break it down. <BR> <BR>Leo, did you do anything to maintain this boat?? Like I said, we didn't have one rusting part in 10+ years.

Propaganda! <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/yawn.gif" border=0>

Nick- Are you kidding? You act like I trash my stuff. That bracket is made out of iron, there is no way it would withstand the marine environment unless I painted it every 5 years. You don't put iron components on a boat unless you paint them, and even painted iron doesnt last on parts that are constantly moving like engine covers or seats.

So what you are saying is Malibu made better boats in '92 than '01??? And I am actually saying you trash your stuff. I've seen the pics of your engine. That stuff doesn't happen with proper maintenance, even in a saltwater environment. The painted pieces on our engine cover still looked perfect at 10 years. Our drivers seat never had a problem. It's called routine maintenance. If you think I'm being hard on you, you kind of ask for it since you are constantly on here dogging how bad that Malibu is, yet every picture you post just points toward total negligence. <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/uhoh.gif" border=0>

Nick, I have put 150 hours on my engine since I fixed my heads. Done 2 routine oil changed after the first, just like you are supposed to. Flush the engine every time we use it (even though our bayous have been fresh lately because of no hurricanes). Wash the boat down after every trip for at least 10 minutes and then towel dry. My brackets weren't painted, so how are they supposed to last? Exposed iron will never last no matter how much maintenance you do. Nick, what else am I supposed to do for maintenance. Take every part off my engine after every use and wipe it down with a clean rag? Not to mention I have the Indmar Shop Manual and I have followed every routine item listed on it. What am I missing? <BR> <BR>(Message edited by malibuboarder75 on August 19, 2006)

Nick, I can assure you, few people take better care of their boats than Leo. I loved Malibu boats before I owned one, while I owned one, and now after I have owned one (and I would have no hesitation in purchasing one again) but, the fact is, parts in Leo's boat--including some vital components--simply weren't built to last. I think Malibu has come along way in the past few years, but just like every other company, they've made their share of mistakes, and that boat was destined to have problems regardless of ownership.

Leo if you feel like and have some free time, I'd like to ask you a favor. <BR>Could you measure the distance from the transom to the shaft seal on the 2001???? <BR> <BR>I'd really appreciate your help. <BR>Thank you <BR> <BR>(Message edited by luchog on August 19, 2006)

Sweet looking boat Leo. That dash looks almost new. What kind of tower are you putting on her?

Custom Lucky Devil Designs Tower by Josh. Hope we can get it to look something like the original FTC. Nice guy, but really hard to get in touch with. Anyone know his cell? I lost the number. <BR> <BR> <BR>Luciano, I will be working on the boat today, I will try to get it.

That should be a good boat for you <IMG SRC="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0> Personally I would put a prop guard on it. Either that or you are going to learn the hard way when the prop hits the ground. There are some places they just hit. <BR> <BR>I also see the swim platform is off. There is a company out of Novato, CA that makes brackets specifically for your boat so the platform is removable. My friend did it on his. The companies name is something like Alloy Marine Products or something. It used to be this thread but it is GONE! Maybe Dave can pull it from his archives as it had the phone number and pictures. <BR><a href="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/30832.html?1029020593" target="_blank">http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/30832.html?1029020593</a>

My 04 Malibu has no Iron Brackets. They are all aluminum or Stainless.

leo - the 2001 looks REALLY clean. interior and carpet in good shape, gel hasn't faded, dash/gauges look nice. definitely looks stored inside. She have the 302 or 351? Will be a nice ride in no time.

Nacho- It is a 351 <BR> <BR>Peter- The only reason I took it off was to clean and oil. I put it back on the other day. <BR> <BR>Craig- Someone must have complained about my year, because all of mine were iron.