I’m running a 1988 Ranger 680t. Same boat I’ve had since I bought it new in 1988. Over the years, I’ve replaced and upgraded the engine (had the dealer do this one), trolling motors, sonar units, bilge and livewell pumps, switches, and most recently, the dash panel. A recent discussion on another board reminded me of how much I love and appreciate the simplicity of my boat A guy was bummed out because his 2001 Ranger’s mother board had died and his touch pad keys weren’t responding. Having just replaced the original switches in mine with new ones for $36 and an hour or so in my garage, I realized that I wouldn’t trade my boat for a new one no matter how slick and fancy the new version is. I like working on my boat, maintaining it, and best of all, having the piece of mind to know that if something goes wrong on the water or on a trip away from home, I can probably fix it. If it’s not the switch, the fuse, or the wiring, it’s the device itself. No circuit boards, no computer chips, no relays, no problem. I’m sure there’s others like me out there. New boats are pretty and fast, but I’d imagine a lot harder to keep serviced without a shop nearby and spending lots of $$$. Anybody else got photos of their classics they can share for us fans of vintage boats to drool over?

I just finished a 95 champion 202, full on made it what I want.
this is my dream boat and last I will ever own.
can't afford this again. lol
did an 82 champion 184 for my last boat, older hulls can be awesome.

Oh man!! Beauty of a boat you got there!

I got my old 1996 Cajun 185sc. I love it and will run it till either it dies or I do.. lol

bought my pathfinder in 02 at the boat show. put another motor on in 2016. also added the full front deck in 2015. seats and cooler rack were redone at that time also. just had the bottom gel coat redone. i guess i'll die in this boat. sure can't afford a new one of this caliber.

Lot of GREAT looking older models here. Well kept!

God only knows how many hours and still on the original powerhead. I bought this one to flip years ago but I can't make myself sell it.

My ol’ lead sled ‘91 Stratos 201 Pro. Bought it several years ago for $500. It had a toasted motor on it and was in pretty sad shape when I got her. Found an old ‘84 Evinrude 235 that I completely rebuilt and slapped on her. It drinks the heck out of gas, but moves her fairly well across the water. Anyway, I’ve fixed her up through the years and am in no hurry to get rid of her.

This is a wonderful thread. I bought my '99 Triton TR21 in 2004 from a well known fiberglass shop in Denton. It had been stolen and stripped down from the original owner, so I only had to pay $6K. All of the parts were there in various states of usability as the perpetrators were apprehended at the chop shop. Just a couple of examples of what they had done - the motor, a 99 Merc 225EFI with 34 hours, was laying on the ground next to the boat. All of the boat wiring harnesses had been cut out with wire cutters. All of the deck lids were laying on the ground and one of the trailer axles had been removed along with the springs and cut in half. The tires and wheels were in a pile of scrap.

So, I worked on everything from the trailer axles to the boat's top coat for about 6 months until it was better than new. For example, no more butt connectors, all heat shrink connectors now. For the few parts I had to get replacements for like the switch panel, the folks at Triton in Tennessee and their suppliers were extremely helpful. Over the years, I have upgraded the TM, electronics and had the seats reupholstered by Nina in Quinlan, etc. I learned a ton and had a great sense of satisfaction for the work.

When I have a look at the brand new bass boats, I really can't tell any differences in terms of capability. My boat will GPS at about 78MPH, has new electronics, etc.

I hear a lot of noise about those early year Tritons chine walking. I had my prop built by Steve's props and had him get the jack plate at the right height. Now, making very slight left turns at high speed to keep this from happening has become second nature.

BTW - I also still have my '76 Skeeter Hawk. We call her the bathtub. She is parked inside the barn waiting for me to wake her up someday!

Wonder why the chop shop chopped it up like they did? For instance, what good is an axle cut in half? or taking the lids off the hull? very strange.

I have a 99 TX21 with a 225 Opti and it is great. I am in the process of reviving my 87 Nitro MX185 with a 79 150 Black Max and my nephew just bought a 72 Skeeter Hawk with a 80hp Merc that he is reviving...

Just have to say again how much I love seeing these vintage beauties. I agree that newer boats don’t actually offer much of an advantage. I mean, how many cup holders and coolers does a boat need?!

Right there with you. Scooter was home built in '94. 3/8" aluminum hull, 1/4" deck and stringers. 300 lbs, and takes a beating like nothing else. Good thing, it does a good job of jumping oyster reefs and sand bars.

I wondered the same thing until I found out it was a group of teenage boys just up to no good. Very strange and dumb if you ask me. Another example, they used a hole saw to cut a 2 1/2 inch hole in the top of the 52 gallon fuel tank. Why? No idea. Then, the tank was useless. I got a new one from Triton. The could have make lots of money parting the boat out, but they did not. Their loss turned out to be my gain. The original owner got a check from his insurance company and I basically paid for the motor and got the boat and trailer for free. I think I spent about $2400 in parts to get the boat going again.

Please have your nephew upload pics of the old Skeeter on here! Those old bathtub boats are just plain cool.