Early 90s Nautique Excel

Jimmy F · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 229 City: Virginia

I'm considering buying an early 90s Nautique Excel. Does anyone have one or has anyone ridden behind one? I'm looking for info. about the wake. What does it compare to?

Erik · Posted: Oct 30, 2003 8:36 am Post subject:

I would think it compares very closely to a Barefoot Nautique - in fact I think the Barefoot Nautique became the Excel, which is based on the 2001 and early Sport hulls. I can imagine that it would make an excellent excellent wakeboarding boat. As usual with the 2001 and Sport hulls, you'll need to properly weight it, but with the excel you have more room than a 2001. I bet its a GREAT wake boat.

V drive with a closed bow if I remember correctly. Lots of storage up fron there. Nice nice boat my man.

Erik

Jimmy F · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 229 City: Virginia

Is the Barefoot a v-drive? The 91 Excel was the first v-drive and they kept it through 94. I'm not sure what happened from there.

Erik · Posted: Oct 30, 2003 8:45 am Post subject:

I believe the Barefoot was dropped for the Excel model line and the stopped making the Barefoot Nautique the same year the Excel came out. I dont remember exactly but I think there was like one year in there when the Barefoot Nautique was a vdrive exactly like the Excel, but badged differently - same boat tho. I remember seeing it as a kid thinking that it looked like a tank compared to the other barefoot boats on my lake (THOSE boats looked more like a bass boat than a ski boat, with a huge outboard motor). I bet it is an excellent wakeboarding boat.

Bobby · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 18 City: Crozet

Hey Jimmy and Erik, I'll post some pics but I just bought a 92 Excel. Here's the way I see it, the Barefoot Nautique is the same boat as the Excel except the Barefoot has the 454 motor and the Excel has the 351 in it. Mine has the 351 or 5.8 liter. I think 93 was the last year of the Excel. They are v-drives and the wake looks very buildable to me but I haven't weighted or rode it weighted yet. I think they went to the Super Sport after the Excel but am not sure.

Seth Martin · Moderator Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 891 City: Orlando

I looked at buying a 91 Excel. The guy who had it wakeboarded and he said it was a pretty good boat. No where near an x-star though, was his description.

My impressions, please remember that i have never ridden in one on the water, only sat in one on the land. I don't think it would be that great of a wakeboard boat. Once you start adding weight, its going to take a while to get up. My '86 Ski Nautique was a dog anytime there was weight in the back of the boat, if i moved it along side the engine or up front it was a lot better. With the excel you are starting with the engine in the back, if you try to put sacks in the storage compartments, i bet it will really bog it down. Also, it has a lot of "v" at the transom, usually this makes for a really washed out wake, think deep v i/o's. It would probably need a lot of weight up front.

But it is a v-drive so it has a nice sundeck and plenty of comfortable seating room. Guess the best way to tell would be to demo. But be sure to bring some sacks so you will know how the wake will really be.

Oh in 91 they made the v-drive hull, the Excel was equipped with the 351 and the Barefoot was equiped with a 454, that was the only difference. I think in 92 or 93 they made the open-bow Excel, but i don't think the v-drive barefoot ever got the open bow option.

Jimmy F · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 229 City: Virginia

I'll definitly demo before I buy and slam it with sacks. Expecially since it's an older boat. I've ridden in one but not behind one. The wake looked nice without much weight.

Bobby · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 18 City: Crozet

Here's my new rig

BIGMAC · Posted: Oct 30, 2003 9:57 am Post subject:

Very nice!! It looks really clean and I like the tower!!

Jimmy F · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 229 City: Virginia

In the voice of Hank Hill, Bobby, do you have any more pics?

Bobby · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 18 City: Crozet

I'm trying to get more pics in but I've gotta shrink them. Evil or Very Mad

flip cutter · Outlaw Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 124 City: wilmington

that boat looks sick, and really unique.

91Excel · Newbie Joined: 20 Aug 2003 Posts: 33 City: TableRock Lake

JIMMY F,

Sorry the only good wake pix i've got is un-weighted, but the wake is very clean at 21mph. as far as ballst it works great with small sacks in the rear & fat boy in the bow. The boats came with a 14x15 3 blade for more top end for barefootin, I switched to a 13x14 4 blade made a huge diff in holeshot. With weight it gets more vert like SAN wake.
But the boat it's self is around 3500lbs, and fuel cell is in the belly. We just sold it, only because of our growing family, we loved the boat & for the price compaired to other V-Drives I believe it makes a great boardin boat & believe it or not it doesnt suck alot of fuel!!!

Hope this Helps, Let me Know

91Excel · Newbie Joined: 20 Aug 2003 Posts: 33 City: TableRock Lake

And here's a pix of the rig

Jimmy F · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 229 City: Virginia

Thanks for all the info. Any pics of the wake weighted would be great.

Erik · Posted: Oct 31, 2003 8:38 am Post subject:

I dont mean to be so persistent about this - but you're talking about a GREAT boat here with the Excel. I am a Nautique and Mastercraft fanboy yes. But still I just know the heritage of the Excel/Sport hulls and I believe that weighted, the boat is possibly as good a bang for the buck as the 80's model Ski Nautiques. With the extra space, the extra HP, the additional funtionality. I mean its nice. I like it. Definately.

HAWN · Outlaw Joined: 04 Jun 2003 Posts: 124 City: San Antonio TX

Here is a pic of a 93 excal wake with 1000 pounds sorry is the pic is not that clear it cam from video

salmon_tacos · Posted: Oct 31, 2003 11:35 am Post subject:

I de-interlaced it:

Jimmy F · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 229 City: Virginia

That really doesn't look very clean. It's curling all the way back to where you hit the wake. Was the 1000 lbs all in the back?

bino · Newbie Joined: 31 Oct 2003 Posts: 4 City: Tulsa

I have a '95 Nautique if you are interested. Just had my 2nd kid and it's time to sell this one and find an open bow Nautique.

I have been a Nautique fan since birth, this is the 4th one I have owned and I would consider nothing else.

If you are intereseted I can post some pics and provide you the particulars.

Jimmy F · Outlaw Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 229 City: Virginia

Yes. Please do.

bino · Newbie Joined: 31 Oct 2003 Posts: 4 City: Tulsa

Upon re-reading what you are looking for, I realized my boat is not an Excel. But still a great boat, has a nice wake for either skiing or boarding. Has 236 hours on it and is in great shape.

Slight fading on top of engine cover. Additional pics if desired.

Asking $17,100 for the boat.

Erik · Posted: Nov 01, 2003 6:20 pm Post subject:

Mike D · Criminal Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 74 City: Orlando

I had a 93 excell bowrider, 351motor. Weighted, it threw a nice size wake, but would be thrown off line by an aggressive edger. The trick is to put another center skeg on the boat, that is what I was told by the people who used them at a ski/wakeboarding boarding school. Definately get the open bow if you can, space is comparable to my supersport, yet much cheaper, these boats were way ahead of there time, You can also put on a flight control tower. Check out flipsell.com, I had my boat in there, the picture will show you what it looked like with the 2000 fct.

fyi
Mike

Mike D · Criminal Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 74 City: Orlando

I had a 93 excell bowrider, 351motor. Weighted, it threw a nice size wake, but would be thrown off line by an aggressive edger. The trick is to put another center skeg on the boat, that is what I was told by the people who used them at a ski/wakeboarding boarding school. Definately get the open bow if you can, space is comparable to my supersport, yet much cheaper, these boats were way ahead of there time, You can also put on a flight control tower. Check out flipsell.com, I had my boat in there, the picture will show you what it looked like with the 2000 fct.

fyi
Mike

92nautiquexcel · Newbie Joined: 26 Jan 2010 Posts: 6 City: Abilene

i just bought a 92 excel for 5k i thought it was a hell of a deal! i am having the interior redone right now. any advice as far as how to weight it or any advice at all? i would really appreciate it!

poida97 · Newbie Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 1 City: Sydney

Wow, that is a fantastic price! I'd be keen to see some pics when you can.
I know this is a wakeboarding site, but as more of a skier I wonder what the wake would be like at 35mph?

cheers
Anthony

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denstock · Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2011 Posts: 1

that would be wonderful to see some pix