550sx to 750 "All or Nothing" build

[Myself]

I got some more tuning, ride time, and heat/cool cycles this evening. I Made a restrictor and slipped in the tubing to the stinger water. it's now only a 1/8" hole. I also turned the high screw in a bit, we are now at 1 5/8" turn out. The whole setup seems very happy now with crisp throttle response everywhere. Going to start installing mats tomorrow!!!

 

[Myself]

I worked 'til a bit after 10pm with my wife's help last night. @Donatello was coming to the lake for the holiday so I HAD to wrap this up! Here are some SUPER NICE Jettrim mats going on.

 

[Myself]

And the big reveal!!...........For anybody that thought I just ruined a nice 'pink lightning' hull by stripping those decals off when I first started this build.........I hope your happy now......LOL..

 

[WFO Speedracer]

It turned out great , I don't know how many 550 purists there are left out there every one I see has a bigger motor or at least a bigger pump stuffed in it.

 

[Myself]

For anybody that's curious on how much time actually goes into a build like this.............here are the numbers!! Can it be done quicker?.....YOU BET!......but the end result will be a direct reflection of that saved time.

550sx ski complete disassembly, strip decals, and thorough cleaning of hull.
***************16.5 hours*************
Hull crack/gouge repair, bilge reinforcements with epoxy and glass.
**************8 hours*****************
Hull sanding, tubbies, blending, finishing, prep and paint.
*****************73.75 hours**************
750 engine and pump teardown, clean, mod, fit, rebuild, reassemble.
*****************10.5 hours***********
Clean, prep, and paint ALL mechanical and small parts to reassemble.
****************32 hours*************
Final assembly or everything....putting it back together!
*******************27.25 hours*********
Installation of the mats, decals, and other final touches.
*****************8 hours***************
And finally, some extra time spent chasing your tail or finding misplaced stuff!
******************2 hours****************

And for those who are not good at math........178 hours!!!! I had a bit over 200 hours on my wife's Superjet build. I think it's safe to say that a full custom build or restoration DONE RIGHT will land in the 150-200 hour range. Armed with that info, you are ready to start your own build!!!!!

 

[Donatello]

We both got bigger.

 

[Donatello]

This has been a really cool journey. I started thinking about this several years ago. Myself and I started talking about it a few years ago. At first I was just going to restore it as a 550 but I have a couple of old 750s sitting around and a buddy of mine suggested the 550 to 750 swap. From there it was a bunch of fun picking out the theme and Myself going to work. There was no stone unturned. This ski is brand new again. Myself has been working on my skis for a number of years and there's not a better mechanic, fabricator, painter, and designer out there.

 

[Donatello]

 

[Donatello]

 

[Donatello]

 

[Donatello]

 

[Myself]

WOW! Looks like everybody got a turn riding it last weekend didn't they.