RESTO 96 HX

[DanSquires]

So, I figured I'd do a thread on this ski I just picked up, even though it's probably not going to be much of a thread.

I picked up this HX on Saturday, 12/16, in NW Arkansas. I found it on Craigslist, sent the guy an email and he talked back and forth through email a bit. The price was right, and I'd had an itch to buy an HX for a few months.. so, anyways..
Chatted with him on the phone for about an hour about skis, dirt bikes, 4 wheelers, all things two stroke.. and how he always wanted to get this ski up and running but never did. Long story short, he bought it broken in 2001, and it's been sitting in his garage ever since.
I kept my cool, but inside i'm like.. HOLY COW, JACKPOT BABY!
Aaaand, boy.. it's pretty friggin' nice. The original owner ingested a whole bunch of water into the engine, so it's blown (meh, big deal) and there's some oil in the hull that needs cleaned out, a little staining in the right side footwell but that's pretty much it.
It came with an Ultrac nozzle, intake grate, and skeggs, rest is all stock.
Should be a pretty fun little project

 

[Matt Braley]

Looks like a great pickup! Those Ultrac Nozzles are cool they were supposed to draw air in at WOT and deliver better top speed.

 

[mikidymac]

That is a great ski to start with. If you have any questions just let me know as I just finished a full resto on my 1996 HX.

 

[DanSquires]

That is a great ski to start with. If you have any questions just let me know as I just finished a full resto on my 1996 HX.

Really, it needs hosed out and an engine put back in it.. you'd be hard pressed to find a much cleaner ski.
I rebuilt the crank last night, so it's ready to go. I'll be sending the jugs off to Fullbore sometime this week to let them do their thing, and in the meantime I'll pull the remainder of the driveline and clean the oil out. I'll remove the mats, give it a good polishing, and go from there.. really wont be much work... not compared to the my 95 project for sure.

Looks like a great pickup! Those Ultrac Nozzles are cool they were supposed to draw air in at WOT and deliver better top speed.

I was pretty stoked at its cleanliness.
I think the Ultrac seems like a great concept, and from what I understand it worked well.

 

[DanSquires]

So, I stripped everything out of the ski earlier last week, and spent a few hours on it Friday and Saturday.
There is some staining at the bottom that isn't going to come up, byut considering there had to be a half a gallon of oil in the bottom of it for the last 17 years, a bit of staining is to be expected.
I'm merely having to give all of the parts a wipe down before reinstalling.. nothing (other than the engine of course) is going to require a repaint.
Bottom end is done, other than needing to build a new RV shaft, as the one that came in the cases measured .0003" out of true.
Have not yet sent off the cylinders, but I'll get it done sometime this week.. no rush.

And now a few pics.. pics are the most important part.. reading is silly.
I didn't really take very many because I suck and I get carried away putting things together. But there is now a waterbox and balers back in there. And a fuel tank.

 

[DanSquires]

Update: I still suck at taking photos.
But it was started on the hose for the first time this weekend.. and it sounds magical. Always loved how those HX's sound when they're clearing out the WB during a brapp.

Only thing really left to do is remove some beat up stickers and make my kids polish it up.. should be on the water the weekend after next for it's first ride in 18 years.

 

[mikidymac]

Looking great! We must be on the same schedule, I just pulled my HX out yesterday but haven't fired it yet. Hopefully Memorial weekend it will get it's maiden voyage too.

 

[DanSquires]

Looking great! We must be on the same schedule, I just pulled my HX out yesterday but haven't fired it yet. Hopefully Memorial weekend it will get it's maiden voyage too.

Funny thing is, it's actually nicer than what is being represented in pics... and all I did was wash the darn thing. It should REALLY pop when it's got been buffed up.

Plans after the first ride will probably include little things.. just some ProK's and jetting, perhaps some compression and a pipe.. all just depends on how much I like it (and if my old man bod can keep up with it)