96’s are my favorite. 96 XP and the 96 GTX 787’s. Bought the XP with a blown motor in 2000. I rebuilt the motor and life happened and it sat in the shop for 15 years. My boy bugged and bugged me to finish it. So we did and as soon as it hit the water it became a gift to him. 7 years later he is still ripping that XP. Home from college for a month and just pulled them out today and fired right up for camping next week. Always wrenching on them but it’s been good for him.

I've owned 3 old jet skis. 1 ran and two didn't. I final got all running and felt beat up. Two weeks ago I bought a 96 Gti and a 2003 gti le rfi. You have lifted my spirits so much with this video. Thank you for helping me to"stay young" God Bless

Great video, so nice to hear and see someone who embraces the 2 stroke culture. Here in the UK its the same story, no dealers will touch 2 stroke, as such you need to get hands on. The older carb models I have are fun to work on! Just wish dealers didn't have such a closed door policy, especially as like you, I think the old skis have an irreplaceable fun factor that you shouldn't have to spend 10k on a seadoo spark to have nowadays. Keep making videos man....p.s. LOVE the xp in the background, stunning year colours 😍

I have a SeaDoo. I don't drink, but I am reconsidering.

Same story here mate, the vintage 2 strokes are so much more fun than anything on the market today

I inherited my dad's broken 96 SPX and my wife said either fix it or get rid of it. I did the research, got hands on and fixed it, and now my son and I have been riding it together. Glad my wife forced me to get it fixed.

so im 52 never been on a jet ski and i purchased a 2000 see doo RX DI millennium edition today i have always wanted one now after waching you i know i did the right thing.i am verry mechanically inclined i work on a lot if dirt bikes and cars and so on i just finished rebuiling a corvette and now im bored.well just want to thank you for your information.and looking foward to watching all your videos.im in massachusetts and the weather is not cooperating.can not wait to get it on the water .it runs great.

Like your enthusiasm .I also enjoy the feeling of fixing n riding.very cool.

Thank you for the transparency towards the end. We were gifted a 2004 Seadoo and you’ve inspired me to start a new hobby. Bless you!

Great video bossman. I’ve been on and off with skis since I was younger. Had a wave runner LX 650 brand new in 92 in Cape Coral Florida, I was 12 yrs old, I’ve been round and Round with these things. I liked hearing how humble you are about learning the two stroke game and funny how you wanna be alone at the ramp in case something goes sideways. Not many grown men would admit these days. I got out of skis for many years and back in 16 my and my little bro bought twin 787 xp’s. Now I only have one but been loving on it some lately and I totally feel you it’s a cool and rewarding hobby. Keep it up!!

Yes sir!!! Same story here. Keep up what you're doing

I just found your video and 2 months ago I purchased a 00' Polaris Genesis. It's a big ski. 4 person capacity (600lbs.) Had fuel leak from carbs. Rebuilt them a couple of times actually. Verifying pop off pressures and such. It ran when I bought it and then the CDI went bad in my carport. Replaced it, did maintenance and it's been running good. I been looking at getting another one.

Very cool and inspiring video I’ve done this with snowmobiling in Michigan. Bought 9 sleds in 2 years fix, sell, upgraded and the sport paid for itself I want to get into jet skis, not so much to make a profit but hopefully be very minimal investment to have fun experiences with family

Thanks so much for this video, Don! It’s thorough, honest and informative!

I own 4 older Seadoo’s. 2 97 GTX’s 787. Never had an issue with either expect changing out the fuel lines. Never left me stranded. I have a 00 951 GTX and a 01 GSX. I have no complaints. Preventative maintenance does wonders.

Excellent !!!! I got into JetSkis the exact same way. Thanks for posting this.

I am restoring a 97 wet jet right now, you give me hope.

Man your story is just like mine too! No one here in Texas works on these either. I just bought a Candoo reader to read the computer on my 2003 Seadoo GTX DI. Hopefully it will help point me in the right direction to trouble shoot so I'm not just throwing money at parts that I really don't need. I can now program my own keys too. I too am not a mechanic. I did a clutch job and a timing belt, water pump change on a 944 Porsche. Not easy jobs to do in a garage without a lift. Just laying on my back in the garage! Your right, it is fun to do a job like that then after its all back together, holding my breath when I turn the key and hope it doesn't blow up!

This kind of videos, make me to wake up everyday and enjoy my time spending with my family and have great moments that has no price.. thank for your videos, very insperational!

This is identical to how I got into them. But I do have a mechanical background. Nobody wanted to touch them so like him I was forced to learn myself. KZfaq helps alot

Cool video. Glad you found your niche you should most definitely start selling and buying. One of the few hobbies that pays for itself and then some! I'd definitely be interested in some good Intuitive videos on the xl800. Carb cleaning etc... I have that same ski and love it

Wow! Glad I found your channel. I share the same story to a tee. The words you used are exactly mine. And I'm also like you... go out to do a lake test, alone, stay close to the shore just in case! Oh I love it. I have 6 Seadoos 2006 - 2008 era. Bought them cheap, fixed them and my family only have smiles on the lake. It makes it all worthwhile!

Great Video. It's a stange nitch hobby. There is nothing better than that feeling when you fix something and it runs great. It's hilarious to me that this hobby usually makes me $100 -$200 in profit at the cost of countless hours of work.

Excellent Video!, just bought my first 2 cheap skis, learning as i go. This was a very informative video.

Hi Don after watched this video look like I following you footsteps 🤣🤣 last summer I purchased a 24’ project boat this year I end up with 50’yacht 1 jet ski, yesterday we got the same jet-boat as your. I’m have some knowledge about diesel, and 4 cycles engine. But have no idea about 2stroke thank for all the information you sharing.

Great video man. From a fellow dad/DIYer I stopped and applauded the moment you said "none of these skis have seen the shop." Propers 👊🏼 I just picked up a couple of mid 90s sea doos and looking forward to enjoying them!

Thanks for sharing your story man. Very inspiring to hear how you got involved.

Having a full charged battery is so crucial with this old JetSki, trust me.. if my WaveRunner is not fully charged forget it. I had no knowledge when I got mine.. engine was completely blown and I managed to put it back together little by little.. it did took a lot of my time thought it overall it was a fun project sometimes I wish it was not an ever ending project that’s where I would rather have a newer WaveRunner.

so true. I'm on my first ski, gp1200r came registered with a trailer for just over $2000 usd. to my misery at the time it totally seized after my 5th ride. (dry cracked crank seal and a poorly fitted intake manifold) shattering a piston. so i decided to try a full rebuild as a newb. new richer jetting. crank, gaskets and the works. And now i only just finished rebuilding it over australian winter and found that to be one of the most enjoyable problem solving times tinkering in my shed and looking things up online) i was stoked when it finally worked properly. will probably feel something is missing if I don't yet have another project like that next winter. :)

Great video! I have the same feelings as you do about jetski’s. This is my 2nd pass of playing around and working with older jetskis. First pass was a bismal failure, but i learned a lot. I bought another pair of Yamaha jetskis 95,94 and feel more confident this time, with fixing them. Great video!

Awesome video 100% agree with you I am doing the same thing I buy it cheap fix it and resell it and I making a lot of money but it takes a lot of time Keep it up you’ll figure it out very soon God bless you

I just got my first 2 stroke jet ski a few weeks ago for $150 not running... I have watched so many videos to get it going... I can totally relate when I brought it down to the water I didn't want anyone to see... it was high anxiety but it all work out. I am already looking for the next project

The short answer is yes!

Don you’re the best! I have four Sea-Doos restoring them all this week! You address the psychological factor which is huge. So many of us want to give up. You’re inspirational. I’m dedicating this week to get my foregoing. Thanks for the video. Out from Virginia Beach Virginia

Great video, we are very similar with all your points. This is the most motor work I’ve ever done is on ski motors and weekend Warrior on tinkering with them. It’s my morning go to before work. A lot of time also troubleshooting!!

My family have been in the automotive industry in one way or the other for 4 generations now basically since the automotive industry became a thing, so I have built and do build things, but i just recently built my first epoxy & inlayed table, and it always surprisese me how many people that have seen it say you must have been doing that a long time, or you must have built a lot to have learned how to do that. I tell them "nope" first one !! They ask how did you do that on your first one ? I tell them it's simple... you spend the time and get on line and email people or even call people and ask questions and more than anything KZfaq !! You study and pay attention... after that it's trial and error. Be surprised what a man can do when he really wants to do it.... GODS gift of a smart and a curious mind.... really enjoyed the video !!

Looks like you picked up a good hobby and turned into an expert on 2 strokes.

What a great video! Thank you.

I'm in south Miss. Summers are no joke down here. I just don't have a place to work on projects anymore. God bless.

Great video! Kudos

Own 2022 seadoo and a couple 2000 gsx ...ist just something special bout the old skool skis

Thanks for the video Don! I'm in the same boat! Started on my first one this year and found a double ski deal that I just couldn't pass up so now I have 3. I'm in Mississippi as well! Gulf Coast.

I enjoyed the video, I'm just getting into 2 stroke jet skis, specifically Sea-Doos currently. Picked up my first last year, a super clean 98 GSI for $200, threw spark plugs in it and then took it to the lake for a week, ran absolutely beautifully, and was shocked how much fun I had. Had to replace the VTS motor, found it funny that it was a Nissan window motor. 😆 Now I've got a 99 GSX limited that I'm rebuilding, and I'm about to go look at a 96 GSX.

Great job man

I agree, I started tinkering with mini bikes and ATVs it's very satisfying feeling seeing a project through

I told you you inspired me to start a channel. I started shadetree jetski. I have lots of years of mechanical experience but had never worked on jet skis before last year. I fix them up and sell them. Oh and never tow a jet ski at speed in the water without a tow valve or clamping the jet pump line with vice grips. I am currently working on my fourth junkyard jet ski. I would like to get a 951 waveblaster like your non running one there. The guy that owns TCH started out doing what you did and now has so much work he cant handle it all. There is both a market and a need for used 2stroke skis and people who can repair them.

What are the best years as far as reliability for the older Sea Doo's? Like 1997 ish? I had a new 97, the top of the line model in like a forest green. I'm looking to get back into these but hear the DFI can be a nightmare from early 2000 model years? Anyway, what are some good years for the older 3 seater Sea Doo and Yamaha's? Thank you!

I bought 4 skis total, 3 Seadoos & 1 Yamaha. 2 of them run and 2 did not run. Sure wish I lived close to you so I could have you look at the 2 not running. Thanks for the video!

Few months ago picked up a 95 Wave Venture 701 that "needed a top end rebuild" for $600 with trailer. Well, ultimately I ended up having to ship it off to a rebuilder because one of the cylinders needed resleeved due to being gouged, and also having 330+ hours on the original crank. That was $1300 including shipping both ways. Then the carb rebuild kits, new fuel/oil lines, filters, various bolts that broke when removing them. Added a bilge pump, new battery, and it goes on. Sometimes you can get away cheap but other times it'll cost you multiple times your initial investment- I could have taken the money and put it on a down payment for a brand new less finicky one lol.

Hi, since you know a lot about these two strokes, I have a 97 gtx. It just randomly shuts off. Like I loose all power. Pull the key and plug it back in and starts up. Any ideas? Thanks!

Great video...

Nice video thankyou. Which brand would you day is the most reliable.bi have a sea doo which gives me constant oroblems. I have a honds that just runs snd runs w no issues. I do alm the maintenance. How are yamahas and kawasakis? Thankyou!

Hate working on these old seadoos. Rebuilt the carbs on my 94 spx, and am now rebuilding the motor from the bottom up

Hi mate! You sound like me! I have three of these things now....all seadoo.....I had an XPDi like you have in the video on the back fence. What I can tell you is when they are going right they absolutely fly.......unfortunately for me, by the time I sold it, I had fixed all its aliments I was over it breaking down and got rid of it. The guy who bought it is always messaging me saying it is the most reliable and best ski he has ever owned....go figure!!! For me it spent most of its time out of the water and on diagnostics lol!!!! I now have 2x 97 XP carby aspirated ski's and a 1999 GTI 3 seater...all 2 Strokes. I love them....I guess I am a little old school like that, I used to ride a lot of motocross on CR250 alloy frame bikes.......I guess I get it from there. To cap off I bought a 2014 Model seadoo spark with the money from the sale of the 2004 XPDi and it was a great ski....not fast but it was fun.......was reliable for a while then I ended up with a jet pump in a million pieces...so I bought a full replacement pump, I had it replace by a seadoo mechanic in a workshop and also bought every part to rebuild the entire driveline. I told the mechanic to replace everything even if it did not need it so there was no weak link, when I went to pick it up two days later he gave me a box of parts back and said that some of the parts did not need replacing they were fine.......guess what......about a month later I was stranded with my partner in the middle of a lake for about an hour with the spline chewed off my newly installed drive shaft!!! To fix that on my particular model I would of had to have replaced the crank in a perfectly good motor....was devastated and sold it for parts!!!! I then went back to old school gear!!! Hence what I have now!

i enjoy tinkering, i enjoy riding, i enjoy fixing them

Just wait till you get that seadoo xp 2000 going. Best jet ski ever - beast

Sounds like one could make a fortune fixing these.

Nice video reminds me of jet ski church bring them old boys back to life

Great ski's I know.i rode GTI love bombardier 2 stroke

If you live in the Anderson Indiana Area there is a guy that works at Tom Wood Power Sports his name is Mike Peavle he is great with old 2 stroke Seadoo, Yamaha, Kawasaki. All types of skis.

bought my first stx 900 for 900 rebuild costed 1200 by my time and thats including new crank, pistons alll new seals, new impeller, bearings and seals, ski is now worth 3k easy……

Got one for free today, the starter is spinning but other than that it’s not kicking over

Thank you

Great vid

I just opened up a jet ski repair shop and since I'm not a dealer I get all the old neglected machines.it Is a pain in the but getting parts when you fix one thing another thing breaks and some of the machines have been touched by hacks and create a nightmare.and when you tell someone some hack messed this up and that up they say well it ran good before.

I have a 2003 polaris freedom I bought brand new. No trouble with it in 20yrs. Stored outside in 30 40 below celcius. New battery every se one year. No plugs every spring just because. Good to go. And still goes around 50 miles an hour on a good day

Just got the engine ripped out of a 98 Polaris ski excited to put it back together!

Please fix the xp you’ll absolutely love it they are the best handling ski seadoo have made

I thought this was a great video. Great job. I know what you mean about putting them in the water for the first time

Good job being able to learn how to work on those jet skis. It took me a while to figure them out. The first two I ever had a guy told me one Ran and the other one needed a starter. Come to find out I put a brand new starter on it and the motor was actually locked up and toasted. Are you going to continue to buy them and bring them back to life.

Did you get service manuals for the ski's you bought? Reading the service manuals is helpful with learning.

Very cool brother 😎

I have a 1986 JS 550 Kawasaki it always ran beautiful and one day I just decided not to drive it anymore now that I wanna get it back in the water what is the first thing I should do should Should I just buy carburetor for it what do you think I haven’t even tried to start it

I just purchased a pair of 99 seadoo gs's on a nice galvanized double trailer for $2400 yesterday, when I got them home I put on the batteries the seller gave me and by all surprise they both fired right up, but I would like to fully go through them and make sure all is well, any recommendations ? The seller was asking $2500 as is cause they sat for a year or $3500 and he would get them running and registration updated, I chose the $2500 route and he volunteered to knock off $100 towards registration, I felt like it was a great deal

My brother just bought a see doo and it cranks up but cuts off, the motor sounds good, just won't stay crank. They don't work on them here either. Do u have any ideas of what might be wrong with it?

I now own that same XL800. I have a dead hole. I will be rebuilding the motor soon.

Great videos, inspired me to buy a project 1992 seadoo gtx. I have a question for you, I'm struggling with keeping oil pump or removing it going to premix. Thoughts? Thanks for the videos

Great video I just purchased a 1997 tigershark monte carlo 770 with a kawasaki eng and it still turns on quick so mi idea is to make her look new

Just bought two gsx seadoos , one runs and the other starts but won’t stay started. Found an engine on eBay rebuilt for 600. If I was to get the motor , is it easy to take out and replace?

Get it brotha .

Where can I get one?

I want to do this with snowmobiles!

I got a 951 which I've taken out 7 times and been towed back in 7 times, I can relate to the anxiety part

What model kawasaki is that?

Hi Don,am in Tanzania with my 2stroke Seadoo just like one behind you..I am struggling to keep up but with your video I think I can get a solution to master it..can I get intouch with you?

Do you prefer to delete the oil injections or do your use original designs?

So what’s the deal with the xp in the back? I know you said you never got it running but I just got a 99 xp with the 951 in it.. heard they are unreliable

What are the message boards your referring to? Forums? Would love to get on some of these.

I seen a 97 GSI that I like but it’s not running. Quoted it’s been sitting awhile! What usually does it take to get these back on the water? Just spoke with him said he changed spark plugs and new battery getting no power

I just bought two and they big down they have ran right but I can’t turn the choke all the way on that’s when they die but they go.about 3 miles an hour. What’s wrong

Good shit don

What about parts? How hard is it to get parts to keep them running?

Hell yeah bruther

I have the same yamaha xlt 800, I need the carburador. Do you have a place that I can get this carburetor?

I have a 97 polaris sl 700 dlx. It cranks but no spark. Having a hard time finding any information on forums or anywhere that can help. Any ideas that could help me?

What kind of compression do you normally look for on say a 951 gtx?

When did fuel injection become common on these? Do you think that EFI eliminated many of the problems that caused skis to sit up and collect dust and mold?

I have a 1992 XP I’m trying to get work.

A local guy I met the other day from doing some work at his house offered to sell me his. Wants them out the way. A double trailer with a 98 gtx gold and burgundy color and an older green and purple one I can’t remember the year. 1000 dollars for everything. Thinking about getting them. Says they were running when parked!

I have the opportunity to purchase a 1997 Polaris SLT 700 and a 1997 SeaDoo GS with a dual trailer for $3,000 all in great condition deal or no deal??