2000 SUV / 2009 VX110 Conversion

[boudin]

Last week during a couple of days off I finally started my SUV conversion project. SUV is a 2000 and donor is a 2009 VX110. I have spent many hours reading through other conversion projects, looking at pics and talking to people.

Donor was a rental with 300 hours. Hull's looks pretty bad, but mechanically both were well cared for. I put a couple of hours on both to verify. Paid $1000 ea. for the 09' VX110s.

[boudin]

Stripping the hull and then cutting up to take to the dump. (Dump charged me just $5 for the cut up hull--can you believe that??)

[boudin]

Dropping in the motor for a test fit. I am using the stock SUV 1200 motor mounts and decided to use the stock mid-shaft--everything behind the PTO is all stock SUV.

[boudin]

To my surprise, it was pretty much a perfect fit! No spacers needed on the mid-shaft housing, and the SUV motor mounts line up correct on the stringers... just need to move them forward.

[boudin]

Note that I did not need to cut any of the inner hull--there is plenty of clearance under the motor.

For the motor mounts, I did not want to weaken the stringers, so I cut a 1.5" hole next to each motor mount bolt, and was able to insert a big donut washer and lock nut. The front two bolts were able to hit the existing metal strip, so I ran a tap through it.

I've ordered some 1.5" rubber plugs for the holes.

[boudin]

I opted for the existing SUV fuel tank as the VX tank seemed too wide. Height to the top of the tank was exactly as the VX tank, so I just opened up the hole and bolted in the the sender unit. I'll use the vent tube on the sender.

[boudin]

Seemed obvious to me to keep all electrical as close to the original location as possible. Here is where I'm bolting up the ebox. I tested fitted it while I had the motor in.

[boudin]

Next comes the gauge cluster. A couple of templates, a drill and a dremel did the trick.

At some point I'll put some black silicone around the cluster make it look flush.

[boudin]

I used the stock VX throttle, and mounted the throttle controller just to the left of the steering column.

[kwtony]

Great thread!

Im shocked those rental skis are some of the worst i have ever seen. Been involved in vx rentals for over 11 years now in the fl keys and have never seen skis that look that bad. We've had skis with over 3,000 hours look better then those at 300.