Purchasing Fountain Powerboats
10-13-2009, 07:34 PM
#251
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This thread has been an interesting read. I am an owner of a Checkmate (first boat purchase) and do not have the money and power as perhaps some of the previous thread posters. I have been a boating fan since childhood as that is what my family did on vacations. I would like to share my experience with Baja and Fountain. I remember seeing a Baja on a trailer cruising down Lakeshore Drive when I was in undergrad. I think it was a H2X. I remember telling myself I would own one of those boats someday. My first ride on a Fountain was a customer's 47 Sport Cruiser w/ triple 525SCs that he kept in Burnham Harbor. I remember sitting on the back bench when the boat was planing thinking holy **** this a bad ass boat. I wish Baja and Fountain well. I think both companies historically build great products. If Hustler buys Fountain in these strange economic times and keeps both names/molds producing boats I'm all for it. In respect to Reggie Fountain and a company going down in bad times he was recently quoted in the November 2009 Powerboat issue: "I'm embarressed by anything that doesn't reflect postively on us. If you are a winner, you are embarressed any time you lose." I believe Mr. Fountain has brought a certain amount of passion and attraction into the performance boating world as say Muhammad Ali brought into boxing. Sure they didn't win all the time (Ali had 5 professional losses) but they brought everything they had everytime and created one hell of a show!
10-13-2009, 07:47 PM
#252
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I don't wish Reggie bad even he said it's not like I will be broke if I loose it I still have 315 appt. and a strip mall. Unless I hit the lotto Reggie will always have more money than me. If I was going to buy a race boat it would be hard for me not to buy a Fountain because of how good of a race boat they are and the factory is about 4 hours from me. Now if you feel the good of the many outway the good of the few then it would have been better if Hustler bought fountain just because of the $$$ and more jobs witch is what this country needs bad now.
I don't trust a non boat building company to do what is right for boating so they (Oxford) might have gave it a try and if it didn't go well break it up and sell it. I hope he gets back on his feet and has 100's of people working for him and all I wrote was one way I think he should do to help it. Fountain fan or not you have to admit the Kat Killer stuff made him look bad, did you see all the video of him talking smack ?
BTW I don't have the Nortech anymore so I can't blow it and I am looking for my next boat now it might be another NT but I am kinda leaning to a 42 OL because I feel it's better to mix it up a little to see whats out there so if I ever do get a bunch of money and build a new boat I will know just what I want in it.
I don't trust a non boat building company to do what is right for boating so they (Oxford) might have gave it a try and if it didn't go well break it up and sell it. I hope he gets back on his feet and has 100's of people working for him and all I wrote was one way I think he should do to help it. Fountain fan or not you have to admit the Kat Killer stuff made him look bad, did you see all the video of him talking smack ?
BTW I don't have the Nortech anymore so I can't blow it and I am looking for my next boat now it might be another NT but I am kinda leaning to a 42 OL because I feel it's better to mix it up a little to see whats out there so if I ever do get a bunch of money and build a new boat I will know just what I want in it.
LOR I am curious if you are familiar with the group (Liberty Investments) that partnered up with Reggie? They seem to be well funded and also purchased Donzi and Proline so they must be serious about the industry. Why do you think Hustler was a better fit? BTW I hope you get the 42 OL and participate in some of the pokerruns down here in tidewater....it would be very cool to have an OL down here running with us
10-13-2009, 08:30 PM
#253
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I think, in reality here, that the way a Fountain looks is no different than the way any brand looks. It's the way it is, it's what makes it a Fountain, just that simple. Nor-Techs have a certain look, different than other brands, but distinctive to NorTech. It's part of what makes it a NorTech, frankly I find it different and actually like their styling. I also like some of the older school Skater styling better than some of their new versions, but that's ME, doesn't mean that is the tits for everyone.
I have the newer style Lightning, love the better performance and handling of the twin step hull design. But I still favor the "Look" of the lower, sluttier, or older Executioner styling. It's just more old school and hard core in appearance to my eye, but that's me! Likely the reason that so many restore older Cigs and Apache's, it's all about the "look".
Like they say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" or "To each his own". Fountain has a fairly substantial following that favor the "look" so why would he chance making major changes to that. The simple reality here is that thru the years there have been more Fountains built, bought and sold, than any other brand ( excepting Baja ) on the market. So why rock the boat? Change the boat? Or screw with what seems to still work? You need to remember here that Fountain has been more of a "production" performance boat over the years, not the more custom "one off" type of boat that Nor-Tech and some others have been. There is a place for both approaches in this boating world.
I have the newer style Lightning, love the better performance and handling of the twin step hull design. But I still favor the "Look" of the lower, sluttier, or older Executioner styling. It's just more old school and hard core in appearance to my eye, but that's me! Likely the reason that so many restore older Cigs and Apache's, it's all about the "look".
Like they say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" or "To each his own". Fountain has a fairly substantial following that favor the "look" so why would he chance making major changes to that. The simple reality here is that thru the years there have been more Fountains built, bought and sold, than any other brand ( excepting Baja ) on the market. So why rock the boat? Change the boat? Or screw with what seems to still work? You need to remember here that Fountain has been more of a "production" performance boat over the years, not the more custom "one off" type of boat that Nor-Tech and some others have been. There is a place for both approaches in this boating world.
10-13-2009, 08:43 PM
#254
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LOR I am curious if you are familiar with the group (Liberty Investments) that partnered up with Reggie? They seem to be well funded and also purchased Donzi and Proline so they must be serious about the industry. Why do you think Hustler was a better fit? BTW I hope you get the 42 OL and participate in some of the pokerruns down here in tidewater....it would be very cool to have an OL down here running with us
I will be doing alot of reading on Liberty because if I cant find a 42 OL I like and can afford 2 boats I would be getting a bigger CC and a 38 ZRC for poker runs and my speed fix. Either way I missed most of this season and only have some jet skis and a smaller fishing boat so there will be something on my lift this spring. I got to tell you it sucks standing on my dock watching all the boats go by.
10-13-2009, 08:51 PM
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I don't think anyone can say anybody doesn't build a good boat beacause they only build a few, how many boats does Mystic build a year, or Dragon, or how many boats does Mark McManus build in ten years ? How many did Apache build a year. OL and NT might not build many boats but I bet if you ask anybody who ownes a boat company they rather have a list of people waiting for their boat than a list of boats waiting for an owner.
10-13-2009, 09:39 PM
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Well if they put as much time and effort into the 50th one as they did the 1st one then maybe that would be good but if they were mad because they knew the plant was going downhill and their hours were getting cut and had a bad attitude then I would not want one from a bankrupt company.
In saying that and not to discriminate would you want a cig from the years that led up to their BR's. Or would you want a baja from the month they said they where closing the plant until it was closed.
In saying that and not to discriminate would you want a cig from the years that led up to their BR's. Or would you want a baja from the month they said they where closing the plant until it was closed.
10-13-2009, 09:44 PM
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We all have different goals that drive us. Reggie's goals have helped to shape the sportboat industry. If he were an accountant,banker,investor,etc. ... I could see running him in the ground for his companies current financial state. However, he is a boat builder/enthusiest. His passion turned in to a large business,that has produced MANY memorable boats throughout the years,and raised the bar for speed.I hope that the new investors can improve the finances of FPB, and still allow Reggie to build boats with passion.
BTW ... Bullhead's boat is a little outdated looking
Kinda funny that the swim platform is the identifying component. Makes me think that someone sees a lot of Fountain transoms.
BTW ... Bullhead's boat is a little outdated looking
Kinda funny that the swim platform is the identifying component. Makes me think that someone sees a lot of Fountain transoms.
10-13-2009, 09:53 PM
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No my NT ran 97-99 MPH not much here on the Potomac went by me in a V anyway, just stating that the profile view of the Fountain for me looks the same till you get to the back. Now if you look in the cockpit or cabin you could tell more as to how new the boat was but most people dont get to see that. And yes Bullheads paint is very nice.
10-14-2009, 06:04 AM
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Well I must of p**ssed in someones weaties. I have read some of the comments on the local news sites in NC and it was obvious some former employees were on there saying things like they were getting just enough hours not to get unemployment but not enough to pay the bills. I'm sure they were giving the same integrity they were given if in fact this was happening (which this is pretty standard practice by companies to save on uneployment costs). I'm sure that shortcuts were taken after employees were thinned out and just in general bad attitude at least the ones who did not drink the daily Kool-Aid.
I agree with FR65 if you take pride in your work you do a good job everytime. I am sure when it came time for cuts Reggie keep the best guys so the boats most likely got better. If you have just a few high skill guys vs alot of people working on the boat there is more chances of something not being done right.
