zgoo

Hello All!

I sold my 1979 Glastron CV23 which was in mint condition and just bought a 1985 Nordic 26 closed bow. The boat only has 200 hrs one owner and looks almost new! I almost got screwed on another Nordic 26 in Lake Havasu last year and got lucky finding one in Portland where I live. The new 26 just has a Volve 290A engine with a 290 outdrive. How good of a setup is this as I have never had a Volve? I wish it had a big block but, I guess a will live with the smaller engine. It is not a thru exhaust is there any proformance gain from doing that? Also, is there a fuel savings with the smaller motor and what is the top speed for this boat with this engine. I sure love these old school boats! Thanks for any help! Dan

zgoo

Here it is as I bought it...

Steve Zuckerman

Welcome aboard Dan. That is truly a classic Nordic, west coast boat. It is in incredile shape. Congratulations on finding it. Volvo generally used marinized Chevys. I think yours is 350 cu".
That drive should hold up OK in front of a small block. I would start out by changing all the fluids and impeller. Performance, is a good question. I estimate around 60 mph with the small block.
I think I would leave it stock and enjoy the summer. As high gas prices are getting, you may really like having a smaller motor. There are tons of modifications available for SBCs, but I would check with a knowledgeble Volvo outdrive mechanic to see if your drive will handle extra horsepower before starting down that road.
Best Regards,
Steve

CB-BLR

Great looking boat!

Welcome to the Nordic family.

Chris

zgoo

Thanks guys!

How they keep it in such nice shape iIt has been in storage since 1995. They still had it serviced every year but didnt use it. I call a good Volvo guy sat and he said it has a 350 LT1 290hp engine, he said its a rare high HP engine in the Volvo line and he has onliy seen a few of them. I really want to add thru exhaust on it for the sound, and gain in power with it? My last Glastron was in as 9.5 and man the people the would stop and comment on was great! The Nordic is a much better built boat the the Glastron.

zgoo

Just pulled the rear seats and engine cover, little dusty from 17 years of storage, but no surprises!!

Steve Zuckerman

Truly a rare find in exceptional shape Dan. A small block I/O in a 26' daycruiser should be fairly fuel efficient, particularly compared to it's jet powered versions of the day.
You may not see a big improvement in performance, but through hull exhaust is a fairly easy thing to do.
If you want to do a before and after comparison, I would run the boat with a handheld GPS and record your top speed and RPM. Then after going through hull, just repeat the procedure and compare the #s.
One of the biggest gains you can acheive is losing the weight from the factory cast iron manifolds. They weigh a ton. A good set of aftermarket headers or performance aluminum exhaust manifolds will look and sound great, and free up some back pressure too.
Another area that has seen drastic improvement since your boat was built is propellers. After you switch over to through hull exhaust, I would definitely test some newer design props.
Good luck and keep us posted with your progress.
Regards,
Steve

bounce

I am green with envy with your new boat! well done. I've spent three months on mine and it is no where near as nice........... I spent 5k on mine.

just got it on to Lake Powell waters for Fourth of Julie 4 night camping trip.


maybe I'll see you there one day!!

mine is a '82 26'

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/3728073-post1.html

Mach80

I had a 1990 open bow mid cabin Viking for about 10 years. It was a good boat. It had a 330hp 454 and it would go 55 mph. It had a selectable exhaust and when it was selected through the transom vs the prop it was 1 mph faster. We ran with it through the prop most of the time as it was so quiet. Enjoy it and have fun!!

nordicviking28

I have a 1987 Nordic Viking with twin 7.4L 454's and she screams. Love this boat and we ski as much as we can. Great for camping on the river or Lake Mead, AZ.