Leave the motors where they are, no transmissions, no SSM.

Agreed. If you want more than 600-650hp, then go with BMax drives.

Arent bmax drives worth like $12k a piece?

I can pick up this turn key boat with SSM3s for $20k, so basically the price of a pair of motors.

Would the trannies and drives throw the weight off? I'm assuming that's why you mentioned keep motors where they were....

I know a lot of ppl HATE any bravo derivatives because of poor reliability and $$...

Don't think it is as much the reliability part these guys are talking about--SSM3s are tough drives, but more around what the boat was designed for. If you have a boat that was designed for Bravo (type) drives you could be really going down a rabbit hole by shifting CG, engine/driveheights, etc by adding transmissions and different types drives

I'm sure Pat could chime in with a better answer...but from what I remember when I worked at AT..the step placement that was calculated by Harry Schoell was based upon the center of gravity using Bravo Drives with stock motor installation placements...moving the motors forward to leave room for trannys may upset the balance of the boat & running surface...???
We built step hull number 2 with staggered 600's and I don't remember the boat running any better than the side by side boats with less power..

^^

Exactly right.

The bottom of that boat was designed so the step, the transom, and the prop shaft are on or very near the same plane, with the motor placement where it's at with the motors and the drives both bolted directly to the transom.

We've built boats with NXTs, a couple triples, SSM VI, Teagues, BMAX; along with mild to huge power. Each of these affects the attitude of the boat, from weight and placement, to thrust angle, to transom lift introduced by the size/shape of the drive.

The boat YOU have was designed to run the way I described above. IF you start changing all that, you are going to take too many steps back in hopes of only a few forward.

Any updates on this restoration?

Yeah, everyone would like to know. Birds chirping around here this week!

I think it came to a hault

That doesn't sound good. What happened?