Baja Force 320
 

Can some give me details on how these boat were constructed and differ through out their time. If I recall years were 1984 thru 1990 or 1991 then was the 32 magnum hull then was the 32 Caliber hull then was the 32 OL hull. Am I Correct. I am looking at a 1988 Force 320 to buy it. Yes, I know about wood rot and make sure to really check it in the stringers and transom. Any common areas in these for rotted wood? In 1988 what negatives and positives. You do not see that many older Baja's running around in my neck of the woods. Also under the floor were they foam filled in the voids? I know Baja was really trying to make a name in the offshore bigger boat market starting in 1986 so I think their bigger boats got better year after year. Any fedback about this 1988 is appreciated. Thanks

I have a 87 Force 320 that was rotton from the cabin bulkhead to the transom.. The engine bilge bulkhead and stringers were mulch, the transom had a few solid spots but not many..

As far as the foam in the floor mine didn't have any..

On a older boat like the one your talking about I would pay a GOOD surveyor to check it out before even offering a dime.. I elected not to do this when I bought mine and it cost me a fortune to rebuild the boat...

Good Luck!!!

There is no foam in any of them. The stringers rotted if water laid in the bilge and soaked into the drain holes, or transom cutout that were cut through the wooden structure.
Employees were to coat the holes after drilling them with gelcoat, but this can be very hard to do correctly. The best method is to insert plastic PVC tube through the hole, and seal on each side. Funny thing is....this was the MAIN reason Baja developed the fiberglass "Liner" systems on the newer models.....:rolleyes:

newby
 

87 FORCE 320 sound as the day I was born HE HE hard as a rock stringers and transom. the local coast guard said " if you got an old sound baja you are good to go HE HE
fletch what kinda speed do you get W/2 500's

Thanks for the replys. I still would like to know if this hull turned into the 32 mag then 32 cal then the 32 OL and if the 33 OL came from this hull or how did the 33 Ol come about? I think it was the 32s but not sure if it ended up the 33 OL. I will say this the 33 OL set up right is a running son of gun. Thanks

The 320 hull is the 32 Caliber and the 32 magnum and the 32 outlaw.. I believe the hull was shredded when Baja came out with the 33 outlaw not positive on that though!!!!

The 320 and 32 Caliber are 2 different boats. The 320 had a pad bottom and a integrated swim platform. This is a 32 Caliber which became the 32 Outlaw. The Force 320 might be the same as the 32 Caliber, and 32 Outlaw but the 1994 320 was not.

I meant the Force 320 which is what I have it is the same as the Caliber and Outlaw....

Bobbo I havn't dialed the boat in yet.. I just got the engines in it late last year.. It should run somewhere around 82 to 84... With 24b1's it hit 71 at 5300 and I had a bunch more throttle to go so I'm thinking I need to get some 30's and it should really show it's true colors then!!!

Bobbo I havn't dialed the boat in yet.. I just got the engines in it late last year.. It should run somewhere around 82 to 84... With 24b1's it hit 71 at 5300 and I had a bunch more throttle to go so I'm thinking I need to get some 30's and it should really show it's true colors then!!![/QUOTE]

What engines are you running Fleg1

What engines are you running Fleg1[/QUOTE]

Brian I have carbed 502's with 470 HP and 560 lbs trq. When I set the boat up after I rebuilt it I raised the X 3" and installed 12" Imco boxes.

I Knew the guy that owned it before me and he had carbed HP500's on Stellings boxes with Imco drives and it ran 84MPH gps.. So thats kinda how I came up with my speed numbers, I would think since I raised the x that the boat would be more efficient... I know with the 365hp mags it picked up 6 mph after the rebuild...

OK, the original Force 320 lasted from 1984 - 87' then it was the Force 320 (raised deck version) on the same hull for 1988, & 89'. The model was deleted in 1990, & 91' when we introduced the 300 ES in 90' and re-named to the 320 in 91'. The original 320 Force hull, and (flat) deck was brought back into production in 1992 as the Magnum, then late 1993 was called the 32 Caliber, then I think it was late 1995 that it was re-named again as the 32 Outlaw. The 33 Outlaw design started as the same 32' hull with a "nose job" that added 12", the hull sides went from concave to convex, the chines were given a 3 degree downward angle, and we added a rounded delta keel. The 320 Force (hull mold) lasted from 84' to 98' and was ready to retire when the 33ol was born in 1998. Both models are buried in the local Crawford County landfill.

XT:cool:

XT am I reading this right the Force 320 hull was reworked and became the 33 or was there a completely new mold developed when the 33 came into existence.

The hull "plug" to build the 33 Outlaw fiberglass hull "mold" was a 320 Force hull to begin with. Then we made the changes (cut and fill) that I metioned above. This became the new mold for the 33. The 320 hull mold was then scraped.

Jeff,

You have a great looking boat. I did not know you had those issues and it just goes to show that they can be corrected and you end up with a real sweet boat. Better to know up front for sure but after seeing the work that Kevin Brown at Lakeway does anything can be fixed.

Happy Boating

Dock

Remember: Restore them - Don't Crush Them!

Fleg I look forward to seeing it this year some time, have you done anything to the interior?

Yes After I rebuilt the structure and custom built the fairing I had the whole boat painted inside and out..I updated the Dash with monster gauges and a new wheel.. I had the interior done in solid white and bought 2 new solid white Aero Bolsters from a Baja employee.. Added the aluminum swim platform from a Nordic which fit perfect, it is actually longer than the standard platforms that Baja used..I just recently put 2 new 470hp 502's in it.. I raised the X diminsion 3" and also installed Imco extension boxes..Actually the boat looks like a 90's model caliber.. As far as the cuddy that is still original.. My intentions are to redo it in the white vinyl and re-carpet and new solid wood cabinetry..

I have a ton of pics in the gallery on TBM of the rebuild and such.. Just do a search using my user name and you will find them ( FLEG1)

Thanks for the comment Doc... I enjoy it.. Especially since I did 100% of the work myself..

Jeff,
That is a lot of speed for 470 HP. Mine is a 1994 32 Caliber running 2 650+ HP and best to date is 86.3 MPH running a set of labbed 28 B1's I got from Doc at 5700 RPM's. I know my X is low and I plan on putting -2 shorties on over the winter hoping to hit the 90's.
How far below the boat are your propshafts now? mine are just over 6 1/2 inches below.

Brian, nice sunpad, where did you get it done and how much work and cost was involved?

I'm right at 4.25" below the bottom.. Actually since I put the boxes on I could really come up higher now... Well I seen the GPS #'s after the guy that had it before me that ran it with carbed 500's on Stelling boxes with 1.36 imco drives and it was a tad under 84mph... I don't really know what it's gonna run, like I said I'm basing my estimated #'s from what he was running.. My drives are 1.5's so I'm not sure if that will make it slower or faster shouldn't really matter though because it's just a different pitch in propeller!!!!

Neat story the guy that had it before me years ago ran 2 900+ engines in it and it did 102 mph when he bout his new 38 fountain he took the power out of the Baja and put them in the Fountain, and then put the Brand new 500's in the Baja.. tried to sell the boat for 70 grand ended up pulling the motors and getting rid of the boat with 365 mags....

How long ago was this?

Brian, nice sunpad, where did you get it done and how much work and cost was involved?[/QUOTE]

The whole interior is a 1 off custom done by Mcleod Design and myself. Total cost about 15K but that is with all the development costs. As a package now you can buy it for around 10K but the first 1 I see I want at least 5K back.

Look at pics of Doc's hatch in his rebuild thread and notice the pattern on the hatch not the colors or head rest. I tried for royalties on that but was told I was not charged for that part of the design.

I think the most important things I did to the boat during the upgrades was I reinforced and tide the stringers together. The ride and feel of the boat changed dramatically. It also made the bolsters solid as a rock even in the big stuff. Before I rerigged the boat I sat while running about 5% of the time now I sit instead of standing about 95% of the time.

It had the big power back in the mid to late 90's he put the 500's in it I wanna say in 01 or 02.. I bought the boat in 2003!!!

Brian I like your idea did you only do this in the middle stringers or did you also brace the outer stringers, I know you would had to cut the floor out so I guess not. What did you do to the horizontal stringers with bracing? You should post up some more pics of your boat and work in progress along with details. Very interesting about the bracing and I'm sure you had some other good ideas. Good looking interior.

wow 80s he he
I have TRS and velvet drives so thats way out of my reach:mad: how does it like going that fast, and what kind of water light chop?

Not mine but none the less a cool pic of a 32...

Rougher the better IMO.. It loves to go fast...:ernaehrung004:

Ahhh... Kevin Brown... he was my hero last winter... helped me bring mine back from the dead...at a very affordible cost..

Fleg knows my whole story...I did transom, all 3 stringers, and rear bulkhead...

Here are some pics, I would get any boat surveyed... I knew mine needed this but it was a tad more then expected..I did everything myself besides the glass work,I did the rigging, engine rebuilds, paint..

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...g/109_7627.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...109_7624-1.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...g/112_7957.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...g/113_7804.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...g/113_7808.jpg

Finished...

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...g/113_8265.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...g/113_8271.jpg

Was your boat the one on Craigslist this summer? looks familiar, Any pics?? I am also a TRS boat, I have not wrung it out totally but have seen 64 gps fairly easily, I have 420's with 23P props, the boat neds 2-3's to run any good thats for sure, I saw my 64 in 3-4's with a 5 here or there, with not using the tabs! that was a fun day!

I love my old tird!

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...g/100_8539.jpg

I like mine tooo!!!!!

[IMG]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/bajalou3.jpg[/IMG]

I like mine tooo!!!!!

[IMG]C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/bajalou3.jpg[/IMG]

Jeff... link will not work.

I know not sure how to include the pic. in my post!!!!

Download your photos into Photobucket. Copy the link for the picture. Right above, click the insert image button (the one that looks like mountains) and paste the link in there.

I'll try this again..
http://http://i276.photobucket.com/a...1/bajalou3.jpg

1 more!!!

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...G1/bajalou.jpg

Thanks Teambaja!!!:ernaehrung004: