Original instrumen panel?
 

I have a geeky question. I wonder if it´s possible to by the orginal instrument panel for a 29 OL with original graphics somewhere?

I´m going from 2x454MPIs to a single 525EFI. The boat is in such a good condition and I wanna keep it that way and don´t want to ad some ugly, home made panel for the fiew gauges left.

/Teo

I doubt that a new panel would be easy to find. You will probably have to make one and have it painted, unless someone on the boards here has one laying around. You might contact XT on here and see what he can find you.

I am wondering why you are going to a single engine? As a fellow owner of a 29OL i would never go to a single as it would be a SLOW pig (even with a 525 in the back). I also think it might be hard on the drive as well. Now put twin 525s in the back of her and now we're talking!

Ok. Thank you.

Even a single 496 HO gets the 29OL to about 65 mph and mine stuggles with 61. And I can feel how heavy the boat is in the back when in the air.

It´s two things the engine has to do. Handle the weight of the boat and turn the propp through hard water. The weight of the boat can be divided by adding another engine but the hardness of the water is still as much of a burdon for each engine unless they both use the same propp.

I know it eant have the same torque as with 2x454s but I will get faster top speed and cruise.

Sorry for the spelling/ Swedish Teo

I think somebody is BS'in you if they say 65 w a single.
Thats just my opinion but I had one for 7 yrs, W twin 454mag mpi's and it saw 70 sometimes.
O and I put over 700 hours on it.
I would think 60 is pushing it.

i think his boat had 7.4mpi not mags! my 25ol with 7.4mpi will do 58 on gps

Teo,

I owned a 29ol with the 7.4 MPI's for 7 years, and ran against a buddy with the single 454 Mag MPI in rough Lake Erie water, a had a very hard time catching him at cruising speeds, but his max speed was more like 53 MPH.

My 7.4's turning stock 24 Bravos only ran 62 GPS with a full load. I agree that twin big blocks are allot of weight in the 29 hull, but I have seen that single engine 29ol at my marina with the owner sleeping in the cuddy. It looks worse with the nose of the boat that low in the water. (believe me) Oh, and twin 496 Mags, or 496 HO's add even more weight in the rear of that hull than engines without the closed cooling system.

Consider this option! Twin "high output" small blocks in the 450 HP range? The stock Mercury 6.2 MPI's don't have enough HP, but I have been in 29 and 30 Outlaws with the Mercury Racing 377 Scorpions that run real close to 70 MPH. Add 75-100 HP to that, and you will have a well balanced boat that runs mid 70's, and the drives will love you for it.

Think of how much time and money you will save on stringer, and transom work, let alone small details like the gauge panel......My .02

XT

Teo,
XT's right on. I know of a 29OL with a 500HP carb motor and he runs upper 50's loaded typically, won't reach 60. We're talking MPH, not KPH.
And on top of alot of costly hull modifications, think about resale. Unless your gonna keep the boat about forever, it will be lost money and single 29's are very hard to sell. You'd spend less dialling in your current set up if you are unhappy with it.
Some guys have re-mad an aluminum panel then had either sticker or paint put on to match factory graphics. A virgin panel would be a 4 leaf clover find.

I really like the boat and gonna keep it for a long time. Here in Sweden it´s a little bit different. Boats with two engines or more are hard to sell. The gas is like three times more expensive here than in the US.
I´m not worried about the hull modification but I do are a bit concerned about everything else, like the gauges and controll panels.
If I can´t make it work and look nice I won´t do it.

It´s a bit annoying that everybody else here runs single engines in their Pantera 28´s, Scarab/Avanti 30´s, Donzi 27´s and so on
And I don´t stand a chance with My two 454MPI´s.
:traurig001:

/Teo

That is an option... Do you know about the fuel consumption difference between 2x7.4MPI and a pair of small blocks like that?

/Teo

I did not know about the fuel consumption issue before my suggestion, but I doubt that there would be any advantage of turning built small block engines at 5200-5400 rpm vs. the stock 7.4's at 4600 rpm? Just one option for speed, and balance.

XT

Thanks for the input.

I did som counting from a long trip I did with a friend last saturday and we got almost exactly 100 miles that day and the boat consumed just 39 gallons wich I figure is not that bad. and We did´nt even drive that economical at all.

That and the fact that it would be hard to get the modification looking good has got Me thinking about go with the 7.4MPI´s anyway as you all recomended.

I´m thinking of maby getting som more horses out of them without fiddling with gas supply and then go for Bravo 24" or maby Mirage 25" propps to get more distance per gallon.

What do you thing about that? Can I do something with the exhaust to get som more ponys out?

/Teo

I've had two boat setup identically to yours. Of course I never paid any attention to fuel consumption.

I ran 23" 3 blades on my '99 29OL. I could not turn 24" 4 blades with a heavy load on the boat.

I tried 22" 4 blades on my '99 302 with a heavy load of strippers and beer they were great but would bump the rev limiters when empty.

I came to the conclusion the 23" 3 blades were the way to go with the older 29OL and 302 due to drives so deep in the water.

Best option is to get them close 4 blade or 3 blade to your optimum operating RPM then dial them in through Bblades.