Upgrade Drives, Engines, Or New Boat!!!
 

Love my 33 Outlaw but can't stop dreaming of upgrades to it or upgrading boats. Its like this sickness I have caught from OSO :lolhit:

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/b...utlaw-fun.html

Leave alone, rebuild SC's every season, freshen engines (at how many hours?) to current specs.

Upgrade drives and when time to freshen engines increase power?

Arneson Herring Surface props
Imco SCX WCM 2" shorty's Herring 5 or 6 blade Bravo semi-Surfacing props
Imco SCX-4 Herring Surface props
X-Power Herring Surface props
IMCO SCX 2" spacer to equal current setup bravo prop

Once drives are upgraded
When its time to freshen engines build to 540cu/in and increase power to 950+?

Sell within a year and save for a couple years for a different boat? New boat would have to be Longer then 35', Newer then 2001, faster then 100mph, stronger drives then Imco SC's, Better paint, EFI, Cat or V, Cabin does not matter cruiser has one, Large cockpit is a current plus but not required, Sit down boat is an option, Very clean, freshwater.

Help me spend my sugarmama's money! (I wish, but if Kristy was loaded would buy a BIG & Fast Skater or MTI!) Thanks in advance for your great ideas :ernaehrung004:

I am always a fan of buying a different boat vs a redo. Pretty easy for me

Unless you plan to keep that boat forever, don't upgrade it by adding parts. Upgrade it by buying a new one.

Thats why I sold the 36,,,,,wanted more speed,,,,,,I dont want to be buried in a boat I knew I wouldnt be keeping forever

I hate to say it but i have been in a few sit down boats this last year and hmmmm. Pretty nice.

Have not been in real rough water but it is kind of growing on me fast.

I normally agree on upgrading boats but I don't know if I can afford a boat that meets all my criteria and outdoes the current one.

Easy to say but hard to find! Show me some options, then comment on how spending that kind of coin will make boating more fun then my current boat.

Thanks!

This last comment is the tough one. I can make the arguement that a 21ft sea ray can be just as fun

Personally I would stick some drives on the boat that would last if I planned on having it for a fairly long time.. I heard that Mr. Gadgets on here can do some amazing things to Bravo's that really helps with the durability of them, I'm sure he can do the same with Imco's.. As far as rebuilding the engines.. I would think if your not beating the sh!t out of them you could go 500 plus before freshening them up..

I'm like everyone else here you can't beat our 33 Baja's for the room in the cockpit, yes there are more lavish cabins out there but who really goes to the raft off and sits in the cabin to watch tv or cook lunch!!! Your only option would be the 36 or 40 and your not gonna achieve the speeds you want unless you really jack up the power!! Hell look at what Doc Holiday did with his boat he spent a fortune to break 100 and with 850's in his 36 I think he only got to 96!!! Sooo if money isn't any object absolutely get the bigger boat, if it is stick with what you got make it reliable and enjoy it for many years to come!!!

You and me are in the same situation.

Not alot of buyers for Baja's with upgraded power.

Most want 502s or HO's.....nothing that you have to fiddle
with.

The right person has to come along to buy these boats.

I like my boat for the most part....just not down at LOTO,
but thats only a couple times a year.

I'll probably keep throwing enough $$$ at it to keep it going for a couple more years.

Are you just looking for speed? Where do you boat?

You can get alot of speed from a 32 or so foot cat, and not spend a ton of money.

My cruiser satisfies most of our boating needs so the Go Fast boat is...well...to GO fast, get a thrill, enjoy driving it, etc. We boat on Lake Michigan between traverse city, Mackinac island, and everything in between.

Love cats but I feel a 36 Skater/36 Nortech or larger is needed to handle the rough equal or better then my current boat. Then the price is getting up there if it meets all my requirements.

Either way I don't want a boat that is smaller then my current boat which measures 35' overall. Thanks for the idea though, 32 cats are fast and affordable.

:drink:

Current boat worth around 80k on Nada

add in cost to upgrade drives for reliability and make boat more fun to drive

$17,000 for SCX ($14k Each + Imco Stainless Gimbals, Helmets, reservoir, 2" spacer, Shipping. Minus $14k for used SC's. Use current props to save money) Boat will slow down couple mph or stay same.

$32,000 for SCX ($14k Each + Imco Stainless Gimbals, Helmets, reservoir, WCM -2 Lower, Shipping, Prop testing. Minus $14k for used SC's. 5 or 6 blade Bravo style Herring semi surfacing props) Might gain speed or stay same.

$42,000 for SCX-4 (14k Each + Imco Stainless Gimbals, Helmets, reservoir, WCM Blueprinting, Shipping, Prop Testing. Minus $14k for used SC's. 5 or 6 blade Clever Style Herrings surfacing props) Might gain speed.

$45,000 for Arneson (22k Each shipped Minus $14k for used SC's Minus $5k Standoff boxes hydraulic steering and trans assemblies, 5 or 6 blade Clever Style Herrings surfacing props) Most likely to gain 8-10 mph.

Not going to include engines since all boats will need engines freshened and current engines are running great.

What boat would out do current boat in all categories for the money? Or which drive setup makes the most sense?

$125,000

It kind of sucks though when you upgrade to a bigger/better USED boat that cost you let's say 125K. Then you put 10-15 hours on it and it breaks down more times than you can count and can't keep it in the water. To keep it in the water you spend another 75K on engines, drives and a bunch of other stuff. Oh yeah forgot to mention you miss every weekend of boating and all the great boating events because it needs to be repaired. My point is you don't always know what you are getting.

I can say this; everyone of my boating friends that have bought 125 thousand dollar turn key boats have had to put 10's of thousands of dollars into them the first year to keep them running.

At least with upgrading your exising boat you know what you have.

I'm on ur list too rite?

Actually, u just described most of my last 2 years

I say goto pier 57 and buy drambuie. MTI BABY

Yep, you sure are. :lolhit: That's what made it easy for me to go the repo route but, I still had my unforseen issues as well.

bingo . the ones selling them know what it costs to refresh . remember the more lavish to start with ,the more lavish to refresh . ive redone my older fountain mitcher t paint . paid alot but got a hellof an updated boat . updated my drives n gimbles . konrads also same year . this year paulpfaff buiding me some badass 800,s cost for upgrades alot but do i have a great older pakage thats new . yes . do it right .do it once . and rock n roll. nice mind you a low hr mint condition boat that some one has taken or spent a bunch already helps ease the pain . theese boats are out there . you just have to willing to find them and do some work on them youreself . hell its great off season enjoyment .

I don't know as I've ever seen or heard of Arneson on a Baja hull. I would be curious to see if it would REALLY gain any speed. There is nothing to base height or anything on, it would all be trial an error and with those props it could get really expensive. Once finished AND it sat well with the hull it would be the most reliable.

Good point Jason

YES I want that MTI!

Rob your correct, buying the boat is only one part, maintaing it is the other!

Yeah I really like the idea of speed gain and reliability! With any surface style drive change there will be dial in. My application I can only fit the Arneson, SCX-4,X-power, or NXT, but even if I could fit the Ilmor Indy, Merc #6, M8 they all would require expensive prop testing and dial in. Tough decision.

Or...keep my Imco SC's and rebuild them often. Have the lowers blueprinted and try to dial it in better with new props also?

Then when its time to freshen the engines just build them to current specs since they work so great like they are. Will save money in the short run but eventually will spend more in drive rebuilds!

Best option, smuggle cubans in the huge cockpit till we have enough money to buy a Skater!

Here is one that did all of that, and now has to go

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2013-...ht_3498wt_1165

You might change your mind. I really liked my gladiator until I ran it on a holiday weekend at the lake. Rougher then running to KW.

That should haul the mail. A real sleeper.

I am thinking about sell my 33OL as well after TickFaw 200 lol