I don't want this to sound like an ambush, but You're not going to be able to make 700hp with a 496 and have any kind of longevity in the marine world. Marine engines are built on the conservative side without going into a ton of details but 1.25hp per cubic inch is on the better side
of what you're going to make and have it hold up on a NA motor. Blowers are a different story and that's why a lot of guys run them. Or they go big cubic inch and NA. Do some searching on here and you will find a wealth of information on engine builds. Learn from other peoples experiences and mistakes. You'll be ahead of the game that way. Good luck in your build.

Get some 502's. You won't regret it. I wouldn't waste the $$ unelss you had the motors already. As they say, "no replacement for displacement". Unless you did blower motors. lol

I'm gonna be honest, the 280 is not made for speed. I would not put much more than 500 a side in it. That will put it close to 80. From what I have heard from a couple other big HP 280's they get real squirly above 80.

The boat is a great boat for room and comfort in that size of a boat. You can get a bad ass stereo in it and have fun all day runing 50 mph. We love ours for what it is. But I would not go sinking a bunch of money into it.

Its got custom 31 inch trim tabs crazy looking should keep her steady

Umm… Yea… Anyway I Have been in A 280 my fatherinlaw owns many times close to 80 , Squirly as hell . Big tabs will not really help , you will have to have the bottom blueprinted i dunno ? Sounds like a 40,000 280 already...

Nothing wrong with a $40,000 Baja 280 if he chooses to make it that. I just got rid of a $40,000 31 scarab that I built for 2 years never saw water then took apart.

Horrible way to spend money since I ended up hating it. But if it were finished and running and driving and i Ioved it I would not have cared if I spent $60,000.

We will see guys since I've been getting a lot of free swag for boat we will see what happens I will start posting pics soon of progress oh by the way I need right side cudie couch and the sun pad assembly above motor if anyone knows were I can get these even beat up I'll. Buy them thanks everyone for the support

There is a guy on FB in the swap shop that probably has those parts

Contact adrenalinejunkey, he has a 280 sport that he is parting out. Also port monster parted one out recently so he may have some stuff laying around.

I have the complete back assembly off the 280 sport still and maybe an interior seat. I can't tell if the back assembly is original or not. Thing is heavy as hell and wouldn't be worth shipping. Yours should be a fiberglass pan with wood on top? If so all you really need to do is replace the wood and restaple the vinyl on.