Wow did we go to sleep after we put our boat’s way for the winter?
I am hopin' you all are out there working on improvements!

I am adding new gauges to my dash of my 251 Convincor changing the vinyl graphics.

I also want build in a cooler/ Ice box. Any Ideas/ pic’s?

I wanted to add full hydraulic steering, K-planes and 600HP to the 259 Convincor. After checking the finances I settled for a billet aluminum battery cage from Trick Marine and an Optima battery.

Although I am still not finished, I got rid of that painfully slow screw type engine hatch lift. I replaced it with a set of Eddie Marine hydraulic hinges that I got fromTrickMarine. Check out the video clip.

http://www.zippyvideos.com/6230932882609276/p5050142/

I wont have the fastest boat at my next Poker Run, but I will challenge anyone to race hatches.
I also rebuilt my drive, new seals, bearings, lower gears and repaired the forward upper gear. I may put a scoop on the sundeck, but I cant figure out what to do with the uphostery. Still sitting on the fence on that one.

can anyone tell me why are boats so rediculasly exspensive (not this one in particular just boats in general ) they cost as much as Lambrginis and it looks like not much more than some fiberglass and motors ,..i know you can buy a mercrusier 496 HO for 22,000 new..so why would a new boat be 80 or 90 thousand for a 26 or 27 foot and 150 to 200 thousand for one over 30 ft ..isnt it just fiberglass and some seats ...is it just HUGH profit margins or am i missing something ...they cost more than houses and as much as a lamborgini ?
Please educate the NOOB here

That's a funny video. Maybe now that you have access to the engine compartment in 2 seconds as opposed to 20 you can keep that cooler in there. Hatch looks ready to accept a scoop.

???? The manpower hours to build a boat, the overhead of running a factory, the insurance (both liability and comp.) of owning that factory, along with the vendors that supply all the various hardware that's installed in the boat all add up to quite a bit of money...many people have tried to build offshore performance boats and many have failed miserably. There are not enough buyers (very narrow market) to support mass production (like cars) so the manufacturers still have to pay employees year round to keep production rolling and quality consistant. Not a business for the faint at hearted. Look at all the names that have fallen to the wayside.....Power Play, Sonic is questionable, Fountain's numbers are way down, Scarab, Hustler, Tempest, Apache, Warrior (also part of the tribe), Active Thunder is only building a few, Monza??, Pantera is always surrounded by controversy but still hanging in there, Chief (have any seen water??), Get the picture??

Like the hatch. Did you cut away the cross member that the old hatch sat down on? If so is there any flex? I re did my interior last summer. I covered my windshield last summer with vinyl I like how it looked I need to redo it with better stuff as you can see the old stuff wrinkled with heat.

Here is some pic of my 1990 251 GTX

[QUOTE=Mike&Paula]Like the hatch. Did you cut away the cross member that the old hatch sat down on? If so is there any flex? I re did my interior last summer. I covered my windshield last summer with vinyl I like how it looked I need to redo it with better stuff as you can see the old stuff wrinkled with heat.


No I didnt cut away anything. This model doesnt have the crossmember like yours does.

Do you have enough room to work on the engine with the front part attached? I thought about doing that on a boat I'm redoing, but it seems you'd have to duck to work on it.

Back to my cooler/ice box. anyone got any good ideas? anyoine already done one in a 251?
Mike