28ss
 

Has anyone ever converted a 28ss to a single engine config? If so, with what success? Thanks!

Why would you do that?

Not an SS, but a 28 Open. It's for sale too....
http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o19129-en.html

Another:
http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o16656-en.html

The older and some new 28 pantera's came with twin motors but you see more newer ones with singles that run great. I am looking at a 28ss and was wondering if anyone did it to one of these. Seems like doing this while putting a efi big block would make a great boat. Just a thought!

The best setup for a 28 is twin small blocks. The big blocks add too much weight. A single would have to be a monster on a #6 drive- that's not a flyweight boat. Then you'd be dealing with all those single-prop issues- no thanks.

Ditto - the 28 was made for twin small blocks.

Yes, this boat is set up with twin small blocks. It was just a thought, pantera's are actually about 900 lbs heavier than the cig. Why would it not work? The pantera's use XZ drives and they hold up pretty well.

It will work.

It will be fairly slow and it will wander at low speeds (off-plane) and be a nightmare to dock. I've never seen a Pantera on a scale but it's hard to imagine anything with a heavier layup than a Cig.

I think it all depends on how it is rigged and what your expectations are of the boat. With a 500HP, mine ran a best of 65.1 in the salt, flew level and I could dock it into some of the tightest slips possible. With a 7 inch X dimension no less. There are pros and cons to every set-up, but no matter what it's all going to come down to how it is rigged in my opinion. And I did have it on a scale, so we are talking about a 7,200-ish lb boat.

Single or Twins
 

Gotta agree with Chis. I am rerigging a 28 Cigarette SS as we speak. I originally thought of a single blown 572 and a #6 but was concerned about torque steer and meandering at low speeds. Probably the deciding factor is the fact that 28 SS's have a huge, tall, center stringer. We were concerned that hacking up the center striger would negatively impact the structural integrity of the boat. So we are going with supercharged smallblocks and Platinum XR Bravos.

Barry

Single or Twins
 

Gotta agree with Chis. I am rerigging a 28 Cigarette SS as we speak. I originally thought of a single blown 572 and a #6 but was concerned about torque steer at high speed as well as meandering at low speeds. Probably the deciding factor is the fact that 28 SS's have a huge, tall, center stringer. We were concerned that hacking up the center stringer would negatively impact the structural integrity of the boat. So we are going with supercharged smallblocks and Platinum XR Bravos.

Barry

Thank all of you guy's for the input, it was exactly what i was looking for. I am going look at the boat on friday, is there any paticular areas i should look at. Does any rotting show up in one area more than others? Any other things or areas i should really keep an eye out for? Thanks again in advance!

They rot in all the usual places- at the outdrive cutouts, the limber holes thru stringers and places where woodscrews were put thru glass into wood without sealant.

Do they stress in any certain areas? Cracks in the hull? Any problems with stringer rot? What about fuel tanks?

If you hit one hard enough, you can break it. They're very tough so it's unusual at best. The stringers can rot- sometimes by wicking moisture from a rotten transom, sometimes through limber holes and sometimes through water getting into screw holes that are low and see standing water. You can thump them to see if they're solid but that won't tell you if they're wet. A moisture meter is always your best bet.

Look at where the stringers are glassed to the bottom and where the hull & deck are bonded. Sometimes this can be tough to see- pull every panel & access cover- take your time. The 35 I just bought had a couple of minor tab separations on bulkheads- nothing major and an easy fix. A loose stringer can be an entirely different story. Pull the floor and look good at that fuel tank- and smell too. If it's leaking, the foam will hold the gasoline smell forever. Not a nightmare replacement job but not a cake walk either.

Thanks a lot, you guy's are the best. Keep the input coming, if ya'll can think of anything else!!! I thought that O C Barry might have a few pointers that he came across while rerigging his 28.

OC do you have any pics of your project in process? I'm looking for an excuse to upgrade my membership. I've got pro-charged small blocks in mine, and the boat handles and runs great. Incredible acceleration. I couldn't imagine having a single in an SS.

A 28 SS with Twin BBC is not a problem, we ran a 27' Magnum with twin BBC's, too heavy? Why? It handled the water great and ran in the mid 80s mph for the 19 years of ownership.

Most of our Sunday (other pleasure boaters, not organized races) afternoon races were in the Ocean off of Atlantic City and Margate (in the late 80's and early 90's). In the late 90's and up to 2004 most of the boating was in the upper Chesapeake (with mixed boat waves for cruisers), so we ran 84-86 mph in some rough water on occassion. The BBC's are heavier, but to say the boat doesn't handle the weight is bull****.

With that said a hot set of SBC, would be the optimum set-up. We ran BBC because my father had a set of LS-6 motors available, but small block strokers are the way to go.

Pics
 

If it ever stops freezing raining here, I'll be able to set the engine mounts / drive heights and I'll get some pictures. Right now we are working on all of the shop items; short blocks are assembled, windsheild removed, new aluminum race fairing is built, new engine hatch with Pro Stock Scoops is done.

In fact if someone needs one, I have an aluminum blower style hatch for a 28 that I am not using that I will let go CHEAP.

Barry

J,
Take a look at the Magnum forum. The 28 Cigarette has the same bottom as the 27 Magnum. Several Magnums have been converted from twin to single. Raceboats such as "Deranged" and "Vixen" are good examples. I just picked up a 27 Magnum hull and am converting it from twin to single. One disadvantage no one has mentioned is how hard it is to work on a twin engine boat. A single allows plenty of room to do basic maitenance like changing oil or plugs. Most old 28 Cigarettes had twin 350 CID with 280 horsepower. A single reliable engine of 500 Horsepower will be approximately the same speed as twin 300's-70+/- mph. The cost factor of two drives and engines vs. one was also a consideration for me.
Twins have the advantage of a "get home motor" if one breaks-but thats why I have Tow insurance. Good luck with your decision!

I went and looked at the boat on friday and it is just not what i was looking for. There is no interior, no floor, fuel tank removed, trs drives, no hardware what so ever. I love the lines on the boat, but i was not looking at getting this deep into a project. I would have to put a lot of money into the boat just to get it useable.:mad:

I have a 1978 28ss with twin bbc closed cooled 7.4 mpis It is a nightmare to do any work on what so ever. A tune up can take the better part of the day.The boat goes well 74 mph flys straight and handles well. I always go easy out of the hole as i have trs with merc trans. However the boat sits dangerously low in the water. It is for this reason that would recomened twin sbcs i have no experiance with a single engine application in this boat..

Hey Brian
 

Hi Brian - How's everything? Are we done with the cold yet?

Have a great holiday! Barry

pics

JLAY, what are they looking to get for that project cig? i have a buddy looking for something like this....maybe post some contact info if possible...

Hey Barry, I am not sure about you but we are just getting started with the cold up here. How is your project coming, keep me posted on your progress. I had a great June and July but blew a drive in early august which took out the clutches in my transmission. I will be pulling the engine and rebuilding a couple transmissions (including the spares that I got from you) in the next month or so. Maybe I will get a full season next year. Have a great holiday as well. -Brian

Look in the classifieds here in projects. They did not want to come off of the price

Ah thanks

$22k for a project like that! jeez i know that those boats are worth some money but come on!...maybe if it was a complete running boat you could use for a summer and redo later it would be worth it....

I agree they are hard to work on with twins but you are going to have a much smoother ride in the rough and the boat will handle alot better. I have 350 MPIs with bravos and my throttle response is unbelievable!! Yea you spend more in fuel and maintance but to me it's all worth it. I guess it also depends where you boat. Lake Michigan can turn on you at any time so there is no way I would want a single!! Just my
.02!! Either way the boat will still be awesome!!! Good Luck!!:drink: