1986 Cigarette 28 SS last one?
 

I have no facts to back any of this up, but oh well here it goes,

I just purchased a 1986 Cig 28SS from a really good friend of mine. About 10 yrs ago (before he ever considered selling the boat) he told me this story.

He said that a while back he contacted Cigarette (when he first bought the boat to find out some more info on the boat) he told them he had a 1986 28SS. They asked are you sure its an 86, and he said yes. They placed him on hold and a guy named Mike (or something) picked up the phone (apparently Mike was working there in 1986). Mike asked him are you sure you have a 1986. Mike then asked if the boat was blue and white (Which it is). They compared notes and Mike then told him that he has the last 28SS that was made.(I have heard of another made in 97 or something) Mike stated that some rich guy in Miami talked them into making one more when they had just made the last one. He wanted one to go from his yacht to shore and wanted extra glass to reinforce the boat. So they made this boat.
I am not sure about the facts, but I have known this guy for 20 plus years, and he told me the story when he was not even remotely interested in selling the boat. He has since come closer to retirement, our lake level by our house is down, and he has decided to sell to me for a VERY good deal.
If the story is true or not I still feel like I got one good boat for the price. Here is what he did to the boat.
When he got the boat it was modified with 454. They kept blowing the heads due to high compression, so he pulled out the blocks and replaced them with Merlin Marine 454 and Merlin heads. He also removed the old engine lid and had a new one built (he said so 6 girls could dance on the back end). He had someone build an Al swim platform because he was tired of people climbing up the drives to get in the boat. The boat has not seen the water in 3 yrs. The gas tank leaked so he cut the floor and had a new one built. It is now installed and needs the floor redone. This is now my new winter project.

Ok, now I have said all I know, Let the comments rip.[ATTACH=CONFIG]530055[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530056[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530057[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530058[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530059[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530060[/ATTACH]

When were the Bravo drives installed? They didn't have Bravo's in 86 so that had to be retrofitted somewhere down the road. The boat must have either come with 454 and Alpha drives or a TRS or SSM variant, but I highly doubt somebody would swap SSM drives for Bravo drives.

I am not sure on the drives but I can ask. He did tell me that he got the boat from a couple in Fl, who had the engines swap to the 454s. They had the work done by a shop. I am sure that is when the drives were swapped. He only swapped motors with new blocks and heads. He also did a lot of work in the engine comp.
A guy in Austin built the motors with all new parts. [ATTACH=CONFIG]530064[/ATTACH]He also filled in the bilge holes and moved them higher on the back end. Due to the new weight in the blocks, heads, and deck lid, it now sits lower in the water.

make sure you have a extra groun wire going to the fuel tank..and from the fuel tank to the fill ,,for static electricity.

Was this possibly a twin small block/ alpha boat? Looks like it wil be alot of fun!

Looks like KE exhaust. Good stuff....although working in that engine compoartment looks tough...lol.

cool boat, hang on to it and engoy. nice piece of history

this one was an late 80's build also... a guy in ill. owns it. ..... BTW Yaroshe very nice boat

SB: Yes Keith Eckert exhaust. That was the only thing that would fit given the distance between the two engines.

Northernoffshore: That is a beautiful boat.

So cool my first "ride" in a powerboat was by a neighbor/Buick Dealer in Southampton. It was a Monday and he had two other Buick Dealers drive out the island for a boat ride. We went through Peconic Bay to Shinnecock Bay and out into the Ocean. This was a really early 28SS Cigarette purchased and spec'd out directly with Don Aronow. It had twin 350LT1s and Speedmaster Drives. He idled it down in the ocean stepped aside and asked me if I wanted to drive? Being all of 17 and racing Moto-X I took it and ran it hard (I think of how dumb this was now and shudder for I did not really know how to drive a deep-v like I do today) Anyway thinking back on it years later, do you think he let either of his fellow Buick Dealers drive the new Cigarette?..... NO. I can only imagine the two of them heading home discussing his allowing the 17 year old next door kid to drive it and not them! A few years later he bought an Awesome and had the 28SS listed for sale at the Shinnecock Marina and it sunk at the dock. Pulling it out they found two water hoses were cut. Why would anyone sink a boat? ----a few days later while she was high and dry the scumbags stole the Speedmasters off her.
That "ride" so impressed me I decided "someday" I'd own a powerboat and of course I do.

So, what did you buy? :)

With a little bit of TLC and a little more cash and she will be good to go...Nice! Enjoy.. They are fun rides....r

Nice!
 

If you ever decide to make it down to Clear Lake with her let me know....r

Sure seems like a high percentage of 28 are still alive......

floor is now cut out. I welded up some stainless plates and nuts to sandwich between the floor and stringers for the front seats to bolt to. New floor going in now.[ATTACH=CONFIG]537069[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]537070[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]537071[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]537072[/ATTACH]

Nice. Keep the pics coming. Great idea with the stainless plates. I had to fill my holes in the floor with epoxy and some chop strand and re drill.

Floor is in,,, now its time to order speakers, speaker wire, and put the interior back in.[ATTACH=CONFIG]537747[/ATTACH]

I can shed some light on the subject if interested. I sold two in 86 and I believe one of them is yours. Chris. 860.388.6000

come on oceanperf....we're all waiting

does your Tiger have SSMIII's?

Talked to Chris yesterday. He is going to look up the info he has and compare it to the serial number on mine. Good talk with Chris. If it’s all true then this was the last in 86 (not the last that was in 97) and the original name was "Mouse Trap". I'll let Chris chime in when he gets the info together. He said the original owner traded his Ferrari in for this boat.

No, XR's

Do you have any pics of the engines in the engine bay? I'd like to see those merlins. :thumbs up:

Flamingo I sold your boat new in 99 too.

https://youtu.be/ht22jtxEp4I Changed Oil and filter
Replaced both impellers
Started 1 engine, realized gas lines need to be changed after small leak (Glad we caught that one)... Want to get it 100% mechanically sound before I start on interior.

I remember Mouse Trap from my days as a dock boy at River Landing.
Good luck!
Chris sold me a 78 28SS about 20years ago. Great rough water boat!

Hey Chris, how about you find me one of those 86 20' Cigs you sold.

Ok. A lot of work done. Went ahead and did rough testing to see what issues we have. Not bad for first time out in 3.5yrs. https://youtu.be/Zmud0DzubfQ

I'd say it was very successful. That beer never moved.:ernaehrung004:

Nice!

Good work yaroshc.... You have a special boat... I redid my 28' a few years back... What started off as a simple project turned into a multiple year resto-mod... We ultimately put a new transom in her in order to accommodate the bravos... The hull/deck joint on the stern prevented us from raising the drives high enough though... In order to get the X dimension closer to perfect we had to change the lowers to the imco shortys... Steve Lopez of Legacy Custom Marine did an incredible job... There might still be pictures on his website... Some one may have already mentioned this but I think the very last 28 was built by Neil Hernandez at Cigarette when it was still on 188th street..

[ATTACH=CONFIG]552949[/ATTACH]
Ok. Now the work begins. Small leak under port gimbal housing inside the engine compartment. Started to look for the source of the leak and discovered that the outer port exhaust though the transom had been leaking water for some time. Now it’s time to pull both engines, and replace the transom. Unless I find a super deal on a 38’ in need of engines,,, the resto begins now. The exhaust has always sat lower than desired, so this will give me the opportunity to raise the exhaust 4” out of the water, and repaint the transom. Man my wife loves this boat :P

Do you have a passed ontop of your raised engine hatch?

Cig 28
 

pics ???

Im guessing this it. Sweet looking boat, if it is! For some reason youtube link would not paste. But i just searched 1997 28 cigarette on youtube.

I was at the old Cigarette factory back in 1998 or 1999 for a tour and was fortunate enough to see the 28SS hull mold laying out back. The young man giving me the tour said he had drug the old mold out and made himself a single engine 28SS, I believe he said it was the last one made.

Think im going to let my 28ss go. Needs some love, that I just cant give to her. Life throws curve balls sometimes.

Yes its time. I paid 14K to repair the transom with composite, and just dont have time to put her back together.. Going to sell at a huge loss. Need the space. What should I ask