35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Hey Guys,

I had a nice thread going on 35 Cafés the other day before the threads were lost on Tuesday and I got some great responses, but it's all gone now.

Anyway, I was inquiring on the performance characteristics of Mid-to-late 90's Cafés. If anyone can offer some insight, it would be greatly appreciated, or if the previous posters wouldn't mind reposting that would be great. How do they compare to other boats in their size class, any inherant aspects that anyone may know of and how do the different configurations compare, ex. Carbon vs Kevlar vs Glass hulls, full cabin vs partial cabin, etc.

Thanks! :)

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Baja!!

Whats up! I'm still looking myself. But from what I have found you can just about find a used Top Gun for the same price or just a little more . Unless your looking for that footage .I'm not talking an extravigant Top Gun, but something used with good stock power.

I as well would like to hear some input on both used models for definite purchasing purposes. I found a used 90 Top Gun that sold for 65 grand about 6 months ago. It did need some cosmetic work but nothing major.

Lets see what we get for feedback! And oh yeah BAJA , I'm still lovin' it here in IRAQ!!!!! LOL!

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Hey 29Scarab!!!

How's it going man?!

I've noticed that the price difference isn't that great, but I'm concentrating on sticking to my goals of something in the 32'-35' range. 35' is about as big as I want to go right now due to space and weight limitations.

Good luck and be safe over there. You guys are definately a courageous bunch! Thanks. :)

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

The guys who posted previously had some very good comments...I can only comment on my 87 model with TRS drives...

First thing I would say is the ride is incredibly smooth. the boat is heavy and if you plan on boating instead of staying at the dock when the wind picks up, this is the boat to own. Mine is fiberglass and probably weighs about 10,000 pounds with with half tanks of fuel. But, for very little money, you're stylin in a Cigarette that looks and feels like the 200,000 boats that others are spending.

Cigarette only made a full cabin version of this boat as far as I know and i think they stopped building them around 95 or 96.

my boat seems to require alot of trim to get bow lift...i'm running 26" bravo I props spinning out with 540 CI for power. we've never really tried to see what it will do at wot, but I can say that 3400-3500 produces a 50mph cruise on GPS and that suits me just fine... :) These boats will never be rocketships unless you throw gobs of power at them...and I mean like 1000hp per side... :) In fact a 38 Top Gun with the same power will probably run the same speed...

I hope this helps...the Bravo guys may be able to add more info...

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Awesome info, Thanks!! :)

Sounds perfect, just what I'm looking for. I hate staying at home when it starts getting a little rough. Speed sounds good, too! I'm not looking for anything crazy, just a great offshore ride. :cool:

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

With bravos........:D:D:D

LS JR.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Yes, with bravos(break-o's). :D

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

i was wondering where this thread went. in my eyes a cafe is a great way to get into the world of the big boys. it rides like a tank in any type water. seems to be a few nice cafes on the market right now. mid west power has some nice rides, you should check out. it s looks like there is a few with some power and some #3s out there. nice set up, if you ask me. i have been in a few boats in its class and nicer and the ride is nothing like a cafe. cafe is a great ride, if a top gun is not in your future. if your worried about weight, and transport, well your in the same weight as a top gun. if a 1 ton truck is not in your life one had better be if you plan on trailering this rig. im with you with bravos, they suck.... in my eyes a trs is in the class of a #3. so until trs parts are super hard to get. ill stick with them. i plan on putting some blowers on so, i might be looking for some used #6s soon. until then the trs is a great set up, and twice the drive a bravo is. good hunting.... Mr. Wonderful

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

stecz, you're going to put 6's on a cafe?? Anyone ever done that? I've seen them w/3's but never 6's.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

yeah, why not... i do not plan on getting rid of this ride for a very long time. i do plan on getting an old gun with a similar setup. big power and #6s. few yrs for that. the two older rigs will be floating next to each other, next to my bulkhead, that would be bad...i know in many peoples eyes id be wasting my money, but hey sounds pretty crazy. i have 572s now and would love to put some 10-71s on there or 8-71s. that would put me in the range of a #6. its pushing 650 hp per side now, so i take it easy on her. sounds like a plan, right???

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Now have a TG but would love to have another Cafe'. I miss her.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

mine's for sale ;)

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

ok, im done talking... ive just been on the phone all day and think the best thing to do would be to go with the #3s. im told they can handle 800hp which is close to where i want to be with with some 8-71s. what do you guys think. i was just giving you guys some big talk, with the #6s. i think the boat is too old and i would really be throwing my hard earned dough down the ****ter. sounds cool though. so being realistic, #3s and 20-25 grand later i think i could reach my goal, of big power and some drives that can handle it. what do you guys think???????

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

I had two Top Guns, one with trs drives one with bravos, trs boat was a better ride. Now spending time in 35 Cafe, with bravos again rides about the same as my Top gun with trs drives.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

the trade off in my situation, is money. low 80s is what my rig will do with the trs set up, with the smooth ride. if i go with the #3s, and some blowers it might put me close to 90. for some reason the blowers are pulling me to do all this work. on the other side of the fence i should get a spare pair or trs drives and be happy in the low 80s with the natural set up. what to do, what to do??????? id love to pimp out this cafe racer, and would love to have a similar set in a gun floating next to her. what would you guys do? i do know its a question of money, do i spend it or not. is it worth it? not sure...

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Go Konrad........cheaper & stronger than 3s.......

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Thanks All! Lots of good replies here.
All this talk surely isn't making my wallet any heavier. :D :D
I can't wait until my boat is sold. It's time, I'm ready.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Go with the 3A's. 750/800 in front of them is fine, 900 is too much. Since 6's in an old school side by side TG make it ride somewhat nose high (without moving things forward or having a stagger), just think what it would do to a shorter, lighter Cafe'. Its too much weight back there in a side by side.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Reposting what I mentioned in the now deleted thread, in a condensed form:

I previously had a '91 Carbon Fiber Cafe' with Dereberry Marine ( who I highly recommend ) SC600's, built Bravo's, and 3 blade 25p Bravo 1 props. It rode & handled similar to a friends '94 Top Gun with Hawk 550's, Bravos, and 4 blade props in most water conditions other than large(r) water where the 2 and a half feet and the 800 pounds ( in this case ) obviously helps. It carved corners very well. It would do 80+ all day long providing a safe, secure feeling type of ride to all onboard, most of that coming from its weight and deep freeboard with no one being tossed around. I used it mainly on in-land lakes and Lake Michigan, with an occasional trip to South Florida.

Comparing it to a 38 Fountain Fever / Lightning ( due to similar running surface size ), the Fountain rides up on top and will slap / get you wet when you get into larger water. Handling does not 'feel' as secure when carving, some of that coming from the short / shallow freeboard.

My prior Cafe' is currently up for sale at TNT in Miami, though it no longer has the 600's in it ( it has 454 Mags now ). The person I sold it to must have pulled the 600's out of it to use in his current boat.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Hi Nick
Lookin for a cafe huh?? Good choice. I dont have many hours in mine but so far its lived up to my expectations. Mine is a 93 with warmed up 502 efi's and bravos. Rides like a tank, but not near a quick as my Warlock was. The cabin is great for us and I just put AC/heat in it. Crank up that 9K btus and it freezes your a$$ off. Best I've seen in it so far is low 70's but that was in 3's. Prob as fast as it will go, which is fine by me. Crushes cruiser wakes like no tommorow. Tows pretty good behind my dually, just went to MD. and back with it. If you and Erin want to come down for a ride sometime your welcome. I may be bringing it to KW for the races if I can find a slip. BTW, I'm at the Southernmost too.
Later

Dan

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Keep the Cafe the way it is Dave. Low 80, N/A is a great accomplishment. If you want, buy another set of TRS drives even though odds are you won't have many headaches. Save the money to pimp out a Gun.

LS JR.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

And then read the next post.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

[QUOTE=stecz20]
its pushing 650 hp per side now, so i take it easy on her.

[QUOTE]



Anybody else see a contradiction here??? :rolleyes:

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Back to the topic at hand, I'm with Dan and Nick. I think a Cafe would give a great ride in a great looking boat without breaking the bank. Also, like them, I don't care to push 90+, I wan't a good ride that will hit 70, and I'm good to go.

Hey Dan, we don't get an offer for a ride?? :(

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

And Stecz, I wouldn't throw more power at the Cafe, there aren't many Cafe's that are going to outrun 80. Once you get that fast, the cost to go any faster at all goes up exponentially! If you need to go faster than that, you might want to think about a cat money wise.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

shut up old man. im all twisted up in the game......lol...... im just saying, the trs is a much better set up than the bravo, and would toy with the idea to put blowers on the rig. everyone i speak to has a different twist on it. if i put blowers on it, i have to step up to konrad, or #3s. if i keep it the way it is, trs is fine as long as i have some spares laying around. instead of insulting me how bout some of your wisdom. old grumpy man.....

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

lol

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

My wisdom is on the next post. :)

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Get A Gun

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Bravo guy here. My boat ('90) requires no tabs at all - I hardly ever use them. These boats were made for more weight in the back than a Bravo provides. I rode in an '87 with speedmasters the other weekend - he used trim all the time. BTW - I run 30p Bravo 1s, and see about the same cruise/rpm that Sean mentioned.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

This is getting discouraging.
The more I read, the more I'm thinking I'm not in the market for a Cigarette.
My problem is, I can't have anything longer than a true 33'. And I still think in racing terms such as Speed counts and "Lighter is faster".
Bottom line is, I still wanna go fast. I just can't afford it.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

get a bullet, few nice bullets out there now. try kevin at mid west power......

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Already talked to him. He has had some beautiful boats. But, the Cig Bullett is an aircraft carrier in terms of weight and speed.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

still a cig!!!!!!!!!! isnt that what your after... dont forget aircraft carriers are all about business......

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

I'm still getting used to mine...but it's a great boat so far. Heavy? You bet.

I'm running (ex-HP 500's) 700's w/Bravo XR's and IMCO 1" shorties...labbed Merc 28's. In flat water...the props just slip. Get some chop...and she starts to loosen up nicely.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Awesome thread. I knew I could count on you guys! :D

Dan, I really appreciate it, my friend. I would love to take you up on that offer. Gas and lunch on me. It won't be long now, I'm hoping to move the baja quick. I've got it listed with a broker now, hopefully, he can make it move faster than I can.

Again, I would be perfectly happy cruising along at 50 and topping out at 70 or so. It's comfort and ride, as well as Classic Cig styling I'm after. :)

Gordo, yes they are big barges:D, but hell if they don't ride like nothing else. Unfortunately, the faster(newer) ones are out of my range at this time.

I'm getting psyched here.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Oh ya...

Dan, I assume you have bravos. How warmed up are your 502's?
What are the speeds at different rpms, if you know off the top of your head?

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Something I posted in another thread

G

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

Lighter is definitely not always faster. In some rough water I will outrun faster boats all day long. A perfect example is a Fountain. Fast boat power for power but in rough conditions I will walk away no problem. After driving a new 35 lightning I know why they do not do well in the rough. The boat scarred the $hit out of me after being used to my Gun.

Re: 35 Café Ride & Handling.
 

ok ive talked to tres, about my idea. he said #6s would be too heavy, but #5s would be good for what i want. so, im thinking 8-71s or 10-71s with some number #5s. would put me where i want to be. that would make me happy... now all i have to do is borrow some money from cuda, you know the rich tile guy.....