New additions.
Now to see if they'll fit in the sun lounge ;)

This I've had a while but just ran it for the first time a couple days ago. 1964 3HP folding motor. Has not been run in 7 yrs that I know of. Stuck it in a bucket of water and it started on the 5th pull. Cleaned the plugs and it now starts on the 1st. Direct drive but spins 360* and idles so low you can't even hear it run and can hold it at dock w/one hand.
I've got a video of it running that I still need to upload. Hilarious. 48 yrs old, never a part and runs like a top. Do that w/a 4 stroke.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...rspixs/3hp.jpg

Bought this dinghy for it today. 7', perfect to try and shoe horn it into the sun lounge.
Comes w/the seat but does need oars.

Now, can I make it plane with 3 HP's ????

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dinghy-1.jpg

Dingy's are the best. Nothing like rolling up to the dock in 7ft dingy with a liitle 2-stroke. People's faces are priceless :lolhit:

Looks like you have another boat trip coming up soon, this should give you more excess to other areas. should be fun.

Thanks guys. Will definitely add another chapter to the exploration possibilities. Especially in fighting the $2. per foot dockage in the Keys.

Working on going through my Lightning gear cases now. Stripped them to bare aluminum and polished them like the Merc Sportmasters. RH is done and working on LH now. Chunked my 3rd set of gears in the lefty and still scratching my head on that one.
Experimenting w/a few things on this build.

#1. I switched the LH guts to the RH case as it is living and the housing is my guess to the issues W/the LH unit. On my second housing as well but they both came as bare housings from blown up units so very easily could be junk. When you switch the LH that put's the forward gear in the aft end of housing instead of front as in the RH. This gives it way less support. I can see a RH surviving in a slightly tweaked housing where it may not with LH gears.

#2. I'm researching gear lube also. I switched to synthetic 75/85 yrs ago and never had a failure until building these LH Lightnings. Was in the auto parts store yesterday and they had synthetic 85-140 (I think) that looked good. Think I'll do a post and see what the guys are running in their high zoot, high $$ drives.

#3. Some of the late model units have a tiny wedge that screws to the rear of the prop shaft bearing carrier. It actually wedges itself between the bearing housing and main housing to lock it in position. I'm deleting it on this build as I fear it may be helping to force it out of align although w/pinned (bolted) carriers I doubt it.

#4. Cross my fingers. I'll post some pix's of the lower units when I finish them. The boat looks like a fichse bote w/stock lowers ;)

Since OMC/BRP never built LH Lightnings I can't really call anyone either.

So what's the new chapter on your little hot rod? Slip numbers? Dingy sink yet??? :evilb: just kidding.

Got a new job thats running my ass off w/very little free time. I either have too little time and no money or money and no time. Dont seem to be able to come up w/a happy medium.
Dinghy hasn't even been wet yet. I need to modify the top of the lounge supports in order for it to fit which was at least expected.

Put another pair of Lightning lower units together too which have not been wet yet either. Also scored a set of VERY rare 26" 4 blade Choppers which are also waiting.
Summer just hit us here too w/90+* and 100% humidity so my motivation to try it all is a bit lacking ;)

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps1247c503.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps5476de40.jpg

Gary, we're heading down to Conch Key (Bayview Inn & Marina) July 7th through the 12th! I've got the guy who owns the Red Checkmate 2800SX joining us. You should come on down!!

Wish we could join you.
 

We just got back from a week in Ohio after 4 months on the job.Another week might be pushing it ;)

Know the place well though and one of our favorites. Hope you're good at navigating skinny ass water though. Was all white knuckle for me.
Heres the view from our room when we were there.


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...psa2693be6.jpg

That's the place! I don't know the area at all but I'm going to bring a GPS or chart plotter. Definitly don't want to destroy any gear cases! If we can get out to the reefs for some good snorkling we'll be happy!!

I gotta imagine that skinny water is better with twin OB's... But if Gary is scared... :poopoo:

You'll be walking before your GPS tells you anything. Too shallow for alarms too. Basically, if you come out of that harbor (very narrow, rock lined opening) then hug the bridge/US 1 heading north towards it's opening, then bang rt and pass under it heading for the Atlantic, and follow the marked channel the 2 mls to open water, your in like flint ;)

The back water behind the hotel infatuated the crap out of me but I tried several times to get into it and chickened out every time. If you look straight out from my boat (can't see them in the pix's or from a boat!) about 200 yds past the harbors rocks, there are shoals you could set up volley ball nets on. I think there may be a Clorox bottle or two to mark it but doesn't tell you which side to pass and when you get close enough to see birds standing up........
The younger family member working there (Gary too I think??) rents small boats and knows the area very well and he coached me but I still turned to a girl when I got close.

Theres also a small commercial fishing business that shares the harbor w/the hotel. Their 40' boats cruise right threw it but still, watching and doing are two different things.
I even tried to time it where I could follow them out and never pulled it off.
I tried that last time down, coming out of a harbor in Islamoroda that we'd been in/out many times but always off plane. Similar sized twin O/B boat left so I figured what the hey. From shore it appeared he mirrored our track which was locked on my GPS. I made it half way to deep water then Cheryl and I spent the next hr pushing.
The law now charges you by the foot for the damage you do to the bottom too. Protecting the coral and what not...

Problem w/the GPS is (I have a good one too) that you have to zoom in so tight to see any definition it only shows an area the size of your stupid boat!

What I have found is the farther south you get in the Keys, the less marked they are and the better the locals like it. A good marker for them is a pc of 1" diameter PVC.
Oh yeah, and it's white! And does not tell you which side to pass on.

Best take your rubber propellers.

Don't want to scare you but you both have too nice of boats to tear up and better to be prepared. I did send a buddy down in his twin I/O 30' Velocity and he had no problem but also did not venture very far at all.

On a lighter note....
That place is the ****! One of very few in the Keys w/ramp, dock, hotel all at same spot. It has a killer, private tiki bar w/TV (we drank Quervo and watched a Gators game from there), and a completely private beach. Also has a delli in their office w/reasonable prices. Even for beer and the first time I've seen that anywhere.
The harbor is deep water as well and we had two giant sea turtles swim through every day.

You really don't feel bad about leaving your hard earned Benjamins there.

I was down there staying in Tavernier with Brownie, I used a 12' Inflatable with a 50hp Yamaha to go from Tavernier to Islamorada, I got into some "Skinny Water" and had my girlfriend sitting on the front to keep the lower unit out of the weeds, We where putting along doing 1-2 mph kickin up soot and Grass, Some dudes in a 33' Powerplay came Zipping by doing 75-85 mph about 10' away through 10" deep water, seems like they hardly kicked up any soot they where going so fast :)

Thats maybe the worst part for me when the locals go blowing by you while your scared ****less.
There are two cuts down there lined w/toilet seats on surveyors stakes! 20' wide, deep canal through ankle deep water. One deeper/bigger than the other.
I was following a budies flats boat when he got confused and lead my 24' Sonic through the shallow one. I did not think we'd make it but you had to commit because there no way it was deep enough at idle.

I may do alot of slow speed idling til I hit open water!! lol

I really wish I could meet you guys down there. I'm Jones'n bad.

Had a great day on the water yesterday w/a couple of Cajun buddies (Lake Trash and his friend Rick) along for the ride. Did some prop testing too and definitely went backwards.
Tried a set of 26" 4 blade Choppers I just bought off the board and the stinkin boat hates em! Too bad too cuz they look way cool ;)
Motors are all the way down and they still scream their guts out (5K) to get on plane. A best of 68.5 which ( 3 people and 3/4 tank) 3 MPH's off my best of 71.5 w/a pair or Rakers if you can believe it.
Was also running my Lightnining housings too so the extended bullet length may be costing me some speed. I know nose cones on the old boat cost my 3 MPH's.
We went out through the Sebastian Inlet and it was the worst I've seen. Sold 6' - 8's. Was white knuckle too because as soon as I let off for the first wave, the props cavitated so bad the boat would came off plane. Did a bunch of work on the old boat so it would launch on plane just for that reason while in Lake Erie.
Almost ZERO steerage in those conditions. When a wave would pass us, it would completely stop the boat and turn us towards the rocks.
Once through the inlet is was rolling 4' - 5' swells and that was big fun. I know we had 20' of the air off of one that I misjudged just a tad ;)
Came back in, picked up my wife and then ran down to Vero Beach for lunch. Put 50 mls or so on the boat and had a blast.

Took the time to get some good shots of the boat today showing off the new interior. I am making side panels to tie the front and rear seats together but everything else is done. Can hardly tell in the pix's but the middle section is white and the outside is silver. All in the carbon fiber pattern. The silver really pops in the sun.
Boat is now on my new to me aluminum trailer. Torsion axles w/disc brakes on both. After selling the old steel trailer (built for this boat in '85) I have $300. in this one

It does need a Keys fix though.

Hope you like the pic's.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps61045e3f.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps654e6423.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...pse64864b9.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps3a9f1899.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps9cecfede.jpg

Gary, the Sonic looks great!! I'm hoping to have my new cockpit/cabin finished by years end..but for the time being I'm mechanically sound. Motors run great, just have to get my trim pumps matched up and some indicators on the dash! It would be cool if you made it down to the key with us!!

Gary she looks great! Hope the props get dialed in soonish. I like the upholstery, but why does your boat have a swim platform and the one I showed you does not?

Digging the A-Team van!! :coolcowboy:

looks nice but black seats in FL you must like pain, ouch! What is behind the rear bench?

Just read the whole build thread Gary. Great work, you must be stoked with the result. As you may be aware I am part way through building a Wellcraft Nova 230XL which we are mounting a Johnny V8. I agonised over a single V8 or twin V6's. The rebuilt V8 is supposed to be giving us around 400hp but I have not had it dynoed.

I can appreciate all the work that has gone into your boat. It is a credit to you.:Score-101010:

SJ

Very sweet rig!!

Thank You Sir!

May be for sale soon.

We have a contract on a house and if it goes through the Sonic will sacrifice itself to fund construction of a garage and pole barn/shop.

Alright now...don't go doing that till we square off and see what's what LOL. I'm still focusing and catching a glimpse of mid 70's and I'm still turning both wheels clockwise!! LOL

Anyway..you have to do what you have to do and now is a great time to buy...especially here in Florida. My brother and I are getting back into flipping and it's better now than it ever was.Seems like the quick movers in Broward and Palm Beach Counties are $100K to $150K...looks like that's the sweet spot right now.

I have to catch up again on all that money I lost in the market over the last 6 years...learned my lesson!!

Maybe you won't have to sell the Sonic...but if you do...knowing you're the master of budget boating...you'll have another project brewing soon!!

this thread was a great read!

ive been looking it two boats for the last several days, a 84 sonic 24 with a single merc 225 i can buy for 8k or so and a 84 scarab 30ft cc with twin 225 evinrudes i can buy for 15k... after reading this thread im gonna try to close the deal on the sonic in the am. there are a pair of yamaha 250s i can buy for 6k or so to make the sonic run hard...rm

i saw you now have you boat for sale, have you had many calls on it? good luck with the sale, rm