Another comparison thread for old school rides
 

Hey all,

I am hoping to make a size change sometime in the next year or 2. I am wanting to get into a 30'+ boat with twins, and am hoping to find something in the mid-teens or less, when the time comes. Its not here yet, but soon I hope. I'm not affraid of a project, and I realize a boat like this will likely need some work.

Here is what I have in mind, and I am wondering how these compare to each other, and if there are any other similar boats that i am missing that might fit the bill.

Scarab S-Type / Panther
Formula 302 / 311
Chris Craft Stinger 312
IMP Eleganza 310
Baja Force 320

Ride quality is paramount, with speed a distant second. I don't need to be the fastest, but would like to be north of 60mph.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!

First 3 choices are fine- skip the last 2.

Check transoms and stringers for water though.

Wannabe

Thanks for the reply. Would you like to expand on the IMP and Baja? Are these just not as well built as the others?

Same input on the first three, also try to stay away from big block/alpha combos, lots of Panthers have them. just my $.02

Yep.
 

For the price range the Panther would probably be the top of my list. I see a lot of them w/TRS's too. They require transmissions which = more weight and move the center of gravity forward.
If you watch you can find them w/updated power/drives for under $20K

I've been watching the Formula's lately too and am seeing 27's and 30's at or close to that range also. way nicer fit/finish than the panthers but probably 10 MPH's slower.

On the Stingers, I liked the looks but would be careful w/existing condition. Most of the above applies to them.
Also some of them were built in the era when Chris Craft was built/owned by bean counters and boats were crap.

here we go again

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/boa/2531171245.html

The first 3 are definitely the higher quality offshore boats. A 30 Scarab Panther is awesome IMHO.

Wannabe

Wow, that is a lot of boat for the coin.

If I were in the position to move on something now, I would be talking to you about your boat!! Its an awesome boat, and an awesome deal. But, I'm still a year or 2 out.

By the way, I looked at your Craigs ad and I can't view the videos. May be my Facebook privacy settings, but thought I would give you a heads up, incase it is on your side.

Since we are talking Scarabs here, which is my favorite, how does a Panther, say '87, compare to an older S-Type or 300, say '81. They look like the same boat, just with some updates. I know the older one goes the more likely you are to find some structural problems, and the more updating it might need, but as long as the power train is good, is there much of a difference?

Along that same line, the reason I like the mid-80s Baja Force 320 is because it looks like the same boat as the mid-'90s 32 Caliber/Outlaw, just with a windshield instead of a fairing. I know 10 years can make a huge difference in the quality of a boat.

I am bias but I would look for a scarab! As already stated here you will definitely want to check the stringers and transom and don't forget to also check the fuel tank for leaks. This should be pretty detectible as most times you end up with fuel in the bilge and a strong odor!

TRS's have there pros & cons but if your not beating the snot out of them they can handle some decent horsepower.

Headroom in the older s-types suck if your any taller then say 5'7"

And they are heavy heavy heavy!

But they handle big water nicely and personally they just look cool the way the sit really low in the ass end(assuming you have big blocks)

Want some details of what goes into a rebuild of an older scarab, including fuel tank replacement check out my build thread..... http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...n-ongoing.html