Manta 28
 

Just picked up 1984 Manta 28 Sport Deck.
003.jpg. Not sure how to attach pics. Will try later

You will have to be at least a gold Member to post pics.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/payments.php

If you want i can post them for you untill you get that membership...... Email them to [email protected]

E Mail sent. Thank you. Tom

Ran the 28 today. Had a real nice solid feel. The 2.4s are tight . One problem. Water pickups are too high and sucking air at high rpm. Can only lower engines about an inch but need about 2.5. Don't really want to lower them anyway, loss off rpm, loss power etc. Lower units are new from mercury. My solution would be low water pick ups nose cones from bobs . Should be perfect. May even be able to raise engines if needed. Thoughts, ideas, agreements, other ideas? Previous lower units had the bobs nose cones so guess it was set up for them. Pics coming soon.

Pictures of Tom F. Boat

Nice Looking Boat. I like the classie lines

Thank you. http://www.bdoh.info/7.jpg

Wow!!!

Beautiful! Those props will like being run high...I bet with 2.4s with weight balance is perfect too...love it

That's really pretty! I have never seen one with a windshield like that, it looks GREAT! Nose cones will help, I think.

Love it. Just love the classic lines..Havent seen a closed deck manta in a long while...

If they are high enough to be sucking air in the water pickups then nose cones probably won't hurt, especially if you can go higher.

That's what I was thinking. With a straight edge from the bottom of the boat it comes to just below the bottom of the water pickups, so they are def too high. The nose cone is in the sweet spot right under to bottom of the boat. I will post pictures of before and after with the straight edge to the water pick ups. Water psi now is between 10-12. I would like to see 15-20 at higher rpms.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Thank you slpcamaross97 for posting my pics. Will be updating my membership asap. Tom

That's an swesome boat...Love the classic and loves rough water...good luck with it

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD-t..._gdata_player][/YOUTUBE] Scott Duval driving Damn Manta 28 ft Manta. 1991 Chicago lapped half the field and won the race. Damn Manta. Courtesy of Scott Duval

Just installed low water pick up. Bobs nose cones. They look awesome . Hope to run the boat this weekend. I feel confident they will solve my problem.

If you like the Manta and old school racing , check out the you tube video on post 16. Courtesy Scott Duval Damn manta. Badd azz 28

That boat is gorgeous

Gorgeous! Wish I would have seen this post earlier. If you glue up/close off the top half of your stock intakes you'd have been done. Have done it successfuly tons of times.
I don't want to jinx you but every heavy Vee bottom O/B I've added nose cones to has slowed down and forced me to run full up trim to fly the bow when I didn't need to previously.
Where are you/boat at? Pix's look like Fla??

Regardless, best of luck on a gorgeous rig. And, more pix's please.

I know how the boat ran before with the nose cones so I know what to expect. Would like to run it for a while and poss upgrade to a pair of optis. In he future. Thanks for the reply. I'm in central fl. West coast. I'll get better pictures . Hope to be out this weekend. Only ran the boat once so far so looking forward to it.

10-4
 

I didn't catch where you'd already run it w/the cones.
I've had two 24' Sonic twin O/B's and done quite a bit of testing. I know w/mine I've tested motor height on both boats and the props start slipping before I lose water pressure. Wheels can help compensate for this but mostly has to do w/the weight I'm pushing.
I like the idea of the Opti's on yours. I came very close to dropping two E-Tec's on mine.

Interesting to ponder how many different brand boats were built from the same molds. Early Excalibur, P&D, Manta, and a bunch of others I can't remember names of. But it's all good. It's a great design, and a damn good looking boat. I had a 75 Excalibur 24', years back. Hopefully I still have some pics of it.

I'm not....
 

familiar w/the Manta's. Who's hull is it?
I know my 24' Sonic is a Donzi hull and 100% agree w/your statement.

Previous owner ran nose cones. They were replaced a while back with new mercury lower units. Not sure why.

Curious to see what other boats care out of these molds.

Most 28', 29' 31' non stepped hulls started life from the 27' Magnum by adding some freeboard . The 28' Fever had to be one of the best running Mantas.

Tom, make sure you load your pix's on this thread I started about the multi o/b vee's.

h20, thanks for the history lesson. I assumed that from what I've see but wasn't sure who's was who's.

Tom, I really like the deck on yours.

Thanks Twin OB Sonic. Along with my Magnums I have a 24' Donzi Doral with twin IO's, it does not have anywhere near the performance that you have, your Sonic rocks.. :ernaehrung004:

Thank You Sir.
 

I love the old school stuff. I love the new technology too but the reality of how often most of us run over 50 or need the Kevlar/Carbon Fiber lay up etc, etc vs the reality of how we boat is often way different.
I'm still getting my antique sorted but would put my time/hrs/mls up against most of the high zoot dock queens on this site.
Matter of fact I was feeling bad for not having more mls on the boat due to the teething pains when I found the trip odometer in the GPS on the boat and it had just under 900 mls on it.
Next weekend we head to the Keys w/the boat for a week to try and boost that number.
My junk is ancient but it just does everything well.

h2 tell us more about fever?!

Back in the day [80's & 90's] that Manta raced everywhere APBA, USO, SBI & won many races. It even was in the 80's movie Spring Break. :party-smiley-004:

It is true that most of the 24° degree plugs were made by the same guys back in the day then the boat builders would take them and sand and straighten them to their specifications. I had heard that Mr Aronow was considering building a high freeboard 28 but built the 35 Mistress instead. Tom Grecco had the plug for the 28 Manta built some years later. Some of the Manta 28 race hulls weigh under 2300 lbs. My boat has a full liner in it which makes it quite a bit heavier. The interior liner mold no longer exists. The only other boat that was made out of this mold is a Chapparal Villain 28 or 30 model. Not sure what they called it. The only similarities to Magnums, P&D, Excaliber, Cigarette is the dead rise. The 28 Manta was made much broader to keep the bow up and from stuffing. Please understand I am no expert on this subject. Just love the information and love this boat.Still digging. BTW Ran the boat 10 miles out into the gulf last night. Was running 58 mph in a good 2 to 4 chop with some swells thrown in. Not a flex or rattle.One of the funniest things I've done. Looking forward to really getting to know this boat.Boat steers like its on rails. Not a drop of water on the deck. Very impressed. Thanx for all the replies. Tom