Newbie looking for advice
 

OK all hello first I have solid 81 Nova II 260 27 ft I acquired for what I think is decent price..$500 for boat minus engines and final drives on two axle trailer..question is how do I build this to haul ass..I have limited funds but am not afraid to go the distance on it over time..I realise you never get out what u put into it..but was thinking two bBC or sbc ( as suggested) hooked to alpha drives ( what is left of the former drives are transom plates and upper parts) also she needs new trim set up ..will post pictures of my project soon ..can I get this combination above 65mph or faster??does any body tube behind these boats at 20 mph and under?? How do they handle..may seem silly but as said I am new to this..

For that size boat I would consider a BB only and Bravo drives. Two stroker 496's with carbs and a good exhaust system should work. Lots of combinations. That's likely the most cost effective (dare I even use those words for boats). I wouldn't over prop and would use either a Bravo 4 blade or perhaps a Rev 4.

27 foot and Tube under twenty hmmm ... Idont think so .. Add some big k planes to the list . And a bravo three duo prop

Next question would be can I convert alpha drives to bravo drives if so which ones..I have two mid 80's BBC out one ton Cherie's will these work? What does converting from alphas to bravos some say it can't be done.is there anyway to beef the alphas up to handle the HP?. Thks

1. a pair of 454 mags should do 65

2. No you can not just take the motor out of cousin Jims wrecked old chevy truck and just drop it in.

3. doing an alpha to bravo conversion is easy, the hard part is buying 2 bravos and transom assemblies.

Is jet drive a option here? How does performance compare to prop drive?

Its an old wellcraft...first thing you need to do is find out if the transom and stringers are wet/toast

Your uncle wouldnt happen to be Jim Darr would it??

Jets are not as efficient as props and you will lose 10 to 15% right off the top along with the other issues like putting in water pickups in the bottom of a deep V hull.
Those truck motors could be a nice start. Usually the 1 ton motors were built a little better and you may luck out with better heads. If they are peanut port you are pretty stuck until heads can be found. You can still do a cheap upgrades like cam and re-ring and bearings them. You are gonna at least have to do that so they will semi equal. Then I’m sure everyone here has a list on how to build a motor. I personally would go basic stroker 496 but I wouldn’t even bother installing a motor without at least freshening it up. Nothing like finding out the oil pan leaks after it was installed.

The $500 for the boat is the least you will spend on anything.

Used Bravo transom assemblies are at least $1000 each. New are $2400 each
Used Bravo drives can be found for about $1500 each

I would go with SBC 350-383's. If you're lucky, you might get into a used pair for 5k.

Now add 3-5k more other stuff you will need plus about 200 hrs of labor.

ok, sounds like you know literally nothing about V8's in boats yet you find yourself a boat owner. Go find 2 junk boats with small blocks and merc alphas. you know, the ones in people's yards with trashed interiors and cracked blocks from never being winterized. usually 500 to 1000 and you can usually sell the trailer you towed it away on for 500. take apart and scrap the hull. usually the drives and transom assys are in decent shape cuz they lived on a trailer and were hardly ever run. now you have the necessary parts and you know roughly where they go. and you got them the only affordable way. the engine itself and exhausts will be scrap, but there is little stuff all over that you need. and you cant go looking for a small part you need if you don't even know it exists. what city do you live in-near?

As said before - the first thing you do is find out IF the transom ( the wood between the inner and outer layer of fiberglass ) is sound. Inside the boat take a small hammer and TAP on the transom and listen for hollow spots. It is supposed to sound solid. IF you find hollow spots get hold of someone that has more expertise in boats.

Good advice and chances are there will be rot. What else works well is using your hand like tapping on a door. Very distinctive difference in sound. Easier to tell from the inside the boat also. Also drill a few cores if in doubt.

actually I knew that any motor I had would have to be rebuilt to marine spec due to the tremendous loading on the bottom end of the motor ..that was a given. True hunting junk boats may seam like a good idea but also comes with the risk of buying complete junk because Billy Bob never did nothing to it so everything is near end of service life from lack of maintenance..the engines and drives I would get would all need complete rebuilds for peace of mind ..( 27 ft Nova would be a butch to row in and embarrassing as hell to tow in.) Just looking for general ideas on how and what to do to make her scream..by way it's not my first boat in boating that is my current other boat 86 century lx2000 17 ft.open bow...true she's not off shore material but neither is the Nova both are decent lake boats at best ..I live in Nevada mo...plenty of good water around me to run either in...

Ok, not your 1st rodeo. Thats different. The engines themselves are pretty much stock GM car-truck with the exception of the camshafts. The all forged hi-perf ones, not so much, but the 365 hp 454 is very little diff from 71 corvette engine.

A friend of mine ended up using Jasper for a couple of new 383's for his old late 80's Fountain, they had them in stock, cheap and with a warranty. They stood behind their product, one of the motors developed a knock with about 15-18 hours on the new motors, they sent out a rep and had a new motor to him in under 2 weeks and paid for the labor. He has since used Jasper to do exactly what you are talking about by building him a marine motor for his Four Winns Family Cruiser out of an old long block GM motor he got out of an old wrecked GMC Suburban. He also bought one of their refurbished outdrives for that boat as well. He swears by them on price, quality/performance and customer service.

If you're starting with that open of a base, might be worth building a pair of LSXs. They're cheap to build, and can get great fuel economy for their size.

Lsx ???didn't know Jasper sold drives very help full..if I am only planning to get say 365 HP out each engine will the alphas suffice? Not crazy about drilling my transom and this already has the upper sections of the alphas in it...wonder if you can use bravo guts like shafts and bearings in alpha housings? Also what are drive showers?

Sell the boat, pocket the cash, you will thank me a year from now when your completely upside down in the boat, the old lady's B*****in at ya to sell it, and its worth 1/3 of what you have in it.

O, and good luck with the build :D

Just kiddin Matt

Ain't happening I like doing what can't be done and fired the old lady kept the boats..boats don't butch and whine when u forget to take out the trash !! And they don't need cuddle time to make them happy...no flowers on special days either and best of all they don't come with mother in laws or family to deal with...cool boats actually help you bring home women no butch when you look at another and whine... just saying...lol

Jasper's Marine division does everything from rebuilding your motors, lower units and stern drives to supplying crate motors from mild all the way up to built big HP monsters. They have great prices, very quick turn around (days or weeks in most cases) not months like some builders and everything they sell comes with anywhere from a 6 month to a 24 month warranty that covers all parts and labor. Obviously these are not the guys you want to go to to build you a 1000hp race motor but if you want reliable and affordable it seems they are one of the best routes to go.

http://www.jasperengines.com/stern-drives


Also, FWIW, my massaged and built small block 5.7 is making about 330 HP and pushing it through a Bravo One drive without any issue. I believe the Gen 2 Alpha One is rated for 300hp so the 365hp you are looking to run through each might be pushing the limits of that drive. Personally I would do two 5.7's punched out to 383's. You can get close to 350hp out of them and could probably stick with the Alphas which the smaller Alpha and smaller lighter small block would save you a few pounds of weight and a few bucks in the wallet....but that's just me. I would assume there are companies making beefed up Alpha internals that can handle more load but I am not positive on that. I am by no means an expert on any of this.

I have an 81 nova 260 with twin 350's and alpha gen 2 drives. The boat is 26 ft, It has a decent set of engines in it, Dart Heads, dual planes and 650 holleys, had 23p mirage props. Cruising speed at 3400rpm was around 35mph, boat ran low 60's on the pins. Handles Rough water great, good starter "go fast" boat. Like others have said, check the bottom of the transom and stringers for rot before spending money on the old haul. Good Luck with the build.

Ya, that is exactly what I would do, a coupe of nice massaged small blocks if he wants to stick with the Alpha's.

A GM LS series small block...aka what they've been using since 1997 or so. A pair of junkyard 6.0s can easily make 365 without breaking a sweat.

The stock 6.0 in my Chevy work van is rated at 385 HP - It cranks.