Gorgeous old 23' on......
 

e-bay. I'm a big fan of the older boats and as soon as I get sick of my O/B's I'll probably go shopping for a mid/late '80's 24.

Love this one too. Looks very well done. Course pix's is pix's ;)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

Wow...that is nice...hmmmmm. That boat looks like it could use a change in latitude...:evilb:

That boats been for sale for about two years. Not sure the graphics match the boat though. Looks to be well kept up.

Whats your price rang. I have a 85 242 with single 350 380 hours all freshwater (Freshwater coolant system in it right now). Thru hull exhaust mint condition.

Wow... I like that 233!!! I want mine back with twin small blocks! Sprink, whats that 233 turn with twin 300hp ish small blocks?

mach, I'm guessing 65, or at least thats what I'm hoping for when mine splashes in a few weeks

About 65 without anything special...solid 50~55 mph cruise....and that's with a pair of stock 260's. With these old hulls with the hook at the chine/transom 70 mph and beyond becomes silly because you can't control the boat. The sweet thing about more power in these hulls is that you don't necessarily go any faster on the top but you get there very quickly.:evilb:

I knew I was on borrowed time with the OMC 233 but I want a merc version!!! I remember getting air over a 55ft cruiser wake, another boater said "you could haven driven a car under your boat it was up so high". A friend and I got wet, but not drenched like I expected and she landed like a cadillac :eek:

That is a very nice 233. I wouldn't turn my nose up to one with twins, figuring I could easily convert from an alpha to a bravo setup with shorties to maintain relative prop height. Some lightweight 427 small blocks would wake things up.

Several weeks ago, I picked up an Interceptor that has a 502 HO with Gil dry exhaust, and a nose-coned TRS drive. I found it odd that there were no trim tabs installed from the factory, as every brochure picture I've ever seen shows them as standard equipment.

Plans are to install a pair of Bennet dual ram tabs and re-do the cockpit and cabin. A set of period-correct bolsters will replace the swivel bucket seats. Also may consider relocating the throttle to a more ergonomic location like in later SR-1's. In the end, I'll have a 233 with SR-1 appointments. Something Formula really should have done in the first place.

The boat will do around 66 MPH with a 23p Mirage (I haven't had it out yet, so I'm just going by the previous owner's experience).

I also have a 22p Bravo 1 prop that should yield close to 70 MPH. I believe that it may be viable with the addition of a hydrofoil to the drive. This would not only enhance stability, but would help direct the prop wash (lots of wasted motive force) into usable rearward thrust.

I had hoped the hook would not be too limiting a factor, but a little experimentation is in order.

Twin O/B Sonic,

When you are ready to take the plunge let me know. I have a "Virgin" F-233 Hull/Deck that is just begging to be turned into a #16 replica or something similar.

Hull has never been rigged, and been in dry storage most of it's life. Cabin interior was finished years ago (needs re-glued in places), and a few other details were done, the rest is untouched.

http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gF...-32-12_339.jpg

http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-47...-13-31_551.jpg

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jl...-30-38_442.jpg

http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1k...-32-32_946.jpg

With just a little bit of work (and undo a few things already done), especially with your skills.....it could look like this in no time at all... :-)

http://api.ning.com/files/0CxGDb8l0I...=no&type=pjpeg

Very cool. All it needs is a bracket and a couple of clip on's.
My next project is probably going to be a bit bigger.
Good luck w/the project though.

Yeah, a couple of people said slap a couple of O/B on it and have fun.

Thanks for the well wishes, but I have abandoned that project, it is covered up waiting to find a new "project manager"....

I recently picked up something else that has my full attention now and for the foreseeable future :-)

http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-It...01_578-800.jpg

All the best,

Dave

Outstanding!
 

I have such fond memories of those boats. When I was kid on my parents boat on Lake Erie all through the 70's and 80's the go fast crowd frequented our marina/Cedar Point.
I'd hear them coming though the bay and I'd crawl on the roof of our cruiser and watch and listen to them coming from 5 mls away!
Drove the old man nuts!
My Sonic was large fun in that water and with being a Donzi splash does great for it's size but ain't quite the same thing.
I remember several yrs back in my cruiser days being tied up across from a guy w/an older 35' Cigarette he'd just finished restoring.
Nice boat but was a runner and not a trailer queen. Said it had warmed over 454's w/rev limiters that he installed and was very proud that it was bullet proof.
Asked him how fast it was (knowing it wasn't) and he said oh about 65. Then he said but you know how fast it is in 6 footers? I smiled and said, oh about 65.
We both laughed. Love that stuff.

PS, now your new project is just screaming for clip on's ;)