Opions on 02 Fastech 312 with 350 Mags
 

My first post guys. I ve been doing my research on various Formulas. Don t you save about 800#s with 2 small blocks verses 2 454 big blocks in the 312 Fast.
That being said I know that boat with 454 s is not desirable, verses 454 mags. So would the 350 mag perform as good or better than the 454 standard MPI??
Boat test says the 312 with the 454 mags got 2.8 mpg @ 40 mph. Top speed 71 mph. Those are great results imhop. I know its not about fuel economy but its still important to me when cruising is what I ll mostly be doing.
350 mag is 300 hp @ the crank verses 454 mpi is 310 @ the crank.
Tough to sell with 350 mags?? Seller claims boat does 65mph???
Any help would be appreciated..

There are a few points to look at.

The resale on the 350s will be harder as most are going to want big blocks in this size boat. May help though when you buy it.

The weigh savings on the small blocks probably isn't a big deal for this size boat and I don't think its 800. More like 400.

65 may be accurate, but probably at the very best conditions. Probably 60-62 realistically. The 310 454 will probably run 2-3 mph faster than whatever the 350 runs. Because it has a lot more torque.

I'll bet the 454 is swinging a bigger prop than the 350. Take this into consideration if you like to cruise, as speeds at say 3000rpm will be faster with the 454s if it has a bigger prop.

Planing will be easier with the 454 because of the increased torque. I bet the boat will feel really heavy out of the hole with 350s.

Some say it is no big deal but, we could honestly use BBC power in the 292's. It will be a slug out of the hole and if you buy it forget selling it, hard to give away a power boat now.

For more cruising /MPG stick with stock, unmolested power. The big blocks will not work as hard or lug and at resale it's easier to move than with small blocks.

65 sounds about right. If you love the boat who cares what resell is like........but it will suck :)

Thanx for the replies guys. So the market for selling is that poor right now. I didn t think it was that bad. So,I should try to be patient & buy the right boat so I can sell it when that day comes.

That all depends on what the market is like WHEN you decide to sell it. If you can foresee that then you'll never need to worry about buying used boats for yourself anymore!!!

I only mention that, like you stated, this boat is less desirable due to the engines.......doesn't mean nobody would want it.

Yey,seems to be a consensuse that the 292 w 350mags is a little slow getting on plain & that boat also drops off plain pretty early compared to the 312. @ least thats what I ve read. Maybe the 292 is a little light in the bow compaired to the 312. I want to believe that the 312 is ok with K plains & 350s.
I bet you are right about the 454 swinging bigger pitch props thus higher cruise speeds @ 3000 rpms. But I bet the mpg are the same if not better w 350s??
Any thoughts.
I can t seem to find the specs on the 312

Have you actually found a boat you may purchase with this set up? I know they have some 6.2 boats out there but have not seen a 350 boat. If so it comes down to the money. There is a 6.2 boat here in Maine that the ask is higher then most BB mag boats. Does the price justify the motors?

Yes,but the guy hasn t gottin back to me yet. 240 hour boat.$42500 I don t know all the particulars.

So you have the 292. Do you confirm that this boat struggles to get on plain or takes longer,heavier or what??

So you have the 292. Do you confirm that this boat struggles to get on plain or takes longer,heavier or what?? Sorry for the double post. I m learning..

I have a 2006 292 with 6.2's, K-Planes turning 28" Bravos and it planes fine and runs 70 mph.

Regarding mpg, that 2.8 mpg you refer to in the original post is surprising. My twin stepped 292 averages 1.8-2.2 mpg from 40-60 mph. 2.8 mpg seems high for a couple big blocks pushing a heavier hull.

Move on, however if your willing to top out at 60/62 I would save 15/20k and buy a nice SR1, otherwise I would hold out for 454's I know of one for sale, its mint, and runs 70,

I know this boat its mint,

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/19...Tech-102532512

Also like this,

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/19...ech-312-659041

Well I knew something with that 312 mpg was off. The engineer in me got me digging and I found the Boat Test article and it looks like they made a mistake. Check out the chart attached. They apparently list the mpg based on only one engine consuming fuel, but the graph is correct. The secondary axis shows actual mpg using two engines and it is the same as the listed mpg divided by two. I agree with the numbers in the graph.

Newer 292 hulls are more fuel efficient. Not that it really matters since fuel is the least expense when it comes to boat ownership.:) Good luck on your search!:drink:

BUY IT. Run it like you stole it and when the engines get tired, replace them with Big Blocks 600HP a side..

Yes I have the 292. Like most perf boats that are propped for the big end it struggles out of the hole. Struggles may be the wrong word but it does take some time to get on plane. I drove a 312 with 454mpis before my 292 purchase and the boat did well but I feel that the 292 is a bit sportier.

my 292 has the 6.2. it is slow out of the hole loaded with fuel and people. but still does not need tabs to get up and going. Normal usage is half tank and two adults two kids and she gets right up and goes. I looked at 312'sthd extra fuel for the BB's to gain 1 mph made no sense. The 292 is the reason the 312 is gone. And that ask price is BB money.

I must be doing it wrong..... Cuz that is the most expense for me......

you have burnt more in fuel cost than the purchase price of the boat????? :angry-smiley-038:

You get some of the $$ back when you sell it..... So I think of it as bad savings account..... But the gas $$ is gone. And I'll tell ta what..... Few more years like the last 2 I've had and I will have burned more $ in gas than I spent on the boat .... LOL

Yea,with gas prices down right now ,,thats great. But who knows what the $ will spike to in these unstable times??
I tell you straight thats what is holding me from buying right now. Kind of second guessing about getting stuck with a 50k boat if the inevitable happens. If the economy would be more stable I wouldn t think twice. I suppose thats one of the reasons boat prices are down. Among many other reasons..

if getting stuck is a worry then buy a more desirable boat. or lowball this one and play up the power

I run a boat that is similar to what your looking at. It's a 28ft with twin 377 scorpions. On a norm day of running , very few wide open running, I burn about $150-200 in gas. I have to run 93 octane. Now a poker run is a different story. When I did Cumberland poker run half way threw I had to fill up again. I hold 100 gallons and most runs I do I'm tossing least 50 more gallons in befor the end of the day. I don't let the gas bother me.... I look at it like this. Which everything I spend to have the boat and all the work I do on it, I'm not going to hold back on using it. But I can honestly say " the boat payment is by far the cheapest part.

The guy that I was dealing with is unavailable & unreliable most of the time. I have given up on this boat. I m looking else where.

There is a nice looking 292sr1 on craigslist in your area. About the same size as the 312. Has 330 454s and should run 62 or so. I think he is asking 17.5k. You could pick that up without much worry on resale, as that is about what they sell for.

Just wanted to tell you quys that here in Finland I pay for the gas about 7,14dollars for a gallon, I have calculated that one hour driving costs me for about 110 dollars. :-)

I will never complain about $3 a gallon again!!!!!!

A 312 Fastech is a GREAT boat. I had a 2003 with 496's, and I used it more than any boat I've had. Not many around, but if you can find a 496 powered one, its worth spending a little more. Good luck with your search.

When I visited Miami in 2005 there were prices like $1,96 a gallon and that seemed unreal, :-)

I just found a same boat. Went and looked at it absolutely beautiful boat. But wishing it had big blocks. So can anyone tell me is it worth it? I don't think I will find a cleaner boat ever

Its worth whatever your willing to pay. It's probably going to be a 60-65 mph boat with 350s. Going to be sluggish out of the hole, but you can combat that with bigger tabs and props. I would guess somewhere around mid 30s to low 40s. If it's clean it's been taken care of obviously, so that has some value in it as well. Your not going to be spending time fixing or cleaning things you'll get to enjoy it immediately. So use the motors as a bargaining tool and get the price down to what you want and go from there.

Use the engines as leverage to get the clean boat and install some Prochargers or Whipples and call it a day. What's so hard about this?

http://www.cpperformance.com/p-12422...g-mpi-kit.aspx

He is asking 54,800 is his bottom line. I will admit that it is the cleanest boat I have ever seen. . It could be in a showroom floor as new. That's how clean it is.

Maybe I missed it, but what year? And even if its the last year of the 312 I think that's pretty high on price, if your willing to spend that kinda doe I'd find a 496 boat, Harley bagger on here has a beauty for sake and he is mid 30's can remember exactly but somewhere in there

People think you can just bolt Superchargers on a stock motor and everything will be ok. To make a RELIABLE supercharged motor requires many more items like Head gaskets, completely upgraded fuel system, injectors, ecm tuning, just to name a few things. Not to mention the engine will have cast pistons and crank which will fail in time. The price of the supercharger itself is only half of the cost at minimum not counting labor. I have gone the just bolt it on pro-charger road in the past and it is nothing but a time bomb.. That said, wait and find a boat with big blocks. There was a nice one owner 2000 312 with 454s on Ebay last week that looked very nice at a great price. (under 40K on trailer) At $58k you are really at top money for the 312 market. My only suggestion would be to find one with Mercury tabs with indicators and hydraulic steering or move up to a 353 that will have big blocks and those items. Just wait, your boat will show up in time. Jeff Wurl

It's a 02.[ATTACH=CONFIG]545048[/ATTACH]

This Ebay boat did not sell. Nice boat for the money. Graphic colors can be changed to look much nicer. Ebay item number 371422346880. Click original listing for pictures and description. Jeff Wurl

Lol please school me... i have nooo idea. People think everything on the internet is solid fact with no sarcasm or joking invovled.

Funny thing is you just said a word that never equates to any kind of boat or power package.... reliable. Since when is a boat reliable? Lol.

nice graphics, but i'd patient and find a 454/496/502 for the same money, or less