Rare 89 357 SR1
 

Would be very appreciative to hear opinions on this boat. It is an 89 357 SR1 with factory 540s and Speedmaster #3 drives. Supposed to be rare. I am anxiuos to hear the opinions of the Formula gura and enthusiasts on the boat in general as well as the engines and drives, with which I am not familiar. If it helps i will say that I want a 30+ footer to occassionally run the Gulf, frequently run the ICW which includes crossing some large, choppy bays, running lakes like Havasu amd LOTO, and overnighting in the boat for a night or two. Would like to run 70 at WOT but I mostly cruise at 50, although cruising at 60 would be even better:) oh yea need a big gas tank since pumps can be few and far between on the ICW. finally I am more interested in reliabilty than speed, thus 70 at WOT is plenty for me and goes w/o saying naturally aspirated. Thanks in advance

From previous discussions on the 357 with 540/575s Bulldogs (I believe the Bulldogs came after), it's not as rare as you'd think but pretty cool to find one still together. It will have Stellings headers and Holley Dominators. It's a good package and should run just a little over 70. Cruise in the high 40's - low 50's. The 357 holds 200 gallons of fuel but she's thirsty. The #3 drives will be bulletproof.

Things to look for... transom, stringer, and bulkhead rot. If there's water in the cabin (under the step) that's a concern. The silent thunder platform (it is has one... a factory 540 575hp boat may not) has caused many transoms to rot from the exhaust tips down so check carefully. A moisture meter will work on the transom and stringers, but can be a problem around the fuel tank bulkhead because of the metal of the tank being in close proximity... the plywood behind the bulkheads is only 1/2-inch thick and is not glassed on the inside.

The rest is just old boat stuff.

Get some pictures!

Is this the blue/teal one recently sold by a lawyer up in the North around the Great Lakes? If it is, I recall the port side engine odd bank headers were noticeably discolored from heat. I spoke to the gentleman over the phone and tried working a deal on it but he sold it before I could get up there. Seemed like it was well taken care of but used sparingly but ran hard when it was used.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bce18f7e8.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...2c892a333.jpeg

you have a good eye, Sir, it is one and the same.

I have a strange addiction to these older birds 😀 Let me know if you want to chat about it more!

I have the identical boat with the same package.
It's not the fastest hull, but an excellent rough water boat.
You should be happy with it.

Two for sale up here in Canada with that combo. Almost bought one and revisiting it in spring when seller is putting it back on the market. The other one needs port engine rebuild (valves), I'm trying to get a surveyor to look at it. Its the perfect boat for our waters up here.

Gonna be a long winter!
Good Luck in your search.