IMO the 35 two-step is not a good looking boat
 

I was thinking about stepping up to the plate and buying my first fountain so the wife and I drove down to the Louisville boat show this morning. I've seen a lot of talk on these boards about the appearance of the newer 35's so we went to see for ourselves. I have to say - we were very disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, I love the lines on most Fountains, and especially the 35 one-steps; but man, I just couldn't even think about forking up the bucks for that new two-stepped 35.

So now I'm left with the choice of buying a butt-ugly (IMO) two-step, or buying the better-looking (but 5mph slower) one-step.

Why not put the beautiful lines of that classic deck under the new hull? IMO they would sell a lot more of those - and likely one to me :)

Buy the classic deck, it's not worth the extra 5 MPH. If you spend that kind of money and think your boat is ugly everytime you look at it. What about a 38' with the race fairing, nice looking boat. You would think that fountain would offer the new twin step hull without a winshield. Of put the twin step on the classic.

Kirk

Marginmn,
Welcome to the board! I don't like the direction Fountain has taken with the new style Lightning. The new hulls are fantastic. It's a shame they aren't offering them with the old decks. I was actually going to buy this boat before I got stupid and tried to order a new 2002 the way I wanted it. See boat-buying 101. Charlene is the person to contact if this interest you. I'm sure they can do better than the listed sale price. If you want any other info just email me.
Dan http://www.raymondsboats.com/35_fountain_special.htm

The two step just make our older ones worth more :D

candyman35, thanks for the link - that is one BEAUTIFUL looking 35 Classic. But the thought of a fugly 35 blowing past me at 88 mph while I'm struggling to do 78 is too depressing to think about. :mad: I have a 500 efi in my current boat and have come to the conclusion that 500's are the way to go for trouble-free performance boating.

Maybe Reggie watches these boards and will someday offer his customers what they really want. BTW, I suppose Reggie also frowns on customers asking to have their throttles put on the right side of the dash. :eek:

Reggie may know performance boats, but I trade stocks for a living and FPWR looks looks uglier than a 35 two-step. Fountain Powerboat Industries ended its last quarterly report has less cash on hand than the invoice price of one 47 lightning with 502's!

I know Fountain's fiberglass supplier put them on a cash account due to asbestos litigation, but geez Reggie - your shareholders deserve better than $1.60 a share! What was that line from 'Field of Dreams,' "Build it and they will come."

:D :D :D LMAO
I think the 502's need to be Whippled!
I forgot to mention that in my other post.
The Whipples will run about $10,000.00 for the pair as opposed to the $25,000.00 upgrade to 500 EFI's. But Whipple's on a pair of 500EFI's. :eek: :eek: I don't like the look of the new Fountains. I wouldn't call them ugly there just not for me. Some guys and especially the wife’s love their windshields. It’s just nice to have a choice.
Dan

Marginmn,
I just realized you have a Checkmate. I had a '92 251 that I traded in for my 35' Fountain. I loved that Checkmate. They are great Boats.
Dan

I agree, ugly looking windshields.

Now, Formula and Powerquest are two examples of boat builders using them. They don't bother me. It's their "style" and they do it well, and even PQ offers the windscreen instead.

But Fountain has always had the smoked glass, or race fairing, and I liked that about them, set them apart. But, now, they had something really unique and go to the windshield. Hate it.

I think Reggie is just getting old. He's making 65' boats, 38, 47' cruisers, and he's forgotten about the little go-fast guys. No more 32' boat, so you HAVE to jump to a 35 to get twins. Instead of sticking to "core competencies", he's venturing off into other markets and forgetting about the "common folk" and making exclusive boats that are very pricey, and for a whole different buyer. So, he's just lining up to sell less boats (less number of people can afford the higher $$ boats, smaller markets), so he'll have to sell at a higher markup to make the same amount.

I'd buy an older 42 with fairing or smoke windscreen, I couldn't bring myself to have a windshield on a Fountain. And the more I look at different boats, the more I like the looks of Sonic, AT, Cigarette, guys with nothing but a clear wind screen to keep bugs out of your teeth :)

It seems to me the "owning a Fountain" mystique is not what it once was. Maybe it's just me.

Mark

[ 01-27-2002: Message edited by: 32fever ]

32fever,
I agree with you. He is building boats for a different clientele. It’s not just the windshield but the round shape of the wind fairing. They’re not bad. I just prefer the angled smoked glass. They look great and won't shatter if you take a wave the wrong way. I can drive my boat with no sunglasses or goggles with the wind deflector.

What did you think of the cabin in the 38TS Cig? It was called the extended cover girl. There is a lot of room when you get in there but that doorway could use the Fountain 3 piece door. My head still hurts from hitting it on the 38'. Hey I was injured on a National Marine boat! I need a lawyer! LOL
:D Maybe then they would take me seriously.
The one priority in my next boat will be side walkways to get on to the deck. That 38 Donzi is a nice boat but you need to crawl through a hatch to get onto the deck. I guess the 35 has spoiled me.
Dan

candyman35, is there any difference between a 97 35 classic and a 99 model? Did the 35 have the single step in 97? Are you pretty happy with it?

Marginmn,
There is no difference in the classic hulls. I spoke to the Factory to ask if they had revised the X dimension since 97. The answer is no. They did try to raise it but didn't like the way it performed. Only big differences might be the steering being Fountain instead of Latham, the bolsters being electric and not hydraulic. My bolsters are made of plywood. I'm not sure when they changed over to the plastic. Also the throttles having the trim switch in them. I have the trim on the steering wheel.
Dan

I have owned three Fountain's a 27, 32, and a twin step 35. The windshield, not crazy about it, but I wouldn't call It ugly. Like the added interior room between front and rear seats. The anchor locker, is a nice touch if you anchor your boat alot, and ladder built into the swim platform is nice as well. Cabin space is the first complaint of most non Fountain owners. Fountain addresed that by making the deck higher giving you more headroom, still not giant by any standard, but better. Sometimes when you put a boat in the water some of the things that you found to be offensive seem to change. Marginmn if you like the classic buy one. I would be suprised if the 2002's have more than a couple mile per hour difference in speed. My test sheet from Fountain shows 88 MPH, its a 2000. I am told that the newer Twin step 35 have a lower x diminsion and aren't quit as fast. Saw a test sheet from a 2001 with 500 HP EFI's the boat ran 84 mph. So their may now be as big a speed difference as you may think between the two, ask to see the performance report, Fountain prints one on every boat that leaves their factory. The dealer will have it and should show it to you unless they are making some inflated claims on the speed. The bottom line is thats why their are so many boat makes, everyone has a preference, non of them are cheap, so what ever you buy, make sure you are happy with it!!

Great advice beak boater, thanks a lot.

Buy an old (good looking i might add ) classic and put some killer motors in it ......
then you can blow off the new ones and have money to buy them a beer if and when they make to the bar.............

:D :D :D
EZ

Like EZ said, I would go for finding a nice, fresh water old-style 35. The money you'd save from not buying a new one would probably be enough to bump up the power as much as you need. Oh yeah, the left hand throttles are not so bad once you get used to them.
I do wish you could get the new hull with the old deck though.

This will probably offend you well maintained veterans of life, but they are turning into what us younger guys call "the old man's sport boat". They are very nice, but to "Cruisered Out". In that pile used lay, Powerquest, Formula, Scarab, and now, Fountain. You don't have to have riggid lines to look good, it helps, but there are Outerlimits, and Hustler. I was looking at Fountains ad the other day, and I definately do not like those big taylor made windshields. Those are for Sea Rays. But, what they are appealing to is the Old Man's Wallet. There are not to many of us young bucks running to our local dealer to throw down 300k. Thats for "big shooters" like Candyman. LOL ;)

That’s a good one. Remember this is coming from the new kid on the block with that wicked 42' with triple 500's. :eek: If I had your money I'd have your boat and not a 35 454 Mags.

Fever Mike,
I have had boats that I wish had windshields.
My '90 Villain IV had a windshield. It's a different kind of boating with the windshield. Fountain probably made the right step going with them. The only thing I like about the old deck is the angled windscreen and fairing. The round one reminds me of Reggie’s old race boat. I think the old fairing lines added more to the boats total look. The factory is currently selling way more windshields than not. They are popular and have many benefits. If I bought a fairing boat it would have to have wind deflectors. I like to hear the stereo and the motors and not the wind. The only exception to this is the 47'.That boat looks sweet with its windshield. Maybe MidnightRider will be kind enough to give me a ride in a 47 when he buys one. I heard he just loves them windshields. LOL :p
Dan

[ 01-30-2002: Message edited by: candyman35 ]

My good friend is trying to trade his 42 for a 47sc, wow. In the shop now it goes in a row, apache, 42f, 47sc, 42f, 42f, 38 gun, and that sc makes are boats look like rafts. The SC has #3's on 3-650's, its bad, runs like 70-75. Now that's the best of both worlds.

My 2 cents! I don't like the winshields, I have a 2001 27 and ordered the classic. I think that Reggie is just changing their concentration, from speed leader to speed cruiser. I do like the race fairing but hell it like an addition $4000, thats F&#@ up. I will be looking to STEPP UP in a couple of years, and hope Fountain returns to original styling and focuses on PERFORMANCE.

WILL :rolleyes:

the 35 needs to have the twin step bottom and the classic deck and then it would be perfect. i love the old 10 meter boats just because of the classic lines.