Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

I'm new here and lookin for some advice. Seems like there are some really great people that know what they are talkin about on this site. I am having a hard time deciding between 2 , 29 fevers I have found. One is a single 500 hp 1998 and the other is a twin 385 hp 1997. How much should I pay. Both beatifull shape low hours with trailers. Any opionions would be appreciateded. Should mention that I would be using the boat on Long Island Sound, CT and rivers in CT. trailering not rack storing or bottom painting.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Welcome........first of all I will give my 2cents on this.......I bought a 94' with Twin 502 Mags.......I paid 50K.........the boat is immaculent........I did blow an engine and have since replaced the one with a new engine..........as far as the performance..........I think you're better off going with a single engine......not much performance difference that I'm aware of..........you will also save a TON IN GAS! That's my 2cents worth...........got any pics?

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Thanks for the responce, saw your thread on the purchase you made and the problems you had. I felt your pain. WOW. hope all is settling down for you. I'm tryin to figure out how to insert pics. When I do I will post them. When should I be thinking about manifolds and risers on a 250 hour fresh water boat?

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

more pics

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Rgriff, I have a 91' 29 with twin 454 mags and I love it except for the gas. I've had it for nine years and have done many upgrades and modifications to it to enhance performance and keep it modern. If the price is similar or the same for both the 29's you're looking at, I would suggest the single 500HP.
Gas for one reason, and if you buy the twin 29 you have to buy two of everything if you are going to do any upgrades. Although I personally like the idea of having the extra motor back there especially on long runs, going on poker runs or going offshore. I guess it's six in one hand half dozen in the other. But weigh all the options completely.

Dago, I read your post about your troubles. Sorry to hear about that. It sounds like things are getting better. If you have any questions about the boat in particular let me know. I know the 29 twin very well....especially after two rebuilt motors, adding hydraulic steering, stellings extension boxes and numerus other upgrades. Nixter

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Nixter and Dago,
I would be very interested in hearing what propos you all are using. Nixter I would be very interested in hearing what the extension boxes did for you.
My boat is 1993 with twin 454 mags.
Sincerely,
Allen

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Thanks Nixter!! I have always preferred twins for safety reasons as I go to Block Island, RI and such a little off shore but one of my concerns is resale. I want to be able to move up as easy as possible when the time comes. Will twins bring more interest at even dollars? I understand the gas thing especially now but that is a lesser concern for me. Not being able to sell the boat easily or having to blow it out when the time comes would potentially be more expensive I think? This is my problem, I love the sound and look of the twin being a gadget freek but don't want to sacrifice the end game if that is a mistake. Maybe you are right ....6 of one 1/2 doz etc but I do not know the market for these boats that well yet and most everyone selling thinks thiers is the best way to go if you know what I mean. Guess I need to get a little push to make up my mind. Thanks again!!

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Allen,Dago,Rgriff

B4 I added the extension boxes, hydraulic steering, Gil headers, water crossovers and hydraulic roller cam it ran 72-74MPH..written test report 77MPH....maybe on a great day low humidity, salt water and the stars were perfectly aligned.
I first added the Gil exhaust and then the water crossovers and that gave me 2-2.5MPH increase not to mention 200+ LBS in weight loss with two big block motors. Then I had my port motor blow up.....main bearings and rod bearings went out. Both engines had close to 500Hrs some hard...IE Poker Runs. So after rebuilding the port motor a second time...first time I rebuilt it stock with original flat tappet cam. lasted for 1 hr....I decided to go hydraulic roller for both motors. Best advice I ever listened too (From Teague Custom Marine) the engines sound great and the maintanence is non existent other than oil changes. While I had the engines out, I decided to throw more money into it and add Stellings extension boxes and hydraulic steering....highly recommended on boats over 70MPH and the newer Fountains have it. So after all said and done, I run 80-81MPH GPS.
Now how much is from the engine mods and how much from the boxes it's tough to say. But if I had to guess I would say 1.5-2MPH from the boxes and 2-2.5 from the new cams. But the biggest thing with the boxes is that 1) it handles much better, 2) the prop is in cleaner/undisturbed water, 3) I was able to add the hydraulic steering thru the boxes and not drill any more holes in my transom and 4) it is easier to remove the drives for routine maintanence. I also was able to use my same props....24" 4 blade Hydro's and the RPM's were still between 5100-5400 depending on weight/passengers.

Right now I am testing an IMCO 2" shortie out to see if it is going to be beneficial or not. Preliminary tests say yes, once I get the boat on plane but it struggles to get on plane with a 26" 4 Blade Hydro XR. So I'm looking/trying to borrow a HYdro or Mercury 5 Blade round ear. I think that will help the situation. Hope this helps.

Rgriff, It sounds like the twin 29 is more suited for you but check on line@ Boattrader & yachttrader.com to see what the going rate for 97' twin 29's and 98' single 29's are going for. Obviously the newer the boat the higher the price is going to be wheter single or twins. But either model you choose will take the right/unique buyer when it comes time to sell/trade up. FeverMike on the board could probably offer alot of advice on the single 29's since he owned one for a few years. I know he said the twin 29's tend to ride hard/stern heavy in really rough water. That is why I am trying to lighten mine up as much as possible. The single 29 is definitely a better balanced boat if you are looking for all out speed in the rough stuff.

Oh well, I think I've rambled on enough about this ....but feel free to ask any other questions if I haven't answered what you were after........Next project...all aluminum blocks, aluminum heads and CMI headers.....Ha, ha...isn't boating fun? Nick :drink: :D

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Here are some photos of my 91' twin 29!

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Here are some more. I have since taken the red stripe off the sides of the boat. It looks much better all Black. Now I just need some updated pictures. Let me know if you need any detailed photos of the Extension boxes and hydraulic steering upgrades. Nick.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

i have the cleanest 98 29 fountain with twin 454mags only 140 hrs kept indoors husband was killed in a car accident wife has to sell it to help raise his children ill post pics friday.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Go with the single engine...... The boat was designed for that and handles well..... With gas projected at$5/ it's the wise chioice...

If you need twins go to the 35......

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

I own a 2003 29 with the single 525efi. I love it. boat runs high 70's and I have seen 80 a few times. It handles big water great for a small boat . The single's are a bit of a dog to get on plane but thats about the only ***** I have. The boat flys nice and flat. I would say go with the single I think you would be alot happier in the end. hp500 is a better motor than the 385. plus its alot cheaper to trick out one motor if you want to whipple or procharge it.
good luck
scott

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

nixter,
That black boat looks cool. fountain should build some more like that now.
scott

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Scott, thanx for the compliment. The comment I usually receive is "That Black gelcoat is beautiful, but doesn't it get hot?" Yes it does and it is a lot of buffing, polishing and waxing but I believe it's worth it. Not to many people have a Black Fountain....then again not to many people would want a black fountain. :D :drink:

That's a good running shot of your boat. Nice and level. The single 29's ride much nicer than the twins. That is why I'm trying to get rid of excess weight in mine. Nixter.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

bgriff,

I have an '04 Fever with twin 6.2's and live on the North Shore of Long Island so we do similar types of running. I take this rig on many long runs and it is nice to have the twins, the small blocks seem to solve the heavy stern issues as well. With completely stock engines and 28" non-labbed Bravo's I have seen 74.4...understand that this is under absoute perfect conditions...low fuel, one person, almost nothing on board (no fresh water, gear, porta-potti, etc.) and low 70's temps. The acceleration is excellent, especially in the mid-range and the fuel consumption averages around 1.7 mpg, not as good as a single but not too much worse. PM me if you want to kick around some more information. Good luck with your purchase and let us know when you make a decision!

Gary

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Gary, why not tell him your boat is for sale? :evilb:

Steve

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

single

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Single is the way to go if you want to keep the cost down and with a 525efi they run great. But if you got the money a twin 29 with blowers is tough to beat . I sold mine to a guy in the thousand islands he has put a brand new interior new xr drives and painted the boat and only out less than 50 hrs on it. and as far as I now it is for sale.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

.....wait a sec!!!!!........you have to tell us about that boat.......what year,power, speed?????

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Thanks for the info to all !! I was out on the water this weekend until now so I'm just getting to read the responces. Sounds like big blocks might not be the thing but the twin small blocks could be the answer for me. Maybe a single hp 500. I'm hoping to do something this month but don't want to make a mistake and buy the wrong boat. The 29 seems to be the best compromise if I want to trailer and for the waters of Long Island Sound. I need some reasonably good sea handling. The speed is secondary for me. If I can get the wife to go and keep her fairly comfortable I can have some fun. Otherwise she won't go. :( .

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

I didn't read all of the posts but these things sit low in the water, go single and it won't be as apt to swamp from passing wakes!

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

I would get the single 500efi. :cool:

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

After having ridden in both, another vote for the 29' single. Seems to have better weight distribution, plus the savings on maint and gas. Just my $.02.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

My 29 has twin 502's. I have never been in a single engine 29 so I cant make a comparison. I'm sure there are pros and cons to both. The twin does sit low in the back. If you were in big water that could be a concern. However it's nice to know if one engine quits you can still move. You cant beat the sound of the twin and it's way cool to start em up. Two times everything to repair when needed. Just a question. How much more fuel does it take for the twin to run 60 mph vs the single. Do the twins do it easier with less throttle or does it just take twice as much fuel? Just wondering what the answer might be.
Anyway I like mine but with fuel costing what it does it has to be considered. I'm sure the single is a better balanced boat.
Also I'm sure Fountain stoped building twin big block 29's for a reason.
Good luck on you purchase.

Jerry.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Would you consider a 32’? If you want stability, the bigger the better. There was some discussion about single vs. twin. I always found that twins were less susceptible to walking when trimmed out and that the added weight helped it to cut through the water. You can also trailer a 32. If interested, see my add at http://www.offshoreonly.com/esvon/page-6568.html.

Dan

some fountain questions
 

would have started my own thread but i'm not "gold or platinum"

How fast should a 27 fever with a single 502 go?

I have a 1991, 27' fever with a freshly rebuilt, stock, carbureted 502. about 20 hours on it now. Fastest i've gotten out of it is 58 mph on the GPS at about 4900-5000 RPM. Is that right? I was hoping for at least 65.

What can i do to get a few more MPH out of it fairly cheap? I was thinking of swapping out the intake, maybe the carb in the spring.

What size carbs are on these stock? Block serno says it's an MPI motor, and this is not the first boat it's been in. I think this is stock 1991 running gear despite being a 1994 block. The carb has 8867 and a W on the top of it.

Rebuilt a month after i bought the boat (inside of oil pan was painted, sucked up seaweed, overheated oil, paint chipped off, sucked into oil pickup, spun #1 and #2 rod bearings). Boat previously had a supercharger (boost gauge in dash) but i'm not sure if that was on this motor ever or not.

Also, what's an extension box? Saw that mentioned in this thread.

Thanks for the help. Been using the search function, proved helpful so far. Not being able to start a thread without paying sucks though.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

If no one paid OSO wouldn't be here.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

If my car club had this many advertisers we wouldn't have to charge dues.

That said, i still may upgrade my membership if i find this place to be helpful and informative. But i'm not going to jump in with my wallet open without first testing the waters.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

wait til you see the uncensored section :cool:

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

OSO is a Great resource!! If You have a Question it is answered 99 % of the time.. also we take care of our own note the threads on the hurricane pretty much sums up what we are all about!

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

I agree with Fever Mike - go with a single engine 29. I just sold a 98 w/ a 525SC, Imco upper and -2 lower. These boats are heavy and do take a little longer to plane off, but once they get going, they are a lot of fun. One way to help solve the planing problem is to put on larger tabs. I swapped my small K-Planes for a set of larger ones - doesn't take much, and used ones pop up from time to time on OSO. I found that the -2 lower helped the planing problem as well, and also helped carry the boat at a more level attitude. The best I saw was 78 mph gps (factory test reports showed 77.4) after the above mods were made. By going up in the x dimension, I moved up prop size as well - standard prop was a labbed 28P Bravo 1; when it was just me and the GF, we ran a labbed 30P (where I got the best speed). Good luck - be patient - there are some nice 29's out there - you just have to wade through the crap to find one.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

To All that helped with opinions and info.........I have made an offer that was accepted on the 2000 29 fever with twin 350 mpi's and hope to close the deal and pick it up this week. I was able to talk to the original owner and he confirmed the hours it had and that he liked the boat but now has a 35 and is thinking about a 42. I had my local dealer plug in the engine serial #s in the mercury computer system and confirmed that the engines have not had any warrantee work done on them. Anyone owned an EAGLE trailer? This one comes with a 2001 tri axle. Are they very good? Everything points to an honest seller and a decent deal at $64,000.00. My only hessitation is that over the winter something could show up that is better but I would hate to miss this deal. It does not seem like there are that many twin 350's out there and that is what I want so I'm afraid to pass it up. Definately decided against the big blocks and the only other good choice for me would be the 525 SC I think, but I'm a little hesitant on the reliability of high HP motors. Maybe that is not a valid fear? I just want to turn the key and go if that is possible? I'm told that the 350's are bullet proof if there is such a thing..........That's the update for now.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

we have two in stock starting at 80k with a 496ho "new" We are putting a 625 Ilmor v-10 in the other and expect 90mph

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

FeverMike - yep sold her about a month ago. Bought a 2001 30' Motion Cat from Scotty at Suncoast Powerboats. Boat has T-225 Promax's swinging 30P cleavers. Only had 45 hours when I got her - long history behind the boat. Mechanically sound (Big John checked it out for me) and looks great. I have not really let her wind up yet, but have seen 86 on the GPS speedo. Its not a 100 mph boat, but will do high 80's, low 90's. Liked the 225 Promax's over the 300X's - less maintenance issues and the insurance was a little more affordable (if there is any such a thing in a cat). Rumor has it you're getting another Fountain - CC or sportboat?

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

:( I've purchased a 1990 29 Fever with two 502's that are on crates. The boat came out of New York and had been posted several times on Ebay located in North Carolina. Previous owner said that the boat was repowered in 2003 and comprimised soon after, (water in engine bay), motors removed with as little as 30 hours on them. I've purchased for 18K with the hope of rebuilding her. Have I gotton into something deep ($)? My wife and I currently own a 1999 280 baja and we've never attempted a re-fit or re-power of a twin. I'm glad I've found this forum, the information is REALLY helpful, though I'm hearing ALOT of dissing of the big block twins :(
Jason in Lexington Kentucky

P.S. Has anyone heard of this boat? (velocity written on top of bow) I'm worried since purchase, I've found that it has been through 3 owners without being repowered?

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

fountainKYFever, so you bought a Fountain with Velocity written on the bow...hummm....I'd be wary of that right there! :evilb: :D :rolleyes:
Anyway, the 29 Fountain if that is what you really have runs and handles better with a single big block. 2 big blocks in the rear of that boat is too heavy and unbalanced when you get into the rough water. Plus a sigle big block is easy to work around. I had a 2000 29 Fever and a member of my local boat club had a mid 90's twin 502 29 Fever. In perfect smooth water he was faster but when we got out in as little as 2 foot water I was faster.

Take a pic of your boat and post it here so we can see what you might have.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

Jason, give me a call on my cell 513-617-9102 and we can talk about your 1990 29 fever. Thanx, Nixter!

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

The 29 is a great boat to use in in conditions up to a 2-3' chop. Nice boat over all. I sold many of them.

Re: Lookin at a couple of 29 fevers
 

I have a 1990 29 for sale. Twin 454's 365hp and 525 hours on it. Asking $29,900. Need to sell so I can get a 35.