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mid-late 90's 42 Fountain Question

Old 08-27-2007, 09:24 AM
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Default mid-late 90's 42 Fountain Question

I have been kicking tires on a bunch of non-step (and early step) 42's- many of which run triples. I am not too fired up about the prospect of 3 motors, so have been trying to find a nice twin in my price range. Have seen some that are staggered (not my preference because of the small-ish[er] cockpit) and a couple with side-by-side install. Does anyone have any experience with these guys? Will a non-stagger 42 be "OK" with HP500's or am I kidding myself? Thanks.
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Old 08-28-2007, 04:42 AM
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Stagger is a lot better to work on and a better ballance for the boat the side by sides are not bad just stagger is my prefered set up. 500hps in that boat low to mid 70s 76-7 on a good day
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Old 08-28-2007, 07:54 PM
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ive had a 90 non step and ive got a 98 big step both side by side. the difference between the stagger and side by side is about 1-2 mph not enough in my opion to give up the extra space in the side by side. from my experience a non step with 500 hps is a high 60's low 70's mph boat and a early step with 500's is in the 73-76 range, both great boat
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Last edited by later; 08-28-2007 at 07:58 PM.
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Old 08-28-2007, 08:29 PM
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The all white looks killer.
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Old 08-28-2007, 08:36 PM
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Here's an opinion, take it for what its worth.

Steps are more fuel efficient: every time you run the boat, your gas bill will be less with a step boat. I spend a couple of hundred per day in fuel, so even 10% will make a noticable difference, and the difference is generally much more than that: a non-step Fountain burns about 25% more fuel. On a typical day, an extra $50.

Side by side engines are a b*tch to work on. Staggered, you can climb all around them. Even if you don't work on your boat, your mechanic will charge you for all the extra time it takes to do anything. Just consider doing these things:
a) Change the impellor on the raw water pump.
b) Remove and inspect the exhaust manifolds for leaks to avoid reversion killing your motors.
c) Inspect the inside of the outdrive where it comes through the transom.
d) Change the bilge pumps.
e) Check the clearance of the drive lube tube: is it hitting the drive shaft?
f) Check the clearance of the battery cables to the starter
g) Remove and replace a starter motor
h) Track down a leak in a trim or tab hose where it goes through the transom.

All of the above you will need to do. Look in a side-by-side, then look in a staggered engine bay, and tell me which is going to be a pain, and which is easy.

So my opionion: get a staggered, stepped hull.

Get the simplest boat, in the very very very very best condition you can find. It will be much cheaper than an older boat.

Stuff goes wrong in boats. If the boat is complicated and hard to fix, a lot more will go wrong, and will cost $$$$$$$$$$$$ to fix.
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Old 08-28-2007, 08:41 PM
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I agree with "later" my 93 42' non step with side-by-side 525SC's ran 74mph.
The cockpit room is great, but you will go faster for less effort with a triple...not to mention you'll get a good deal on one right about now.
If I was to do it again, I would go triples since building mine for speed has me at +15mph over stock...I could only wonder what another motor with 800hp would net me.

Last edited by Back4More; 08-28-2007 at 08:43 PM.
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Old 08-28-2007, 08:54 PM
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Later, you're still alive I was wondering if you are around.
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Old 08-28-2007, 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Downtown42
Later, you're still alive I was wondering if you are around.
still around, have had some family medical issues were dealing with, any luck on selling the boat, the 525 executioner is a sweet boat and yours has awsome graphics

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Old 08-28-2007, 09:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Back4More
I agree with "later" my 93 42' non step with side-by-side 525SC's ran 74mph.
The cockpit room is great, but you will go faster for less effort with a triple...not to mention you'll get a good deal on one right about now.
If I was to do it again, I would go triples since building mine for speed has me at +15mph over stock...I could only wonder what another motor with 800hp would net me.
Back4More , thats more in line with my experience, and when you think about it a non step with triple 525's supercharger motors would run mid 80's 85-88 that was a unbeatable combination in the early to mid 90's nothing was running with those boats, and as a side note W.David Scott ( of bud select fame won the shootout top gun in 94 or 95 with a triple 525's boat juiced up to around 650-700hp each at 107 or 108 with a/c big bang for the buck

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Old 08-28-2007, 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by carcrash
Here's an opinion, take it for what its worth.

Steps are more fuel efficient: every time you run the boat, your gas bill will be less with a step boat. I spend a couple of hundred per day in fuel, so even 10% will make a noticable difference, and the difference is generally much more than that: a non-step Fountain burns about 25% more fuel. On a typical day, an extra $50.

Side by side engines are a b*tch to work on. Staggered, you can climb all around them. Even if you don't work on your boat, your mechanic will charge you for all the extra time it takes to do anything. Just consider doing these things:
a) Change the impellor on the raw water pump.
b) Remove and inspect the exhaust manifolds for leaks to avoid reversion killing your motors.
c) Inspect the inside of the outdrive where it comes through the transom.
d) Change the bilge pumps.
e) Check the clearance of the drive lube tube: is it hitting the drive shaft?
f) Check the clearance of the battery cables to the starter
g) Remove and replace a starter motor
h) Track down a leak in a trim or tab hose where it goes through the transom.

All of the above you will need to do. Look in a side-by-side, then look in a staggered engine bay, and tell me which is going to be a pain, and which is easy.

So my opionion: get a staggered, stepped hull.

Get the simplest boat, in the very very very very best condition you can find. It will be much cheaper than an older boat.

Stuff goes wrong in boats. If the boat is complicated and hard to fix, a lot more will go wrong, and will cost $$$$$$$$$$$$ to fix.
Carcrash,

i agree and disagree, the stepped bottom are very efficient when i bought my 98 with the big steps i gained better than 15mph over my 90 42 with 454/365's and yet my fuel burn was the same if not better at cruise speed's ( sure glad i didnt go with the blower route that i was thinking of back in 98 to gain that speed ) i think i would have been chasing the drive issue like most and ended up hating my self ( actually the wife is the one that talked me out of it ). I disagree on the maintance and ease of working on the staggered as a win /win over the side by side. With staggereds you have a whole different situation because of the saddle tanks that they put in the staggered boats, for example its not easy getting to the starters on the starboard motor while trying to climb around the saddle tank and plugs or similar, seawater pumps on the port motor are up front, and with the saddle tank on the port side is a tight fit to get in frt of the starboard motor for maintience, while both setups have ther own problems as for as accessibility issues, i dont believe one has a clear advantage over the other to warrant passing on a boat for that reason alone, plus the extra space in the cockpit has a huge advantage over the disadvantage of ease of maintence. as always these are just my opinion.

later
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