I concur, the 35' Exec. is a great boat. I'm afraid to ride in the Lightning - I might like it better. And, I have way too much $ in my single step 35!

Mine did 82-4 on any given day and conditions gps

110 degree summer day 99 percent humidity, full fuel and 3 fat chicks with a 30 mph headwind:D . I know some were a bit faster than others, and i think it was the bottom of the hull, the really straight bottoms ran the good numbers, my boat was repowered with 500efi's and has stellings extension boxes on it raised to the top hole with labbed 29 hydros, it will also run 82 to 84 any day

Flying J, send me an e-mail to [email protected] and will send you pics and specs on my 29'.

I also depends on where you were running. If you are above sea level you are not going to run as fast.

As for whomever claimed running 86mph from the factory with 500's, heck the totally redesigned twin-step 35's that came out in 2000 were only running 87 tops - So there is no way the single step Executioners made back then were running 86. By the time Reggie got around to jacking up the X on the EX's and finding more speed they were being sold with 525's or 496's since Merc no longer sold the 500's.

The very few that came from the factory with extension boxes did run a bit better than the vast majority of those without the boxes, but 86 from a single stepped Ex with 500 without extenison boxes - that's really hard to swallow.

I agree fully here. The boats rigged with boxes might see a few more but no way is a stock single step with 500's, carb or EFI, going to see those numbers in real speed. On the factory speedo maybe, but almost all of these boats only had 80 mph speedos to start with. I know mine did, and it would take it a few past the end on most days, but the only way it was going to run those speeds was down the road on the trailer.

I"ve got 525 SC's in mine, and 80 is a push. Absolutely love the boat, rides, and runs very well.
Good luck in your purchase.