Looking for advice on Fountain 27' or 29'
 

Hello --

I'm new to the offshore only forum, and an avid speed boat fanatic. I currently have a Cobalt 232 with a 7.4l MPI that is a fantastic boat. My issue is I work a lot, so I am a weekend warrior on the Lake. We live at Lake Norman, NC and the lake gets really rough on the weekends. I feel that a Fountain has the hull built to handle heavy lake chop at nice cruising speeds. I have always had my heart set on owning a Fountain. I have a few dilemmas that I am looking for some guidance on:

1). I no longer live on the lake so dry storage is my current option -- I believe 27' is the max for storage, but may have an option for a 29'. Is there a significant ride difference between the Fever 27 and 29?

2). It looks like there were 3 single motor options: 496, 502, and the 525 bad boy. Obviously the 525 is the one to get, but does it have a shorter life cycle? Is the 496 a good motor? I know the Merc. blue motors are awesome!

I dont care about doing 100 mph, but definitely want a 70+ mph boat that rides nice and has the reliability/build quality of my past few Cobalts.

Anything I'm not considering that you could think of would be much appreciated!

Bigger is always better no matter the brand. From everything I've read on here the 496 is a trouble free motor. Leave it stock and run it. The blue motors are decent but have much higher maintenance intervals with valve springs and such. Best I got for ya as I don't own any of it. Lol

Agree with ICUL; bigger is better and would go with the most power as well. The 525EFI is generally a very reliable engine but you should be aware that they are notorious for header issues which if left unchecked can cost you the whole motor. This just means being diligent with checking spark plugs for evidence of water instrusion and pressure testing the headers at least once a season. The 496 is also a pretty reliable power package; don't know anything about the 502.

I have a 27 with 502. 68 is max in freshwater. I trailer the boat every weekend and it is a piece of cake. No issues with 502 other than having to replace stock manifolds. 29 will be faster with same motor setup, cockpit is slightly bigger, and you have the option of 2 motors. Some 27's have twins but rare. 496's are bullet proof but your after market upgrades r limited. If you search this forum for 27vs 29 this issue has been debated tirelessly I think I summed it up in a few sentences. ICU was right on about 525. Badass motor but more expensive to run.

I have a 27 with a 502, it is low maintenance and bulletproof, that being said it will almost touch 70, in perfect conditions. I have met a few people with the 29 and the 525, when the time is right I will probably move up to that, solid mid to high 70's, and the ones I know don't require much more maintenance. The 525 also comes with the XR drive which is a step up. The 29's have a bit more room in the cockpit which is a plus if you plan on boating with more than 2 people, and the gas tank is bigger, I think 100 gallons compared to the 60 of the 27.

I have a 05 27 with a 496. It is completing it's 9th trouble summer on Lake Lanier in Georgia. Lanier also gets very churned up. lots of very big boats. The 27 handles it with ease. I have thought about a 29 alot of times but don't see the point on a fresh water lake. It's slower to plane and about 5 mph faster with a single 525. It has a little more cockpit room. The 525 is a good motor but requires freshening at 300 hours. Also the header issue. The 496 HO is pretty bullet proof.
I can easily afford a 29 and my lift can handle it but just can't see the point.

I have a 29 with twin 454's for sale no trailer we can deliver to you, it's a 1991 and very clean. Boat runs 72 mph and has 240 original hours on it.

If you can afford the 29 why not? And don't forget the 500 EFI, great compromise between the 496ho and 525efi. The later years of the single 29 were just flat out fast, light, and economical. That same hull dominated the SVL class for years, it was a great bottom. I have heard the 29 with the same power is faster than the 27...so many times, and twice from 27 owners in person! However, I can not confirm that statement.

I will say resting height with a single should be enough to sway you to a 29. The 27 single and 29 twin appear to be sinking at all times.

Wow --

Thanks for all of the great information! I was down at my marina today, and thanks to being good friends with him throughout the years, the marina manager said he would make room inside for me if I got at 29'. The room is a factor, since I will be giving up a very roomy bow rider if I make the switch. I think I would like to stay with the later 03-06 models. They seem a little more modern and I love the wrap around smooth windshield on the later years.... looks like they are going 70 sitting still!!! I did notice that some of these motors seem to have a coolant expansion tank? Are these things set up with a closed coolant system, or do they run water from the lake like my cobalt?

A 496 and 525Efi are closed cooling. The 502 and 500efi draw from the lake. I would say 29 all day. I used to own a 27 and a good friend has a 29. The 29 rides much better and is faster with the same power.