Thanks for all the feedback!

I havn't really been looking for a new boat but this came up and I thought it doesn't hurt to ask you guys for your opinion. I think the guy may be a bullsh*tter, but if I do my homework I may be able to sift through all that and find the real facts. If I make an offer I definitely make it contingent on a favorable survey, and sea trial (no doubt with gps in hand).

Thanks again,

SOX

Good luck and keep us updated!

Hey Sox,
I've got an 89' 29. Great boat for the price. Mine runs in the mid to high 80's with half tanks. I built a pair of beefy naturally aspirated 454's that work really well. I can't tell what drives those are but if they're TRS keep in mind the issue with parts. The TRS's will take the hp if you take care of them. The early 29' is a stout hull, a bit on the heavy side but they handle just great! Again, I can't tell from the pics but it doesn't look like it has external steering? That boat is going to be hard to drive without it and would be well worth the $$ to upgrade. It looks like it's on a good trailer at least.

Given the time of year and all the other GREAT deals on 35's he's gonna' have to come down to 20k or less. These old boats don't sell too fast these days so he should be willing to let it go cheap.

When I got mine I planned on running it for a couple of years then upgrading. Now I don't want to get rid of it. Since I paid next to nothing for it I can afford to make all kinds of mods that I would never think of doing to a more expensive boat. In the real rough stuff it's a major kick in the a**! All the newer stepped guys have to back off while we go blasting through it. We run on the inland Delta and out on the San Francisco Bay so having a versatile hull is a huge plus.

Keep me posted.

Here's a link to some bad pics but you'll get the idea.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=80496

The headers are Lightning and worth every penny. They not only work extremely well they look awesome!

yeah Lefty, you did a nice job on her. Way to go!

Thanks Dave, We do something right over here on the left side. Nothing like having an old dog that performs.

Lofty,

Thanks for the input! Those motors look great! How much horse power do you have to be running those speeds? That is way faster than I thought this boat would run with 454's (without a blower anyway). Thanks for the info. if I get this boat I'll be calling on your experience.

It sounds like the general consensus is if the boat is sound and if I can get it around 20k it may be a good deal. I'll keep everyone posted if I make any moves on this boat.

Thanks again for everyones help and support!!

Rob Bowersox

I looked at one several years back that was a spitfire edition, but essentially the same boat. It was advertised as having a top end of 72 (I don't think GPS) with 502's. The guy who bought it is a friend of mine and I've ridden on it once. He rebuilt the engines to I think around 575 - 600 HP (also with lightning headers). The time I was on it the wind was blowing pretty good and the lake was solid 3's and 4's. The boat ran great in it and I saw 78 on the GPS that day. It may have gone higher, but I was busy trying not to lose my sunglasses. I was struck by how solid the boat felt and sounded.

Rob, The motors are making aroung 550... depends on who you talk to but I think that's a conservative #. I played around alot with props to get the speed up. Also if it has the TRS's it'll need nose cones. The TRS housing blows out at the mid 70's so the prop gets airated. I have some different lower units than the standard TRS. Don't know if they're Merc or not but they're a whole lot more streemline than the standard. They look more like a #3. Mine came from Fountain with them on, according to the records I got from Fountain (thanks Gail!).

It is SOLID in the rough rough stuff. 20k sounds like a good working #. Hope it all works out, good luck!

Fionn

heres some pics of my 89/29 with the new graphics