redriderbob

The 221 Liberator is one of the best hull designs ever. If you are trimmed properly she flies out of the hole. Just an all around great boat, especially if equipt w/ the 350CI OMC King Cobra V-8!

Rrice

Had a 221 with a 454 drove it all over the Great Lakes, It did great in ruff water. Ran into John Winn One day He said he loved that boat and said it was one of they built. Mine Never broke. I have a 272 with a 500 merc, racing motor, runs fast but I brake it a lot LOL

Rrice

"one of the best they built lol" Only wish it had bolsters, The bucket seats kicked your ass.

BgBoost1

Bought a 1988 211 Liberator in 1988 for 20K. It was my first boat. I drove the prop off that thing and traded it in 1998 and got 16K on trade. Best boat I ever had with the OMC Engine and Drive package. In 10 years I NEVER changed the sea pump, had the drive serviced, changed spark plugs, etc. I changed the oil and the battery once, it started every time!!! GREAT BOAT!

BBCLiberator

iTrader: (2)

Everyone's had a Liberator, they are great boats, as far as OMC I agree with the 90-up style, parts are impossible to get. The older ones are fairly available. I had an 87' with 350/ 260 alpha, would run about 52 and currently have a 221 with the new OMC, and the drive is impossible to get anything for. Good description is posted here. The 211 is a wave crusher for it's size, no doubt about it.

http://www.allamericandriveservice.com/OMCCobra.html

onesickpantera

iTrader: (1)

I have a few friends with 221s and they are all built like a tank. HUGE boats for a 22 footer and handle rough water pretty good. Not the fastest but very easy to drive. They all have cone clutch KCs an only one had drive issues and it was the cone clutch. We pulled it apart and flipped the clutch, then "lapped" them together. Knock on wood no issues since then.

There are plenty of them in great shape out there. People that own them seem to be very proud of them and keep them up well.

BBCLiberator

iTrader: (2)

Agree, the only reason we sold the 211 for the 221, is the cuddy is actually laid out where it is usable. They are really almost the same size, the 221 is 8" longer centerline length and 4" wider, that's it...and it's heavier with the molded platform. I see about 66 in mine, but thats with a worked over 502 that would push a similarly sized "go fast" well into the seventies. But I can run a legitamate 2-3 foot chop 45+ no problem.

I also had the cone clutch go a few years back, but it's one of the few things you can still get for it (at least at the time, I think it was $400???)...other than that I have had zero issues with it in the 5 years I've owned it putting an estimated 500-525 horse through it.

BrendanR

did you ever find that liberator in New England you wanted??