Re-fit 87 Cigarette Top Gun
 

Hi there,

I have an old cigarette Top Gun from 1987 and I think about re-fitting the boat to new putting new engines and drives in (probably Merc 525, 600 or 662 since I'm in Europe:-)). I also think that due to a very long time that the boat has spent in the garage it might be necessary to put in new fuel tanks as well.
Can you give me advice on the following points:

- Are there any serious people in Europe who could do that job and especially who adhere to the T.E.A.M process of Mercury?
- What would be the approximate cost of replacing the enigines that I have listed?
- Do you have an idea of how fast the boat might run with the Merc 525 package?
- Do you think it is feasible to do a short stagger in a Cig 38 that originally had its engines mounted side by side?

I also think about getting the boat to the US and have the re-fit carried out there. Whom would you recommend to do that?
The Cigarette Factory itself?

Thanks a lot,
Johannes

If i was sending a Cig to the U.S. for a re-rig It would go straight to Lip-Ship.

I think you would be money ahead to just buy a boat that someone has already gone through or a newer Top Gun.

New 525EFI/XR packages will run about 40k each.

Since your boat is a 1987, it had TRS drives. It will need the transom reglassed for the XR's. That and fuel tanks will run 10k or more.

Basically, you will have a 100k into it before you know it.

Where in europe are you?
There are a few guys, including Mange, that post in the pantera forums. Check the thread he started in there, and you may find more European brothers to help you out.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/p...rope-area.html

Give Nico at Bernico Boats a call. http://www.bernico.be/ 32 (0)3.455.87.28

But for what you are going to spend on a new Bravo package, you could have a new Arneson one and go much faster and have less maintenance.

Rik, Couldn't he mount the Arneson drives at an angle and get the staggered effect to the Props with the engines still side by side? Can the Shaft housing be rotated in the transom assy? Just wondering....

Not with the #7M Drives and for what its worth, unless a boat is going over 100 it would not really benefit the boat.

I think Bill Mazzoni has two fresh 525's that can be had for a good price and he can get two of the #7M's (which the boat would love) and still be in the same ballpark for price as he would the Bravo package.