After market verado cowls
 

With everyone buying all these center consoles with Verados how many people would be interested in a true after market cowl built out of carbon fiber. A product with a name and reputation behind it like HNR. It would save you at least 15-30lbs depending on if you just do the top, or sides also, and designed to increase air flow to raise horse power. This doesn't sound like much but when you do it to 3 or 4 of them it can add up. I don't know if the center console people would be even interested in this type of performance upgrade but trying to get some feed back because most Verados are on center consoles.

Why not offer a cf bolt on air scoop to increase air flo

The CF layup would look way cool . What does the OEM cowl weight? 30lb savings seems like a optimistic goal for how much weight you could remove even using CF.

NHR has a joint kit with DBR for motors like the 2.5 and 300 pro XS. To get the power out put of the kit you must use one of their Cowls. If you could do something like that you could prob sell tons. I think with replacing upper and lower cowls you could save that amount. Imagine all the guys that have twins to quads who could save weight and gain power.

There might be "that guy" that cares about 60 pounds on a center console, but for the most part we aren't worried about weight. I know my fresh water and fuel tanks are usually full, extra anchor, cases of refreshments, 6 to 20 people on board, etc, etc. There are easier and cheaper ways to shave weight. Now if they looked cool and the engines could breath better, that might be a different story.

look on screamanfly forums. the HNR cowls have people going crazy. they did not believe that you could save that much weight on a cowl but he has one happy customer after another. maybe with 4 of them save the weight of one person on the boat. and gain some hp? Is this something you center console guys would be interested in? would a little more hp make a difference to you on your CC? I think it would work well.

They would make a regular cowl look dull and boring and air flow would be the main idea of the build. making them look cool would be worked around that.

The cool thing would be is if you could make a verado cowl look awesome and gain power. Customizing to match custom boats would be a major upgrade. Carbon with custom graphics with some carbon showing.

I think it would be HUGE if you could save weight and improve air flow especially with the people that are starting to put the 400R's on the smaller cats where weight is an issue especially if you are saving 25#'s a side.

maybe some of the guys with after market cowls on their 28' cats would have some input of how they work. or tunnel boats

There would have to be different molds. 300's and 400's have different cowls. I was on a quad 400 boat last weekend and it was a HUGE difference over his old 300's performance wise.

And you forgot to figure in. The fat girls. Lol

absolutely you would have to make one for each model. i am yet to see a 400 out side of the computer screen however there would be a mold for each. i am sure the new owner of the skater with twin 400's going to nj would be interested.

Remember anyone with verados are not interested in high performance.

even though they are starting to put them on cats? they also were testing them on a XCat boat? People with center consoles might not be looking to make high performance motors but increasing air flow is always good and weight reduction on any boat is always a great thing

The new 400 is an exception. If you scan an average verado engines computer an engine with 2000 hrs might have 1 hr wot. The average owner just wants to troll and cruise, so a few pounds lighter and maybe 2 mph on the top end are not priorities for them. Now, 300xs and 300x owners are a whole different story.

Miami to Key West Poker Run had around 15 center consoles with 300s and 350s, every single one of them running hard and wot. More owners run them harder than you think.

As a owner of a small cat that would consider a 400r verado if the weight were right and being around many verados being the marine industry I think it would be hard to safe 30lbs per cowling. Also would need to consider voiding the limited 2yr warranty if the water intrusion is compromised.
However having a custom cowling that would allow rear tie bars would be nice.

+1. Plus consider that many CC owners already spent extra $ getting their engines custom painted to match the boat.

We want to work with the manufacturers so when they order their boat we can be in production with the boat. the owner will not be waiting. It can be all done in want shot, making this convenient and blinging it out would be ideal for the customer, they will be looking good and a little quicker right out of the gate. we want to work people like nor tech, statement, midnight express, cigarette, deep impact and others so they can be seen at the boat shows. we want the boats ordered with these. they can be either seen as carbon or custom painted to match the boat like many people are already ordering. We are going to save you a little weight, gain a little performance, and give your the customization you are looking for. We are already working with several companies so we can make the kit to offer up grades for the ECM that will come with our cowl right from the get go. with 15+ CC in poker runs why not drop a couple more jaws by being EVEN FASTER. you are putting 4 motors on the back of the boat for performance not just for looks. to be able to keep up in poker runs

I think working with the builders is a great idea.

Its ironic this is coming up, when we were on the run we were saying someone should come out with aftermarket cowls carbon fiber, better breathing, some LEDs, many options. Good luck, hope it works out!

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VDR, i like your idea of LEDs on the motor cowling.



Does Carbon Fiber come in different colors so that the after-market cowling can be matched to customer's color requirements?





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I want to believe I stumbled across a Company called Triad Composite Fabrication in SC (on Facebook) that's already dabbled in CF Mercury O/B cowlings. I thought they had a Merc 275 pictured on their page.

Are you kidding ??? My 300 v-rods have 500 hrs on them, I bet half of those are at WOT. I like the idea of a composite cowl.

noli, they will be offered in paint. we really want to work with manufacturers to make them available with the boat. Would this be something you would have an interest in on the 30' Predator?

VDR i really like your idea with the LED on them, would look real hot.



NASCAT i just looked them up it looks like they have started. i have been talking with someone who has been doing this for a while. as someone who has just purchased a CC is this something that sounds appealing to you? Someone is saying weight reduction and speed is something people with CC would not be interested in, how do you feel?

lots of people have been making aftermarket cowls for O/Bs for yrs
ive been making them since the early 80s for drags and circle racing
actually don't like carbon covering a motor
as carbon conducts electricity,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ignition and ecus are under there 1/2" away
can get feedback and with gas vapors there also
which can create a static electric enclosure
1 layer of 1 1/2oz mat and 1 layer of 4 oz cloth is lighter than 1 layer of 8 oz carbon,,,,
but is still lots lighter than oem verado set up
not many going to put aftermarket cowl and hacked ecu on an expensive motor and loose the warrenty
good luck on the venture

We have been talking with Make Nass At HNR. He vacuum infuses the BEST cowls in the industry, with nothing but positive feed back and overly happy customers. He already has an agreement with DBR that you have to purchase his cowl to get the power increase with the kit. We are familiar with the drag racing community. But when it comes to a Verado we are not only talking about just the top cowl but also the lower ones that cover the mid section all the way to the lower unit. THIS IS A LOT OF WEIGHT! We are not trying to make Verados race motors but give CC and the catamarans an extra edge when they choose a Verado for the reliability over a go fast 2 stroke of big block. This isn't just about performance this is about style, weight saving, and customization that Mercury does not offer.

I am not here to argue peoples view is wrong, but ask opinions and show where our point of view is coming from.

As a racer with the knowledge that my boat weighs nearly 12k lbs I'd say any attainable weight savings will be negligible and the performance gain immeasurable when referring to weight savings. As for power gain from increased air flow I'm not qualified to answer that. Long story short I am a guy who likes to have things others don't have or dares to be different. By the same token I'm also a functional not fancy guy who resists "all show no go". With that said from a unique perspective I think a high gloss carbon fiber weave cowl would be a real head turner but whether I'd invest in them or not is yet to be determined based on how they turn out and what they cost.

u asked for feedback on aftermarket carbon cowls for the ccs
I just gave personal experience of carbon and opinion
didn't put any1 down or who was best
most people buying a new cc with 3-5 motors wont play with warrenty
and some few will
definitely will be lighter as stated
no aruement of right/wrong views
again good luck on the cowls
will look good when done

maybe instead of targeting weight and performance we could target the matching graphics and LEDs, stuff to make them look cool.

I agree that the bling angle would get more interest than performance. Also agree that working with the manufacturers to get it into the original build process would best.