Hey there. lots of good info here. Feel free to call me anytime as I have owned both a 2008 38 w staggered 525s and currently a 35 lightning w side by side 525s. Lot of differences to think about. Good luck with your search. Mark 904-343-6275

now that i read your comment i would say you are right. Seems i need to cool off on narrowing it down and test them. Also, i follow fountain on instagram and they just announced the return of the 42 lightning! Everyone in comments begging for interior shots, and i don't think its even up on their website yet.. but supposedly they are starting that up again :)

thanks Mark! I'm not too hot on the search yet and don't want to waste your time, just trying to gather info from true sources.. people that own them, so i can figure out where i want to go with it. Do you notice a big difference in power in staggered vs side by side? I'm assuming its a trade off for cabin or cockpit space when you enlarge that engine bay. I'l save your number, thanks again!

I've had a 27 Fever, 35 Lightning, and a 42 Lightning. If i was to do it all over again, I should have just gotten a 42 to start with. It has been my favorite.

If your set on a 35', try to find our old boat. Last I heard it was in Ohio. It's called Latest Flame ('02 35 Lightning). When I sold it (2 years ago), it was in great shape - mechanically and visually. 100mph boat that should be in your price range.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5116cc34e7.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...2fd8de33ac.jpg

Its beautiful to look at thats for sure! I'm curious to know why you feel that way about your 42 and what type of boating you do. Because so many were made and with the new release of 42 lightnings.. I'm hoping someone could find a 42 for around 100K that is in good shape and mechanically sound. Wouldn't even mind to pay extra for something pristine.

The 42 is a very balanced boat - it does nothing unpredictable at speed. It's almost boring, but its fast and handles any water we've had it in. We're lake boaters, hitting poker runs in Kentucky and Tennessee.

If you are into Fountains (which I am), the 42 is the best boat to have (in my opinion).

Yes, yes, yes freshwater lakes only.

and Yes.

haha i get the sense the 42 handles everything so well that it could be boring at times! I appreciate your time and info, I'll keep it in mind, safe and happy boating this summer!

You have been on me since I started this thread weeks ago!! hahaha i feel the pressure and hear loud and clear how much you love those 42s. Honestly, you and i argued about the need to upgrade trucks to pull a 42 but truth is, I doubt i would need to. The furthest I could ever see myself pulling that thing is 20-30 miles and that would be extremely rare. At your pleasure, I won't talk myself out of a 42 now solely on account of needing a bigger truck. lol

Great! You are going about it the right way. I will say one thing though. The 42 was not my first performance boat. My first was a 21' Formula, then a 24' Formula, then a 33' Baja twin engine, and finally the 42 Fountain. I learned a lot with each step up including handling around docks, which has not been mentioned yet but can be pretty tough in the wind with a staggered 42 like I have. It's a long boat with the drives very close together and people who are used to maneuvering a twin engine boat around the docks with the shifters only will not do well that way with a 42. You must throttle and use the shifters to maneuver it well and this is a skill in and of itself especially since the props turn in. Are you experienced with any other type of boat? I am of course thrilled that you like Fountains but let me say this: The 33 Baja with 496s is a very, very good first choice performance boat and extremely easy to maneuver, and might be cheaper than a 35' Fountain. It has fine performance, an excellent ride, and goes 70-72 with 496s and labbed props. We pulled ours everywhere for the 4 years we had it with a 2001 Yukon XL 4WD no problem whatsoever. Another fine choice is the Active Thunder 32, similar to the Baja (but I think the Baja looks better...) A friend's 35 Fountain rode rough in 2-3' chop unless he was going pretty fast. The 33 Baja was a lot smoother at usual cruising speeds.