Just thinking outloud...
went to a fun run yesterday with my triple 45
i only ran this boat WOT once for 5-7 seconds in my 9 years of ownership. I mostly run it between 3000 rpm and 3500 rpm

yesterday was exception day! 4000 rpm for 60 mph for the whole run! I could have run 5000 rpm but i know i would still be running with the same slower boats that were with me, but could never catch the couple new or almost new mti ip front running 130 plus mph with a pair of 450 outboards!

so back home my first thought was: lets get my project chris cat back on track and have fun with the 100 moh boat club, with a pair of 700 ish hp...

then my mind went: is it worth money wise ( it is never but you get the idea) trying to run an only 30 foot cat twin 700 for much less speed than a twin small 450 outboard newer 39 boat ! Wich answered quickly a no answer!

then i thought about the 800-1m $ new boat i cant swing, and it made some sense again rebuilding the chriscat!

i inow you dont see all your money back rebuilding but i am sure you dont either purchasing a new boat in a regular market outside covid...

so i guess my real question is
what boat would be better in between rebuilding a chriscat and a 1m$ boat?
wich older cat 30 plus feet runs 100 plus mph on twin 500's ish hp inboard or outboard power?

The recent 500R vs 520/v8 thread has me wondering the same thing. A 32 skater or similar boat you could buy for under 100k with no power, plus 80k in new power/drives with warranty has you in the 100+mph club for under 200k instead of a new 450-500r cat for 500k+ used.
Still out of my price range either way at the moment.

If you like the chris cat length why not get a new or used 28-30ft+ cat with twin OB in the 200-400K range?

same for me !
75k -115 k max is what i can witstand ! 😂

still too deep for me! Wich brings me back to my old resin bucket... any 100 mph plus cat in the 75k-115k range in existence?

You posed alot of questions here and they dont all come out the same way.
The new OB cats boats with 450's can run 130 but with people and fuel will top out around 120.
A newer OB cat will have better handling, better hull and should be far superior built than any of the old boats your talking about rebuilding or purchasing.
New OB cats have warranties. So up front cost will save you in the long run. I can tell you I have over 100 hrs on one thats just about 1 year old with no expenses other than recommended oil changes. Can you say that about a rebuild or older boat?
A inboard vs outboard, I know everyone has there own opinion but... Honestly no maintenance or repairs are usually needed on a quality ob boat. Can you say that about a Rebuilt boat?
Will you get all your money back from a new boat? probably not.
Will you get all your money back from a rebuild boat? probably not.
Your going to spend money either way, why go through the effort and stress of trying to rebuild something when you can buy a boat that runs, has warranty in case it doesnt run and go use it and have fun. How much you loose on a newer boat many times depends on how well you take care of the boat. How much you loose on a rebuild is more about how luck or not lucky you got...

You have your Sonic, which sounds like a great boat and you enjoy running it. Take it out regularly and get your boating fix.

Would you rather spend 100k and two years of your spare time on the Chris Cat and end up with a really nice old school cat or would you be better off to dump 100k up front and have something newer, faster, with modern power that would out perform the Chris Cat?

Modern cats have small cockpits, no cabin and less freeboard but they must be a simple, low maintenance blast, or nobody would buy one. Spectre, Skater, Predator, Motion etc, etc, with Verados (V8’s might be harder to find for the $$) would suit me. If you want cockpit space, big cabin and high freeboard, you’ve still got the Sonic.

My 2 cents worth….

RR

I went through the same questions a few years ago when we bought our 33 AT. It checked all of our boxes and could run over 100 with the right combo. Even after our makeover we have way less money involved than what a newer boat would be. Honestly we coulld do full paint and still be way under a newer used cat. All in all there's just something about the sound of a pair of inboards vs the quiet outboards. The nice used makeover boats will keep selling as time goes due to the fact the builders aren't producing the newer models like them now.

Has there ever been a company successful at flipping old boats?

Valid point.

I think the largest factor with older hull re-fits is if you have the ability, tools, and covered workshop to do the tasks.
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There was a post I saw about a guy wanting to know if it was worth getting his trip 450s oil and lube serviced..or do it himself.

I appreciate, time is money. But at some point...you just have to do some things yourself. It's part of the sport. There is merit to looking after your own stuff.

This exact scenario is playing out in the auto sector. New car prices skyrocket...so people are keeping their older cars longer...now there are more parts being sold..putting pressure on the system. Older car values going up.

The real question...is when you look back at this time, what would you value more? Re-fit, or new $$$