hustler guestion?
 

who owned hustler in 1997, was it the current owners or was fiore's?

Re: hustler guestion?
 

whats up landwalrus, i thought you were the hustler expert!

Re: hustler guestion?
 

hey what up g smack, where are those pic's of my boat? please get them for me. so when are we going to party? should of stuck around saterday, cuda and I drank a bottle of rum and just bantered.

Re: hustler guestion?
 

i tried calling richard with the fountain but couldnt reach him, i'll try him again before the end of the week. sounds like i missed a good time on sat.

Re: hustler guestion?
 

Karol Wojtyla

Re: hustler guestion?
 

It was owned by paul fiore from the start but right around 1997, he received a much needed cash injection from a NY businessman, Mike Pandolfelli... Mike loved boats, had a 50 with triple Cobras built (115+ mph boat) but had little time to devote to Hustler due to his other commitments. Which meant that they continued losing money. Shortly after, my guess is around 1998, came the current owner Joe and his brother. They bought the company, invested in their current production facility (very nice!) and turned the whole thing around in 6 months. They've been profitable ever since but had to let Fiores go due to differences in opinions...

Re: hustler guestion?
 

And.. they have done one hell of a job to date, each and every year there has been an improvement at the Miami show, not only in quality but also in the success of trying different products. Jeff Jassby

Re: hustler guestion?
 

True... I work with them so I didn't want to lose my objectivity in public but I definitely agree with you Jeff. Their finish is better than ever, the rigging is first class and they're open to new stuff (new engine designs inc. diesels, surface drives)... Hustlers may not be everyone's cup of tea but the quality and commitment behind the product are unquestionable.

Re: hustler guestion?
 

great info, one of the reasons I was asking is I am very impressed with my 1997 26' sport, it is one of the few 26's that can hang with the big boys even in the rough seas. I have been debating weather or not to get a bigger boat or just get a new 26 built the way I want it built. I change my mind every couple of days, if I went bigger I was considering the 34 hustler, or the 39 nor-tech but then there is a huge cost differance not only in the purchace but in fuel and insurance. the 26 is nice because it is fast , great on gas and fairly inexpensive to insure and easy for one person to tow and operate. ahh decisions, decisions. what shouls I do.

Re: hustler guestion?
 

Hmmm. a 39 Nortech and a 344 Cheetah are not really comparable, a comparison with a 388 Slingshot would be more appropriate. Both are great boats but, and I'm really doing my best to stay impartial here, I feel that a 344 Cheetah is a great stepping stone for you at this point. It's a nicely balanced boat, and it will do well over 80 with stock 496 HO power. Take a 5-year extended warranty and just enjoy your boating. If you want that sort of speed with a 388 Slingshot or a 39 Nortech, then you'll have to step up to Mercury Racing power and that's where it gets much more expensive on purchase, as well as in terms of insurance, servicing... I would suggest you take a closer look at a 344 Cheetah or something equivalent, meaning 30 to 35 feet which will give you a good level of performance with stock Mercruiser power...