or you could just leave it stock and go 99 % as fast with roughly 500 % more reliability...

hmmmm let me think about that trade off.

Bingo!

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm hoping to land a certain 35 with 500HPs. I just needed a little confirmation on what I believed was the right engine package (for me anyway).

you can buy my 96 top gun for 80 k. only 150 hrs on the 502s

Sleek.

LOL I just went through what you are gong through.
First.. set your budget. Period. then get the latest model and engine you can get for that budget. Remember, everything is a compromise when it comes to boats and motors.

IE. I got something that will go through hurricanes, but won't brake speed records. Ergo.. comprimise, when all the ... ,, xyz'a go to the docks, I can still motor comfortably. but sacrificing speed. Review your interests, boating habbits, budget, boating location. and make a decision. YOu can get a great 502 or 496, or a ruined 500 or 525. THe more the HP the more it was probably used to get those HP's. Get something stock and good, economically and then spend the $ to give it some oooumph..


In fact I need some more HP lol

Paradox, glad to hear you got what you wanted. I feel confident I'm looking at the right boats (probably Formula but also entertaining AT). I like to sleep over on the boat, mostly lake use but will go to San Diego once or twice a year. I'd like to do 80ish (moving up from 70mph) I know there's always a bigger faster boat than mine and I can live with that. I'm not going to do much if anything to the engines. Therefor I'd like to get 500HPs as they are stock and have the most stock horses (as far as I know).

Love and respect the Cigs but I'm looking for creature comforts and any Cig I've seen only has seats in the cabin. If I win the loto I'll buy a Cig for my second boat.

Sleek.

Didn't get what I wanted. Every boat is somewhat a compromise. Didn't win the lotto. But I like what I purchased. Have some creature comforts and rides well in rough water.
Working on some more HP's for the 496's. I want to hit that 80 MPH mark to, but I'm not there yet. I really like the Formulas, AT's, Hustlers, but I got an Avanti. Not many Avantis around.
I always wanted to be one of the few not one of the many. 353 Fasteck is probably the way to go.

I'll post the info when I get the "new" boat. I'm still early in my research but hopefully I'll be able to tell you something in the next month or so. Enjoy your Avanti. Oh yeah, I was wondering if in your search for horses you looked at the Raylar setup? Saw it in Powerboat mag. Don't know anything about it but it looks clean.

I have talked to Raylar. Mercury owes me a favor. A set of motors for OEM, but they are back paddleing. If I can't work out the deal with Merc. I do the Raylar upgrade.
Gowad help Merc. if they piss me off. I broad cast all they problems and secrets to the boating world. I just had a call, from the VP, but I will give them a nother chance.
I am reasonable... to a point....