I have a 04 27 fountain with a 496ho. It runs 68-70mph. Would like to get into the 80's reliably. Is this possible with this motor,not to mention the fuel capacity sucks! I was very discuraged when my buddy passed me with the same power in a new 29. Is this just the wrong boat to mess with? I hear that they are not balanced very well. Before I spend 10 grand on extras maybe I would be better putting that towards another boat? Any experiences or info would be appreciated.

Go with a Procharger or Whipple, I added a Procharger to my 27 three years ago and gained 14 mph!

I have read a lot about how the 29 is balanced more than the 27, and really, I they are so close..... there is very little difference.... I have a friend with a 29 and a 500hp and he gets around 73.... I have a 27 with a 500hp and have got 74... On an average day on the lake with people in our boats and full of fuel... I can pull away from him slowly... And you should be able to also.... Watch your trim and tabs... See if your buddy is just squeezing out that extra mph in his driving skills....

FYI running 500 HP I am using a 25 hydromotive q-iv....running with a half tank and 2 people I can run 74.5 GPS at 5200 rpms.... Just bought a new 25 and I am thinking of having the older prop labbed and changed to a 26...

At speeds in the mid 70's, the boat starts to chine walk a little.... I have read that in the 80's its pretty bad... you would need to use your tabs to get there... But once you learn the boat at those speeds, you should be able to control it....

Good luck...

I have 1:65 gears and spin a 30 pitch bravo 4blade prop. If I go to a procharger I will have to change gear ratios not to mention the local performance mercury certified shop will not install the procharger because they say total detonation beyond 535 horsepower with stock internals.