Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

What ever happened to Dennis Ferrara? He rigged up our Fountain and we would love to talk to him. Does anyone know whatever became of him or if he is still in the business anywhere? I know he was big into Hustlers too so just thought that someone out here might have some info.

:cool:

Re: Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

Never hard of him .Wheres he from and what Hustlers did he work on?????

Re: Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

He was a Long Island, NY engine guy. He had some naturally aspirated motors that supposedly made 900 hp, 622 cu. in. The only set I ever saw where in a 38' Fountain, it took a while but the motors got sorted out. I am not sure he is still in business, we are talking the late 80's. He used to advertise in Powerboat back then.

Re: Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

post to jc perf he should know

Re: Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

Im ON LI and never heard of him.

Re: Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

Call Paul Fiore at Outerlimits. He probably knows.

Re: Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

I think he used to be out of central Islip. Suffolk Ave,thought he was a race car guy though.

Re: Dennis Ferrara Engines
 

Dennis Ferrara hurt the industry for engine builders on LI cause he failed to pay vendors money owed.He built engines in the 80s on LI for Hustler and other boats.He was living in FL last i heard.Zul was friendly with him.Did a lot of drag racing back in the 70s

Wow, sorry to here this! I've been trying to look him up for some time. He was one of the best racer/mechanics I ever knew. While I visited him at his shop on LI, back in the 80s, I put him in the water and we delivered Distant Thunder to a builder in NJ. It was a 46' Cougar with three of Dennis's 900 HP hybrids! 105 MPH in a heartbeat! "What a Tank! I have some photos that I will upload as soon as I figure out how. :angry-smiley-038:

I see how old this thred is, I appreciate your info, guys.

trfour

Guy built engines in the 80's.

Also....
 

There was an economic downturn in 90/91 that put the hurt on offShore racing folks. I remember that Dennis had a new engine at the Miami Boat Show. A MerCruiser 600 cu/in casted engine block, with aluminium Pontiac heads that dynoed out at 1100 HP., naturally aspirated and ran on lowtest unleaded fuel....

I will be back with much more info, as I am still trying to learn more myself here, can't even upload an avatar?? :angry-smiley-038:

trfour

He had a 900 all aluminum something silly like 700 inches.

I took a few rides in 36 Fever with his power. It was the loudest thing I ever heard on the water. It ran well. The boat was sold never to hear about it again. It must have been Late '88 or '89.

Picked up an 84 Sutphen in 86 with twin 500hp engines in it that Dennis built, basically just some warmed up 454's. bought the boat @ Offshore Speed and Ski in Stonington Conn. she now has some 540's makin 640hp a side and doin just fine !

I knew a guy named Jim Ariola from Chicago. He bought a 1985/86 32' Hustler LE with Arneson drives and a pair of Dennis Ferrara's 550cid/650hp engines---the boat was supposed to break 100mph.

The next year Jim then upgraded to a pair of Ferrara's 598cid/and ALLEGED 745hp engines. Ferrara was making these HP claims with hydraulic FLAT tappet cams and GM rectangle heads that had some porting work. Jim ended up having one of his supposed 745hp engines dyno tested and it was nothing near the HP that Ferrara was advertising. Jim never bought anymore engines from Ferrara from that point on.

Kaama,

Is that a red boat ?
If so then it,s for sale for again spoked several times whit the owner about the boat ,but can't get to a deal ,I like the arnesons on the boat specialy for my diesel power .

he got also a 388 slingshot for sale

The boat was once ALL BLACK. Jim always used to tell me that boat was/is very dangerous with the Arneson drives. He once barely escaped a very potentialy dangerous accident with that boat as he jumped the wake of a cruiser in the summer of 1987 out on Lake Michigan (near Michigan City)---he and his girlfriend were in the boat at the time. He said he crossed over the cruiser's wake perfectly, but the boat reacted in a totally different way than he expected...and it threw he and his girlfriend right out of the boat over the dash/helmstation---he had to have his elbow stitched up. But I remember him telling me that it could have been much worse and they were barely able to hang on without falling in the water. And I can tell you by experience Jim was a very SAFE and experienced offshore boater---I rode in his Hustler many times. In fact, he raced a 33' cat in the APBA circuit for 2 years and it was during that time when he owned the Hustler. It was later that Fall that Jim sold the Hustler and bought a 38' Cougar with #4SSM's.

I just got a Ferrara bbc ALL ALUMINUM 825 H-P the air cleaners says this engine has fully ported darts.jesel shaft rockers,solid roller cam,donovan 500 wet block with steel caps,4.625 bore don't know the stroke guessing a bryant crank my crank says BRC4 on the other end MRC 2604 DEP. has nice looking steel rods maybe crower or carrillo or oliver ,venollia flat top pistons a beautiful big ass Moroso aluminum wet pan with 2 sets of trap doors,team G with extened runners and some epoxy work and intake spacer plates so for sure must be a tall deck,1150 dom. carb anybody know much about this engine like what stroke and rod length ?THIS ENGINE IS 4 SALE

hi tryfor i just signed up for this site read your inquirie can be reached @dragsterden@gmail .com still building killer street cars and motorcycles with my son

dennis ferrara
 

hi tryfor i just signed up for this site read your inquirie can be reached @dragsterden@gmail .com still building killer street cars and motorcycles with my son

hi nycmikie just signed up for this site noticed your older inquirie the specs on that engine are 4.625x4.625 622cu had many satisfied customers that ran them for yrs no problems economy put me out in 2001 my son still has that engine in a firebird since 2000 with big chief heads killer streeet car 950 hp reg gas

dennis ferrara
 

hello fountain friend, you found me just signed up on this site been busy running jet ski-boat bussiness and bld. fast street cars and motorcycles w/my son Do you still have fountain wonder which one or who you are. Miss the gofast boats but have 622-950hp engine in my sons firebird street car FAST like to talk [email protected]

This boat? (puple and pink) :D It is still alive. 24000 lbs, stepped hull, full head and 100+ with trips and ASD8 surface drives. I think this boat started the manatee movement :) 47 foot custom built "Sandler", prob close to a 10 ft beam.

Dennis if you are still reading this you pretty much have a Cult following up here in CNY, these guys would love to hear from you!! You can contact me at ronforbus @ gmail . com and I will get you in touch with them.

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/...us1/rodney.jpg

With no disrespect to Reggie Fountain it seems like Mr. Ferrer(a) should get some recognition regarding the Fountain hull design. From what's said in this thread he fine tuned it significantly and I'm sure Fountain took note and modified his hulls.