apaolillo

Got a 1994 Nordic with a 502 efi. Not sure of its a Venture or Scandia. Boat measure about 24 ft. Boat has been sitting for years. Bought it from the original owner. had 86 hours on the meter, only 30 something hours of actual running on ECU. It will run 74 gps with a 23 three blade @ 4950 RPM. Anyone out there have any suggestions on how I can get her up to 80 without breaking the bank.

Steve Zuckerman

Your boat is light, and it does run very well for stock power. The pre-step hulls had a deep X dimension, because the propeller technology of the day didn't allow good planing or high speed handling (low slip, good lift) at high XDs. Props and drives have come long way since then.
We put a -2" IMCO lower on Butch's '96 Heat with a good custom built B1 4 blade, and it's never run better. I am sure that would work well on your boat too, since it's much lighter and shorter than the Heat. Would it get you to 80? Probably not, but you should pick up 3/4 MPH. Rigging is a great place to start, rather than diving in on your motor. There is plenty left there too, better exhaust, reprogrammed ECU (including raising the rev limit), flowed intake, larger cam, larger throttle body.
I would start by testing a -2" lower and propeller. Give Eric Betty a call @ EBM 615-714-2944. He usually has a lot of the stuff you'll need (props, lowers) around his shop. He's also modified several 502 Mags, and may still have some of those parts.
Regards,
Steve