Lookin' good, Mike! :D

Look! a letter for me from Pantera ....... a REALLY BIG letter! Wonder what's inside?? :rolleyes:

Awesome!! an new sunpad - perfect match! Here's before ...... and after ......

Pepe and Jo did an awesome job at matching the new sunpad up with the 2003 interior ..... plus the dimensions are a perfect fit ---- looks like a new boat.

Very nice! The letter looks a little thinner than the one you sent me! :D

That's great Mike, how's she runnin?

Yeah .... Pepe really wrapped everything up nice to keep the goods safe but without a scoop much easier to ship!

Socal - Boat runs really strong with a 26 Bravo I prop so far, but just getting it going so I am taking it easy on the fresh engine. It ran 55 MPH on GPS at the 4,000 RPM I was willing to take it up to on it's break-in run. I still have over 100 HP left at 4K so it will be interesting to see what it will top out at.

You were right about how well the boat is balanced and responsive to trim and tabs. Also hull is solid as a rock with zero hull stress noise over slop. Hopefully in a couple more outings I can see what she does popped open!

Looks good Mike !!:cool-smiley-011: You should be in the mid 70s with no problem once you are dialed in 100 %. Let me know the speed numbers and rpm once you run it at W.O.T.

Regards,

JO

Thanks Jo! I just bought a factory labbed 26 B1 to see what that will add to my top end once I get there .... I will be very happy for anything consistently over 70 with a single 500 in a real 28 footer. :D

Had a week off for the 4th and got a lot of other stuff done on the boat. Finished the cabin area off except for the white vinyl cushions that have to be made yet. Turned out very light and very plain with carpet and a simple porta potti but perfect for a all-day boat with two women/girls on board.

My cabin area is unusual because I have three bulkheads for strength and as a result three smaller sections under the deck, not two large sections like I believe most rec boats.

For simplicity I just continued the grey carpet the factory used in the first section, into the next two forward sections. I just used a very light plywood floor base and biaxial taping using West System epoxy. Not counting the porta potti it has to be less than 100 pounds total added but lot's more usability and I did loose weight with the elimination of the blower and super chiller.

Here are two afters and a before .......

I really love this boat ... I've owned quite a few in the past 23 years but this is a really great boat, well made, solid and runs well.

Couple more ...... everyone's probably sick of me by now but I'm throwing more up now that pics are working again ....:cool:

Awsome job Mike !!! Cabin turned out very nice. Sunpad really matched well.

Enjoy it this Summer.If you need anything else just let us know.

Regards,

JO

Thanks for everything Jo ..... you and Pepe really made the difference!

Glad we could help. Now show that Pantera 28' off in Lake Huron Michigan for us.

JO

nice job, the cabin looks great,and very easy to maintain.:ernaehrung004:

Wow!!!! I like it, the boat looks saweet!!!! what do you have for power on that bad boy. Everything clean and detailed. I see two plugs on the transom n ext to each other, was it a dry exhaust system before.

Albert

Looks absolutely great!!!

How did you fasten the floor? Is it glued to the stringers and glassed to the freeboards or is it removable?!

Pretty much exactly the same bulkhead setup that I have in my Pantera. The only thing I can see is that I have bigger sheets of balsa core in the freeboards and that you fuel fill might be further up front since the box for the fuel fill hose is on the next bulkhead. (In mine it's on the cockpit bulkhead).

Thanks for the comments, it's very simple and plain but it fits the boats image of simple, functional and light. It should look much better with custom white vinyl cushions in all three sections and embroidered vinyl snap-in at the bow end and entry bulkhead.

For power it's only 532 HP in a 502 but I wanted a 70+ MPH very reliable boat it used to have a 750 HP blower motor and the dumps were for the intercooler. They came in handy for my water pressure relief valve!

I mounted the floors to the stringers and sides using West System Biaxial tape, very light but very strong. I just noticed the floors and bulkhead openings look crooked in one pic, must be the camera being angled.

Thanks again .... Mike

Mike, great choice for power, no matter how fast your boat is there will always be someone faster that one day. I know, I ran 95+ in my boat and many times I saw many rooster tails pass me like if I was standing still.

Albert, Not to many 26-35ft V-hulls I believe.....


Mange

Mike, it's looking great.
I've created a folder for pics of your boat.
Need a reference point ya know.

Not one Mange, as a matter of fact I had a lot of fun in 2/3 footers with a 33 Powerplay with twin 502`s one day he could not keep up with me from Government cut to Haulover inlet. He caught up to me and could not believe the accelleration when we were side by side at 82 mph. Only fat Cats blew by me when I had the Mig up and running.

When you makin' your move Storm ???

Not quite yet... got a couple more yrs.

I'm ready now Mike.
:coolcowboy:

Lol storm ! Talking about keeping a thread on the back burner . What do you have in mind ?

Mike and I have already made the deal.
Unfortunately, this one bad ass 28 will have to see some salt water! :D

I can't wait to hear how she runs on the Ocean .... should ride really high in the salt water!

Contests which one is that?

That's mike's 2003 28, which is basically the sistership to the 2002 Black F1 boat.

But w/ a backseat.:drink:

She's a keeper ! Is it as clean in person as it looks in the pic's

does it have a box on the back?

Yes, or cleaner!

What kind of 'box'?
Extension box? then no. It has a notch.

beautiful boat Storm,

Yeah, he got a really nice boat not that I'm a little biased! :whistle: With the linerless F1 race build saving hundreds of pounds, and the freshwater super low hours its a special and lightweight machine.

Very clean ride, cant believe you let it go.
With more room than the black F1, how did you like your usable space. What are you thinking on getting next?

I had it for five years which is a record for me, plus the water is so low in Lake Huron right now our ramp is unusable for anything but a small boat under 18'.

The layout in the boat ended up surpassing my expectations, yeah its a race bolster up front but we loved it right from the start. Great anchor hang out space up front, great to run and talk at the same time and super for training my daughter how to trim and run a boat. Plus I loved not having tv's, microwaves and cabinet doors banging around!

This is the finest built boat I have had, and I have had some really nice boats. I am so impressed with the way this boat was put together with the extra bulkhead under the deck, hull side stiffeners, and no liner ..... yet it felt as solid as a block of concrete while being super lightweight. Thing ran 93 with 750 HP and no steps .... that's impressive.

Storm got a one of a kind in my opinion ..... with all my bike builds, dirt biking and jetskis the next thing for me is an interest bearing account! ;)

I had the chance to buy that boat from Shogren before you did, Mike. Wish I would have....

What's that thing they call "hind sight?"