So what did a new 454 330 hp cost?? Haven't seen any of those for sale... lol

BTW, Does a new truck count?? I'm banking on the buy something nice for her, then I get to buy something nice for myself... seems like you have to spend 2000 dollars for every 1000 dollars you want to spend on yourself...

I've heard that with the 24s, 75 is a nice quick ride and 80+ will turn your hair white (unless your last name is Nunez :D ).



My old 24 used to run low 90s, radar verified, and my hair is still brown:cool-smiley-011: I was running approx 625 hp thru a standard Bravo 1.5 w/ a mirage plus attached for 2 yrs with no failures. Ask anyone in the Barnegat Bay that got smoked by that little boat, I ran hard. Just dont come out of the hole to hard and you should have no problems.

Here's a link I found from a quick internet search...

http://www.dereberyperformance.com/Merch.html

http://www.dereberyperformance.com/Stock_Engines.html

I'd guess you'd get $2k - $2,500 for a decent used cast bottom end big block. But then again, my motors not sold yet, so what do I know! :D

Sarabman, what did you think of the ride in your 24 at 90+? I've never done it in a 24, so I'm curious. Also where's the boat now? Still out there running hard?

How close?? You may be surprised at how much you aren't.

NO WAY dude!! - she'll just want a bigger house in a few years - no matter what ya build.

Take Sean's advice on this part of it.
I wish I had this advice before my first marriage, well, maybe not. At least it sped up the divorce.
My Wife now, we met boating, so she already knows how expensive it is.

Looks like our boats are at a similar stage:
Have: full Hydraulic steering, New Exhaust (Thanks Sean!!), and I know the drive is only 3yrs old - although it did have some hefty power in it for a little while. Fortunately I do have a trailer with it.
Motor work - Not my forte. Doing the wet-sanding, and filling nicks and scratches I can handle.

My plan is to do the motor fairly stock, probably sweeten the cam.
I want something reliable and affordable, because I also want to do some cosmetics and "customizing" to my taste.
When I'm done with that, I'll build a motor to make it scream, and be able to have the reliable motor on a stand in case I blow up the big one. I have a buddy's Dad doing the motor work (ITTLFLI) here on the board. He's got a Donzi 22Classic thats running a tick over 80.

So where are the pics of your boat?? Do you still have the lifeline on it??

I think it's the running attitude of the boat that can scare you at higher speeds. My boat is a TOTALLY different ride when trying to squeeze that last 2-3mph out of it.

My point is if your boat can do 85mph in perfect conditions 80-82mph should be a riot in some slop. Try to ring her out to 85 in the slop and that could turn your hair white! :D

D S. It took a lot of finesse to run at those speeds. After a few hard runs I always felt kinda wiped. That being said, it was the most fun I have ever had in a boat.

The boat has been repowered with significantly milder power and is now owned by an OSO memeber.

Scarabman I just realized two things. #1 you have a set of the very rare Volvo 600s built by Innovation in your boat. Very nice! #2 I know who has your old Pantera! ;)

Right On, 500hp would get to 77 - 78.5gps any day at 300 elevation with just myself on board, go 550 and a little dialing in from a 502+ inch motor and 80++ should be no problem.

Yes, and yes you do:drink: The 600s run great.

Maybe you can help with some advice to cleaning up my hull then??... Motor work... that's about all I know how to do, and my experience is with a few old cars not boats...

Well, I got to visiting with my dad on this little project. He owns an implelement dealership so I have a large shop to my disposal, that's where I store the boat. The only problem is its 1.5 hrs away, but anyway... We got to thinking about the trailer, I think I can rebuild the one I have for about 1000 bucks maybe, so that should free of a few dollars up to spend on the good stuff.

I think I'm going to shoot for 600 hp and if I reach that good if I'm somewhere actually closer to 550 that should be OK too. It sounds like I need c.i. close to the 500 range, and everyone seems to be in agreement with that. I'm glad I asked too, cause I was going to go for a mild overbore on my 454 and a few goodies to reach the hp.

Next time I'm back, in 2 wks or so, I'll take several pics of the boat where its at now. I have it on a home-made dolley that I built so we can move it around the shop, etc.. and I can work on the trailer.

I'm going to budget 10k on this project, and thinking of just taking a loan out so I can start right away. By the end, I should have about 20k in the whole boat, if I ever sell it, could I get that back out of it???

May be a little more cause I want to repaint/gelcoat the hull too... The interior has been redone for the most part already except for cabin, but I may change the color...

Sorry for all of the questions... you've all been a huge help and I think I learned a few things too. Sounds like 80 mph is not an unreasonable number and gives me something to shoot for.

my 24 does 82,motor is tall deck,110 over,1/2 '' crank,dart heads worked,dart intake,1050 dom.Imco steering and a lot of prop changes to get there. I agree at 75 you ride after that you have to drive it. Unload your crew after 75. richie

rob, just remember to build the engine for marine use specifications, not auto. Big difference. If not built for marine, the boat wont perform.

What prop do you run?

Rob, I'll help you out any way I can.
Where are you located BTW?
I should have been at the LC poker run yesterday, but instead, I worked on the boat all day. Had just as much fun though.

My first project was to clean up the trailer hitch and bow stop.
Here it is disassembled in the bed of my truck, and then after I was done

I'm trying to post pics of the transom work, but the damn camera was in the wrong mode, and when I resize them they look like postage stamps.

Great job on that winch stand and hitch. I can't wait to see the other improvements.

Thanks Chris.
Here's the current state of the Transom and Bilge.
I really have just fallen in love with this boat.
Bilge and transom will be seeing paint in the next 2-3 weeks.
I plan on spending the afternoon polishing the tabs, and misc. hardware I pulled from the transom, and more prep work in the bilge.

I second that, if my hitch and winch looked like yours even before the make-over ...it'd be an improvement... The brakes on the trailer are nonexistent, no lights, winch is shot, hitch is a surge hitch and it is froze up, plus someone decided to weld it to the tongue instead of bolting it so I'm going to have to do a little cutting to replace. Also, its a galvaized trailer, and I have no idea how they welded to it with out affixiating themselves from the fumes ...that's pretty dangerous. I'll get some pics and show you what I have to work with. I'm going to start there so I can at least move the boat around and be able to work on it a little easier. The rest of the trailer is pretty good, its a roller trailer and needs a couple new rollers but the frame work, axles, springs.. etc.. look pretty good. I replacing every nut and bolt on this thing so it is going to be pretty much brand new when I'm done. The boat however is in pretty good shape, someone has spent some time on it

Here's a pic of the boat when I pulled it off of the trailer that hauled cross country... Sorry I don't have any better ones. I'll get on that soon...

Rob - you got a good looking 24!
I remember seeing pics of it on here before.
Yeah I think my trailer work came out well - now I just hope the rest of the boat comes out as well. My trailer doesn't have brakes at all, fortunately when I drug it from St. Louis, Illinois and Indiana are flat and just full of corn fields to break up the monatany :rolleyes:
Adding brakes is on the list - fortunately it's an aluminum trailer, so I think with some polishing it'll look great.
My boat passed hands through several OSO members. I've refered to it as like a groupie on the Motley Crue tour bus for an OSO boat.
IRONMAN sold it to Dude! Sweet! who sold it to NickK, who sold it to me. It's been cross-country touring for the past year.
I'm kinda surprised in the photo's your's has a different placement of the transom cleats - mine are on the deck portion on the transom - yours are on the hullside deck.
I also notice your transom light is under the rub-rail - mine is above the rail.
Not that any of this is significant, just things I noticed.

Oh - and cool, you've already got K-planes.

i have scarab 22 with a racing 468 merc 502, with a better cam and dart intake, i do i honest 81 , on gps i have trim tabs, and put drew marine sidewinders on it, no chime at all and i am keeping the revs at 5350, motor has more, running a labbed 27 mirage plus .

My 24 with the 600+ HP did 89 in fresh water. Previous owner had it radared at 92 in salt water.

We both ran a 29P Mirage (not the plus) I still have the prop which is in excellent condition for sale.

Let me know. Be safe and wear your lanyard!!

Is it the A34 boat? Three man bolster? If it is I know who has it too.

How much do you want for the prop? Iam running a four blade haven,t run a three blade yet. richie

Is this a 24 with 3man bolsters? Does anyone have any pics of this boat, interior especially? I'd like to see what 3 man bolster setup looks like. Thanks again. Troy

A little off the topic but how many times have you used the boat so far?
If you are using it how many times have you run it at 60+mph as it sits?
If not why the rush to go faster when you havent gotten used to the boat as it is yet?
Is the boat in decent useable condition now?
I see your looking to borrow money to fix up the boat.
Ill go a bit off the beaten track here since I am usually broke moneywise and say if the boat is usable ,USE IT , then worry about upgrading. It much easier and more fun to just use the thing and little by little go upgrading the small stuff to your liking and build an engine along the way than tearing it apart to redo it all. No matter what you budget it will cost twice that,,ask anyone who has ever redone a boat or a car.. In the meantime youll have an extra loan to pay off and a boat sitting around doing nothing. Thats a nice looking ride,if it was mine I would be out on it every chance I had till it needed some real fixin. :)
Just my .02centavos

That's exactly what what everyone else tells me!! but I've never owned a stock anything...
The boat is run-able... sort of... Carb needs rebuild, hatch needs some mods to get mounted. Current exhaust is welded and needs a new one, and I'm rebuilding the trailer now..
For me, and I may be the only one on here, but I enjoy the building up part as much or more than actually driving the boat.
This boat has a lot of pontential, someone has started the build, now I just want to finish it. I've never redone a boat, but have build up a few old muscle cars, and my other hobby is long-travel sand cars... I'm familiar with build-ups and I've lost my ass on things before... I think if there's a boat that you could put a little money into and have a lot of fun with the older Pantera's rank right up there... Just look at this forum of all of kickass Pantera build ups...

P.S. and also Superboat, Monza, etc...

BTW, I've never put this boat in the water, and I've never ridden in a Pantera.. I've like them since I first heard about them thru a friend and always wanted one...

All I wanted to know was what's it takes to make a 24' Pantera run 80 mph.

I run 82 with 600hp, but my boat is a little heavy. I run 400lbs of fixed weight in various spots in the nose so I can run that fast in most conditions

Scott, aint that the point? who wants to just go fast in flat water? If i was running in 1ft or less, i'd rather have a cat. These boats were built to cut it up, not be the fastest w/ the least hp. so it take plenty of oomph to get em going.
And i'd say if you wanted to run 80... don't do less than 600hp. Cuz if you only do 550, and only hit 77-78, you'll be pizzed.
While you're doing it, do it right.

Scotty very few people have pushed the 24 as hard as you have my friend. You have been to the moon I mean Miami, remember....2005 race.

Jeez...
This thread has made me realize I have a twin brother somewhere in Kansas.

I decided to crack open my motor this season because there were a few things I was questioning, and before I tear it up bad on the water, I figured replace the stuff now, before more things break and it gets more expensive. I might have thought differently if I'd bought it in May, but I didn't get it until two weeks after Labor Day - so I'm not missing much of what was left of a season around here.
Still though, I'm just doing a mild build. I figure I'll get it on the water, and see how it feels before I start building a monster motor. And then I'll still have "old reliable" on an engine stand in the event I trash something on the big one.

Yep, its great hearing from others with the same ambitions as me... and similar projects. I think you have a head start though!!

Are you repainting the hull or anything? Where do you start?

I don't have a good or clever reason for wanting to try and shoot for an 80 mph boat... from what it sounds these boats can really crush the water and I'm stoked.

I've decided to tear down the motor and rebuild it from the crank up. I thought 80 was a good round number to shoot for and I wasn't for sure what hp it would take. At the time I posted this thread I thought it could be done with a mild overbore and massage some of the components, but it sounds like it will take a bit more than I thought... but that's why I asked.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...d.php?t=162745

Well I am aiming at 75 similar project. Gotta love the 24 hulls. Good luck.

No question 600HP will push a 24' Pantera over 80 any day of the week. With the right prop, and running light, 85+ is not out of the relm.
Like ScottB, T-Mone has weight up in the bow to help with rough water handling. I'm sure that slows is boat down some.
Jo has stated a couple of times here on OSO that he has driven 24s with HP500 over 80.
My Superboat is basically the same hull, maybe 200lbs lighter. With a slightly modified 502MagMPI, I have seem an all time best of 77.8mph, and she'll run 75 any time. I have a 3 blade at BBlades to be labbed and this fall I'm hoping to do better. I think if I strip her down, pull out the mufflers, and run on fumes, she click 80 on the limiter. Now that is not they way we run our boats for the most part, but...:D

My Super should come out of the shop in a bout 2 weeks breaking the 80 mark (fingers crossed). I'm having my 454 MAG MPI gone through. We're going .030 over with Tyler Crocket's cam and valve train set up along with a set of RHS aluminum heads. We should see anywhere from about 525 - 550 hp when its all said and done.:D I have a feeling I'm not going to have enough prop at that point though.

Wow, your boat looks GREAT!

Pat and Jayhawk, why don't you guys go to the SB forum? We all know the SB hull is faster than the Pantera! :D:cool-smiley-011:

We're movin in on your playground buddy! Fight at the sand box!!!!:party-smiley-048:

Nice!
What do you have for props?
I suggest you try a 26p B1 or 25p Rev4.
With that engine revving 5600rpm, you'll be running 80+.

Dave M. has a 496HO in his 1998 24' Super and sees 78mph @ 5000rpm with a 28p B1.