A buddy has a '00 Viper with 454's. The drives have 1 " spacers. Is that from PQ that way and will there be any gains if they were removed?

Don't know for sure, but I don't think it came from PQ that way, I owned a 99 34 vyper with 502 mpi's and there damned sure weren't any on mine,,educated guess was either dealer or customer installed, because the boats had a real issue coming up on plane due to drive height and step bottoms. Personally dont see much point in removing them if it planes ok, the other side is that it would probably help midrange/topend to remove them at the expense of planing time.

I also have a 99 PQ Viper but with the 500's. It is all factory and doesn't have spacers and comes up on plane very well. Also has great midrange and good top end (77 on GPS). I have seen several others and none had the spacers, have to believe they were put on by a prior owner. By the way mine is for sale and listed in the classifieds.

Thanks.

His planes with no problem even with a boat full of people. 1" spacers are enough to make a difference there? Drives are still buried either way on take off. right? Top end is right at 68. Don't know the story on who or why installed the spacers, they were there when he bought it. His is for sale too. His wife thinks it's time for a cruiser.

A 34' PQ *is* a cruiser!

PQ did some experimenting with "X"dimensions in 99' and 00'. I would compare the "X" with a newer model before removing the spacers.

Mine planed like a pig without the tabs down, with tabs it was acceptable, the remark about x diminsion experiments I'd heard before and is probably correct, reversing prop rotation didn't help either, but with half a load of fuel and 2 people it would run 73mph on gps in the gulf in 85 degree weather with about 70% humidity.