89 Panther here we go
 

call me crazy or whatever but I feel like I just picked up a beaten puppy from the pound or some test lab where they used garden tools to operate. This boat is very rough and needs alot. The original owner converted it to a single and used popsicle sticks and wood screws along with bubble gum to put it together.
but I picked it up for the right price and I fell in love with the lines. I am a big scarab fan my favorites are the kv's and the panthers.
I started to work on the boat the last two weeks to disassemble the transome and all of the rigging. I am almost done removing the transome it was rotted everywhere it was messed with. I found out that when the boat had twins someone had raised the X unfortunately that put more holes in the transome. Belive it or not the stringers are dry and in good shape but the bulkhead at the tank is alittle wet and has to come out.
I realy do want to bring this old classic scarab back to life and would appreciate any suggestions you all have. I most likely will need some help with finding parts and some measurements. like drive hights and the center stringer and motor mounts withs and hieghts.
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Keith

Sell it now.

You will bury yourself in cost trying to get her back in the water and in the end you will take a minimum of a $10k loss on it. Way to many running boats out there that you can buy cheap.

I hear what your saying but I don't want to pay way more for motors that have to be rebuilt, paint I dont like, rotted transom that most cheap boats have, interior that needs replaced or someone elses idea of whats cool.
I do all the work myself I don't intend to sell or buy an over priced new boat. It's not my first boat that I have rebuilt and I would rather loose 10 grand on this one then 60 thousand on a new one.
To me it's not just about riding in it it's the challenge of building it and I guarantee that at the dock I will be more proud of the $25000.00 boat that I built then the $150,000.00 boat that the next guy wrote a check for.
It's just the way I look at it

Nothing wrong with that. Good luck with it and your right. Great lines. :cool:

Good luck to you sir! Keep us posted on your progress, as a 38KV owner I will be watching ya!

thanks there is a guy up here in Cleveland that has a miami vice kv what a awesome boat. I wish I could find some raised hatches like the ones that came on the kv and the older panthers. I might have to make them

Can you get some pics of the Vice 38KV ?

prob. not until spring I don't know who or if the guy still has it. It has been a couple of years since I have seen it. We don't go down town much anymore they closed all the bars with docks down there. Next year I will look for it he was always there at Shooters. cool boat and got alot of attention.

WOW! you were not kidding when you said you had a project. Did you ever get any info from the owner on the performance with the single? What power was in it? Was that boat out Jacksonville?
Good luck and pics of the whole restore please,
Jason

Yeah it's the boat out of Jacksonville. He said with a 750 hp it went 71mph and with a 450 hp 496ci it went 58 mph. I realy can't belive the boat even floated plus I never seen a 750hp with stock exhaust. Thats what he said he always ran so you tell me.
I knew what i was getting when I bought the boat and I am still happy with what it is. There has been no surprises yet I knew I had to do the transom and some stringer work but it came with alot of parts and I like the boat.
I am picking up the marine plywood and epoxy resin today and should start installing next week.