ScarabIII X dim
 

I re did the transom and stringers in my ScarabIII recently and thought I'd post up some basic results. Not sure what the factory placement was as far as the actual dimension but i raised mine two inches over stock and got fantastic results. Was originally spinning crappy 'ol 23 inch three blade Mirage props with a best of about 56/57 mph with stock 365 Mags. With the new X dim the three blades would not even try to get on plane (lol knew that was gonna happen) so i picked up a set of 24 inch B1's and the boat loves them. X dim was the only change i made as i put the motors back in unchanged. The boat runs about 59/60 now but the cruise speed at about four grand went up by about eight or ten mph. Tell ya somethin else though the boat feels entirely different now. It reacts very well to trim and is much easier to balance, i ran the boat this weekend in 1 to 3's and a little bit in maybe 3 to 4's and the boat handles rough water much much better with no need for tabs at all. If anyone out there is redoing there ScarabIII transom you might want to give some thought to jacking up the X. i will get the exact number and post it also mine is a Bravo boat. This winter she is getting a freshen up on the power and some 26 inch Hydromotives i have to try out (been told thats the prop for these things).


Incidentally i am approaching the end of the line for me with this boat, I will have gone completely through everything and will be looking to trade in on another project. My boat was a very well kept five hundred hour 88 with 365 Mags/Bravos. I have gone through it cosmetically/structurally and am going to tighten up the engines and drives this winter. It shows very well and has been a great boat in the four years i have had it. What i would like to do is trade in/up on a 38 Scarab excel needing TLC. Looking for an 88 or 89 needing power or glass work or whatever, early ninety's boat would be great to but projects of that year seem to be few and far between. Dont be shy even if you have a real basket case i can trade up or down for the right boat and can also come up with some cash to balance out a deal if need be. Just tossing this out there as long as i got a thread going, its been a great boat but its about time to move on :D

Dave, lets talk lol

Dave, were the stringers/transom going bad/looking bad before you did them? Mine surveyed well, so I like to keep up with it, lol. I like your results you got, that's cool. Hate to see you move on from it. :(

Take care!

Yes mine needed stringers and transom so while doing that I jacked the X. Way happy with those results although I suspect it has more to do with running a better prop now that I have the x dim to stomach it. Boat had mirage three blades which suck in most performance applications. I hate to see this boat go to but someone is gonna get a hellofa nice piece. All new stringers, transom and bulkheads totally 100% encapsulated and guaranteed no water will ever touch any wood in this boat. It's getting fresh power and interior this winter then it's time to swap it for another project, hoping to fing an eighty eight or eighty nine excel scarab to do next. This boat is part of a progression of trade ups that started with a sixteen I did years ago. Nothing but sweat equity and parts D:

Like this one Dave?

post pics...

Yep that's the one Jack. I like them because they have the same hull as the flat deck but with a better cockpit and cabin. :drink:

This has been another great boat in my revolving fleet of projects :D looking forward to doing a 38 though. This was a nice on molested three hundred original hour boat when I got it several years ago. It was one hundred percent oem and pretty well kept. The guy I got it from hated it (more like was scared of larger boats) and didn't use it much. Traded my 260 Scorpion straight up for it, used it for the remainder of the season then started going through it little by little. I refer to this boat as my Winnebago for the water because it sleeps about six or eight people if need be. :drink:



Don't be shy if anyone has a project they wanna do some trading on. Top of the list is a late eighties 38 Scarab excel but I am willing to consider anything interesting. I can trade up or down and cash either way is ok to.

I sold mine yesterday Bro....:eek::eek::drink:

No way! That's great ( I guess lol) are you looking for anything else to stay on the water?

probably not this year

I just purchased an 89 Scarab III in Sandusky with stock 365's running 23 Mirage. What X Dim did you go to?

That's identical to mine, I don't have the exact number on hand but I went up two inches. Single best thing I ever did to the boat.

Where do you boat out of?

No trade here as mine is a 30 scarab and not what your looking for but what do you want out right?

I am asking twenty five if you are inquiring about mine. Fresh 365 Mags bumped a tad to 400+ or so, fresh vinyl in cockpit, fresh stringers and transom, new rubrail and all factory stripes re done. Boat has been cosmetically kept stock and shows very well. Its been a great boat and i am looking to either sell or trade up or down toward a 38 Excel.

Sandusky Bay.
Went over to Kelly's for Derby Day. Had some big waves going over. I was really impressed with the way the Scarab handled. Did I see you had a 23 Scorpion? I have a 1982 230 Scorpion. I redid the transom stringers on that back in 1998. It has been idle for 4 years for lack of a decent interior (and time). I dream about doing an LSX motor for the Scorpion.

dave...

did you turn the drives in or out after raising the X dim on the scarab?

also, whats up with your blue upper cabin door? is that a painted stock door or a custom item?!?!

yep, mine was a 260 though. It was actually a great boat for what it was. Scarab handles Erie water admirably to say the least. Funny thing about my X dim change i almost have no use for my trim tabs anymore. Came back across the lake last year after labor day at Kellys in one to threes and as hard as i ran i could drive the bow in as much as i needed with drive trim alone. Prior to the change drive trim did almost nothing but i suspect its more a function of being able to spin a good wheel in its proper location.

lol, i broke my cabin door and having industrial sewing equiptment on site i whipped up a Sunbrella replacement.

I spin out . . . . i think. I'll look tomorrow.

HA, i like it.

i'd pay good money for one of them in red or black... :D

A sunbrella one? I can hook ya up on one of those, got plenty of industrial sewing stuff here.

Sweet! Id appriciate it, let me know when you've got time and p.m. some payment info...

Thanks!

Matt

anything for a fellow Scarab three'er. I assume the same as mine? I think I have some red in stock. I will mess with it one night next week.

Ya, same as your's. I like how you put the snaps in the recessed gutter where the original plastic hatch would sit, so the sunbrella cover sits flush with the dash. smoooth :D

I'd prefer black, but the red would look sharp too... I'm stoked! Thanks again Dave!

Hey Dave,
My companionway Door broke last month, Forgot to latch it down. Had a local plastic shop make a new one after removing all the hardware.

Took a trip Sandusky to Port Huron and back to Cleveland for a family reunion several weeks ago (solo on the way up) . Absolutely fell in love with the boat. I found that I do not need the tabs except to level the boat. Seems to really love 3200RPM and varying degrees of drive trim. my speed ranged between 35 and 40 mph. Saw seas ranging from flat to 4' in the middle of Erie near a thunderstorm..