Great resto thread man! Beautiful work. I'm inspired to start one of mine- have to choose between the '79 Formula 255 and the '81 Nova II. Decisions decisions. lol.

Thanks buddy, just pick one and pull the trigger. ��

Got my heads back on Thursday. Went to 2.18 intake valves and 1.88 exgaust. Got the heads back on the motors today. We'll get the valves adjusted and the intakes back on and buttoned up this week. The 2nd transmission is at kc marine. Should get it back in the next few weeks. Still gotta replace the oil seal in the port TRS drive. Maybe 3 weeks from water?
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps88c3l9bn.jpg
Meanwhile, did a little reinforcing to the trailer this afternoon..
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps2jbwkd7i.jpg

Beautiful Scarab! It's cool you stayed mostly stock instead of trying to make into a 2015 Fountain, very classy! I have a 77 Scarab 300 that I am restoring, leaving a lot of the original look.

Thanks KAAMASCARAB. Touched up the valve covers tonight. Going for a subtle 'Merica theme here. My engine guys coming by in the AM to adjust the valves and set the timing. I'll be able to set one engine in then.


http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psex6y8ugj.jpg

Hope to get the port engine/trans and drive in tomorrow night.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psiy35cvho.jpg

I put together a spare tire bracket tonight. I'll get a cover for it ordered tomorrow. The transmission was shipped friday. Hope to see it later this week.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pswgosjtpv.jpg

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Hi hblair,

Firstly a huge well-done on the restoration! Such a good looking boat!
My father and i imported a 300 Panther to NZ and picked it up 2 weeks ago, was very exciting!
I don't necessarily have any specific questions right now, but will follow your progress with keen interest!

We had a interesting time pulling ours home over some of NZ's high passes in the F100 - only just had enough torque to lug her up some hills!
Il be sure to upload any updates of ours.

Lastly, after spending over a hr or more reading this whole thread, its great to hear your well and recovered! :)
Coming to you all the way from Mossburn/Te Anau in NZ
http://s10.postimg.org/70zi30k61/110...89399493_n.jpg

Thanks VeyronRC, awesome looking boat you got there. Where did it come from?

We located it in Lake Havasu in Arizona, got it trucked to L.A. And shipped it half way round the world to us.
The offshore style really stands out down here, no other boat like it!
Il take some pics when we put her in Lake Te Anau in a couple of weeks!

Cool VeyronRC, look forward to the photos! My transmission didn't come in this week, so been working inside some. I'm a believer in incandescent lights with this kind of wood trimmed interior. I think it just looks better. Anyway, installed a tv and will be putting an inverter and DVD player in the closet also. Had my vinyl guy cut a scarab decal to go in the front...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psytqytdsk.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pskznbdldp.jpg

I found the magazine rack in the above photo in a pile of stuff the previous owner gave me and kinda figured out where it went. I also found two Wellcraft emblems.one went on the magazine rack and one goes on the front center of the rear seat. The plating had come off the emblems so I painted them hull color and touched up the rest of the colors. I've gotta do some recovering on the armrests on the rear console and the front of the rear console. I'll try to take some photos of that later to explain what I'm doing. Here's a photo of one of the emblems...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psjicmvxas.jpg

Finally got the starboard engine back in tonight. We hope to get them both in and fired up tomorrow night...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psokjftg1g.jpg

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Looking really good! Boy do I wish I had a shop that big!!

Thanks 502, all business during the day, boat shop only at night.
Got the engines in. Ran the starboard last night. Just lack the exhaust on the port side and the engine compartment should be done...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psflrzhx2c.jpg

Video:
https://youtu.be/tetTIrVYlVU

What is the side water pisser for?

Those are for the trans coolers, they only shoot like that when the boats on the garden hose. When it's sitting in the water they eject only about a 6 inch arc at idle. Trannys cost about 1000 apiece to have rebuilt to a very durable standard. With them both ejecting out the side there, the driver can look back over his right shoulder and confirm transmissions are being cooled at any time.

Well, after chasing a misfire/backfire situation on the starboard motor, messing with the timing and a few other things. We just had the boat running 66 mph, which is about 6 mph faster than last year. We were running wide open, 66mph at 4700-4800rpmThen the starboard motor starts making an awful top end noise. Kill it.
Backfires every time it turns over. Open valve? Presently we are limping back on the port motor. More work to do...

always something to wrench on.... :)

Broken rocker arm stud...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pst6ua7qay.jpg

did you by chance dry the exhaust up? obviously this is unrelated to what happen with the rocker however I noticed you had the stock exhaust. if you went to a more duration camshaft you could be sucking water back at idle.

OK, I'm admittedly a newb when it comes to making these boats go fast. What do you mean by dry the exhaust up? By the way, aftermarket exhaust and hydraulic steering are on my list of things to address.

While we're talking about engine stuff. What do you guys think I could do in the winter to get up in the 500-550 horsepower range with my 454's? They are 330 bottom ends with 2.18 intake valves, and 1.88 exhaust valves. Edelbrock air gap intakes, holley 750 marine carbs. I want to run 70+ Here's my cam card..

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psxplgcb1b.jpg

with the stock exhaust you have the cams can create reversion. (suck water back into the cylinder head ) to avoid this you should extend the exhaust riser so water is not exiting the so close where the vacuum will pull water into the cylinder head and valves . a bravo style gil exhaust with the hp 500 cam would suck water back into the exhaust. search gil exhaust images and where the end of the stainless pipe is would be where water is introduced. and that carburetor package would still pull water into the cylinder head

do you have oval port heads or square port heads? if you have the small oval port cylinder heads replace them with square port heads change the exhaust and a maybe a 236 intake and 242 ex @ 50 camshaft is close to what the hp 500 engine used

500- 550 hp with a 330 base is impossible. you need at least the forged bottom end to upgrade the top and increase HP with reliability... I'm no pro when it comes to engine building at all, but I know that for sure!

yeouch, I was hoping to keep my oval port heads lol. I just had the bigger valves put in them. Does anyone run aluminum heads with the raw water cooling in fresh water? Would that be easier to get the horsepower than to buy square port heads and have the larger valves installed?
With the Gil exhaust, are you talking about the risers only, or the whole thing? I want to replace the whole exhaust at some point but was wondering about just replacing risers for now.

Yeah Jeff, I was figuring I'd have to change over to the forged bottom end this winter anyways, before I do much else. 750 cfm carbs prolly wouldn't flow enough for 550 hp either would they?

These are the 353049 casting number heads. I was thinking they were ok for good horsepower. Maybe I got bad info?

They do have a stock extended stainless riser you can put on. Boostpower usa has them and a few other companies .
As far as the bottom end goes you can use the bottom end that you have it is not impossible. However being cast it is not as durable as forged. I would not go more than 500 hp.
I am using edelebrock aluminum heads in the chesapeake

Those are 049 heads. Best of the large oval port GM heads. Bigger valves, seat work, a little work inside the ports around the valve area and they can support 500hp. I run that exact same head and with roller comp cam (sorry, I don't remember which) Dual plane intake and holley 750s and made 502hp on one and 510hp on the other, all under 5800 rpm.

You can use the 330 bottom end for 500 hp max i have seen severalof those engines with that hp running around here with out problems the forged is the way to go.
Boostpower usa has the stainless stock riser that is extended..
I am runnig aluminum edelbrock heads in the chesapeake. A lot of people do. You will just need to purchase a flush kit when you are finished for the weekend and run on a garden hose

You can use the 330 bottom end for 500 hp max i have seen severalof those engines with that hp running around here with out problems the forged is the way to go. THEY HAVE A LARGE OVAL PORT AND A SMALL OVAL PORT. THE LARGER OVAL PORT I HAVE HEARD MAKES DECENT POWER
Boostpower usa has the stainless stock riser that is extended..
I am runnig aluminum edelbrock heads in the chesapeake. A lot of people do. You will just need to purchase a flush kit when you are finished for the weekend and run on a garden hose

Okay, I know I've been all over the map. Just trying to figure out what I want to do. Does anyone have experience with scat (or other brands) 496 stroker kits? I've been looking at them. I wonder if my heads would flow good enough for 496 cubes? I know I'd have to upgrade my exhaust if I did that. And carb? And Hydraulic steering. It's all a big vicious circle isn't it?

Change one thing, modify 3 others. The relentless pursuit of perfection my friend!

Side thought: Your boat is beautiful!!! Very classy resto. of that luxurious kind of style that is reminiscent of that era. Comfortable, Runs a decent speed, cruises at a decent speed, starts, etc. etc. etc.

My Scarab will run 78-82 mph with surface drives. I've spent money on it in the past tweaking speed. I'm spending a ton more to resto it and make it run faster!!! I'm already down the rabbit-hole. HOWEVER, In reality it runs WOT very little in it's life. 90% of the time (or more) we're cruising 45 mph, thumping around docks and restaurants, parking on beaches with friends, just enjoying being out. Now days, if I'm "racing" someone, it's usually somebody I'm hanging around with at the lake.

The amount of time, effort and cash it will take to make that Cadillac scamper a little faster vs.the awesome machine you built now needs to considered. I don't know that I'd mess with it, it looks pretty much perfect like it is! Speed is an ugly addiction--"just say NO!"

What addiction, I don't have a prob prob problem. So what if I have 4000 hours into working on my boat and 10 hours on the water.

Thanks CDShack, yeah I can see where it would get outa control. LOL BlownscarabI!

We replaced all the rocker studs with ARP's and took the boat out yesterday. It ran good with no probs. we plan to take it to gulf shores later this week. I look forward to seeing what kind of speed we can get in some good choppy water.

I pick up about 2+ mph in 1-2' chop.

Gulf shores trip got postponed. I took the boat out last Saturday. damaged the props, had local prop shop repair them. Took the boat out today to try them out (prop guy added a little pitch). Was going full throttle then it sounded like all heck broke lose. # 1 exhaust valve broke, exploded piston, broke can in four places, destroyed head and prolly block too. This things a mess. We were running a lot of timing(38), but it ran good and wasn't pinging. Until the big detonation lol.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psnidhhfyg.jpg

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