New Panther Owner Here
 

Hey guys, I just got a 1988 Panther!! Its my first boat and I love it and I'm learning a lot.

If any Panther owners out there have some advice, info, etc please share.

Also, I would love to get my hands on an owners manual if anybody knows where i could get a copy.

Any info or stories would be appreciated, thanks!!

Scarab Panther
 

There are a few Panther owners on here. Mine is a 1988 Kevlar boat with Bravo 1 drives. I replaced the transom and stringers two winters ago. While doing that, I rasied the X dimension.
I spun a bearing in the original 330's at 1400 hrs....So I installed new 496 strokers....lost a valve that totaled the motor....So I hand built my new motors.

Dart blocks, Eagle forged cranks and rods, Wesico forged aluminum pistons. Aluminum heads 8.2:1 Compression , Manley Inconel intake and exhaust valves, BandM 250 blowers with 1050 quick fuel Dominator carbs. Running detuned at 4 lbs of boost to keep them cool and help my drives survive.

While I was building the motors, I had the interior re built.

I raised and widened the engine cover to clear the blowers it now sits flush with the deck.

Beautiful man! very clean! Ive got the original 454s in mine still. Im probably gonna have to replace transom in the next year or so. She's in decent shape though.

How can you tell if its Kevlar?

The bare glass is yellowish in color.
https://www.fabricgateway.com/topic/kevlar+49

I also answered your question in the fiberglass section about your drain plug area.

Transom
 

My transom had rot at the drain plug and down from the two outside exhaust through hull pipes. Because I did not have a bunch of rot, it made digging out the good wood miserable. The areas that had rot were easy to dig out and get down to bare glass. When you hit Kevlar with a grinder, you get yellow fuzz.

I should have left mine alone and ignored it for a few years. Like, maybe 10.

That's the direction I was trying to give him. And when people encounter rot in a transom, it doesn't always mean full tear apart. I would only hit the spots that show high moisture if it is even a concern. My AT was fully rotted so it is an easier deconstruction.

Got ya, Thanks for the info fellas