I am totally new here ...green as grass. I just bought a 1985 Baja 240 Sport with 454. I hope that's enough info to answer the question I ask. The boat doesn't have trim tabs. Does it need them? Would the boat perform better with them? I saw a set of Bennett Trim Tabs ST-12 Sport Tabs on Ebay for $500 ...would they do the trick if trim tabs are needed? Thx in advance for any help / advice.

i would use the boat for a while and see how it runs without them, a lot of boats in that size range really dont need or have them. They only really help in rougher water or if there is a listing type problem, but i would run it for a while and just see how your hull handles as is. you may find with an older boat your money maybe better served elsewhere . best wishes with your new ride . just take your time and build up your speed until you know the way your boat handles.

You will most likely need them to keep the boat running level. I had Bennets on my 24 Outlaw and they worked fine. The boat tends to lean a little bit from the prop torque.

Thx JLN ...that was quick. Yea, going to take my time on going fast. It is a big move forward in size from my 16 foot Sidewinder with a 115 Merc on the back. Concerning the money ...1st chunk is going into a new interior. I hope to get that started next week. I am looking forward to the new adventure. I guess my next big question will be about the prop. There seems to be a lot of info on that ...maybe too much for me to take in.

i have a 90 240 sport w/454 i dont have trim tabs on it and i feel like it performs just fine.....the prop im runnin is a 24p 4 blade it seems to take a few to get out of the water but runs about 68 on gps....plus it seems not to run the motor at such high rpms i have a stock 454 w/ almost 1000hrs no rebuild.....just some food for thought....GOOD LUCK

your welcome, when i read your post , when you said you were really green i thought i would add my 2cents worth, i did forget to mention about props. a 4 blade usually gives more hull lift than a 3 blade the trade off is usually a little less top end but it gets out of the hole better. there are way more knowledgeable people on this board than me, and there is tons of great advice on every topic. good luck.

well griff rigth it will help you run better and if you put more power later you will need them . now on the prop baja put the drive x low in the water you need to run a 3blade prop on all my testing mirage did the best!!!!!no bull **** now a stock baja with 365hp ran 57 to 62 mph that it .1992outlaw with a 420hp ran 69mph. now when you chose a prop go wot and see what rpm you are truning .then you will no witch way to go .i pitch is 200rpm . on your vale cover you will see a tage it will say wot4200 to 4600. that telling you to keep the rpm in that range . i like to prop my at the top 4600 that make the motor run the best good luck with your boat

Thanks for all the info. I am getting excited on this new project!