My buddy is buying a boat and is chosing the motor option as of now (24' deckboat). He is debating about possible motor options, 377 merc, standard 496, and 496 HO. I am trying to talk him into a motor that leaves more oppurtunity for upgrades (head work, cam, supercharger). I believe that he should either go for the 377 or the 496 ho if money allows, and leave the standard 496 alone. Any and all comments are more than welcome, and appreciated. My feeling is that he may be happy with which ever choice as of now, but later down the road feel the need for more speed/power. And I believe that the previous choices leave more room for improvements. I know that when I bought my boat (26 Commander, 502 mag gen VI) I was happy with the power and that I was looking to upgrade within a matter of weeks (typical performance boater, I know). Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

Jeff

Hell, if he opted for the 575SCi he would still be looking for more power within a couple weeks . That's what it is all about.

If money isn't a consideration I would go with the 496HO.......100 more horsepower than the 377 plus closed cooling.

If he is really your buddy, tell him NOT to buy a boat. If that doesn't work tell him to go for the most power he can get. I don't know any boat owners that say, " this boat is just to fast".

SeaDated- I never talk a buddy out of buying a boat if it is what they want. The way I look at it is I have another boat to go out in if mine breaks or need a tow back in.

As far as motor. NO such thing as TOO MUCH horespower!

If its a 24' deck boat, get some cheap stock power. Then if he wants more, he can pull the stock power and put in an all new engine. When its time to sell, put the stock power back in. I just don't think it would be very easy to sell a deckboat with a modified engine.

Sorry, I should have been a little more specific, the boat is a tunnel hull. It is similar to the Advantage Party Cats, if you are familiar with those.

I think the boat is a tad too big for the small motor. It would be better for a 22' boat. I guess that I'd be looking at the 496 HO, although I'd sure prefer a old fashioned 502 mag.

If you have the cubic inches you can always add horsepower!!!!!!

Seadated,,,

How true.