New potential SB owners...
 

Hi guys! I'm getting close to ordering a 30Y2K from John. I got a couple of other guys interested too. That $48,900 boat is just too good to be true...

I'm going to order a pretty basic boat, 496mag, two color gel and no cabin. Do any of you guys have a boat set up this way? Or know of any? Any in the Gulf Coast Area?

My intended purpose is: cruising Galveston Bay regardless of chop. (I have an 18' Donzi now.) A few possible Poker Runs as social events. We mostly blast around a little bit, then raft up/drink beer/ogle the women...

Also, my buddy Spencer (the guy who owns the old Team Exciter race boat) is interested in the same hull with twin 350mags. John says he can do it. Anyone ever seen one?

Any thoughts? Thanks guys!

JimG

ZZ's boat came off Lake Conroe down in your area...

Not ever seen a Y-2k with twins, but a number of 30' Tempest race boats were built with twin small blocks.

Tripps and ZZ will hopefully chime in...
I know they are familiar.

I have only heard of the fact that the boat was unbeatable with twin 400s...

I DON'T KNOW OF ANY Y2K,S WITH TWINS BUT IF I HAD MY CHOICE I WOULD PREFER 2 SMALL BLOCKS OVER MY BIG BLOCK ANY DAY.MUCH MORE MANEUVERABLE AROUND THE DOCKS AND MAKING 450HP OUT OF A SMALL BLOCK IS CAKE.NEVER CALLING SEATOW WHEN YOU LUNCH A DRIVE.REMEMBER R/C MARINE 2 SMALL BLOCKS NO STEP UNBEATABLE THEN WITH TRS DRIVES.TRY PARKING A BOAT WITH EXTERNAL STEERING EXTENSION BOX 1.36 GEAR THAT IDLES AT 900 AROUND THE DOCK .IT MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE AN AMATEUR. :cool:

How well is the boat balanced with twins? Buy a single and put a bow truster:rolleyes: :D

Get the 496 upgrade to the XR and your drive should be fine.

Great boats,somebody used to race one with 3 mercs in the 80's went 80 plus and was a constant winner. My friend also had one setup with tripps also,very happy and fast with 2.5s Good luck tripps,owner of a foot wider 30 ft superboat with tripps tripps

Did they stagger the twins I/O's in the 30? Twins in a 7' beam must be tight.

If I was buying a new Y2K I think I would get the basic finished cabin, K-Planes, and full hydraulic steering. You might as well get it rigged for speed from the start. You'll be increasing HP soon!

Thanks guys! Great advice!

Dave, if I added all that stuff right off it'd push the 65k envelope with a trailer. Out of my range. Although, I have decided to add the race mount based on info I read here.

I'll add more as I go!:p This package will give me a solid base from which to build. In the meanwhile we use it, break it in real good, get to know it's handling characteristics, etc. Don't need an interior, we have a wine/cheese boat for that stuff. I'll strap a porta-potti in for the missus, and be done with it.

Remember I'm going from a vintage 1970 Donzi with a top speed of 55mph! I'll start SLOW!!:D :)

JimG

Dave,
I remember speaking at length with a 30' Tempest OB owner at a poker run a few years back. He told me that the twins are side by side and tight.
A 29' Scarab, also 7' wide was also sold with twins sb.
My 28' Cig. was 7'10" with twin sbc. Kind of a ***** to change the plugs...

Jim,
I had a 1975 18' Donzi that looked just like yours.
White top and bottom, yellow sides and interior.
300Hp/350sbc hooked to a Volvo 280.
She topped out at 60; I bet there was another 5 if she had power trim.
Loved that boat!
Kind of a wet ride though...

How wet is the 30y2k, I'd think if your running a following sea it would be wettttt.:crazy:

welcome to the club.

I DON'T THINK THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM FOR TWIN BIG BLOCKS SIDE BY SIDE BUT SMALLBLOCKS NO PROBLEM.STAGGERED IS ALWAYS BETTER, IS THERE ENOUGH ROOM TO STAGGER 2 SMALLBLOCKS WITHOUT MOVING THE BACK SEAT NOW THAT WOULD BE THE HOT TICKET. :eureka:

ZZ, twin staggered 450HP sbc would make quite a race-boat...
I don't know about you, but I would rather keep one engine running than two.
Seatow is a cheap second.
Been there done that, and I know you have too...;)

With this boat I would think a single would be fine. Seatow is a good second! Take that money and put that into engine work and build a monster!

for you guy thinking about a new y2k you better put in your order soon
i was speaking to john today,he told me if i wanted a new boat buy summer i should order it now!
only problem i have to sell my formula first

I was thinking the same thing, every year guys are doing a lot of talking then warm weather hits and they decide to order a boat and dont understand why they can't get it befor July. I ordered my boat June 1 and got it Oct 10, for the same reasons, dragging my feet.

Eddie

john took a order on a y2k w/twin 6.2 small block's yesterday
he think's it should top out in the low 90's
i asked him if he had to stager the engine and he said no

NOW THATS GOING TO BE A HOT BOAT.THIS IS ONE FOR THE MAGAZINES AND TO BRING FOR TESTING WITH POWERBOAT MAG.THIS BOAT SHOULD OUTPERFORM ALL OTHER BOATS WITH TWIN BIG BLOCKS.:eureka:

Any idea on the cost to install the twin small blocks over a single HP500/bravo xr with the y2k?
Are they just a small block with bravo's?

Never Mind, I got the costs!

But what about all the guages??? where do you put them all?
If I were to go with twins, maybe two Smartcraft monitors?


I want this damn boat!
I am going to have to start ho'ing myself out to save up money quicker.

Talked to John today again... inching ever closer!

Got some questions answered:

The passenger grab rail is standard. The interior, (if ordered without) is gelcoated white, with benches and vee-berth complete. No cushions.

Controls are Merc Zero-Effort.

I think the cost of two 6.2's hooked Bravos would be about the same $$ as a 525 hooked to a XR...
JC is going to need a big shoe horn to get them in there.
I wonder how the balance will be? I'm guessing OK; there were 30's built with twin 400 cube sbc hooked to TRS drives...

I was suprised at how much more twins were than a single. The cost basically doubled.

I wonder if I could get staggered 496"s in, that would be a hell of a Poker Run boat with a merc warrentee 850 hp,

John Jr and I talked about it last weekend now that's all I've been thinking about.

Eddie

Hell a y2k with a 525 would make a great pokerrun boat. staggered 496s make a cut out on the deck for 2 seats(rumble seat soo you can take 4 would be kooool!) I'd put gauges on the port dash with angled bessels like cigs!:D

I'm not all that crazy about the staggered BB idea because of the weight, cost, and the cockpit space it would eat up. I my mind the boat would be a hard sell at resale having only a tiny cockpit. Sure there are buyers out there for "poker run" boats, but it's a much smaller market. Besides the cost of such a package would likely drive buyers to bigger name brands. In my mind Superboat is really perceived their for their value, with the twin staggered BB's I think you lose too much value. The fact that the Y2K comes with a single BB is were it's value is created, but it's a double edged sword. The single keeps the initial cost down, as well as maintenance and fuel costs, while offering okay performance. The down side is the lack of redundancy that twins offer. The other big down-side in my mind is the lack of maneuverability with a single. For some people the maneuverability isn't much of an issue, but for me I much prefer having the added control of twins around tight docks. Not that I wouldn't own a single, but twins are a big "plus" in my book when we are talking about a 31' boat. MY next concern is speed. I personally would want a 90+ mph boat. Can this be done with a single BB? Sure, but it will likely take 625 hp to see 90 mph and 775 hp to get me to 100 mph. Such a motor isn't cheap. The better solution in my mind is to go with twin SB's. Anyone can build 425 hp SB (383's) relatively cheaply and they are damn near bulletproof. These motors should easily get a Y2K up to the century mark. If more speed is desired, these motors can easily be bumped up to say 550+hp each, which would get a Y2K moving at a tune of 115+ mph. Don't need 100 mph? Twin 275 hp SB's would propel the Y2K to 80 mph. 275 hp SB's will run forever and can be had for peanuts. I my mind twin SB's make a lot of sense.

Anyone have any pictures of a twin SB installation? Also, how much speed will this boat handle? At what speed does chine walk (or any other unwanted traits) become an issue on the Y2k?

Why is there such a cost difference with the twins????
Cost wise I found a pair of 6.2 and bravo's for 18k new, in boxes. Granted these are only bravo's and not xr's.
A 496HO with bravo xr will run in the mid 20's (new)
A 500HP with Bravo xr will run in the low 30's (new)
A 525 with bravo xr will run mid to upper 30's. (new)
Shop costs at 70.00 an hour with a two week install time 80 hours total would be $2800.00 bucks?

This is all just speculation at this point.

I love the twin set-up and could not afford the costs of the 525. :(

Oh well. I love this boat and plan on ordering it with twins once I save up enough cash, probably now this winter.

As far as the staggered set-up with loosing the back bench, I would be concerned about resale. There is that Pantera floating arounding that changes hands every couple of years, and takes a huge hit on the resale.

This is my plan.....
I would go with twin smallblocks as a first option. twin 6.2's stock should net you about 86 mph +\-
Procharged or whippled should net you over a 100 mph.... 30-y2k @ 6000 pounds (1000 pounds extra for second motor and drive) with twin 6.2L MX and Procharged with 504 c.i. intercooler and 7 psi pulleys should bring the boat close to 960 h.p. (320 h.p. + 160 procharged h.p. X 2) at 107 mph with about 20 gallons of fuel in the tank. phew..... However, that 20 gallons is going to go really quick at w.o.t.
Also an oil cooler would be mandatory for each motor.

Second reason to go with twins, that boat is going to look bad-azz with the back end squated in the water a little more with the bow raised just a bit because of the added wieght, just tied up to the dock.

Third- reliability.

Fourth - Twins are funner in the sack :D

Fifth - it will sound bad-azz.

As far as a second option, a large high cube single. But with that you could run into reliability issues etc.

Third option if I can't afford these....30-y2k with the 496 375 h.p. for 49k
:D

What do you all think?

I agree with SS930!
:)

Call John. From what he told my buddy who was about to pull the trigger on one, it's a completely different animal than the 30Y2K with a single. Costs double.

I don't think a 30Y2K has ever been built as a twin.
I am sure that the stringer system will have to be a lot different. Maybe the cost is much higher because JC is deferring some of the design, and tooling costs???

I owned a 28' Cig with twin sbc and it was a great boat, however maintaining and feeding two was about double. My last two boats have been smaller 24' single bbc, and it will be a long time before I go back to twins.
As for as the handling around docks, I am sure twins are far better. I have not driven a 30' Superboat but I have driven a 29' Fountain. If the wind kicks up it can be a handful...

Top speed is over rated in my opinion... I get much more of a rush catching air in the rough than a flat out run on glass. To each their own.
As far as how fast a 30' Superboat will run ??? To my knowledge, Mike's Zuperboat is the only to get close to the century mark. High 90's with a 750HP blower motor. Jcap's boat runs just shy of 90 with a 650HP blower motor. JC had some bad luck a few years back when making a speed run for Power Boat in a 750HP blower motor in a 30 Y2K. Told me she snapped a valve. How fast she would have run ??? I know he was hoping for 100.
In my opinion the 30Y2K is most attractive with a single 496/Bravo, that 50K- 60K price just can't be beet. If 68-72mph is not fast enough, well another 6K buys a Whipple charger.

Great thread!

:D :D

Personally I like the idea of the twin s.b. Reliability namely, and top speed without a wild b.b.

If I can afford it I will order with twin s.b. If I can't, then the 50K special.

Also, you could go with that 50K special with the 496 375 h.p. bolt on a procharger 7 psi 504 intercooler for 5k plus labor, produce 562 h.p. for 86 m.p.h.
Thats smok'n!
Oh yeah, will need an XR and external steering.

The best damn part, is the fact that you payed less than 100K for a 32' boat!!!!!
That has got to make anyone feel good!
:cool:

Yes, there's a cost to be paid for the added stringer system, but to the best of my knowledge nothing has to be tooled... it's just a matter of changing the locations. John has done this with plenty of others so it's not like this would be a first for him.

Sure twin SB's are more expensive to feed, but when you look at feeding the same hp in a single BB, it's not much more. Maybe 30% more to feed twin 400 hp SB's vs. one 800 hp BB??? I'd much prefer to feed a little extra and have the benifits of twins.

Most people don't run their boat wide open, maybe 3% of the time. Although the top speed is nice, I like the power so I can cruise at a much higher speed. There are rough days and thery are a blast, there are claim days as well. On the rough days this boat just won't handle 80 mph in big water so the speed (power) isn't needed. For those glass like days it's nice to be able to cruise at 75 mph. Pat, where you and I boat, LIS is usually to rough for this boat to do 75 mph... but the CT river is another story. We see both sides of the coin so it's nice to have the ability to cruise at higher speeds if you have the desire. Like wise, it's nice to know you have twins when the water starts getting really big on the Sound. As you noted above, once you start building more power, twins really shine for their reliability. Another fact... twins will make this boat better in the rough water since the twin SB's (and drives) surely have to out-weigh the single BB by 500 lbs.

Without a doubt the stripped down Y2K is the best value. It will also have the best resale value. But remember, when you take that $6000 and buy a blower (or do anything to add more speed), you also have to buy hyd. steering and tabs for safety reasons... So that $50,000 base boat is now up to $65,000+.


One other thing... What is the layup of the $50,000 base model? Is it made with all plywood? If so, the added weight and vastly decreased life span makes me think the foam/balsa layup is the better value. John's website isn't very clear about the layup.

SS

Call John with any questions you may have about the layup. That guy is amazing, he must stay by his phone 24 hours a day. I've never failed to get him on the 1st ring.

According to John, the $49,800 boat is his old race layup. Plenty strong for my purposes. As far as "decreased life span", my 1970 Donzi probably has a similar layup with lots of plywood. At age 34, it's holding up great, and spends most of it's time in the air!!

Jim

As far as the construction materials on the 50k special I would think wood stringers, transom, and bulkheads, glassed hull deck and liner. I think this is more than adequate for the horsepower, but wouldn't go too crazy adding gobs of power for waterbodies larger than lakes. I wish I new exactly.
I would own it!

(631) 226-1761

John can tell you...

I don't want to bother him because I am not ready to buy a boat from him just yet. Probably this winter.

I would rather he spend his time helping people who are ready to purchase than answering questions from a window shopper at this point.


:)

The 50k deal, balsa cored bottom, glass sides, foam cored deck plywood stringers and bulkhead all glassed to the deck and hull(also glassed together).

As for twins 2 6.2 at 3500rpm burn alittle more than a 496 at 4500rpms, and I doubt it twice. Merc pricing, 6.2 w/bravo about 13k, 496HO w/bravo about 17k, if you have a 90mph boat you need external steering 5k(get this on a 496 maybe single ram 2500) xr upgrade about 3k. twins also add an extra grand or so in gauges.
As for rough water and weight twins may make the boat ass heavy and not fly as level, Active Thunder doesn't want twins in their 28 because it flys soo nice with a single.

As for docking, take your time and make sure you have a cleet midship.

To me the beauty of this boat is simplicity, hose the whole thing down when you are finished, not much to rot(all gell), cost, a 496 is very fuel eff. compaired to other BB, warentee 6 years, cruise at 50mph getting 3mpg all day, narrow beam(makes it ride like a bigger boat and dosent need Merc Racing to hit 70(cost), custom made not assembly line and it just looks sexy.

Twinn 6.2 w/bravos for 18k in boxes, buy them its a deal, bring them to JC and he'll put them in.

Hebert-- I agree with everything you have said! The boat is simple and sexy, not cluttered but clean.
I am actually pleased that the construction on the 30-y2k is as advanced as you said. That is good news! When John said older race boat on his website I was thinking 68-70 Magnum/Donzi. (which isn't bad by the way, just older).

Now, I just need to rob a bank to save for the down!

What about Insurance? SB30 - If you don't mind me asking, who are you insuring through? did they give you any problems?

Hey Guys,
Maybe we should make a group trip to Lindenhurst this Spring and fill JC's capacity to build 30Y2Ks for the coming year...:D We'll hit him up for a group discount!!!:rolleyes:
I have not talk to John about the differences between the older vs newer construction, only heard second hand info... I believe that there is added coring to the sides that stiffens the whole boat in the more expensive layup.