I believe 98 was the year that the models switched. I had a 98 260 and it was titled 24'

With the aftermarket tubular swim platform, it measured 25' 11"

I heard you guys were down at tiki bar a couple of weekends ago. Next time you're up, gimme a shout, I'm back on the water again!

We started to call you that weekend but everything was last minute. We are planning another trip back before summer is over, I will call you and see what weekend you are going to be around :ernaehrung004:

I would think it would take at least 750-800 hp to make an older heavier 280 to run that kind of speed.
You guys with the older 280's what horspower is it taking to get into the 90's?

Thanks for the clarification. That's the same as mine.

Never made it to the 90's but my '96 26 (280) ran 84 mph consistently with a 540 hp (Dyno'd) NA 461 BBC.

RPM = 5700
Prop = 26P lab Bravo 1
MPH = 84
Slip = 10%

The bottom is critical to wring the last bit of speed out. Mine was blueprinted for the '96 Powerboat test. Identical boats with HP500's were at least 4 mph slower than me, especially the newer boats around the 2000 time frame as the mold was in need of some serious reworking.

Focus on a triangular area from the transom/chime intersection to a point 4' forward of the rear of the pad. That area needs to be perfectly flat, no hook and no rocker, for this hull to fly.

IMHO a properly setup 26/280 should only need about 650 hp to break into the 90's.

I had a 650 only saw 81.7 and constant 78 but i was told it was 650 H.P. It was a 509 with a B&M 250 on it.. Hydromotive 28P turned around 5800
-Mike

All I can say is wrong prop (22% slip), the motor isn't making 650 hp (a 250 is WAY too small a blower for that motor), your bottom probably has a lot of hook in it and if it's an older boat, your X dimension is probably 2" lower than mine was.

My boat ran 68 mph on GPS with the stock 454 Mag (365 HP). It ran 84 MPH GPS light on fuel with the rebuilt 461. I went from a 24P Hydro to a 28P B1 but ended up back with a 26P B1 simply because my motor made peak power closer to 6000 RPM, not 5000 RPM like the Merc motors. My top end was the same with the 28P, it just had less midrange punch and took longer to come on plane.

I've been in and around a lot of 26's with HP500's or massaged ZZ502 crate motors and every one of them bounces off 80 swinging 28P props in the 5200 - 5400 RPM range. Back in the late '90's the labbed B1's were the hot ticket on a 26. I don't know how they handle with the new 5 blades and the dog eared Hydros.

Well lets hope it goes liked a raped ape with this new 589 tall deck and a 10-71 intercooler. The drive is a 1.5 Xr Max Worx with 32 labbed B1 H.P. 1K+
Mike

It should but I hope you are also taking the time to true up the bottom. It would be such a waste to spend all that time and money and leave performance on the trailer.

I know that 8 years ago there were a couple 750+ HP blower 26's running up north (NC/VA) that were bouncing off the 100 mph mark so there's plenty of speed in the hull.