Kings11

iTrader: (1)

I bought a 30' Regal Velocity (stripped) in the Middle of August and rushed to get it ready for a poker run the first week of September.

I stripped my 1988 Chris Craft stinger and transferred everything to the Velocity. In the process I put in new gimbals, used the imco external steering, my 510hp small blocks (going to be 550HP in the Spring when I reinstall now) and my old bravo drives which for some reason have taken a pounding now and only needed to be re-sealed twice when pulled apart.

My question is this, I currently ran a best of 81 mph with 30 pitch stock Bravo 1 props, and 82 mph with a labbed set of 28 Pitch Maximus Props (but the lab job was a special design for another hull so it isn't a fair test). My Bravo's are the old style cases with the oil passage in the housing.

Is it time to put nose cones on the drives, I know the previous owner had cones installed but he was running 580HP and nearly 600 ft/lbs at 92 mph.

If so what cones? I've looked at hydromotive and EMI but do I require the low water pick up as well on this hull? The X dimension is the stock height from the factory. My current drives are not low water pick up, but I'm worried adding the cones will move the water away from the side pick ups of my bravo's.

Figured this would be the best spot to post as I'm sure someone has done it and this forum seems to be pretty active.

Revelocity

I wouldn't bother with nose cones as they really aren't needed on Velocity hulls. Velocity drives are set up high due to the notch transom hence the nose cones don't provide the same benefit that they would on a boat with a lower x dimension. Definitely take your time learning the boat once you go above say 85 MPH.

ziemer

iTrader: (1)

Was this the teal one? I talked with this guy a little bit, but he was a little high on the price when he and I spoke.

Looked like a nice boat though.

As for nosecones, I always heard the older Bravo's benefitted somewhat with nosecones where the newer styles didn't as much...

Kings11

iTrader: (1)

Yes this was the teal one. I got it at what I considered a fair price and it seemed he came down a couple of times last summer in the price. As for the condition of the boat, it's in excellent shape, the original paint still shines, and there are two tears in the entire interior. One of them is on the grab handle, the other the engine hatch and hard to spot.

So I don't really requires cones due to the X dimension then. Just put more power to the hull. If I don't require the cones all I have to do is straighten the skeg on one of my drives, from a previous enjoyment, and then put the motors back in the boat with more power then. Sounds good to me.

ziemer

iTrader: (1)

Even in a prop surfacing condition, a nose cone can/is beneficial to the hydro-dynamics and the amount of turbulence in front of the prop.

On the Velocity, the bullet or case of the gearcase is not completely out of the water to where the shape would not affect anything. I believe they are less effective at slower speeds, but the higher the speed say 75-80+ the more effective they become where the additional drag of larger case is offset by the more "clean" water provided to the prop.

I may try a set on mine over the winter, so I'll find out first hand. Can do some before and after results. Hell, the Hydromotive cones are only $125 a piece.

Oh yeah, congrats on the new ride. I recently bought the same boat, but in red. (Mine is a 1990 with 502 MPI's)

Kings11

iTrader: (1)

Well I've run a best of 82 and am adding about 50 more ft/lbs a side on the poor small blocks this winter.

So I'll wait and see how it goes, and how much I tie into the small blocks before I do the cones.

mikes280

don't do the nose cone until after the power increse and see how much better it runs without the nosecone first. I run the imco on mine but i am well over 90

Kings11

iTrader: (1)

Did you guys just use the hydromotive cones?

The only ones I have found don't have lower water pick ups but what appear to be notches on the side to vent the water to the pick ups. (From Hydromotive, the EMI come both ways)

If I have to do low water pick ups, I'd rather get them done and plumbed (drilling and tapping the upper) before the season gets into full swing.

I'd rather put them on when I have everything apart, rather then wait, if it's just the hydromotive cones with out lower water pick ups that I've seen are the ones to use, I can always knock them off.

Kings11

iTrader: (1)

What I'm trying to get at with the later cone question is, no one is worried the cone will deflect the water away from the side pick ups in the lower case at speed causing you to lose water pressure amongst other issues? As I see everyone uses a hydromotive cone, yet the only cone I've seen online from hydromotive has no water pick up.

Revelocity

Agreed that the bullet still is in the water flow for Velocity hulls but my point was that the potential gains will be far less then boats having a the bullet more into the water. According to Steve Stepp, Imco shorty drives with "nose cones" yields about 1.5 MPH faster on a twin Velocity set up (mixed results on single drive set ups - see old posts). So I can't see the nose cone by itself helping much. Now if you're talking NXT drives - that changes things big time hydrodynamically!