Performance Boats
All summer you’ve dreamed of passing all those boats that have blown by you since June. Now that time has come. You plunk down a large stack of greenbacks for a nasty supercharger and wrench all weekend bolting it in. Now comes the moment of truth. As you tear down the lake, all eyes are on the gauges, and the oil pressure is heading south too quickly. What could be wrong? You let off the throttle for a bit and all the vital signs return to normal.
We’ve ran into this exact scenario before. We installed an R-Tech Supercooler on the ProCharged Dorr’s Marine Engine 502cid motor in our Baja 250ES. The install was a huge success with a whopping 9mph increase in top speed. The boat worked well, but what we weren’t expecting was the huge increase in oil temperature from the gain in horsepower. If we had stayed on the throttle for a good 5,000-plus-rpm run, the oil temperature would have shot for the moon and oil pressure would have dropped to an uncomfortable level, forcing us to back out—what fun is that?
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I have been working as a marine tech for about five years now, and one thing I have learned is that you have to be somewhat of a contortionist to deal with some boats. I have learned many things that can make the job a lot less painful. If you find yourself in a situation with your own boat that seems impossible, try calling your local marine shop. Chances are that the experts there will be able to give you some advice to help you through the problem. Meanwhile, here are a few tips to help you out with some common problems you may run into.
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When this Cole 22 Nighthawk sank after a stormy night, a lot of things needed to be replaced. The fuel tank selector valve was toast, and the original equipment was no longer available for purchase. The owner of this boat decided it was a good time to upgrade to an Eddie Marine Total Flow Control high-volume fuel valve. The three-port model (PN SF-100) used here is a safe and efficient fuel valve that is ultra reliable and will flow 240 gallons of fuel per hour. Operated by a 12-volt motor, it meets all U.S. Coast Guard requirements, including the ability to be manually operated should the motor fail for any reason. A six-port model is also available with fuel return provisions for fuel-injected applications (PN SF-200).
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IMCO’s Stern Advantage is the perfect example of a retrofit kit that will bail a boat owner out of a bad situation and allow him to end up with a safer, better performing boat. Maveric Marine invited us to watch its crew install a Stern Advantage on a Nordic 28 that was in the shop for repairs, and we jumped at the chance. This Nordic has a 496 Mag HO with a Bravo One X in it, and the owner understood that the worn out steering problem wasn’t going to go away, so the external hydraulic steering system made a lot of sense.
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Ever see those boats on the TV show Fear Factor? Those are Ultra Custom Boats built by John West and his team in El Cajon, California. Ever watch Monster Garage? That is Jesse James from West Coast Choppers, which is based in Long Beach, California. What happens when these two guys get together to build a boat and a bike is what we have here.
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Dragon Powerboats was founded in early 2002, but the first boat didn’t make its public debut until the 2004 Miami International Boat Show. “I realized there was a higher level of quality and luxury to which performance boats can be manufactured,” said Craig Barrie, president of Dragon Powerboats. This is a pretty bold statement coming from the guy who spent 16 years of his life first as a vice president and then as president and CEO of the famed Cigarette Racing Team. In fact, Barrie was instrumental in the design of some of today’s most popular Cigarettes, including the 35-foot Café Racer, 38-foot Top Gun, 42-foot Tiger and 46-foot Top Gun. That is a pretty impressive resumé for a guy who now plans to build boats of his own.
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What makes the Dakota perfect is that you get all the attributes of a full-size pickup in a mid-size package. Even the styling of the new Dakota reminds you that this truck is definitely a member of the Dodge family. The grille is bold and bright, but with more angular shapes than on the full-size trucks. Large quad headlamps, a lower airdam and a giant front bumper say this truck means business. From the side, the Dakota features chiseled quarter panels that flare out to accommodate the standard 16-inch tires or optional 17s on SLT and Laramie versions. In back, the Dakota features “afterburner” taillamps and a sculpted tailgate that finishes the overall design treatment. All in all, it’s quite stylish.
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There’s no denying that the MerCruiser 496 has been a success. But no one is claiming that it’s a sexy beast. The plastic engine cover has been referred to as a George Foreman Grill or a turtle back. Vortech Engineering thought it could help out in the visual area, and the company’s new dress-up kit is a big improvement.
Included in the kit is a Vortech flame arrestor as well as a new polished billet engine cover that transforms the look of the 496. Maveric Marine had a 25-foot Cole in the shop that was darn good-looking, but the owner hated the black plastic engine cover. As soon as Maveric owner Eric Bortman heard about the new Vortech kit, he made plans to install one.
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Be Cool is no newcomer to cooling heavy metal. For years it has provided cooling solutions for some of the most impressive high-performance engines to rumble down the streets and dragstrips of America. The folks at Be Cool understand that having the proper cooling components in any car or truck is vital to keep an engine safely within its operating temperature range. They also understand that to make cooling and installation easier, they had to design a full bolt-in system, a system that would fit hundreds of applications for classic cars and trucks, as well as more modern vehicles that also need cooling help.
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From Superboats to Bowriders, Here’s a List of a Few of Our Favorite Boats Author It’s one of our favorite pastimes on a rainy day: we sit around and talk about our favorite boat or boats. It could be the first boat you ever drove or even a favorite hot rod you always wished you could have instead of the bowrider or deckboat you use to accommodate your family’s needs. Then, of course, there are the big-time offshore go-fasts that make everybody’s jaws drop. You know which boats have a special spot in your heart. Let’s see how your list stacks up against ours.
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