Hot Rod boats- Let's see 'em!

[Sharp Shooter]

I know there's at least few members on this site with Hot Rod style boats so let's see them. Post your best pics! For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about these boats became popular in the 50's and follow the light weight with big power school of thought taken from Hot Rodding,

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Am I on the wrong site? I know there's lots of nascar fans over here. None of you guys own muscle cars or hot rods?

We fish too! lol

 

[Tnstratofam]

I like the way these boats look and sound, but they aren't very common in our neck of the woods. Kind of like cigarette boats around here. They're around, but there aren't many.

My " Hot Rod boat " is still in pieces in my garage, it's a bow rider with a 350 Chevy with thru hull exhausts but I don't think it's in the same class as the ones you're looking for.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

I like the way these boats look and sound, but they aren't very common in our neck of the woods. Kind of like cigarette boats around here. They're around, but there aren't many.

My " Hot Rod boat " is still in pieces in my garage, it's a bow rider with a 350 Chevy with thru hull exhausts but I don't think it's in the same class as the ones you're looking for.

That sounds cool. You've got some rumble there! Is it a stock 350 or have you massaged it some?

 

[Tnstratofam]

It's the sock Cobra, but it sounds good and I've seen a twin turbo version in a boat just like ours.



I would love to dress the engine up and maybe give it a little more umph without killing the outdrive. When I get to the stage of repainting the hull I have an idea of Metal flake Hunter Green with silver accents. With a Custom wrap with an animated Green Machine character. We'll see if I get there.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

It's the sock Cobra, but it sounds good and I've seen a twin turbo version in a boat just like ours.



I would love to dress the engine up and maybe give it a little more umph without killing the outdrive. When I get to the stage of repainting the hull I have an idea of Metal flake Hunter Green with silver accents. With a Custom wrap with an animated Green Machine character. We'll see if I get there.

I like it! I can't imaging squeezing twin turbos in one of those. haha!! The heat alone would need careful consideration, but all ironed out that must be fun.

I like your idea for flake, but why not airbrush the green machine on there? Thanks for sharing! :thumb:

 

[roffey]

ok, you guys sound like you know what your talking about. Is the problem with juicing up the motor a heat related problem. I have never seen a turbo or supercharged closed motor in a boat. They are all open air motors. My motor is a 4.3 2 bbl carb that produces about 190 hp. How much work and money is involved in a 4bbl, head and carburetor?

 

[Tnstratofam]

The twin turbo Stratos I read about was done by a hot rod shop in GA somewhere. Macon maybe? Maybe Atlanta. Anyway it had the 460 King Cobra and a closed loop cooling system. The benefit to these boats is there is a fairly large stern area to play around with. Ours has lots of room on either side of the engine to add either cooling fans, an intercooler or just redirect airflow to allow for better breathing and cooling. There is also a pretty good amount of forward spacing that can be used up for go fast goodies. You just make the sun deck over the dog house bigger.


However a closed in engine compartment definitely makes overheating a masaged engine easier. Most the go fast boats I've seen with foced induction have an open engine bay with lots of chrome.

Adding a 4bl intake and carb to your 4.3 should be pretty straight forward. Adding better flowing heads should bump up the hp nicely, but how much hp you build into your engine still needs a strong enough outdrive there in lies some of the problems limiting big hp on boats.

I believe that's what makes the Berkley Jet drive so popular to Hot Rod boaters.

 

[Tnstratofam]

Air brushing is one option I'll be checking into.

 

[roffey]

I have a alpha 1 and I "think" I can go 300 hp? I don't think I could get 300 hp from a 4.3. Thanks for the info. Just playing around with the idea. My boat hits 55 (54.3) on a GPS but I think the hull can take 60 plus. It would be fun but I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze so to speak.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

I have a alpha 1 and I "think" I can go 300 hp? I don't think I could get 300 hp from a 4.3. Thanks for the info. Just playing around with the idea. My boat hits 55 (54.3) on a GPS but I think the hull can take 60 plus. It would be fun but I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze so to speak.

If you're serious about bumping up your power I would certainly call a qualified shop to find out your outdrive's limitations. You might need to try a different propeller as well.

The pics I've posted above are v-drive propulsion. The right v-drives can handle upwards of 5000 hp. Unlimited hydroplanes utilize v-drives. Many jet pumps can handle a lot of power as well.

We have quite a few guys running turbos and blowers under hatches in the smaller boats, but the majority are found in offshore boats.

Here's a twin blown engine Schiada with hatch. This is a factory install.

 

[southkogs]

On the lake I'm on the most we have plenty of the cigarette style boats. Only one dude that I've seen on the south end of the lake with one of the jet boats. I haven't caught him to figure out what he's got powering it, but it's a real grumbler. Sounds great when he's runnin'.

Not my bag, but I enjoy hearing 'em run.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

On the lake I'm on the most we have plenty of the cigarette style boats. Only one dude that I've seen on the south end of the lake with one of the jet boats. I haven't caught him to figure out what he's got powering it, but it's a real grumbler. Sounds great when he's runnin'.

Not my bag, but I enjoy hearing 'em run.

We have a ton of Jetboats out west. I don't prefer them to v-drive, but I like them ok. Big power in a light weight package is a fun combination and equates to entertaining performance regardless if it's on land water or even up in the sky. :thumb:

I have a big block chevelle in the garage and I grew up with muscle cars and hot rods. Here's a picture of my dad's set up from 1963. And these boats are great to ski behind.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Pirate cove resort on the colorado river earlier this year.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[southkogs]

Here's a picture of my dad's set up from 1963. And these boats are great to ski behind.

Holy man! I want the Ford doing the towin'. My folks used to have one in red.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Holy man! I want the Ford doing the towin'. My folks used to have one in red.

Great car! That's a Starliner with a HiPerformance 390 and manual trans. Is that what your folks had? Any old pics of it? Eventually that same boat recieved a 427 ford.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I love listening to them fly bye at WOT. I say "that's the sound of money!!"

A buddy brought out his J Craft he had dropped some insane engine in years ago. We sunk it when the transom basically broke off trying to bury the needle. I remember being young and bullet proof now and again.