Saturday coming back from pirates 257 & A 27 Shadow

[DWC]

My pontoon gets more thumbs up then my M33.

I’d sell the M33 quick. (And cheap).

 

[was thatguy]

Back in the day many soon found out don't mess with 2 old guys in a bass boat with a refrigerator mounted to the back.

So true.
The first day I owned the Miller we were out on Shasta. It had a single carb TR on some 2 bolt crate motor and just all kinds of hokey rigging on it.
Im pinned at a whopping 50 MPH MAYBE and a Skeeter with a dumpster sized engine goes winging by staring at us with their drinks in hand.
A Mocking of the highest order.
Debbie said “do what you have to do, a fishing boat just passed us..”
The engine was out of the boat that night, no bullshit.

That was 15 years ago. 3 engines, 3 jet configurations and multiple mods by Tom and Josh.
People have asked me “At any point did you stop and think about putting that money into a different type of boat?”
I said “well, I had a hydro and 2 flatties as well...”

Anyway, that Skeeter bass boat started the whole damned thing.

 

[Headless hula]

Ugggg…more performance toon talk.

Passing bötes that have motors that were meant to be in dump trucks isn’t really all that rewarding.

 

[Headless hula]

Dave, any idea what your water pressure is?
Does the boat have a simrad, garmin, what’s the options for available engine data?

 

[rrrr]

Dave's story reminded me of a weekend in 1979 at Lake Somerville, it's about 80 miles northwest of Houston. I had picked up my 26' Sleekcraft Ambassador from Bruce Nescher in Santa Fe Springs just a few weeks prior. There weren't any Sleek dealers in Texas, and I got a good deal on the boat.

Back then a 26' long nose daycruiser was a rare boat in Texas, and it looked huge and fast compared to what was around at the time. The truth was it was a challenge to get 60 MPH out of it.

Anyway, I was cruising out of the marina, and was joined by two 24' Spectras. They were almost identical, it looked like a buddy buy had taken place.

Of course we lined up, with me in the middle, and took off across the lake. I was liking my chances, had put a couple of boat lengths on the Spectras, when suddenly the exhaust note of both boats changed. In about twenty seconds both of them passed me like I was tied to a post, and a few minutes later they were over a mile away. What the hell?

They stopped, I pulled up and killed the engine. Both guys had big shit eating grins going, and I said "OK, guys, what's the deal?"

This was the first time I heard the name Gale Banks. Both boats had twin turbo setups. I don't recall what HP they were pushing, but they spanked my 525 HP BBC.

On Monday I called Gale Banks Engineering, and talked to the man himself. A turnkey twin turbo Chevy that had been bored and stroked with forged internals was $11,000. I just did a quick check with an inflation calculator, and that engine would cost $45,416.00 today.

That $11K was 69% of the $16K I paid for the boat. I told Gale thanks and hung up.

 

[sirbob]

So on Saturday an Ultra Shadow and a Carrera 257 went around me pulling out of Pirates.. I like performance and these guys were running pretty good so I figured I’d catch up and kinda hang out..

When we got to the no wake zone by Devils elbow my buddy Mcvicker says “check this shit out” so I look over and the biminis are coming down on both boats.. He says “They are doing that because of you”. I said no way..

Sure as shit as we approach the Southside it’s lining up like a drag race so I figured I’d show em what a pontoon can do. If you haven’t been in a twin rig toon these things launch out of the hole like a drag boat.. It’s honestly pretty surreal how fast they will go 0-50’ish..

The guy in the 257 jumps on it so I did as well and ran past him pretty quick.. I ran up to the upper 50’s and here he comes.. so I edge it up a little to 60.. The guy in the Shadow ran for a bit, but gave up pretty quick.

Now I gotta tell you I’m not really a guy that goes outta my way to fuck with people with things like this… But I just can’t help myself lol.. For some reason it drives people nuts not being able to pass a toon.

This guy had that little 496 on the limiter. He cut the corners, went over the shallow spots.. I mean you name it. It looked like he was gonna break the throttle off..

Anyhow every time we turn right he’d get a little ahead so I’d nudge it up a little and catch up, and when we’d get side by side I’d take a little trim out of it and back it off a hair and just kinda cruise with him.

He finally gave up after we passed the sandbar. My toon has a large windshield so it’s actually pretty easy to talk to each other even when you are running 60+.. Mcvicker looks over at me and says “Man that guy is gonna have an awkward conversation when he gets to the ramp with the wife…”. “But honey you took the Bimini down?”

Anyhow I never much pay attention to shit like that.. but it is uncanny the lengths people will go through to try and get around these toons.. lol.

My buddy Tyler was driving about a month ago and there was a guy in a 28 Eagle that I was sure he was gonna scatter the motor.. we were cruising mid to upper 50’s on the Southside and this guy had that thing on the limiter for a good ten minutes gaining ground…. Tyler didn’t even see the guy and I told him.. hey go a little faster when he started getting somewhat near.

The look of intensity, then victory… then ultimately defeat. It is priceless

I hate to say it but it’s becoming a bit of a hobby now.

By the way the boats over at Germain and we are raising the motors. Prop testing coming soon! View attachment 1019699

If you are running a standard Merc 454 / 496 / 502 or a 520-540 in a bigger deck.. Don’t try to pick on the toons ya might be surprised!!

Haha - says the guy running 800HP against 425?

You should be pulling them (me)!

 

[floatn turd]

Last week while down at Pirates I went for a quick ride while the wild died down.

Had a old guy on a jet ski blast along with me doing 80ish.

I saw him go thru the channel and flagged him down.

He was a cool cat in his mid 50's with a spruced up ski.
I was amazed that they go that fast now.

Back in the day when I had mine, I was hard to beat at 65mph.
Those things are straight rockets now!

I kinda want another one now.

 

[steamin rice]

I was surprised at how fast the twin engine toons go. I was cruising at about 55 coming back from 3 dunes one day and a toon flew by me, probably going mid 60s or more. I can see how some of the bigger cats and deck boats with stock power would get left behind.

Fast Freddy would be proud of you RD.

 

[DWC]

Lol, it's fun for you, those other guys are now having marital issues
Btw...been wanting to ask you how tall your toon is sitting on the trailer?

Trying to figure out garage clearance?

 

[Ziggy]

Trying to figure out garage clearance?

Yes.

 

[pixrthis]

When you say “like a drag boat” it’s a figure of speech, right?

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

So you were racing at 60? I guess that must be a toon thing.

 

[Angler]

Last week while down at Pirates I went for a quick ride while the wild died down.

Had a old guy on a jet ski blast along with me doing 80ish.

I saw him go thru the channel and flagged him down.

He was a cool cat in his mid 50's with a spruced up ski.
I was amazed that they go that fast now.

Back in the day when I had mine, I was hard to beat at 65mph.
Those things are straight rockets now!

I kinda want another one now.

I actually prefer my Sea Doo to my Tritoon... 70 is much better than 45... LOL

 

[Bigbore500r]

You could strap twin 400's to a sectional sofa and i'd hope it would run at least 70........lol

 

[Bpracing1127]

496’s in decks and cats are like v6 in trucks. Big whoops you barely beat a cat with 425 hp while you have 800.

talk to me when it’s Apple to apples

 

[HitIt]

Had a old guy on a jet ski blast along with me doing 80ish.

80 on a ski is no joke. Feels like 150. I had the same feeling when I first rode in a flatty. I was like, jesus christ how much over 100 did we get. 75. No wonder all of the jet bote guys think their boats go 100. Between the ride and the sound, it must feel like 200.

 

[Bigbore500r]

80 on a ski is no joke. Feels like 150. I had the same feeling when I first rode in a flatty. I was like, jesus christ how much over 100 did we get. 75. No wonder all of the jet bote guys think their boats go 100. Between the ride and the sound, it must feel like 200.

It's the spray of blow-by and piston fragments that gives the illusion of speed

 

[mash on it]

I was in my father in laws pontoon that has a single 250 verado, does about 45. We were gaining on a jet day cruiser in Parker and thought the jet would punch it and give us a show.

instead we just rowed by him as he was giving it all he had.

never seen a guys shoulders collapse that fast.

pure defeat. Something aboutgetting passed up by a toon.

I had a similar thing happen, just south of pipeline, pontoon overtaking me, to my left, I was running about 45ish (in my jet böté). Oh, he left plenty of room, and I even slowed up a bit so he could get over. I even motioned for him to get over. They all waved, just oblivious. He had plenty of room, just not plenty of water.

A couple of hundred yards from the entrance to Lazy Harry's, the toon came to a full and abrupt stop. After my 2 beers, and a half hour later, the toon crew had the toon safely in Lazy Harry's lagoon, sans prop. The water was so low, that even my squirt bötē had to float thru the entrance, with the engine off. Probably a foot to 18" of water.
I bet they don't try that again, lol

Dan'l

 

[nowski]

Since were on the subject of Pirates & Pontoons: I saw this pontoon rolling into Pirates last week with 3 kids dangling their feet in the water, a recipe for disaster...

 

[HotRod82]

It's funny how guys say "I don't care how fast my boat is, I don't race".......then when they actually upgrade to a fast boat, they race anything that moves. lol.

 

[AZmike]

Well Dave I’m waiting to see a set of 600’s on one. Who will be the first to make that happen??

Pontoons are no joke these days!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Since were on the subject of Pirates & Pontoons: I saw this pontoon rolling into Pirates last week with 3 kids dangling their feet in the water, a recipe for disaster...

View attachment 1020086

Blows my mind how parents can be that clueless

 

[FlyByWire]

I only have a single 400, but it’s funny to have people speed to get past me in the no wake zones, only for me to pass them after the bouys as my 6 year old waves enthusiastically. I love me a good deck boat, but some of them make a lot of damn noise for not going anywhere. Hehe.

 

[Badchoices03]

It's like when I used to have a full blown race "streetable" honda civic and the Mustang boys would pull up next to me at a light and be surprised when I blew their doors off....it felt good at the time, but at the end of the day I was still driving a Honda Civic....LMAO

*let me be the first to point out that one of Dave's motors is worth way more then my whole boat...

 

[Member: 71]

I would hope at current Toon pricing of $150k+, you'd beat some 18+ year old boats maxing out at 60 mph.

 

[dnewps]

Passing bötes that have motors that were meant to be in dump trucks isn’t really all that rewarding.

Lots of dump truck motors that can handle a toon...lol. I like the convenience...but this site doesn’t exist on toons, no matter how rad. Just sayin.

 

[was thatguy]

Passing bötes that have motors that were meant to be in dump trucks isn’t really all that rewarding.

That’s just mean...lol

 

[DWC]

The day @Jumppack JB passes me in the floating living room, ours is going in the shop for whipples or up for sale.

I don’t doubt @Sigus at all. When we’re in the Trifecta it’s crazy how many looks and waves you get.

 

[dnewps]

Pride month. Toons and whackers. Sorry RD. Hope your foot heals.

 

[farmo83]

Dave's story reminded me of a weekend in 1979 at Lake Somerville, it's about 80 miles northwest of Houston. I had picked up my 26' Sleekcraft Ambassador from Bruce Nescher in Santa Fe Springs just a few weeks prior. There weren't any Sleek dealers in Texas, and I got a good deal on the boat.

Back then a 26' long nose daycruiser was a rare boat in Texas, and it looked huge and fast compared to what was around at the time. The truth was it was a challenge to get 60 MPH out of it.

Anyway, I was cruising out of the marina, and was joined by two 24' Spectras. They were almost identical, it looked like a buddy buy had taken place.

Of course we lined up, with me in the middle, and took off across the lake. I was liking my chances, had put a couple of boat lengths on the Spectras, when suddenly the exhaust note of both boats changed. In about twenty seconds both of them passed me like I was tied to a post, and a few minutes later they were over a mile away. What the hell?

They stopped, I pulled up and killed the engine. Both guys had big shit eating grins going, and I said "OK, guys, what's the deal?"

This was the first time I heard the name Gale Banks. Both boats had twin turbo setups. I don't recall what HP they were pushing, but they spanked my 525 HP BBC.

On Monday I called Gale Banks Engineering, and talked to the man himself. A turnkey twin turbo Chevy that had been bored and stroked with forged internals was $11,000. I just did a quick check with an inflation calculator, and that engine would cost $45,416.00 today.

That $11K was 69% of the $16K I paid for the boat. I told Gale thanks and hung up.

Lol small world, I was raised in those boats. They were a buddy buy and Richard Lee built the engines( when they were on kill they made about 1050). My Dad turned wrenches on them for 30 years. They had a place on Lake Austin and through the early to mid 80s if you thought you had fast on boat on Austin, you would head to the north end to try your hand against the Spectra's. I remember many times as a kid the boost gauge in that boat went to 15lbs and Bill would have that gauge buried past the 15 lol. They are both still in Cypress Texas. One of the owners passed a few years ago, I'll see his wife tomorrow and will read her this, I'm sure she'll enjoy your story.

Strangely enough Bill got tired of the upkeep of the Spectra he bought a pontoon boat to roll around in. After a few weekends we hung the motor off of a tree with a come a long to raise it up as he wanted some more speed out of it!

 

[rrrr]

Lol small world, I was raised in those boats. They were a buddy buy and Richard Lee built the engines. My Dad turned wrenches on them for 30 years. They had a place on Lake Austin and through the early to mid 80s if you thought you had fast on boat on Austin, you would head to the north end to try your hand against the Spectra's. They are both still in Cypress Texas. One of the owners passed a few years ago, I'll see his wife tomorrow and will read her this, I'm sure she'll enjoy your story.

Strangely enough Bill got tired of the upkeep of the Spectra he bought a pontoon boat to roll around in. After a few weekends we hung the motor off of a tree with a come a long to raise it up as he wanted some more speed out of it!

Well I'll be damned.

It is a small world.

 

[farmo83]

Well I'll be damned.

It is a small world.

I forgot to put it in my original post but those motors put out about 1050 when they were setup on Av Gas.