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1988 Vision redo
- Thread starter Kurtster
- Start date
Don's89 Senator
Well-known member
The Slut looks great and sounds good. You did a great job. You should be proud. I love that boat. 
Kurtster
Well-known member
If I find you a cheap hull, maybe you'll consider a new project for next winter. Maybe?
Actually keeping my eyes open for another possible resto, a couple of guys in the forum have sent me some great listing possibilities.
Kinda looking for an old enforcer 27 or maybe a Conv 283.
I already have a couple of boats {but only the one Checkmate} so maybe I'll need to sell my CC {but then I'll have nothing to fish from
}But, there's always the possibility of doing a little more to my Vision, I really like the idea of cutting a hole in my engine cover so a SC can poke up through ---- hmmmm can u powder coat a whipple
Ahhh so many possibilities and so little time
Kurtster
Well-known member
Absolutely beautiful!!!
That's a very good point Rob B {rock star formally known as cmpulse170}.
I would like to thank all the CM forum members for helping me spend all my beer money and all the money I had put aside for "professional services",
--- would not have done without you
paulsboats
Well-known member
Looks great Kurt! I noticed the bow eye is not powder coated? Enjoy some perfect boating weather now.
I noticed the bow eye is not powder coated? Enjoy some perfect boating weather now.
Kurtster
Well-known member
Looks great Kurt!
I was wondering who was gonna notice that first
Good eye for detail Paul.
Actually the stern eyes are not coated either.
It was an oversight on my part ---- they were on my list but somehow got over looked -- they were removed to be coated but were never put into the big box of items to be done,-- once I realized they were overlooked I figured I can live with it.
redstrat
Well-known member
Kurtster
Well-known member
Let me be the first to cast a vote for double hair dryers
Hmmm, sounds like you've been talking to a friend of mine...
Kurtster
Well-known member
Well the season on the water is over for me......
Now the next season for me is the ---- "what ridiculous amount of money and time am I gonna do this winter" ----?
This past summer was awesome regarding the performance of my Vision, she ran and performed almost like a brand new boat......EXCEPT one item.
Halfway through the season I started hearing a "slight" growling noise coming from the stern at very low speeds.
Many of you already know what that usually means...
Yup ---- gimble bearing.
Ahhh, but there's more...... also noticed a little play in the drive {about 1 inch side to side}.
So, I spent one Saturday afternoon installing a new g-bearing and checking out the drive play.
New bearing took care of the noise, however the play was caused by the steering shaft....... {needed major tightening / adjustment}
Adjusted / tightened as much as possible and it worked nicely, got the steering and drive play nice and snug.
Unfortunately the play returned after only a few runs...... I finished off the season with the play {it wasn't too bad, just a little squirrely at WOT}
With the ridiculous amount of money I have in my cherished toy, I figure " why stop now"
So, this past weekend not only did I pull the engine, ---- I also removed the entire drive AND transome assembly.
Well, I have already ordered a brand new entire transom assy and it'll be at my shop by this weekend ---- complete assembly for Gen 1 Alpha one comes with everything from soup to nuts {including new trim rams / steering shaft / bellows / shift cbl / etc.....}.
Unfortunately, as many of you know the complete assembly is quite expensive {approx $2000}.
Then naturally while the drive is off, I'll need to make the old drive look and perform as well as the new transom assy, soooo I'm totally gutting the drive and rebuilding it with all brand new innerds.
The gutted shell will naturally be reground/sanded and painted {or powder coated} --- I also expect to pull out my old welder and put a new skeg on {the old skeg has some pretty bad pitting}
So, to make my drive and transome assy be all band new like, it's gonna run somewhere in the $3000 range.......
That means some give and take, and some rethinking about the priorities of work to be done this winter.
There will be no compromise of the drive and trans assembly ---- those items will get done with no expense spared.
I think the best compromise will have to be with the engine......
This will be best because the engine right now is still quite strong and dependable ---- full comp all eight cyl ---- already has a new holley I put on last year ---- already has a new water circ I installed last year ---- engine ran constant 45 lbs oil press all season ---- engine ran 160 temp all season ----she is a nice strong stock mag so I'll just pull the heads in the next week or so and probably do a minor freshen up and cleaning, throw some new manifolds and elbows on, add some bling and get two more seasons out of her.
I will be spending some time in the engine compartment rewiring / relocating the battery to the port side / new drive trim pump braket / new bildge pump / overall make-over of the compartment.
Also, I'm gonna revisit the bow nose of the boat ---- I decided to do a "slight" alteration of the bow nav lite, --- I want to remove the existing nav lite, glass over the hole and repaint, then install a couple "cat eye" nav lights on either side of the forward bow.
Will start adding in step by step picture progress in the thread hopefully next week.
Ahhh let the fun begin
Gimme Fuel
Well-known member
Cam, intake, and carb would be simple swap if you are going that far. You could get 300-320 hp real easy by doing just that. Any more than that and you should have bought a bravo transom assy instead!
Kurtster
Well-known member
Yup Ron, I did seriously consider a Bravo swap, however two things kept me from doing that......
A Bravo swap {transom assy and drive} would be a considerable cost increase seeing that I would need to either purchase a new drive or a used one and rebuild it myself ---- it would be a couple more thousand total than rebuilding the drive I already have.
One thing about one of the dynamic differences between Alpha and Bravo is the size --- the added bulk and weight of the Bravo actually adds a certain amount of drag ---- if you replace an Alpha with a Bravo without upgrading the engine hp then the setup will result in a little less top end {all other items equal}.
I know the Bravo takes a beating better than the Alpha especially high hp and torque hole shots and the occasional free spin of the "prop out of water" stuff ----- but that's mostly concerning when speeds are well past 60 and hp well past 300.
If I'm not mistaken, the 350 Mag is rated around 300 hp already and that's plenty for my Visions needs {I won't be putting it in the ocean anymore playing with the 496's and 502's that I was having trouble at top end with} --- strickly gonna be a lake boat from now on, and the lake I'll be on has a 60 mph speed limit anyway.
Well, that's my thinking right now ---- I reserve the right to change my mind at any given time
oddly excitered
Member
No Ocean? Do you need to start a new Thread and hold a lottery for a new name? Looking forward to updates and innovations!
Kurtster
Well-known member
No Ocean? Do you need to start a new Thread and hold a lottery for a new name? Looking forward to updates and innovations!
That is a great point ---- I'm so superstitious I can't see me changing the name --- however "A-Salt Weapon" just doesn't seem right on a lake
A short list of innovation updates is,
..alter bow nav lite location/type
..LED cup holders
..Color match new outdrive {slut red}
..Underwater LED {three blaze red on stern}
..Powder coat two rear {stern} tow eye's
..Powered subwoofer
Gimme Fuel
Well-known member
since when does anybody care about the speed limits? Limit is 55 here, Be like Mr. Buss and tell the water pigs when they ask how fast it goes "it WILL do 55" hahaYup Ron, I did seriously consider a Bravo swap, however two things kept me from doing that......
A Bravo swap {transom assy and drive} would be a considerable cost increase seeing that I would need to either purchase a new drive or a used one and rebuild it myself ---- it would be a couple more thousand total than rebuilding the drive I already have.
One thing about one of the dynamic differences between Alpha and Bravo is the size --- the added bulk and weight of the Bravo actually adds a certain amount of drag ---- if you replace an Alpha with a Bravo without upgrading the engine hp then the setup will result in a little less top end {all other items equal}.
I know the Bravo takes a beating better than the Alpha especially high hp and torque hole shots and the occasional free spin of the "prop out of water" stuff ----- but that's mostly concerning when speeds are well past 60 and hp well past 300.
If I'm not mistaken, the 350 Mag is rated around 300 hp already and that's plenty for my Visions needs {I won't be putting it in the ocean anymore playing with the 496's and 502's that I was having trouble at top end with} --- strickly gonna be a lake boat from now on, and the lake I'll be on has a 60 mph speed limit anyway.
Well, that's my thinking right now ---- I reserve the right to change my mind at any given time
Gimme Fuel
Well-known member
That is also an easy mod, the engine he has should be 260 hp. Doesn't take much to get them +60-70 hp. That would be noticeable but nothing extreme. Alpha should still stay happy depending on how twitchy his throttle hand is.
Kurtster
Well-known member
I do like the idea of a simple head swap to a couple of vortecs.
In that my mag is actually more realisticly rated to about 275 to 280 hp {not really the 300hp as marketed by the newer EFI mags}-- with the higher intake flow rate #'s of the mags intake manifold, ---- that does make it a nice canidate for a pair of 906's without the need of upgrading the intake.
The higher flow rated 062's would probably need an intake upgrade, otherwise the higher flow rate would be negated by the mags stock intake.
Hmmm, not a bad thought --- pair of vortecs for under $900 possibly bringing my old carb'd mag to a real 300hp output ---- might not do much for the top end, but sure would improve an already tourquey mota