SS Top speed

[racerx]

Whats amazing is you go to river runs as Jasper and you hear all these speeds from other boats and you pound them with a 105 mph boat..lol

 

[mikesufka]

Now that would be interesting ...........

What did Darris change in the SS between the testing & 120 mph run and the production boat ?????

I've only drove 2 SS's and liked them, but never owned.

MDS

 

[xb03fs]

I am just guessing but his test boat was likely the equivelant of having the best blueprint job a boat can have that has been tweaked numerous times, and the production boat is just that a production version. A few thousandths here and there is huge in the handling department even at my slow speeds.

 

[ally2dextreme]

The mold is made off the test boat,there the same when there produced.

 

[xb03fs]

A mold is a copy of the original kind of like a Xerox. As good as the boats are.... I guarantee the closest you will get to a test boat used to make the plug is a blueprinted pad specifically intended to optimize your motor your gear case and your prop... I am sure he know what to sand to make the boat fly the way he wants were us mere mortals can only move weight

 

[ally2dextreme]

Actually not,he does all the sanding and builds the best possible pad before he makes the mold,that's why it takes years,and sometimes a decade to get a new boat.

 

[Lotus 50]

From the Reynolds Racing Marine web site, SS2000 speeds

70HP-----55-60 MPH
90HP-----60-70 MPH
115HP---70-80 MPH
130HP---75-85 MPH
150HP SS---90-100 MPH

I wonder how many were ever rigged with < 130 HP

 

[xb03fs]

I think we are saying the same thing. He makes the perfect pad, but the mold is only a copy of the perfect pad. And the perfect pad is for his test motor, his test load, his test prop and his driving style

 

[whipper]

Since say 1999 as an example thats 16 years a boat has been used , sitting on a trailer, pad perhaps {repaired} ect... Motors if a 2.5 would have been rebuilt some many times. So for today to have a 16 year old boat or more and a 16+ year old motor do what she did when all was brand new is asking alot I feel. i dont care who built it stock rebuild isnt going to be as good as factory fresh!! You will need mods to achive the same result as a factory fresh motor. This apply s to any internal combustion engine car boat plain doesn't matter. Also the fuel today is junk compared to what we used to get back in the 80,s and 90,s.. All the power and props we use today are used and abused like it or not. The same is going to be true 10 years from now with the 300xs. The guys running 114 with a SRV with a fresh 300xs are not going to be able to run 114 in 10 years with the same motor. once it will have been rebuilt if left stock it will never be as good as factory fresh! You will have to do all the mods available to get the same performance if your lucky.

Thats why Davids and Glens records will most likely stand for ever unless in the unlikely event that Merc makes a new S3000 or 260 2.5 any time soon and Darris makes a 550-650lb ss or 02 Bass racer props were made new for a 2.5 again. My 2006 300 srt8 has 220000 KM on it. Ive owned it since new. I can tell ya its very very fast, but not as fast as it was when it was new.

i have no doubt that All those speeds {{Back in the day}} were happening. but i would feel today if your getting 105-110 from an old boat your still doing very very well with the crap fuel and as fresh a motor as ya can. if you mod the crap out of the motor and dyno it to 300hp ya might be getting the same type of performance as a 270-280 hp 260 was before the first 150 hrs of its life when new. Pluss the 10+ year old prop that may have been worked and stressed for 10+ years isnt going to be the same as fresh out of the foundry in 1999 prop.

one more thing is as we get older all the girls look better than when we were younger. ooops off topic... I think the focus should be on the new power and new boats and what can be achieved with them. No ones comparing boats and power from the 90,s to boats and power from the 80,s so why bother comparing boats and power from 1999-2000 to boats and power in 2015. the boats and power now are much faster than they ever were!! Just not on the boats that were designed for the 2.5. The 21 will go over 100 soon the new GS will go well over 100 soon or all ready has? STV,s are in the 120 to 130 pluss with the new power Skaters,SRV,s ect... What was fast will never be as fast again ... Just not possible without way more power from the old rebuilt motors any more sad but true.

 

[mikesufka]

Whipper -

Are you saying boats are slower because technology has gotten better? I'm not following your reasoning, at all.

Jeff knows set up and motors and props ( he's owned 20+ Allisons ). I would say he knows what he's talking about.

MDS

 

[xb03fs]

Old boats aren't made for the weight of today's motors. 250/300 is normal bassboat motor so 80 isn't as fast as it once was because the increased hp available with 5 year warranties

 

[whipper]

Sufka the opposite. BUT im saying a 99 260 stock would have been faster in 99 than after 2 or 3 rebuilds if still stock. And that to get the same performance from the old 260 today you would need some mods. And a modded 99 260 in 99 would be the strongest that motor would have ever been because of fuel and NEW prop availability made back then compared to now. motors today are faster on bigger boats than back in 99. A 300pm is nothing compared to a 300X or 300XS pluss the DBR mods with technology are just making them better still. BUT not for boats like the SS being a 2.5 or less configuration. For boats that can handle the 300xs like the XB21 there performing better than a 260 would have or a 280 for that matter if that boat was made in 99 for instance. Other boats mentioned the same thing. Guys are running or I should say MORE guys are running faster with the new power than when only the 2.5 was the largest offering. I get bounced around in my typing as I have to think some times and that doesnt translate well at times... haha
Its all probably debatable. Thats just my observation. Not saying anything about jeffs ability at all since I relize he has been seting up Allisons a long time. Its more about how old those motors are becoming and how many times in that time frame can you build one untill they just cant be made to do what they used to when new is all. The older they get the more help they need to maintain that performance they once had was the whole point I guess. The fuel isnt getting any better and the prop availability that was once there for a 2.5 260 is less also. Props for the 250/ 300xs are becoming more plentiful and will only get better. And the mods will continue also. Gearcase availability is diapering for the 2.5 also as more 200 or XRI cases gernaid over time and SSM ect.. BUT the boats that can handel the 300xs are faster than they were when there only option was the 2.5 in alot of cases. Not many were going 117mph in a Triad SRV with a 260 in 99 for instance but there doing it now with a 300xs.

 

[Lotus 50]

I would have thought a skilled builder could build a stock 260 to be as good as it ever was. Why not?

How true does a 15 year old hull stay if it's supported on the trailer? I guess if it didn't stay true one could get it blueprinted.

 

[ally2dextreme]

There's no doubt you can have a motor built just as good,now the fuel is no doubt not as good

 

[Honda92]

I'm not sure fuel is such a HUGE factor. My bone stock never touched 95 Promax was said to push my GS 97mph at one time with a 32pitch. I have been running a even 100mph with a 30pitch at the 6750 rev limiter with today's "crappy" 93 octane with ethanol.

 

[ally2dextreme]

I'm sure experience can overcome fuel depreciation..

 

[Honda92]

I totally agree with you there as well. With that being said I highly doubt it would of been a 105mph boat back when everything was factory brand new and had the gas from the "good old days". I don't think it would change it that much.

 

[racerx]

Brand new ss with brand new 1998 260 unlimited ecu Tourqmaster gearcase with jc nosecone ran 105 with a knob cut prop that was a 25,,, same boat with a 260 with bolt ons modified sportmaster real good running motor 105 with a 26 pitch small ear chopper.....Non blueprinted boat factory stock 4 seater boat with full interior....Hot boat run 109 with a 4 blade 26 and my kid kyle ran 109 with a 28 pitch 4 seater boat with a 200 mod gearcase ...All boats were tested till we blew out and then lowered just a hair to prevent it...And we usally run 24 pitch props that turn up and end about 104.....Maybe we just cant drive..lol

 

[whipper]

There are always exceptions i guess. Just like only a hand full of promax GrandSports ever see 100 regardless of prop or driver. Yet they were the first sport boat to do it back in 91. Just throwing some variables out there to try and determine what makes suck a difference? From then till now. Ive seen different pad measurements on different years with the 03 for instance. Not sure how much that effects the bottom line to blow out? If there were changes to the SS pad it would be interesting to see what serial numbers were the fastest and see if there was any correlation to the difference in speed to other years power to power same configuration for instance? Ive heard there were quite a bit layups in the same configuration in regards to hull weight. Its frustrating when one hull with the same prop and engine goes so much faster than another.

 

[XXXR2001]

Brand new ss with brand new 1998 260 unlimited ecu Tourqmaster gearcase with jc nosecone ran 105 with a knob cut prop that was a 25,,, same boat with a 260 with bolt ons modified sportmaster real good running motor 105 with a 26 pitch small ear chopper.....Non blueprinted boat factory stock 4 seater boat with full interior....Hot boat run 109 with a 4 blade 26 and my kid kyle ran 109 with a 28 pitch 4 seater boat with a 200 mod gearcase ...All boats were tested till we blew out and then lowered just a hair to prevent it...And we usally run 24 pitch props that turn up and end about 104.....Maybe we just cant drive..lol

25 knob cut and 26 chopper? Are you joking? A good 26 Yam or ET should smoke both of those old school props. No wonder you haven't been able to get the SS to run. BTW, the smaller pitch 4 blade mazcos run very well...a little torquey on the wheel but they're not slow.