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.