JBE Predator 18 gullwing

[Jake W2]

Here is an 1983 add for the Jetboat Engineering Predator gullwing.Does any one have one of these?And does it have the same bottom as the 18 Earls or CPs.
I know a guy has a black one on here that races it from Texas.http://www.youngbloodjetboats.com/ads/JBE1.jpg
I got this add of www.youngbloodjetboats.com cool site
Jake

[jdf]

we have one as for the bottom not sure here is pebble'shttp://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/2131My_Pictures0017.jpg

[86condor]

i have one, but i'm new to jet boats. i could take some pics when the weather clears up, and you can see for yourself.

[Jake W2]

jdf ,Yours looks to be the 19 the one in the pic is a 17.6 or 18 foot version and has a hump down the center of the deck.
How would you say the work man ship is on yours?
Jake

[Jake W2]

86 Condor that would be cool .I tried to call Dan Rossen(was Jimmys buis part)tonight to see what he had to say but they did not answer the shop phone.
How light do you think it is?
Jake

[jdf]

you right missed that just saw jbx here bambam he is jbx and pebble's is kust craft http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/502/2131bambam_001.jpg

[jdf]

bambam has been though hell and has held up great it runs 85 on nos 150 shot motor is 468 9 to1 and a comp cam 612 lift oval heads berk pump with a b impeller

[Squirtin Thunder]

Wow !!! 220lbs !!!
Talk about paper thin !!!

[86condor]

i founds some pics on my computer, but i don't know how to post them.

[Squirtin Thunder]

http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/23113-18-03_5.jpg
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/23113-18-03_1.jpg

[Jake W2]

86 this hull has been on here befor and a guy asking what it was.Was that you?
I think you have something there worth restoring really cool looking deck.But I think it was Duane that said they were dangerous but never said why.
Thanks for posting the pics Jim.
Jake

[Jake W2]

After looking at the pics agine it looks to have the 19 sides on it because it has the turned out lip along the edge.What do you plan on doing with it?
Jake

[86condor]

yeah, the guy before was me. i recently started to restore it, i'm in the process of stripping it down now. i'm learning as i go, like i said before i'm new to jet boats, so get ready for a lot of questions a long the way.

[Jake W2]

The guy that has this one post on the board some times.
http://www.motorsportspictures.com/smokin/2004/images/04smokin37.jpg
Jake

[OkieDave]

Jake, Jim Johnson sold a lot of boats. some turn key and some un-rigged. some lighweights. the quality of the finished product years later has a lot to do with who he sold it to and how they rigged and cared for them. I know a lot of guys who have his Cheyennes and are quite happy with them. some of them run good, some not so good. usually due to the setup of the pump intake and intake hardware. same for his TX boats. my Cheyenne mold is a copy of one of his boats and mine work good. I have one of his 23' (Baja splash) jets and I love it. I also have one of his 26' (American Offshore splash)Tunnell boats with mercruiser power and I love it. his rigging isn't up to west coast standards but neither are his prices. he has done some excellent gel-coat and nice layups on a lot of boats but has also had guys working for him who weren't as consciencios(sp?).
when someone wants to buy a bare hull and rig it themselves and they don't have the money or experience to do it right, years later it still reflects on the guy who sold it to them even if he had no control once it left his shop.

[Liberator TJ1984]

The guy that has this one post on the board some times.
http://www.motorsportspictures.com/smokin/2004/images/04smokin37.jpg
Jake
Kenneth won the 8sec.class ... little 396 on the hose :coffeycup
Local Boy , Midnight Boat Wurks, Orange Grove Tx...
Goes by " LewdAct " here on the Forums

[mrgoslow]

Kenneth won the 8sec.class ... little 396 on the hose :coffeycup
Local Boy , Midnight Boat Wurks, Orange Grove Tx...
Goes by " LewdAct " here on the Forums
that would be on a 1000' track (smokin in the cove)

[LewdAct]

http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/2245709-3-thumb.jpg http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/2245Kenneths709readyforBradyRaces1-thumb.jpg man,, that looks like my boat!!!
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/2245marblefalls2004-med.JPG
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/2245Kenneths709readyforBradyRaces-thumb.jpg

[Jake W2]

LewdAct what do you think of yours and how it handels ect.
The things that cought my eye on this add was how nice the gell lay out was nothing special just nice looking.And the fact it was a more or less 18 foot gullwing but with the 19 sides.And the fact the Jimmy and comp took more than one hull and changed it with decks or bottoms of diffrent hulls to come up with their boats.
Jake

[Jake W2]

Okiedave is this the top your 18 gullwing mold has?
Jake

[Jake W2]

I tried to get ahold of Dan Rossen by the number I had from buying a old hull from him 3 years ago.But got his son instead.His son said they made that Preditor out of a TX 19 Youngblood said he helped his dad cut it into 3 pices and splice it back togeather then made his own deck.Said they also put that same deck on the Youngblood 18 tunnel and the 16 Earl smith tunnel.Said his dad sold the 18 tunnel mold to some one in Tenn.Dan had offered that mold to me for 3000 bucks about 3 years ago.
I will try to get ahold of him later and see what he has to say about it.
Jake

[Duane HTP]

Jake, you're right. Jimmy cut up a TX-19 to try to make a smaller lighter race boat. But, just like every other variation of the TX-19, it did not work as well as the original boat. Most had terrible handling problems. I only knew of three of them, and they have all 3 crashed. One of the guys I knew got killed in his just lake playing several years ago.

[Jake W2]

Duane thanks for the info sorry to hear about your friend.
You know some people sware by these 18 foot gullwings (PJB Earl CP) versions and say they are good boats but you seem to dislike them.
Hears a question I have read you say the sides is what makes the 19 so stable if this has the 19 sides wouldent it make it more stable?
Thanks for your insight.
Jake

[Duane HTP]

I didn't say anything bad about the PJB, Earl or CP. I'd drive one of any of them before I'd drive a Predator fast.
Hears a question I have read you say the sides is what makes the 19 so stable if this has the 19 sides wouldent it make it more stable?
I guess not, because they are not usually a stable boat. I've worked on and driven them, and never felt safe in them.

[cyclone]

what's the difference between the Predator bottom (18 or 19) and the others duane?

[Duane HTP]

It's narrower for one thing.
There might be other differences too.

[Jake W2]

Duane a while back you had told me you would not want to be in my hull going very fast with it not being center steer.Mabey you were not sure what hull I had at the time?
Thanks for the info on the Preditor.Just think of the guys that had to go test them out :squiggle: after they hacked them apart and stuck them back with some major changes.
Jake

[LewdAct]

well ,,, i like mine,, although it has had a lot of work done to the bottom of it, it rides really good it handles really good and for lack of a better word it hauls ass,, ;) ,, i have done everything i could do to make it as safe as possible,, i have had this same discussion with Duane, and i have had this discussion with one person in the SDBA, but in my case,, i have no complaints,, bare in mind that when i got the boat the bottem was totally trashed,, i personally did major work to the bottem,, some would probably argue that i dont know what i am doing, but i worked with a straight edge and the bottem is flat, i have played with the pump setup, i have tried alot of stuff, hell Duane even did some work for me on my pump,,, and i have to say,, that man is the Master when it comes to setup info on the phone,, my hat goes off to him,, i have had several different conversations with him,, the biggest problem i had with this boat was trying to launch it,, but again,, Duane's Straight Snoot,, solved that Problem,, i have a 11 1/2 to 1 396 on the juice and it runs 9.50's all day long at 106mph, its quick and me like it :shift: ,, it may not be the safest boat on the water,, but when i race the boat i have Duanes ratchet, and all the other safety equipment that the SDBA requires,, I personally feel that i have done eveything to stay as safe as possible,,,, But hey,,, thats just my opinion,, Peace out

[1 fast okie]

here is some info on this hull i takled to jimmie on this about 2 years ago he took a tx-19 cut it inhalf and shorted it i dont remember the diminsions but the one thing to note is the guys that i know say that they get really loose about 70 and will spin out.jimmie said that true if the bottom isnt straight and since there laid up pretty light that they get alot of hook in them that couses that but if there straight they are really quick i know of a couple of guys who have the bottoms right and with about 600 hp get into the tripe digits

[OldFaithful Squirter]

I was at the Smoking in the Cove race and personally witnessed the egg beaters lashings that were dished out by the Lewd Act!! I have also rode in this boat and have seen the work first hand that KB had to do to the bottom of this boat! I will admit that this is probably one of the quickest and aired out rides that I have had the pleasure of riding in! It does scoot nicely!! KB keep up the thrashing with that little black Obn2oxious bitch!!
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/509/913Kenneths_709_Black_bitch.JPG

[Duane HTP]

Lewdact, I'd say you deserve a lot more credit than you realize for the good work that you did on your boat bottom. I was refering mainly to the question in a general manner. Most all boats can be made to run good and handle if enough bottom work is done. Some come from the builders that need a lot of work, and some come from the builders that run good as they come. I always figure it is better to pay a little more up front for the good running handling hull from the factory than to buy the cheaper ones and spend $1000.00 to $3000.00 on the bottom to make them run. I'm not knocking your boat in any way. You did a good job.