Opinions Wanted

[starbuck]

im about to buy a 1975 18' AVENGER JET BOAT with berkley pump and an olds in beautiful condition but just wanted to know what people thought about this boat all input wanted. thanks

[crf311]

pics would help.

[GUGS102]

The first jet boat I purchased was a 455 boat with a non-split bowl Berkeley JC pump. To me, it was awesome ran at 55 and I was loving it. Upon further research, I learned of the oiling problems of Olds, limitations of the non split bowl pump and that the combination although in many jet boats was not desirable.
So, I found another jet with a 454 and a split bowl pump for bout the same money I had in the olds powered boat and the bug has bit. I'm currently installing a 489 stroker BBC, droop snoot, ride plate etc.
I think the question of whether to purchase it comes down to what you want to do with the boat. If you are okay with not running it hard (WOT for more than 30 seconds at a time) and looking for something to go have fun with then go for it. If you are like the rest of us who need to go faster and run harder then think a little down the road.
Can you get an olds to run hard, yes, but it will cost more than a ford or chevy.
Whatever you purchase, try to find one with some of the bell and whistles already on the boat, split bowl pump, place diverter, ride plate etc. These are modifications that most owners make after they have owned the boat and are looking to improve performance. All bolt-ons but if you had to pay for them, they get expensive.
Not sure where you are located, but check on getting insurance for over transom headers BRFORE you purchase, could save you some headaches

[SmokinLowriderSS]

to begin with and learn to enjoy jetting.
Gugs is correct in what he says in his post. The bug gets to you, you want more speed, there are ways to get it but all cost $$$$ & time. The olds is a good motor but has it's weak points. It was never intended to be a high-RPM severe duty engine. There is little duty in the world more severe than being a boat engine and a jet boat I believe is among the harshest of the group. If you try to run an Olds hard, you wind up 2 places, blown up, or getting to know both a good local machinist AND MR MONDELLO (the guru of olds). If the Berk is not a split-bowl, you can always replace the bowl at any time. Whether you locate a used split bowl or buy new is up to you.
IMO, a jet boat is the best way arround a lake or up/down a river. I cannot imagine a more fun type of boat to drive but I've been driving mine since I was about 14 (24 years).

[bakerjet]

i ran a 1974 cee bee avenger 18' with a 12jc for 10 yrs. with a stock 455 (k heads) and never a problem!! the boat is great in any water condition within reason, full stringer and a thick transom, only thing about the boat i didn't like was the tank was in the nose but, still a great boat.

[Old Guy]

This was mine. 18' 455 Olds.
Great boat, fast and reliable. I came across a deal on a tunnel, or I would still have the Avenger.
http://files.triton.net/old1/avenger.jpg
;)

[starbuck]

thanks for the replies everyone.. i went ahead and bought the boat it had a blown mtr so i slapped another mtr in it and took it out for the first time.. i still have a little tuning to do but it seemed to have a hard time getting to the speed its capable of.. maybe all the gas in the nose? the guy told me he just put an A impellor. what does that mean?? other than me savin my pennies for a big block im happy with it. will post pics tomorrow. thanks guys

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Impeller "sizes" are lettered, AAA (really huge), AA, A, B, C, D (really small). I've always though of "size" being a bit of a missnomer as impeller sizes go. the outside dia does not change but the "depth" or "thickness" from front face to the back of the impeller vanes changes. At a given HP level, an impeller (say an "A") will spin a certain RPM. a larger impeller will spin slower at the ame HP level, a smaller one faster, by arround 400 to 500 RPM per "cut" size. (you can take an A, make a B, C, or D, on a lathe, you can machine all the way from AAA to D if you like, nothing else changes)
It is used as a tuning tool to get your engine to spin an RPM you want, to reach the power you have. Smaller impellers tend to lead to higher speeds at higher RPM's, but it's not just a 1-1 thing. Run an A at 4500, run a B at 5,000 may be same speed, maybe B lets you spin 5200 due to power avail @ 5K not @ 4500, then small increase in speed, 3 MPH or so perhaps.
Larger impellers have better acceleration at lower RPM, better for heavier, longer boats and for pulling people on skis, tubes, etc.