howard 28 bullet

[spider]

hello everyone,
i was looking into getting a 29 fountain fever,but my brother insists on a howard bullet.Does anyone know if the bullet sits as low as the fountain in the rear?

[Troubles No More]

Stop by or call the shop and ask for Gene or Mike, they will give you the info you are looking for.
General Information: mike@howardboats.com
Sales: gene@howardboats.com
Mailing Address:
HOWARD CUSTOM BOATS
28113 Avenue Stanford
Valencia, CA 91355
Telephone: 661-257-9275
Fax: 661-257-3745

[spider]

i figured, but their closed till monday,just thought someone might know.thanks though

[Beer-30]

....of a couple of triple-digit 28' Bullets:
The pics somewhat show the rear angles.
http://www.tennesseeriverrally.com/Gallery/2006/large/Picture-005.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/383Record2806123_029.jpg

[TPI]

The fountain is quite a bit bigger than the Bullet,,,,,,,,but not nearly as fast/stable at high speeds:D Here are more pics,,,,,,I hope this helps.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/faaist07_003m.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/faaist07_002m.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/powerboat2m.JPG
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/127m.JPG

[spider]

hey thanks guys that worked,are those pics a 28 or the 25,and when you say the fountain is quite bigger do you mean over all or just cuddy.what would would you say pros and cons over the fever single screw 29 vs. the 28 bullet?
thanks again

[little rowe boat]

hey thanks guys that worked,are those pics a 28 or the 25,and when you say the fountain is quite bigger do you mean over all or just cuddy.what would would you say pros and cons over the fever single screw 29 vs. the 28 bullet?
thanks again
Those pics are 28's.

[Beer-30]

hey thanks guys that worked,are those pics a 28 or the 25,and when you say the fountain is quite bigger do you mean over all or just cuddy.what would would you say pros and cons over the fever single screw 29 vs. the 28 bullet?
thanks again
All of those pics are the 28' version.
What exactly are you looking for in a boat. Speed or storage?

[TPI]

I have to agree with "beer30". I am partial to Howard Bullets, but very familiar with the 29 Fever.
What are you hoping to do with the boat, and what kind of power/speed do you hope to attain?
Thanks
Gary

[spider]

[QUOTE=TPI;2503411]I have to agree with "beer30". I am partial to Howard Bullets, but very familiar with the 29 Fever.
What are you hoping to do with the boat, and what kind of power/speed do you hope to attain?
well this will be my first boat i have driven them before but my first purchase,i have a small fam but wouldnt mind the room but also looking for reliability and ofcourse power would be nice.my main thing is i like the look of both of these V's i like that sagging look.I just cant make up my mind the only thing Thats for sure is that you guys are true gurus and everything you say is gold.Please school me!

[Beer-30]

This is my first boat also. I searched for 5 years and was serious for the last 2 of those. The wife and I found out what we liked and didn't like and that helped greatly in narrowing down brands and such.
Examples:
Do you like molded swim steps (integral part of the mold) or do you like bolt-on swimsteps? We decided we liked the "tapered" look of the molded ones. Similar to the Howard you are looking at. So, any used boats that I looked at that had bolt-on steps were out of the picture.
Speed or cruiser? I didn't care about going fast, I just wanted to crush whatever water was thrown at me. So, I knew I wanted 28-ish feet. I did want a stepped-bottom, for efficiency. I wanted something stable at 60 or so with room for 8 adults and three ice chests. If you care about going fast and eventually turning the boat into a triple-digit monster, there are a few makes you will want to stick to. Several others were never intended for "high" speeds.
With the 496HO/Bravo-1 drivetrain, mine will hit 62-63 on an average day with several adults and ice chests. I generally cruise at 40-45. I have been through Lake Mohave's 4-foot rollers at 55. However, my same boat with 1000 horsepower will top about 95-98. At 90+ the ride becomes unstable and 95 is dangerous to obtain. So, my particular make/model boat is a cruiser. There is so much storage that I could put as much stereo as I want in it and still have all of my other gear.
Drivetrain? Are you brand-specific, or will either outdrive be OK? Personally, I am not a fan of Volvos. I hear they make a very smooth shifting drive. However, every lake you go to will have someone around that works on Mercruiser. You MAY find someone that is certified on Volvos and you MAY NOT. Same with parts. You can walk in almost any marina store or boat dealership and buy Mercruiser replacement parts and props. Not so with Volvo.
So, when I was narrowing down my search, this was the list of required stuff for the wife and I: (no particular order)
1. Stepped-bottom. (I would have waved this if everything else was perfect)
2. Molded swim step.
3. Mercruiser drivetrain (minimum 502 or 496HO)
4. Big enough to handle any lake.
5. Open-bow, mid-cuddy. (No wavering on this. Lots of friends and family)
6. Color was fairly optional, but I was looking for red. (and found it)
7. I put a $ cap at $55,000. (in 2004/2005 dollars)
8. No older than 2000. (again, this was late 2004 / early 2005).
I had it narrowed down to:
A 1999 Eliminator 280 (28') Eagle XP (step bottom), open bow mid cuddy, 502 with Procharger, Merc XR outdrive, red and white checkers(same scheme I ended up with). $55,000.
A 2000 Sleek Heritage 30' (twin-step hull), different reds, open bow mid cuddy, 500HP EFI (blue motor), rough interior (needing replacement). $50,000
A 2001 Sleek Heritage 30', red/white checkers, 496HO, mid cuddy open bow, low hours (140). $59,000.
The last one ended up ours. It was much cleaner than the previous two. Even though the 2000 model had a blue motor, it wasn't worth the thrashed interior. Ours was still like new. I had told the guy, before we came and wasted any of each other's time, that I was not going over my budget of $55K. He said that would be as low as they would go, but it was do-able. I ended up at $54,500. I stole it.
So, that is my story. My suggestion from all of this is to write down pros/cons of any boats you are looking at. When shopping used, you don't get to pick how the boat is put together. So, find the one that has the most "pros" and go with it.
I have a friend with a 2000 27' Advantage for sale, if you are interested.

[spider]

thanks beer,but i'd rather keep the wife out of it if that was the case for me i would never end up with a boat.She would girlie out the boat(no good)this will be my second year looking,pretty much sold myself on the fever but my buddies keep hounding me about the howard being a better buy and boat.the other problem im having is finding 1.i can tell you my cap is about the same as yours,wich the wife thinks is crazy for a first time boat(woman dont understand these things)so you see my list is very unstable.

[Beer-30]

Structurally, the boats are just as strong. Rigging would be more sanitary on the Howard. Both have excellent resale value.
I don't think it's crazy at all for a first boat. As long as you are looking at used. For instance, having a cap of $55K, I would have been looking at a brand new 21-22 footer. Even a Malibu tourny boat is $55K or so. I ended up with a thirty footer for the same money.
Plus, buying out of AZ, there was no sales tax.

[spider]

no for sure used.but thanks for all your input, let me know if anyone is interested in selling either one of those thanks again

[djunkie]

no for sure used.but thanks for all your input, let me know if anyone is interested in selling either one of those thanks again
Have you priced the Howards? If you have a $55-$60k cap then your probably not gonna find one with decent power if any at all. The Bullets haven't been around for a long time and they hold their value pretty well. But, if you find a 28 Bullet for that price and you don't buy it please let me know cause I'll go get it. :D :D

[Beer-30]

Looking at either of the boats he mentioned, I would hope he doesn't have a $55K cap. That was my story, just as a comparison of new vs. used.
He hasn't mentioned any $ cap.

[djunkie]

Looking at either of the boats he mentioned, I would hope he doesn't have a $55K cap. That was my story, just as a comparison of new vs. used.
He hasn't mentioned any $ cap.
Reread post #12. He says his cap is around the same yours was.

[spider]

i found a 28 bullet its a 2001 with a whipple in fairly good condition for 65,and a 00 fever with stock power for about 50 to 55(we still talkin)my question is, is the howard worth that extra 15 k? because i really like the fever.these are just 2 i found but the price between the 2 seem with-in ballpark(i hope the wife dont read this)

[Beer-30]

It's not about whether the boat is worth it to everone else for $65K. The question is, do you want a Howard? If it is worth it to you to pay Howard prices, then pay it. The boats are of excellent quality, but you are the one who has to pay the money.
Would I pay that? No. It is not worth it to me to pay extra money for particular boat brand. But, I am not brand-specific, either. The other reason I shyed away from the 28' Eliminator I was looking at, was the Procharger. Being a 5-6 year old boat (at the time), there was ALOT of boosted time on that motor. If I want a supercharger, I will put it on the boat myself so that I know how hard it has been ran.
Rumor has it, this boat is for sale again for less than $55K:
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/63852249Catalina_Run_12-11-04_011.jpg

[spider]

right on,i was just wondering if i was missing something,but you're right that bullet was supercharged and it was an 01.that alone was bugging me too.but yeah thats a nice boat u posted,any info on it?

[Beer-30]

I believe the year is 2003. Dicudmore here on the board is the original owner. He sold it last year or so. Cheetah 29' CX. The bottom is actually a splash of the 29' Scarab, so the rough water capability is there. Trim tabs, closed bow, 496HO, Bravo-1.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/1634100_0535.JPG

[spider]

wow a 03 for 55 thats sounds good so i take it that since its got the scarab bottom it should also have that sag look.Are cheetah's good boats

[Havasu_Dreamin]

Not all boats are built the same. Yes, they all use fiberglass and resin, but some use different layers of fiberglass different resin and some also core the hull for rigidity and strentgh without adding significant weight.

[dicudmore]

wow a 03 for 55 thats sounds good so i take it that since its got the scarab bottom it should also have that sag look.Are cheetah's good boats
that is an 04...I've got more pics and since I'm the original owner I can probably answer most questions about it. That "desk" phone # will get me most of the time :cool:
Are Cheetahs good boats? Well, they aren't built like a Skater race boat or anything but certainly something to go have fun with on the water for YEARS. When I had that built I was told the hull warranty was TEN YEARS. Every boat is built by a human, any of them can fail...I can tell you that the boat never went back to Cheetah for a repair of any kind in the 2 years I owned it, or since. The guy that owns it now is selling it to buy another Cheetah...

[boatsnblondes]

I'm late here, but here's my .02. The bullet is the newest toy in Socal. And it's a GREAT toy. Not a lot of folks have them yet, so there is no real resale on them, a few, but not a lot. When one comes up, it's usually fokken beautiful. There have been a small few on this board, all of them amazing, if I had the money, I would be all over one. To me, Howard has always built topline boats, but recently, he's hitting grand slams with his boats. Given the choice that you said, Fountain or the Bullett, I would be all over the bullet...good luck in your search....best to you....