Does this sound right??? 90 mph Challenger??

[QuickJet]

A friend of mine has asked me to look into a boat that he might be buying. It's an 18' 1979 Challenger with a 468 BBC and a new Dominator pump. Everything sounded fine until the seller swore up and down that the boat runs between 88-90 mph. I know a guy who has actually seen it run and he said it runs hard, even with the engine cover and through transoms. Supposedly it's taken out a few weekend warriors at Folsom and CFW.
Has anyone seen it before? Maybe raced it? Looks like the pefect sleeper. Are those speeds even possable with that hull and engine? It's in NOr Cal and I won't be able to go check it out until the end of the month so I was hopping to get a little heads up on it before then.
Here is a pic that he sent me:
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/10278Bman_Challenger.jpg

[Outlaw]

If it is listed on Ebay it should run that fast....
it seems that any boat listed on there runs a good
20-30 mph faster than normal.
Personally I don't believe it would run even close to that.

[GUGS102]

We have a 79 challenger and with the 461, pump set back, only 14" of the boat in the water it ran 78 with dry rewarders.
I'd ask for a ride first. Unless there are a couple of hair dryers on the logs, I say BS. Maybe with a huge blue bottle.
Tell your buddy it sounds good and never let him know any different, that way he'll think he's running 90
Gugs

[MudPumper]

Mine ran about 78 with mild 468 and stage 1.5 Dominator. No shoe/no rideplate/no bottom work. Is it possible, Yes. Is it likely, not without alot of pump work, a decent amount of power and some bottom work.

[W.O.T]

i have a 79 challenger with a built 468 and pump and im running low 80's. i dont see that thing going 90? id like to see it on gps. i really like my challenger though.

[LuckyDaze]

that looks just like the boat I grew up in. My pop's boat was made out of Kevlar and I don't think it rand more than 70 or so. But back then it seemed fast. I had a ride in it recently with the new owner and it feels slow as sh!t compared to back when I was growing up. They are great hulls though, a lot of fun to drive and they look bitchin!
~Brian

[MAXIMUS]

Quikie my buddy sold a challenger with a 13:1 468 tunnel ram deal, stock pump, no shoe ride plate... nada. That boat ran 80 mph on the gps any time he wanted it too. I still don't know how but I guess every once in a while shit happens... :messedup: :messedup:

[ck7684]

No clue about the speed, but my bone stock 16' Cobrajet with indmar 454, logs n snails and Berk "F" runs 70 on GPS...

[Squirtcha?]

Here is a pic that he sent me:
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/10278Bman_Challenger.jpg
Hmmnn that boat seems strangely familiar..........
Who in the hell would own a boat with those god awful colors anyway? :D
http://www.homestead.com/jetboat/files/boatdonefrontt.jpg

[squirt'nmyload]

Hmmnn that boat seems strangely familiar..........
Who in the hell would own a boat with those god awful colors anyway? :D
http://www.homestead.com/jetboat/files/boatdonefrontt.jpg
lol.......this is exactly what i saw at pleasant that i was telling you about....engine cover and all!!! :)

[slotracer]

takes alot of work and set-up to get a jet to hit 90 imho.:rolleyes:

[Squirtcha?]

lol.......this is exactly what i saw at pleasant that i was telling you about....engine cover and all!!! :)
Looks like the friggin circus came to town don't it?

[JET-O-VATOR]

my buddy has a 16 foot challenger in those same colors.. we call the boat the obortion.. bad bad story but anyways ya

[SGV40oz]

theirs no way that runs over 75 no way

[pw_Tony]

well what kind of motor/pump work?

[NUTHIN]

well what kind of motor/pump work?
heard it was 14.1 454 dont know about pump.

[MudPumper]

theirs no way that runs over 75 no way
Sure, you can tell that by just looking at that picture. I know a boat called "Hallet Hath No Fury" that you would say the same thing about by just looking at it.

[QuickJet]

Hmmnn that boat seems strangely familiar..........
Who in the hell would own a boat with those god awful colors anyway? :D
http://www.homestead.com/jetboat/files/boatdonefrontt.jpg
Now that's funny...:D
The owner is digging out the reciepts to find out all that has been done. Like "NUTHIN" said it is a 14.1 BBC, solid roller dealio. We'll see what the pump is all about. It would be hella cool if it runs like he says it does though. Sneaky 'lil sum bitch.. ;) :D

[gunslinger]

Those speeds are possible with out a doubt. I had a 19' gullwing and i know this is more of a performance hull than the Challenger hull, but it ran between 88-91 mph on gps at Casitas depending on fuel level and passenger weight with a very mild 509 chevy and I mean mild. The gas tanks were always full when gps'd and a 200lb passenger on board. The set up was dialed in and everything worked togher. I sold that boat to a friend of mine and he about shit the first time he ran it wide open. The boat ran even harder on the bottle. I cant take any credit for building the boat, I bought it that way. I do know from reciepts it had 9:1 compression, Clay Smith solid flat tappet cam, iron heads (Merlin w/o any porting) two 660 carbs and a pump built by Jack McClure. I believe it was a b/c impellor. This hull weighed about 650-700 lbs. Sometimes you can take two boats out of the same mold and one will be a runner and one will not.

[SB]

For that boat to go 90 mph, what would you need, about 700 hp? Hard to get that out of a 468 without a blower?

[Heatseeker]

90 MPH or not(which I'm doubting), if that boat really does have a 14:1 engine in it, warn your friend about the price of race gas these days. I recently checked on a 55 gal. drum of 114 w/lead, $450(up from $325 last year, bastards!!!)! And 55 gallons won't last long in a jet!

[NUTHIN]

I was told it looked to be a single carb deal. ide call B.S. but my cousins friends raced this guy and he beat them badly. they asked him how fast it goes and he said 75-ISH. welp their boats do 75:jawdrop::confused:

[QuickJet]

I'll know next weekend. That's promissing if he beat your cousins friend. There might just be something to this after all........http://***boat.com/ubb/graemlins/idea_2.gif

[NUTHIN]

I'll know next weekend. That's promissing if he beat your cousins friend. There might just be something to this after all........http://***boat.com/ubb/graemlins/idea_2.gif yeah lemme know quick. heard it rips very well for what it is. the guys were depressed confused and pissed for weeks after that.:D

[QuickJet]

yeah lemme know quick. heard it rips very well for what it is. the guys were depressed confused and pissed for weeks after that.:D
Will do. Gonna test drive it on Folsom.