My Spectra 20 Will Be a Jet!!!

[BUSTI]

I know Riverdave will be disappointed however I have decided to make my Spectra 20 a jet boat. I will be returning it to its original condition. It will powered by my 468 bbc 671 blown deal. I have selected a combination of Jack McClure and GS Marine to assist in the resurrection of this timeless classic.
Thanks everybody earlier this year for all your in put. I did my research based on many of your suggestions and thank you so much. I will take pics every step of the way and post them as we get started right thru completion.
My plan is to make it to the classic boat bash next summer...stay tuned..... see ya!

[old rigger]

me too...............
wish I'd kept it now.
It needs to be a v drive, it's way to nice a bottom and lay-up to waste on a jet.

[Hallett]

no say its not so thats a heavy boat for a pump set up.:confused: :confused:

[Eric455]

dude dont do it. u will regret it. i will put money on it. i have a 21' eliminator v-drive day crusier, and i've a;so driven many 21' daycruiser jet boats. and i compair them both together and the difference is day and night. the comfortability between a jet and a v-drive is totally differnt. the jet rides like a honda civic. but the v-drive will ride like cadie. please dont do the conversion. i will take you on a ride in my boat just for you to not make the mistake i was about to make. i also wanted to do the same conversin but i didnt. and i'm glad cuz the v-drive is amazing.
just my opinion. thats all
eric"loves v-drives"455

[Eric455]

don't do it......

[Eric455]

don't do it.......

[Eric455]

don't do it.....

[flat broke]

Owning a jet powered Spectra 20, I would say make 1000000% sure you want to cut that hull again. You would be mph ahead with the prop, but ultimately if you go the pump route, Jack will be an invaluable resource in the setup. By late January I should have my new motor in the 20 and could give you some RPM/HP/MPH info to help with the setup. Also some baseline shoe and rideplate setups. BTW, check your pms in a few.
Chris

[SPECTRABRENT]

Busti,
You will be Ok going with the jet/blower combo. The Spectra 20 with a v-drive is a better way to go, but its also about 3 times the cost of a jet if done properly. All I can say is just keep your Spectra 20 as "original" as possible.
Good Luck,
Brent
www.spectramarine.com

[BADAXE]

Just thought I'd throw a curve at ya.
Those boats work great with an outdrive setup.:cool:

[75spectra]

My Spectra 20 is a jet with a blown 454 with a Weiand 8-71 and 2 850 Holleys and it will run right at 80 mph gps, 7.5 static compression and 8 psi boost lets me run 91 octane pump gas all day long! Yes a V drive will be a faster boat but if its a jet now i'd keep it that way. Just my 2cents worth.......

[SPECTRABRENT]

BADAXE,
Your right about the I/O Spectra 20, my brother has a 1979 with the I/O and SBC, it runs 55 mph all day long.
I think if set up right, reseting the pump & blueprinting the bottom (by a professional like Jeff Bennett). the Spectra 20 w/ a jet and a Blown or Turbo charged 500+ inch motor will run high 80's maybe into the 90's.
Brent
www.spectramarine.com

[beached 1]

No doubt, a V drive would be faster, but a prop can't go where a jet can go. It's all about where you want to use it. In my case, I like the advantage of being able to boat in Blythe and/or Havazoo if I want.

[old rigger]

Originally posted by superdave013
As long as you don't restore that woodgrain you will be ok. :) lol
I will say that the glass work that Old Rigger did filling in the pump cut outs was top shelf work.
But hey, it's your boat so if a jets for you. Well, get out the sawsall.
SD,
thanks, but as I told RD when he bought it from me, the glass work is only 75% done on the boat. Still needs about 6oz inside to be finished off right for making a repair like that . That's just on the bottom, the transom also needs to be finished as well. And I'm only talking about the inside of the boat, outsides a different story. And then there's the dash that needs to be filled, but that's a cake walk compared to the bottom.
But you're right, it's his now. I'm curious to see the results when he's done.

[Eric455]

Originally posted by beached 1
No doubt, a V drive would be faster, but a prop can't go where a jet can go. It's all about where you want to use it. In my case, I like the advantage of being able to boat in Blythe and/or Havazoo if I want.
dude, i've taken my v-drive in parker water, up and down the whole parker strip. i've driven the boat from havasu springs to the AVI. in laughlin. and i have not had a prob. and that was during low waters. so in all reality it comes down to how much gas you want to burn. the v-drive will be alote better on gas than a jet.

[Picklefork]

Well now, hold on a minute. When I suggested that my buddy and I wanted to converte a jet to v-drive, everyone squalled like a stuck pig. Let's have some consistency here! Can you explain the difference to me?

[Picklefork]

Well, actually, we've got just about two of everything laying out there under that old shade tree. We were kinda thinkin we'd dump it all in the cruiser.

[old rigger]

picklefork,
I didn't see you post about converting but the boat we're talking about in this thread, this Spectra, started out as a bare hull I bought that was perfect for converting. All it had was an intake (that was installed croocked) steering helm, gauges, tanks, part of the floor and it was already sitting on a v-drive trailer. It was perfect for what I was looking for at that moment.
I guess it depends on why you want to convert one over.
Oh yeah, that Spectra had one of the nicest 4 stringer layups I've ever seen on a boat, very few builders could match it today, and the bottom had almost no hook. Maybe 1/32 of an inch. It would take very little to straighted out, in fact, for what I was going to do with it, I wasn't going to touch the bottom except for recessing it for plates and strut.
I don't see the controversy on switching over. If that's what you want to do, do it.
Eric, you're right on the money when you talk about the gas deal of running a v-drive compared to a jet. This summer at the CBBB we ran our old Howard flat from Avi to just above Topock on Thurs and Fri (we did have to walk it over the rock bar at Willow Valley on Thurs morn, in a jet we could have gone right over it) pulled the kids skiing, pulled my friends kids, ****ed around, floated, typical river stuff and on Friday night when I gassed up the tanks after running for 2 days I used 12 gallons. In our old jet, it'd be 'bout 40 gallons for the same amount of running around. I was crackin up at how little gas the thing used. That's not why I own the boat, but it's pretty funny when comparing to a jet.
I'm not baggin on jets, I love em, owned them and probably will again some day, maybe. Pros and cons on both drives and the debate will never end on which is better. All depends on what the owner wants outa the boat.

[Hustler]

Hey OR, you should of made sure you had 13 gallons of gas :p :D

[old rigger]

hustler,
you got that right.

[Eric455]

Originally posted by superdave013
Eric, have you spent much time below Parker? That's where Beached1 boats most of the time. That's not v drive friendly water.
Dave, no i have not and yes it will make sense to go to a jet for that reason. bt only that reason, thats all.
hows ur project coming along?
eric

[BUSTI]

Well fellas the biggest reason I am proceding with restoring it as a jet is two fold; First it will be more driver friendly for my wife. Also we will have more room for in the floor ski lockers and ice chests. Secondly I already own a fully restored Eliminator 20.6 (original not converted) v-drive Sport Cruiser. That boat runs one healthy bbc and it is a handful and a kick ass ride. I am partners in it with my son.
I will use it primarily at my trailer on the Parker Strip (located at Riverland) as well as at my brothers place at Blythe. Once a year I host a family reunion for about 40 people at Laughlin NV and we go every day up to Lake Mojave at this reunion. I wanted a stout 21 footer for that lake. Now bear in mind my personal ride is a pretty lil 18.5 Sanger Super Jet so this Soectra will be like the Queen Mary to my wife and I. Although all of your comments are well takin and appreciated I dont think I could have purchased a better riding full size family 21 foot jet boat.
The motor as I mentioned earlier is a 468 bbc with a brand new 671 blower from BDS and twin 850s. The crank is a cola and Hbeam rods are Manly. It will be stuffed with J & E pistons and as of yet I have not purchased a roller cam shaft and kit. The heads are a set of big Merlins massaged by Pfaff, In fact Gordy did all the machine work.
Thank you for all your ideas they sicerely appreciated. And RiverDave I want you to know that I have been going to the Parker strip since 1963...and you have been as nice to ne as anybody i have ever met there. You are a real river rat and thank you for your interest in my project and thanks for the help...no bull shit!
Flatbroke please check your pms.
Thanks everybody

[beached 1]

Originally posted by Eric455
dude, i've taken my v-drive in parker water, up and down the whole parker strip. i've driven the boat from havasu springs to the AVI. in laughlin. and i have not had a prob. and that was during low waters. so in all reality it comes down to how much gas you want to burn. the v-drive will be alote better on gas than a jet.
I didn't say it's impossible. It just the fact that you have 2b extra careful on the river. Where I hang out, the average depth isn't more than 5'. On the high days. I've been going to this part for the past 15+ years. I know the area like the back of my hand and yet still catch a sand bar at least once every summer. I've been lucky so far this year. Only smacked a log with my skag. Wonder what it would have done to my boat if it were a V drive.
Don't get wrong. I love V-drives. I just couldn't own one and enjoy my fav place on the river.

[beached 1]

Originally posted by old rigger
picklefork,
I'm not baggin on jets, I love em, owned them and probably will again some day, maybe. Pros and cons on both drives and the debate will never end on which is better. All depends on what the owner wants outa the boat.
Let me be one of the few jetters that will admit a V-drive is better. I just can't use one.
The only prop boat I've seen that could follow me anywhere is my buddies Stoker O/B with the Jack plate.