Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

[seabob4]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

VERY, VERY, VERY good point. Thank you for putting me in my place. I shouldn't say 'disappointed in my boat' but rather something like 'disappointed in my lack of research' as you're very correct in the fact that I am enjoying being on the lake in my boat!

And that, my friend, is what counts...

 

[Stachi]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

I took one look at my girl (pictured below) and fell in love with her...she was mine for the taking.....yes, it is a Bayliner,yes , it came with a Force O/B on her tail...she is undergoing a full restore...I love her , and I will make her mine. I have yet to splash her...hopefully within a month. She won't be complete, but she will get wet for the first time since 1997 !
Good luck with your girl...

 

[Stachi]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Sr20_00,
Hate to say it, but this type of behavior is pretty much a fact of life on open forums like this. If you could go back in time to when your boat was new, you could "price compare" your Sunbird with the competition...that would tell you about what quality to expect out of the boat.

I work for Proline. Our marketing/sales department, and company pres decide who we are going to go up against with certain models. Is it going to be Grady White? Or is it going to be Palm Beach? And then the boats are built accordingly, from laminate schedules to the hardware used, to the standard features versus the optional ones. That's just the way it is, and the buying public realizes this after they have owned the boats for several years...and they report their findings...on forums such as this...

I mean, here's our latest 35 Super Sport. Who would you go after?

now THATS PRETTY !

 

[MrsBoatinOkie]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

don't be disappointed man. Good grief. You've got a boat, your on the lake, your having fun getting it running just right. Plans can change. Enjoy it for the summer. Many folks get a 1st boat that they think they want only to discover that they use it in a fashion that could be better suited to a different kind of boat. It's a learning experience as to what you really want in a boat. 1st boats, if your a boater, usually go by the wayside in lieu of something better suited to your needs that you don't even know about yet. Till you've boated for a while.

Good luck with your toy. Remember, many folks don't have a home, can't even afford to eat or afford health insurance. And you've got a boat. A luxury item no matter what kinda boat it is... Enjoy being 'on' the lake this summer...

+1 :d

 

[Sr20_00]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Stachi-best of luck on your restore. That's a nice looking boat. My thoughts are if you take a poorly built boat and redo it correctly then you have years of safe, family fun ahead of you! Enjoy.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

I'm also in the T-town area. The one thing I will say is I always liked the lines on some of the Sunbirds' boats, but their reputation isn't the best. What lake do you normally run on? I would assume Keystone or Skiatook with that one, Grand may be a rough ride in a boat that length/weight. It wouldn't be too difficult to put on a new intake and 4bbl carb to get another 30HP or so out of it if you just want some extra power.

Nothing wrong with it if it's what you want. I'm repowering/restoring a mid-70's runabout that isn't work more than $5-6K in good condition, but I like the lines and it's a solid boat so dropping 3K into it is cheaper than buying another boat with an unkown bag of problems.

 

[Sr20_00]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

I'm also in the T-town area. The one thing I will say is I always liked the lines on some of the Sunbirds' boats, but their reputation isn't the best. What lake do you normally run on? I would assume Keystone or Skiatook with that one, Grand may be a rough ride in a boat that length/weight. It wouldn't be too difficult to put on a new intake and 4bbl carb to get another 30HP or so out of it if you just want some extra power.

Nothing wrong with it if it's what you want. I'm repowering/restoring a mid-70's runabout that isn't work more than $5-6K in good condition, but I like the lines and it's a solid boat so dropping 3K into it is cheaper than buying another boat with an unkown bag of problems.

We normally run Skiatook at Tall Chief Cove but we have found a dock at Keystone just East of Mannford on 51 to be pretty nice and not as crowded. I will have to keep an eye on your project and take notes. I might even request some help with stringers when it comes time. That is the only part that scares me. I love the lines on my boat and that is why I have decided to fix it to what I want. I'm not going to let a couple random folks deter my dream. Haha. I have determination and once I start I won't quit until I have what I want sitting in the driveway!

 

[Sr20_00]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

I also plan on a high rise intake, cam, and 4 barrell edelbrock to draw a bit more HP out of the motor. I used to be heavy into building 302s so I'm pretty confident in my ability to get a bit more out of my motor!

 

[thompy]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

on marine motors you have to be careful of your cam selections, to much overlap and you can suck water back from the exhaust and hydro lock the motor, wipping it out, called reversion

 

[Sr20_00]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Thank you thompy. I have been and will continue doing research before I make any heavy motor modifications. That is something I will research a bit more in depth.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Well the high-rise intake probably won't help you out too much. The high-rise part normally helps out with velocity at hgh RPM's. You should turn more than 4600pms max (outdrive limitation, not engine) so a good dual-plane manifold will do, like the Edelbrock Performer intakes.

Like was mentioned, a hot cam will likely cause you to run into issues of "reversion" around idle and off idle, so not the greatest idea. A mild cam is okay though, truck/4x4 cams work well because they create all of their HP/TQ down low where you need it. Find a 256-grind cam, or one with less than .500 lift and 110 or higher lobe angle.

Ft Gibson is pretty nice if you ever travel east. I pretty much refuse to boat on Keystone because of the water quality. You'd be okay on Grand during a weekday or if you stayed on the north half, but the numerous 40'+ cruisers on the mid-south end can make boating in a 20' boat a pain.

 

[Sr20_00]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Keystone is bad quality but I enjoy the room. We traveled to Ft. Gibson last Saturday and it was a horrible experience including boat problems, retrieving issues, and room to park. Our Chrysler Pacifica does very well on MOST ramps but the one we used at Ft. Gibson was crappy concrete, too steep, too short, and stayed too wet for our FWD to retrieve the boat without any issues. We won't be heading back there anytime soon unless it's to a different dock.

That is just about the biggest cam that I was considering as I know I want the lower end of torque performance. I don't want to have the reversion issue for sure. That's what these forums and google are for huh?

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Well there are tons of ramps on Ft. Gibson, so I wouldn't let the bad ramp experience taint the lake for you. Rocky Point has been pretty nice the couple of times we've put in there, just beware of the underwater rocks that run a ways out past the ramp (hence the name). Easy ramp, not usually that busy and the area is a big camp ground so parking is pretty abundant.

Whitehorn Cove is also decent and has a marina available. Basically the further north you go, the less boat traffic there is. I like Grand personally, but I've grown up on that lake so I'm a bit biased.

I only commented on the cam issue because I'm currently rebuilding my 351w and asked about cam recommendations. It's hard to find a solid line not to cross with lift/duration numbers, but it's better to err on the safe side. Hope you can get all the kinks worked out!

 

[Stachi]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Stachi-best of luck on your restore. That's a nice looking boat. My thoughts are if you take a poorly built boat and redo it correctly then you have years of safe, family fun ahead of you! Enjoy.

Thank You , I agree, and well said....these forums have been a pirates treasure of information , wisdom , and experience.

 

[Thomas P]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

don't be disappointed man. good grief. you've got a boat, your on the lake, your having fun getting it running just right. plans can change. enjoy it for the summer. many folks get a 1st boat that they think they want only to discover that they use it in a fashion that could be better suited to a different kind of boat. it's a learning experience as to what you really want in a boat. 1st boats, if your a boater, usually go by the wayside in lieu of something better suited to your needs that you don't even know about yet. till you've boated for a while.

good luck with your toy. remember, many folks don't have a home, can't even afford to eat or afford health insurance. and you've got a boat. a luxury item no matter what kinda boat it is... enjoy being 'on' the lake this summer...

love this, could not have said it better myself... its all about enjoying the water, so go do that and this winter figure out what to do with your project. dont let others get you down about your water ride, mine is nothing special, but it fits my needs and my familys needs, and every weekend we use it and love the memories being made... thats what its all about!!!

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Here's my story! *First Post* [Long]

Sr20-00--- if your boat is running and safe- just use it-enjoy it- have fun!