Hey Wirlybird nice boat mate, i remember i posted the link up on ausfish thinking someone should snavel it up and they did, great stuff 12k with some love and work she'll do everything you could ever need from a boat. Hows the motor?
Hi mate,
Are they windows up front then? I was looking at and responding to the post via my phone earlier and the pics don't open properly on the phone. Via laptop they now look like small windows up front. The headlight models actually had the headlights further forward than where those windows are.
I don't recall the engine mounts on the one I had but if they are non adjustable then I wonder how drive alignment is maintained? I bought it as yard stock to resell. I'd never do that again with a sterndrive model. Although I do love sterndrives you can't sell a sterndrive Formula. Has to have outboards to get a good price. I've not been out in an outboard setup but even with a sterndrive they roll around as much as a Bertram flybridge.
The one I had was equipped I think with the velvet drive or perhaps the Mercury Marine transmission (they used both) and yep it had the monster TR/TRS leg. An unbreakable leg.
What dollars are you looking at for your EFI kit? I did a pricing exercise recently relating to aftermarket V8's and fitting them with injection but the injection just blew the cost out of the water and there wasn't really a readily available, complete, bolt on and go kit. As a one off, stuffing around with this and that etc would be fine but to look at supplying engines with the injection ready to bolt into a boat and go it needed to be a simple affair to arrange everything.
They are a nice boat but not my cup of tea.
Hi Whirlybird, Very keen to follow your progress, as i have a 78 HH formula with a 454, that im about to fully refurb and going to keep the 454. Where did you find an EFi kit and what was the damage? Was thinkin about doing the same. Although hit 43 knots at WOT so not sure if i need it,
cheers
Yeah they are windows up front they almost look like a factory item they make a huge difference to the cabin light.
the efi kit cost me $2000 with everything i need to convert it. the us market is dead cheap at the moment you can get a full kit for $1500 then a little bit for freight. power to weight should be better than an outboard or outboards so should the fuel economy
there is one guy in perth at the moment that has 2 of them for $2500 on ebay tonks79 with a 20% reduction in fuel your mad not to. Give him a message as there not listed any more but he still has them.
Hi Wirly
As mentioned on the other post, nice pick up. I have got the fleers out for one at the moment. Just out of left field, has anyone thought of putting a turbo 6 diesel in a formula? Just wondering how it would go, and i would think it would have awesome fuel economy. Price wise it wouldn't be as dear a converting it to an outboard set up?
Hey BM, when you say they roll around do you mean at rest? Through the chop they are pretty good aren't they? Anything with a deep v is going to roll at rest.
Pazz
its hard to find a diesel with 300+ HP that dosent cost the earth and weigh a tonne not to say i wouldn't do it i actually prefer diesels but the price power and weight has to be right
An installation like a Volvo D4 at 260 hp would move her pretty well, it's a reasonably weighted engine for the HP. and your boat isn't that heavy, but as you say the cost is very heavy.
They say you wont break even until you clock up 3000 hours, which is fine for the hardcore, lure trollers in Queensland, but not realistic for general recreational small boaters on a budget.
The service/repair costs of these new generation electronic diesels can be intimidating for those with a light wallet also, ECU's fuel pump/injectors seem tropics of problems.
the rolling around at rest is just a wives tail ,i notice mine at the marina when i first get on ,put 3 or 4 people on it and you dont notice it,get out in the ocean and you definately dont notice it,its just not an issue ,its the only thing people [nockers] can come up with,because it still out performs every other 7m boat on the water .
Hi mate. Yep I meant at rest. At least, the one I had was tender at anchor and could develop quite a roll.
They are a great hull and they look great too. I'm not one for 'the best of the best' with regard to anything and I would buy many other boats before I bought a Formula but we are all individuals with differing points of view.
A Bertram 25 rolls around a bit at rest too and it's the trade off for any deep vee hull. And given that the Haines hulls were originally flopped from Bertram hulls (as I understand it) it stands to reason their characteristics would be the same/similar.
Cheers
[QUOTE=BM;1305613]Hi mate,
.
I bought it as yard stock to resell. I'd never do that again with a sterndrive model. Although I do love sterndrives you can't sell a sterndrive Formula. Has to have outboards to get a good price. I've not been out in an outboard setup but even with a sterndrive they roll around as much as a Bertram flybridge.
The one I had was equipped I think with the velvet drive or perhaps the Mercury Marine transmission (they used both) and yep it had the monster TR/TRS leg. An unbreakable leg.
Is this the boat you bought in townsville for 23 grand and then advertised it in your yard the following week for 53 grand???Hard to emagine why it was hard to sell
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]