88 Checkmate Sport fire with 140 Johnson?

[Cwilli1979]

New to Screan and fly. Looking at a 1988 checkmate sport fire with a 1988 Johnson 140hp on it. Looking for some info on this. Is the hull any good if I wanted to stick a 200hp on it in the future. Also is the 140 Johnson any good? Or do I wait and find something different. First high performance outboard boat for me. I have had a jetboat before sidewinder and also a cigarette boat Velocity. Just want something for some fun speed runs not an everyday boat. Thanks!

[staylor]

Checkmates have a good solid hull, perhaps a bit on the heavy side compared to other hulls of the same basic type. They also tend to have a deeper vee than similar boats which provides an excellent ride. The 140 OMC motors are also excellent and smooth running with their V-4 blocks. Years back I ran an 18 Baja- similar to the Checkmate but with a bit shallower vee and around 150 lb less weight- with a 140 Evinrude and a mechanical jack plate. Top end was 54-55 mph with an OMC chopper prop- 23 pitch if my memory serves me. I then bumped up to a 175 Evinrude and got the boat up to 63 mph. I traded it in after 10 good years of use for a 21 Checkmate.
Doug

[delawarerick]

I had a 16 exciter with a warm inline 6 would run around 60 beat that boat for many years and it kept ticking the boat is still floating around on craigslist down here in Miami one of the toughest boats I ever owned. The 140 is a looper? if so I would think that should run strong. If it is a looper there are some extremely wise men on here that know them well. One just opened a shop and builds a great engine. Good luck with the new ride.

[staylor]

a 1988 V-4 140 is loop charged, the change from cross flow to looper for the 140s being circa 1985. I've run both and the looper is by far the stronger running engine, but the cross flow 140 runs a bit smoother at low speeds. I played with my 140 cross flow and managed to get it to idle smoothly in gear down to 450 rpm. In comparison, the 140 looper would not run smoothly below 650 no matter how much I fiddled with the carbs. Either engine type seemed pretty much bulletproof as long as one kept decent gas in the tank. I recall getting a consumer notice from Evinrude on my 1984 140 cross flow noting that gas had got so bad by the late 1980s that they suggested running premium gas in it- or retarding the maximum timing by something like 4 degrees which the dealer would do at no charge. I opted for premium.
Doug

[Instigator]

All great advise.

I had an older 16' Checkmate w/a 140 cross flow on it and it was one of the best balanced boats and fun to drive of anything I've driven.
Ran 60 w/the motor on the transom.

One of the few boats I've owned that I do miss.

[Ron V]

A friend of mine had a '85 Sportfire with a 115 Merc six on it, ran low 50s but probably could have been a hair faster if he had tinkered with the engine height. The Checkmates from that era are heavy and docile boats with that kind of power on them, but are high quality, ride well, and always turn heads. Where high performance outboards are concerned I would think that would be a good combination to get started. I can't attest to what it would be like with 200 hp. I know it's only rated for 140. Some guys run bigger motors on them but I would never expect it to perform like an Allison, Hydrostream, etc. with similar power. They were more of a performance boat that was tame enough for the masses.

One thing I do remember specifically about that boat though...the wake for slalom skiing took a backseat to nothing. Very low, soft, and no froth on it.