All you hydrostream heads

[austinwildman]

what came fist the vector or the v king? and aprox what year did they switch? also which had a hooked pad and how can you tell? im fascinated with hydrostream vectors/v kings and vipers. i will own one some day. also guys are pumping them up with 200 plus mercs i believe they were rated for 175 hp max how do you get away with the beefed up motors and the law on the water? any input would be apreciated.

[Jer Z Devil]

I believe Viper, then Viking, later changed to V King. Then the Vector, (V King w/o some of the chines.) With the added HP the law shoulden't be able to catch you.

[Maple Leaf]

Its Viper, Vector then Viking. Then they Change the name to V-King

Viper and Vectors will have a concave pad and have a hook. The Viking/V-King will have a flat pad with no hook The Viking/V-King came out in 78 I belive.

Viper Max hp is 120hp. Vector is 145hp. And Viking/ V-King is 175hp

[BUZZIN' DOZEN]

Vector, then viking (v-king)

[Ryan140]

I once read that the early vectors didnt have a hook in the pad. Not sure if its true, it was on the internet.

[Maple Leaf]

I once read that the early vectors didnt have a hook in the pad. Not sure if its true, it was on the internet.

Yes, The Vipers and Vectors 74 and earlier do not have the Wedge (Hook). They also have a lil bit different wings. And the splash wells are different:)

[rdkvector]

Early Vectors did'nt have a hook in the pad. The Vector was originally rated at 165hp then soon after lowered to 145hp.

[Jay R.]

and the HP rating isn't law its "recommended" Its more for insurance and liability, not the law.

[wideglide55]

My buddy had a Vector with a 81 225 Merc on it with a Chopper Prop and it was faster than anything anybody where I lived ever saw in the early 80s.It would run in the 90's no problem,only other boat that ever ran with it was an 18ft Allison that had the same motor.

[scc82]

and the HP rating isn't law its "recommended" Its more for insurance and liability, not the law.
they gave me a nice ticket in my viper for overpower

[Jay R.]

a ticket for what?

[transomstand]

In the beginning......................................

Howard created the Ventura:p:D:D

[hydroholic]

a ticket for what? It is against the law in the state of Florida to power a boat with more HP than the manufacturers HP rating. I think this applies to vessels up to the twenty ft range. This has been what I have always been told ,somebody correct me if I am wrong. As far as how you can get away with it , I have never met a marine patrol officer who could look at a 2.0 ,2.4 or a 2.5 Mercury and tell the difference, by looking at the powerhead. Not saying there are not any that can ,but I have never met one. They look at the model # or serial # on the clamp. Have never seen one that new where to look on the block for the serial # either. My motor is a Bridgeport that is on a 2.0 150 clamp. So serial # says its a 150. I have been checked twice for the size of the motor and told em it was a 150 , Look at the serial #. They agreed and that was that.
Hydro

[dt63vette]

Maximum Loading and Horsepower


No person may operate a monohull boat of less than 20 feet in length while exceeding the maximum weight, persons, or horsepower capacity as displayed on the manufacturer's capacity plate.

[1BadAction]

Maximum Loading and Horsepower


No person may operate a monohull boat of less than 20 feet in length while exceeding the maximum weight, persons, or horsepower capacity as displayed on the manufacturer's capacity plate.


thats right...

but you can have a flatbottom V-drive with a 1500hp big block :nonod:

[WATERWINGS]

My boat doesn't even have a capacity plate...........then what?

Another thing, the hul vin # is under water when I am in the water........

What does the law have to say about that?

I have heard of that being a problem to the water cops.......but I can't help if that is the way the boat was made.

[austinwildman]

wow guys thank you. great info. i agree that the uscg tag on boats stateing max capacity persons and hp . meaning your in violation if you exceeed any. as for them not catching you lol i agree but on these smaller michigan lakes you have to slow down and turn around sooner or later. ive been just fascinated with the v king vector hooked bow since i first layed eyes on one as a kid. they are in my opinion the badest ass design ever. and always will be. i see theres a company called minx boats . they seem to be making brand new v kings. i wonder if they bought the original hull and rights off hydrostream?

[lckytrbl]

the smart thing to do is remove any horsepower designation or advertisement from the engine.the next thing is to operate a safe distance away from other vessels,so that you dont end up in a courtroom after some kind of avoidable catastrophe.capacity ratings are for the lawyers benefit only.

[Charger200]

The chargers rated only for 150 but i got a carb 2.5 245 should i remove the plate?

[lckytrbl]

paint over it.in the event of an investigation,the coast guard will provide capacity ratings in occordance with the hin anyways.ive seen plenty of vessels that get titled as "home built"after inspection at a coast guard station.none of the home built boats have ratings capacities.

[mrcrsr]

i'm curious to as to what happens, i just checked my 2.5(260), the sticker just lists the serial number, nothing about hp, so what happens when they look at it? do you fib and say 175 hp? my boat is rated for 185 hp

[lckytrbl]

get a sticker from a 150.the early engines had stamped plates,i saved some off from parts motors.tell em you dont know,or its a 135 with 175 parts.or better yet a frankenstein motor with parts from ten different engines including a 5.0 mustang,where else you gonna find a big ole air horn like that?the capacity rating is a guide for the manufacturer and consumer.they only way its ever gonna matter is in a court of law,where you are on trial,and the opposition is trying to prove your recklessness and negligence led to someone or something being damaged.you can be cited for overloading,obviously and i have heard of a couple overpowered bass boats being ticketed locally under that infraction.in both cases the charges being dismissed.the law as ive read it leaves it open to power a vessel as needed,so long as weight capacity isnt infringed upon,making a repowered vessel unstable or otherwise hazardous.i always have operated my boats with open exhaust,and other attention getting equipment;ie metalflake,alien cowls etc.having been inspected numerous times and having met all the appropriate safety and registration requirements,ive happily been sent on my way.my point is to have your act together,operate sober,and make high speed moments occur nowhere near anyone or anything that could be harmed by a potential accident.i also avoid the obvious police state that some waterways have become,mostly because a fast lightweight hull doesnt belong in busy chop and isnt any fun in it either.ive been to the stuart sand bar plenty of times,with my waverunners and my slow big boats.

[mrcrsr]

stuart is ok, never had a problem, its the psl area where we have had an issue once in 3 years, i'm just curious how to adress the hp issue if i am ever asked, like i said, the decal just says mercury hi performance, along w/ the serial number, nothing about horsepower, can they tell from the serial what the hp is?

[hydroholic]

stuart is ok, never had a problem, its the psl area where we have had an issue once in 3 years, i'm just curious how to adress the hp issue if i am ever asked, like i said, the decal just says mercury hi performance, along w/ the serial number, nothing about horsepower, can they tell from the serial what the hp is?If they really wanted to push the issue then yes they could find out from the serial #. Probably not right on the spot but they could find out if they wanted. I would think you would really have to piss them off to make one of them go that far. As long as it doesn't have Horsepower markings on it anywhere I would just tell them it's a 150 or 175. One of the times I got stopped and the guy asked me what size the motor was and i told him it was a 150, I told him to look at the serial # . He said it sure looks awful big to be a 150. I told him it's just the cowling that makes it look big. I have an alien cowl over a Bridgeport centehorn EFI. I pulled off the cowl and he just stared at the motor for a few seconds and said, " thats a cool looking motor". I told him that I had taken the fuel injection system off of a race motor and put on it in order to get better fuel milage and because of the horn length is why I had to use the bigger cowl. He then asked me did it help with the fuel milage which in return I told him most definately. He asked if it ran any faster and I told him no but the better fuel milage was the ultimate goal. He then began to ask me if he could get an EFI system for his personal carbed 200 Merc. Long story short that was all that happened.
Hydro

[Jay R.]

Well I guess I was wrong. I do remember hearing something about Allison doing that so they don't have to rate their hulls. At least the Venus is rated at 200 and the cowl says 200!!!

[lckytrbl]

its all about liability.if you hurt or kill someone,either you or the manufacturer will be held responsible.if youre an average joe,the attorneys will want the manufacturer as they have more money and assets.if you own property that has value,youd better have it protected.the state of florida has whats called a homestead exemption,where someones home cannot be taken from them in a lawsuit aside from foreclosure.this is the reason many people buy homes in florida,as they are protected under law.oj simpson promptly purchased a home in the miami area before the civil suit against him by the families of the murdered was filed for this very reason.

[BUSHWACKER]

:icon_bs: It's all about a power hungry government that has been outta control forever!
I re-decaled my brand new 1975 150hp Merc to 115hp back then when they started with capacity plates.
Only "they" can have HI-POWER boats, cars, guns, motorcycles, knives, airplanes and spying toys! :mad:
Under 21 guys in WW II and Nam were allowed to buy and drink alcohol, smoke cigs, carry pistols and full autos, drive big trucks, no CDLs, fly warplanes, bomb towns, kill women and children.
Some did it under the German and Jap flag, some did it under The Stars and Stripes! :reddevil:

[Ronny Jetmore]

No, minx did not buy any rights from hydrostream or howard pipkorn. Also, a friend of mine saw a minx boat up close and was not impressed with the craftsmanship.

Rj

[Kartracer]

and the HP rating isn't law its "recommended" Its more for insurance and liability, not the law.

In other states, such as Michigan, that is a correct statement. The capacity plate is merely a recommendation. The wording of the MI law reads something like, if the vessel is deemed to be unsafe, you will be escorted back to shore. I don't believe that their is a fine associated with that offense either.

Also, I believe that Allison "stretches" the published length on many of their boats so they can call them 20', to get around the max hp problem.

[WATERWINGS]

its all about liability.if you hurt or kill someone,either you or the manufacturer will be held responsible.if you own property that has value,youd better have it protected..


How would you go about protecting your property?

[lckytrbl]

if you own a business it should be incorporated,or an llc.make sure you have more than adequate insurance coverage and try to represent your boat honestly when purchasing coverage.laws are obviously different from state to state.i still say dont operate over 40 mph near anyone.i personally like an almost deserted body of water for a high speed run for this very reason.one of the south florida guys had a gearcase explode as he was passing another vessel a few years ago.he was running 55-60 mph.noone was hurt,there was no property damage or collision, other than to his boat.it was a close call,and his boat ended up on the shore/rocks.to make a long story short,the operator of the boat ended up spending some time(weeks) in the county jail,after he was convicted of operating at an unsafe distance.he was convicted solely on witness recounts of the incident and the damage to his vessel.after that i realized it would be best to have little or no audience while i myself was out running around in one of those boats that scare some onlookers.im fortunate that where i live there are plenty of canals that seem to go forever in some cases and i regularly pass by lauches that have a few vehicles and trailers in favor of one that has none or a couple.

[Jay R.]

Are you talking about Fly Away? Sounds alot like what happened to him a few years ago, but i was told he hit a ski boat and 2 people went to the hospital and his speed was more like 80. I went out the next day with the crew down there to tow his boat off the rocks.

[WATERWINGS]

[QUOTE=lckytrbl;1713831] long story short,the operator of the boat ended up spending some time(weeks) in the county jail,QUOTE]


:eek::eek::eek:He spent time in the slammer for losing a gearcse?

Or for being to close to another boat???:eek::eek:

How close are we talking here?

I assume no alcohol was involved, or he may have gotten the death penalty.

[WATERWINGS]

My boat doesn't even have a capacity plate...........then what?

Another thing, the hul vin # is under water when I am in the water........

What does the law have to say about that?

I have heard of that being a problem to the water cops.......but I can't help if that is the way the boat was made.

My earlier question never got answered...........does anyone know the answer?

[Jay R.]

he is saying he spent time in the slammer for reckless driving. The guy I know actually ran over the back side of a ski boat and hurt two people. he had an XR gearcase and it split on him, I still have pic's. i can post the gear case, but i don't think its fair of me to post pic's of him or his boat. i don't know that he posts here, but alot of guys know him.
There was some question as well as to whether or not he had a beer or two. again i don't know the specifics. but far as i know he did do a lil time in county lock up over it.

[albypine]

that has to suck. we all love to have fun,but some get a lil crazy around others and to many cocktails up the odds of bad things :reddevil:

[lckytrbl]

jay,i was the guy that helped pull his powerhead and set it in frankies action the next day.as far as i knew,noone was injured and there was no actual contact between vessels.the operator was convicted solely on witness accounts of what happened.i could be wrong,i wasnt a witness.my point is that,operating at high speed is best done far away from potential witnesses.that incident bought alot of bad exposure for fast boats locally.

[Jay R.]

Well then I met you that day cause it was my yellow checkmate that pulled his vector of the rocks! Flyaway and his German shepherd rode with me and a guy on a jet ski watched the boat for me and shadowed me to the ramp! I wasn't an eyewitness just going off what Frankie told me!

[Jay R.]

And I absolutely agree with you on running high speed away from others!

[lckytrbl]

i was the dude on the jet ski.youre the guy that worked at cable with frankie.did you ever see the police report?

[Jay R.]

Yep, thats me! I had a feeling that was you, last time I hooked up with Frankie He told me that you had got a boat and were doing rigging. I have pictures of you on the ski! Frankie was giving me updates about the whole thing while we were at work, but i never saw the report. do you ever see Frankie any more?

[lckytrbl]

frankie is working on a yacht at roscioli on 84.cable let him go a few months ago.his mom has had a stroke so he spends alot of time at home and doesnt run the action much anymore.these days ive got two streams.the v-king is done and the valero will be soon.

[Jay R.]

Do you still talk to him regularly? have a contact number?

[chargerk1d 2]

haha some one cut the max hp out in the plate in my viper so then what do i do

[lckytrbl]

if the boat is overpowered dont allow yourself to get into a situation where there will be an investigation.

[chargerk1d 2]

what you mean and investigation

[lckytrbl]

as long as youre operating intelligently and dont end up giving your explanation of what happened.if the coast guard or other law enforcement agency discover that your vessel is powered or loaded beyond recommendation after an incident,youll be screwed.most likely by whomever you shouldve stayed away from in the first place.the tag on the vessel is a recommendation,the real version of which is filed with the coast guard.fast boats are dangerous,look at all the accidents to have occured to snf memebers just in the last few months.my point is that the smart thing to do is avoid other vessels as best you can while operating.running along at high speed often we often become complacent,and you dont realize how fast youre going until something unforeseen happens,like a broken steering bolt,or a gearcase coming apart,then the boat will be outta control.keep your rigging in top shape and inspect it regularly to help avoid worst case scenarios.