Setup for 1968 Carlson Contender

[CompKing]

Just getting a 68 Carlson Contender on the water for the first time and looking for anyone with experience with setup info.

[stan r]

Carlson made a 14 1/2 and a 16 ft. boat. Can't remember the model names except one was a contender, maybe the 14 1/2. I owned, back in the day, a new 14 1/2 model. It was rated for a max. motor of 80 hp. I put a 105 hp Chrysler outboard on it. The engine also had a lower racing unit which was direct drive ( no neutral or reverse ). It was a screamer and people on the lake hated it! Went around 68 MPH which in those days was fast. In those years, Mercury's biggest motors were 100 then 110 then 125. On Glastrons and comparable boats the Merc's couldn't touch that Carlson / Chrysler. Those two boats were half tunnels and later Carlson came out with a full tunnel (no center pod). Many of the full tunnels, which I had one of those with a 150 hp Merc., were blown over, including me in mine. I loved both of those boats and had a lot of fun with them. Wealth men on our lake would buy each year the newest most expensive inboards to beat the kid in the Carlson outboard, but it never happened!

[cyhuff]

Hopefully Milkdud on here will chime in. He got a Contender up to 80+ with a 1500 I6 after much testing and setup. He also has a lot of great vids of the boat running.

Trace

[CompKing]

I think I may have seen that video. This is the 14 1/2 foot Contender, the 16 footer was a challenger. On our first run it porpused so bad we had to keep it under 40 but after a few changes got it to 60 with lots of throttle left. Only have about 3 gal of gas through it,since it's kind of a unusual rig thought I might save some time by asking. We are running a V4 OMC cut down to 15" and using a 14x25 SRX With a Bobs manual plate.
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[cyhuff]

That's gorgeous CompKing! I remember Conrad's (Milkdud) best speeds were with a 14 x 28 Merc cleaver and the motor really high, maybe propshaft level with the bottom or higher. Hope he chimes in with the details for you.

Trace

[milkdud]

Nice looking boat.
Mine ran 78 any day of the week with a 1500 Merc. 80.9 was my best.

The farther up I raised the motor the faster it would go. I had my propshaft 1 inch below the pad, and wished I could go higher, but I didn't have low water pick ups.

Mine ran a lot faster with a 3 blade cleaver vs my SRX or Choppers. I have the same SRX and it did not go handle very well.

Find a 28 cleaver and raise the motor as high as you can. Min hopped a lot to. From 35-50 it hopped. Then from 50-80 it ran smooth.

Good luck. It should be fast. I ran a 28 and 30 merc cleaver

Conrad

[CompKing]

That's good to know about the SRX prop but its the only one we right now in a 13 spline, will have to look for a cleaver. Did notice over 55 it settled down and plan on raising motor in future.
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[vintage v4]

The motor cover looks great, who did the glass work if I may ask?

[1954bmw]

How did this end up, just picked up a POS contender for the 115 Merc short shaft, but now kinda getting attached to it, thinking about an old 50 Merc just to get it wet????

[CNC_Guy]

80 hp would be more fun.

[1954bmw]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: ^ what he said

[Magcat 62]

I KMOW this boat very well actually the 16 ft was faster than the 14. who says got to 80 with 1500 xs i say B. S. NO WAY A CHALLENGER 16 with 2 110 bp with ssm lowers 83 mph. i was a passenger i had the contenter with modded v4 stacks reeds ported omc 90 about 7000 rpm 58 mph. there is just too much wetted surface with the flat bottom. early hydro streams would with 110 mercs would blow me away. still wish i kept my carlson sold it went to NAM.

[1954bmw]

still wish i kept my carlson sold it went to NAM.[/QUOTE]

How much would you offer me for this one??? If you google Carlson Contender, mine is the yellow one towed by a Plymouth mini van, I'm keeping the Merc.

[Magcat 62]

still wish i kept my carlson sold it went to NAM.

How much would you offer me for this one??? If you google Carlson Contender, mine is the yellow one towed by a Plymouth mini van, I'm keeping the Merc.[/QUOTE]
Cant seem to get that pic? no boat or mi-van??

[1954bmw]

google carlson contender, first images that comes up, row 18, 19 20, 21, 22, yellow one with cragars on the trailer, the merc is gone, mark

[1954bmw]

Is that skeg bent, or is the motor turned to the camera????