Jace has a SS2000!

[hellbents-10]

Picked up the boat from Ron here and wow! Stand up guy who made sure the trailer was mint for the ride back to Michigan. New tires, packed the wheel bearings, and made sure we had lights!

We put the boat in the water on Christmas eve, with 49 degree air. We did a ton of research and talked to everyone about the SS2000. Everyone said good luck its the hardest to drive! Ron said no worries its set up right! I did a check and the prop centerline was about 1" up from the pad. Jace took off and put the it right on the pad and drove it like he owned it for years!

Its time for a 30-32p prop! We were turning 8000rpm at 100mph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEwCAB2645Y

[mikesufka]

Love it !! Allisons are such a hoot.

MDS

[David]

1" above the pad? no lip?

[JBS]

He learned quick.

[hellbents-10]

1" was a quick eyball lol, I need to get the level out and see exactly where it is at and measure that lip. If there is one its not much, we threw it in as the owner assured us it was dialed in. He was right!

[JR IN JAX]

The ss2000 is not the hardest Aboat to drive, but it has some very serious issues with suddenly biting you from out of the blue. They quickly quit building them and many who had one ended up with an accident. I think the Grandsport is much harder to drive at 100+. My time in the SS2000 was limited but in a minute I was 100+ and it rode on rails, which my Grandsport has always caused pucker anytime close to 100.
Enjoy your new toy!

[David]

Mine has the stock lip, and from what I've read, 1/4" below is about right for stock. I've never measured my prop height and I don't use a trim gage. I rely on the calibration of my noggin for feedback. Jace must have better natural noggin talent then me. I spend a good chunk of my first summer learning to drive.

I don't think Allison stopped building the SS2000 because people were crashing. More likely it was lack of demand and lack of appropriate motors. Mr Allison does not approve of the 3L 2 strokes on any of the 20' boats. That was clear on their web site for a long time. I suspect it's the risk of hooking and rolling due to the big motors higher center of gravity and lack of ratcheting gearcases. That's speculation as Mr Allison does not confide in me.

There is a theory that the Grandsport is the hardest to drive as the driver sits the farthest offset. There is also a theory that the SS2000 gets spooky much past 100. I won't be doing that with a 200XS. I do know that I need to adjust my sideways adjustable seat based on speed and propeller to run level. I can be tilted right or tilted left if I have the balance wrong.

[David]

Some years ago I thought about this article and decided that I needed a T4X. I bought a used 28 T4X which does 90 with ease, which is as fast as I go these days. One bump on the jackplate up button and level trim and it drives very easy.

[CUDA]

That's Funny disapproves of a 3L, but does he like 450 ? At the Chattanooga drag race someone had one on display,

A 450 on a Allison,

I would have liked a show rock and roll show...

Why did he never finish the big boat?

Times are always changing. Either change or get left behind,

I was at Wally's shop, Triad Boats, and we were talking about Allison's lawsuit against Triad

Wally said if Daris added a little rocker in his keel area, his boats would not hook the way they do.

Keels with rocker tend to turn better, be more forgiving...

https://www.boat-ed.com/paddlesports...1109901_52033/

When It comes to raw beauty, it's tough to beat an Allison

[John S]

An SS with a 15" Mariner alien cowl just might be the best looking boat on the water. Always wanted one. Impractical for what I needed, hence never owning one. My guess is Allison never completed the big Grandsport due to low ROI compared to all the big bassers they could pump out. Small hipo boat market is just a niche at this point. And it's not like it ever was huge.

Agreed on the T4X. Hydromotive are the best wheel guys in the business, and they work great on Allisons. Great family that makes great spinners.

[hellbents-10]

I have a quad 4 on my 24 Tuff and I love it! They make great props. Thanks for all the awesome info, I look forward to getting some real measurements on the lip and prop height here soon when we get back out to the barn.

A lot of people run two heavy batteries in the back like this one? Seems like 100lbs back there would be less then ideal but we don't have anything to go by? My tuff loved when I pulled weight out of the transom area as it carried the bow fine with out it. This one has a subwoofer and amp up front that will go too!!!

[JR IN JAX]

I do not like the way my Grandsport drives with any weight in the bow, so I keep very little up there. I also am not very good about keeping my Grandsport in balance and have not rebalanced it since my 100# wife went into Memory Care.
Running out of balance can make it misbehave. Since it can always misbehave anyway and I regularly cruise at 90, I just seem to know what it is going to do before/as it starts to do it. I am sure that someday it will win and you might read about me in the news.

The SS production seemed to stop when there was still plenty of 2.5s available.

An old friend, Lou, had a nice ss2000, a Grand sport and a 2002. He seemed to use the Grandsport the most but I could be wrong

[JBS]

I learned quickly how fast an SS will hook.

[hellbents-10]

Did it hook with steady throttle and flying level? Or was it a throttle change situation? No warning? I see some of these vids and they are really walking side to side but staying in it for some reason.

[JBS]

Driver error, coming into the boat ramp too hot. Let off too quick,hard right turn instantly.Very sobering!
I drive a V21 now, it's a lot more forgiving.