Checkmates, are they heavy???

**Instigator** · 01-18-2009, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by concord18

There' to slow!

pig's

**motorheadbishop** · 01-18-2009, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Instigator

so many people are only aware of todays 2.5's, STV's, Alli's , Mirages etc and don't realise where it all began and what it took to get us here.
Race conditions are one thng but take me to any lake USA on a Sunday afternoon and show me what you can do.
I was snooping on the Checkmate board the other day looking at the old race pix's and 1/2 the boats are 3' in the air

Thats closer to the water I'm used to seeing than what it takes to see 80+ in a todays hot rods.

Hottrucks, very well said.

Smitty, that boat was balanced very, very well and did way better in chop than what I expected. Was like a tunnel though in that you had to get it up and flying to do it and not many would ride with me while doing it.
Most preferred riding in the larger boats running beside me so they could watch

Gary you look like your havin too much fun!!!

Get you another vector or king and put the big boy in the garage on the back,
River Ranch 800' and you would be hard to beat, for sure!!!

Mike

**ssmith007** · 01-18-2009, 03:39 PM

I enjoyed reading the thread when Gary was re-doing the Vector. He posted a video of a triple digit run with it. Nice boat. Very high quality rebuild with much attention to detail. Neat thread about that engine also. It looked like it could be new. What ever happened to that motor Gary? Fun thread. Smitty

**Instigator** · 01-18-2009, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by motorheadbishop

Gary you look like your havin too much fun!!!

Get you another vector or king and put the big boy in the garage on the back,
River Ranch 800' and you would be hard to beat, for sure!!!

Mike

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I might consider a clean/solid Viking. After owning the Vector I think I can make a Viking faster. I know the experts say otherwise but not sure I agree. My Vector went 101 with porp 1 1/2" under the pad w/a very mildly modded JohnRude.
BTW, that video was at bull **** hill although they called it something else back then

Smitty, thanks for the compliments. Last I heard that motor was pulling tubers around out west.

**motorheadbishop** · 01-18-2009, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Instigator

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I might consider a clean/solid Viking. After owning the Vector I think I can make a Viking faster. I know the experts say otherwise but not sure I agree. My Vector went 101 with porp 1 1/2" under the pad w/a very mildly modded JohnRude.
BTW, that video was at bull **** hill although they called it something else back then

Smitty, thanks for the compliments. Last I heard that motor was pulling tubers around out west.

I've seen that video before... Never knew it was you... as I watch it over, and over, over, and over........ Thats Freakin AWESOME, I LOVE IT!!! Turn the Volume all the way up and listen to it scream as it comes by makes it even better...

NICE JOB GARY!!!!!!

**Instigator** · 01-18-2009, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by motorheadbishop

I've seen that video before... Never knew it was you... as I watch it over, and over, over, and over........ Thats Freakin AWESOME, I LOVE IT!!! Turn the Volume all the way up and listen to it scream as it comes by makes it even better...

NICE JOB GARY!!!!!!

tons left in that motor but ran out of time and ambition. Probably would have run one teens with everything right. The boat weighed 543 after I rebuilt it.

**ssmith007** · 01-18-2009, 04:35 PM

Haven't heard of many others. There was a diff video you posted a while back Gary. You were running by yourself. 101.6 I think. Smitty

P.S. Now that I watch it again that is the one I was thinking about, I think it was cool how excited your wife got when she heard the speed. Great thread. Smitty

**SnakeBit** · 01-18-2009, 04:44 PM

Very nice Great run!! Love those Streams!!

**Instigator** · 01-18-2009, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by ssmith007

Haven't heard of many others. There was a diff video you posted a while back Gary. You were running by yourself. 101.6 I think. Smitty

P.S. Now that I watch it again that is the one I was thinking about, I think it was cool how excited your wife got when she heard the speed. Great thread. Smitty

and had been trying to bust 100 for a while but kept fighting very strange set up issues dealing with cutting the motor down to 16".
Skip (Talon 2.5) had a party for me that weekend (was running the camera)and I really wanted to do it while down there. Thats Shore Pounder and H2ONut chasing me in their Mirages with Skip motors on the back.
That run should really be dedicated to Talon 2.5 for all his support in everything I was trying to pull off about that time in my life, not even counting the boating project.
Took probably 20 passes to get that one run. Was blowing across the river pretty good (can here it in the microphone) and kept rolling the bitch off the pad at just under my goall!
Made on freagin pass at 99.9

Had to lift on another pass to keep from drilling a gator swimming across the creek.

**ssmith007** · 01-18-2009, 10:08 PM

Do u think there was more in the Vector top end wise? What was the handling issue u were refering to? Would you do anything different with the Vector if you had it to do over? Great Thread Guys. Kindest Regards. Smitty

**JP Love** · 01-19-2009, 04:25 AM

Yeah attractive thread... Verry interesting to read..... Many of wise and intelligent answers.. Comparation and lake condition give to Checkmate a good choice... Stream's is a Stream's and Checkmate's is quality and solid boat... I owned a 15 footer ten years ago.... Still looking for deal a good day.. Love the fast Hydrosream too.... Nice vid.... A thread without

Héhé.. JP Love

**JP Love** · 01-19-2009, 04:45 AM

I'm sure Wildman have read all the posts.........

**DOUBLE J** · 01-19-2009, 09:48 AM

Ran the big Checkmate 2400 Pulsare Long deck yesterday. I ran 75.9 with me and the wife,cooler and 30 gallons of gas. Not too shabby for a 24' boat with one 300xs on it.

**Instigator** · 01-19-2009, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by ssmith007

Do u think there was more in the Vector top end wise? What was the handling issue u were refering to? Would you do anything different with the Vector if you had it to do over? Great Thread Guys. Kindest Regards. Smitty

hydraulic steering you could have taken your hands off the wheel at 100.

Biggest issue w/set up that with the shorty mid it bottomed out against the trim so I added negative wedges to get it back.
What was happening was that it then took so much up trim that went past the trim mode and in to tilt which will not hold the pressure w/the motor under load. I spent months chasing blow out issues that ended up being the trim cylinders bleeding down and dropping the bow at speed as soon as I let off the trim buttons. This was happening in the upper 90's.

As to speed, there clearly was plenty left but was out of time. And yeah, the whole time I had that boat the Merc guys told me any strong 2.4 would push it that fast so I was proving nothing (whats new?).
Funny though, I've never seen any of their claims substantiated. EVER.
Go to the Stream site and look how much power it took to get any of the V's in to the "Top Gun" club and then re-think those claims.

Back to the Checkmate subject, the guys running the 23's and 24's into the 90's with the 300 Merc's is flat amazing! Man what a blast it would be taking peoples money for a weekend

**Wizard** · 01-19-2009, 03:20 PM

Very cool vid! 101 is impressive to say the least.

On the subject. I bought a new Checkmate Exciter in 1989 with a 175 black max. I modded the heck out of the motor which probably peaked at around 220hp. It ran in the high 70's which was pretty respectable. I beat the living crap out of that boat on Saginaw Bay and Lake St. Clair. It took everything I could throw at it with nothing but some stress cracks in the splashwell to show for it. It was one very well built boat. Respectable speed but no speed demon. It was a handfull to drive at WOT and I cut my teeth on pad V hulls on that boat. I still have the callous's on my left hand from holding on to the steering wheel it had so much wheel torque. Thank God for hydraulic steering!

I just bought my first Hydrostream. I blew the motor the third time out so next year will tell what it will do. But I'll tell you now I would not take this boat where I comfortably took my Cmate. The 'Stream is just not designed for rough water.