24 Cobia speed boat/ sport deck?

**Airbossjonathan** · 06-07-2018, 07:26 PM

Hello all,
My name is Jon and this is my first time posting on this site, hoping to find some some information on a boat I recently picked up here in Florida. So I bought this boat real cheap, needing a complete restoration, its a 24 ft Cobia. Looks exactly like the 24x7 pantera, magnum, superboat, python etc. The only thing is that this boat has a 6ft beam, not 7ft like those others. Looking online I cannot find info or pics of a 24 cobia speedboat/sportdeck. Everytime I Do a seach only center console models show up. I assume its a cobia because the title says it is and also the HIN number on the back of the boat starts with CBA which is Cobia manufacturing Identifier. Does anyone know about Cobia speedboats? or is this a one off hull? maybe they only made a few of them trying to tap into that speedboat market in those days? by the way the hull is a 1978. I will get a few pics up later today, but the boat is identical to a 24 P&D hull of that era. Any info would be greatly appreciated. ....pics =

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**delawarerick** · 06-07-2018, 08:12 PM

I can't help on the cobia but it sure looks like a pantera. A friend of mine had a 24 pantera outboard and it was a great boat ate the chop and handled good even in snotty bay waters. Rick

**Dave S** · 06-07-2018, 09:21 PM

Got the same boat. It is a super boat.....Story is I think....John Coen called them Cobras when he first built them. Some one eles was using the same name so he called it SB. When I regeistered my boat with paper work from cobra the state I live in called it a cobia. Mine was a jet boat 1974 and had a 454 with twin turbos with intercooles and did 75 MPH.... was owned by a guy in Freeport NY that worked at a boat speed shop. Went on to a shop he ran... MDR. I think that's the story......

**Dave S** · 06-07-2018, 09:50 PM

I have the paper work from 1982 when I bought the boat....dammm where did time go.....

**Airbossjonathan** · 06-08-2018, 08:55 AM

Thank you for the response and info. Much appreciated!

**JBS** · 06-08-2018, 09:28 AM

Sound like you found your answer!This is a good site for info on speedboats .

**Airbossjonathan** · 06-08-2018, 09:43 AM

Great site indeed! Here's another question for you guys. I put a mercruiser 5.7 350 (4barrel carb) motor with an alpha 1 gen 2 outdrive in the boat. Will this be enough power to get up on plane? Lol. What kind of speed should I get ? 30mph max? Is the 5.7 a waste of time... Should I start looking for a Big block now? Hoping to get the boat in the water in a few weeks , maybe sometime in july.

**Dave S** · 06-10-2018, 04:55 PM

The boats with 454s ran 65 mph with out drives...I think you will see 50-55 depending on prop....stay away from trs solid props.

**Airbossjonathan** · 06-10-2018, 06:31 PM

Sounds Good! Yesterday I bought a 1998 mercruiser 454 block and heads, that I plan to rebuild and install next summer (2019) . Will run the 5.7 until then.