I/O Hydrostream ???

**Shadow 804** · 08-03-2015, 11:29 PM

I Found A Vegas I/O For Sale Here Local To Me Today . Unfortunately Though , It Has 4.3 MerCruiser Power .

I've Never Actually Seen One Of These I/Os Before . I Was Hoping That Someone Here Might Be Familiar With One Of These And Can Give Me A Little More Info On The Boat, As Far As Performance , Handling , 4.3 Upgrades etc ......... The Only Reason I'm Considering It Is Because It Has A Trailer With It And I Can Get The Package For A Hell Of A Deal . Thanks In Advance For Any Help . It's Greatly Appreciated !

**roadkill636** · 08-04-2015, 06:01 AM

The 4.3 is a chevy 350 with the front 2 cyls cut off.. very reliable motors and impressive power. Had one for years in a boat

**Shadow 804** · 08-04-2015, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by roadkill636

The 4.3 is a chevy 350 with the front 2 cyls cut off.. very reliable motors and impressive power. Had one for years in a boat

I See Them Listed @ 205 HP ........

This Boat Won't Exactly Be Light And Fast , Huh ????

**Shadow 804** · 08-04-2015, 02:49 PM

Hmmmmm....... I,ve Been Doing A lot Of Google-ing And I Came Across A 14 Sec YouTube Video Of An I/O Vegas Fly-By . No Idea Of The Power , Obviously A Healthy V8 From The Sweet Sound . But I Was Very Impressed With The Driver And the Boat. It's Running High And Light , Like A Regular 'Stream . I Can't Get A Link Posted To It For Some D@mn Reason , But If You Search Vegas I/O On YouTube I'll Bet You It Comes Right Up !!!

**Sonik** · 08-04-2015, 03:28 PM

Very very few of these built. Taller transom, bigger fuel tank, and built in V bottom configuration only. I cannot confirm as I've only ever seen one with a 350 mag, and now this one with a 4.3 V6. The V6 I/O with an alpha is obviously heavier than its outboard counterpart so do the math from there on performance #'s. I imagine its a 45-55mph boat with the V6 if healthy. BUT, its a hydrostream, so the obligatory core/transom check is a must. John Tiger may swing through here at some point and provide some solid first hand knowledge.

**Shadow 804** · 08-04-2015, 03:40 PM

I Just Had A Very Long And Informative Conversation With The Gentleman Selling This Boat . The Plan Now Is To See It In Person On Saturday . And Yes , Ill Take LOTS!!! Of Pics For You Guys Here . This Boat Is Only An Hour And 1/2 Away From Me . So There Was NO WAY !! I Couldn't Go Look It Over . Its An '86 And Needs Some Interior Work , And It Wont Be The Fastest Thing On The Lake . But I Probably Won't See Another One Ever Pull Up Next To Me At The Gas Dock .

**Shadow 804** · 08-04-2015, 03:46 PM

Thank You For The Info Sonik. Im Fascinated By This Boat . I,ve Been Searching Awhile For A Vegas That's Close To Me And Reasonably Priced . And Now This Comes Up !!! Not Exactly What I'd Had In Mind , But ...... ??

**Shadow 804** · 08-04-2015, 03:49 PM

Whipple-Charged 4.3 Into A BlackHawk Drive Maybe ???

**Sonik** · 08-04-2015, 04:01 PM

Alpha SS would be the way to go if you can find one thats functional. Parts might be hard to come by though like everything else that vintage.

I can't stress the importance of the core check. These are balsa core boats that have been known to get wet and rot away from the inside leaving 2 thin glass skins between you and a quick trip to the bottom of the lake. The hull could literally delaminate under you...makes for a bad day. I wish I could say I've seen a survivor with my own eyes but I have not. Thats not to say that there may not be a few out there that were built well and didn't suffer the same fate as most others with water intrusion and rot. Do some searching here and you'll find more than enough information to educate yourself...at least a little. Good luck!

**Shadow 804** · 08-04-2015, 04:49 PM

Thank You Again Sonik For the Advice . This Is Going To Be My First Time With Actual Hands On Work To A Hydrostream . Last Boat Here For Me Was 94 Scarab 22 , 350 Mag . So There Is Really No Comparison . I Did Quite A Bit Of Work With My Buddy On His 18 Action When We Were Getting That Boat Ready For Lake George . And When I Lived In NH My Good Friend Had A VKing on Winnapasaukee So I'm Somewhat Familiar With General Hydrostream Design .

**Jon50** · 08-04-2015, 08:20 PM

hi I was looking at that one also I have too many streams now good luck with da io vegas

**Li'l Toy** · 08-05-2015, 07:25 AM

Shadow-listen to Sonik. I love Hydrostreams, but do not delude yourself into believing that "it needs some interior work." The odds are very strong that it needs a core, floor and transom, and some interior work. It will be an incredibly unique rig when done, but go in with your eyes open and your rubber hammer with you.

**JWTjr.** · 08-05-2015, 10:41 AM

It will need core for sure, I would bet a paycheck on it.

We did not make many of these, to be sure. My memory's getting foggy on how many might have been made. But they were offered from 1985 to 1991, and my best estimate would be that no more than 5 or 6 per year, sometimes less, were built and sold. So a very close estimate of total would be between 35 and 60.

These were decent runners with a 350 Mag/Alpha I SS, but not really notable with anything less. The 350 Mag/Alpha I rigs were pretty quick and fast, most were running well into the low 80s set up right. But the standard 350 Mag/Alpha I rigs (far more common) would struggle to hit 70, and the 4-cylinder model was a mid-50 mph boat. Attached is a Mercury Boathouse Bulletin from November 1984 with 4-cyl 190-hp stern drive.

Click image for larger version.

Name: Boathouse Bulletin HydroStream IO 08-05-2015.pdf
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ID: 325041

**Shadow 804** · 08-05-2015, 01:30 PM

And This Presents A Little More Of A Challenge To Work On , Being The Engine And Outdrive Are Right In My Way And Would Need To Be Pulled Before Any Serious Work Could Begin .......