whatever happened to affordable fast boats?

[Ron V]

If you are an OEM boat & engine supplier, or Dealer, then you have to cater to the new generations taste. The consumers market (populated by the young video-gamers) is dictating the current & future of the boating industry. I don't envision video-gamers wanting to twirl a wrench and get oil/grease on their hands, working on a boat motor. But surely, they will be happy the first day they a buy a boat, for the Boating Experience.

And that is what the industry needs to continually do... Sell the Boating Experience to the new generations.

True, but I think to some extent the industry is also dictating what people "want" based on what the industry wants to build.

[John S]

True, but I think to some extent the industry is also dictating what people "want" based on what the industry wants to build.

Look no further than the automotive industry for that. They can build more expensive vehicles that people can afford... Through financing they conveniently provide. Remember standard cab pickups? I see more quadcabs running empty than I do with even a scratch on the hitch on them. It's bananas. Small perf boats never stood a chance. They're too much money to sell turnkey, and there's not enough hobbyist mechanics to justify the cost of building them. Go to a Goodguys show, most cars are built by builders these days. The good old days are gone.

[XstreamVking]

When I tow and fuel my V-King I often have young guys ask about it and get excited just looking at it. I think the desire is there, it's just a very few that will have enough money, time, and more importantly a place to actually use it. For the small go fast market the insurance is a deal killer for most.

[BarryStrawn]

Go to a Goodguys show, most cars are built by builders these days. The good old days are gone.

Mostly old farts at Goodguys events. Go to drift or an import drag race is you want to see what the kids are doing.

[dgscroggs]

What's Clarks Hill Lake like ? Never heard of it before your post - just looked it up. Homes, restaurants, etc ... What's nearby ?

MDS

clarks hill is one of my favorite places to travel to , great boating and good company in South Carolina , even met a few people I keep in Contact with , plenty of hot boats there at the rally

[AlliStan]

Sure wish the drag racing could be brought back to the KOTH rally at Clark's Hill. It stopped about four years ago.

[John S]

Mostly old farts at Goodguys events. Go to drift or an import drag race is you want to see what the kids are doing.

True enough. Guess I'm an old guy now, so that's what I gravitate to, lol. I just don't see many kids involved in moto culture. Every once and awhile the rich kids are street racing in dad's Porsche or Tesla by me. That's aboot it. When I was a kid (back when wheels were wood), we were always heading out to find where all the cars were. I was giving some kidsy old trackdays motorcycle tires for a while, cos they were trying out stunting (on the first bikes they ever rode). That ended soon after the cost of failing at stunting came aboot. Now they all play video games with inflammation in their wrists from the pins and plates.

[AlliStan]

My 18 yr. old grandson has a 2010 Camaro SS, with less than 70K miles on it, that he bought and paid for with his earned dollars. It is immaculate. He has had it modified by very capable people and it is now an 11 second (1/4 mile) street driven, air conditioned, car, without nitrous or turbochargers. He is a very sharp young man IMO, to have worked and saved his money to the point that he could do this without borrowing a dime.

[dgscroggs]

Sure wish the drag racing could be brought back to the KOTH rally at Clark's Hill. It stopped about four years ago.

That was my first trip , not many places I’ve been where u can hang out in the water with your boat and watch some good ole racin even without the racing we have a blast

[John S]

My 18 yr. old grandson has a 2010 Camaro SS, with less than 70K miles on it, that he bought and paid for with his earned dollars. It is immaculate. He has had it modified by very capable people and it is now an 11 second (1/4 mile) street driven, air conditioned, car, without nitrous or turbochargers. He is a very sharp young man IMO, to have worked and saved his money to the point that he could do this without borrowing a dime.

You should be proud of the kid. Cool for him. Any pics?

[AlliStan]

You should be proud of the kid. Cool for him. Any pics?

Why, yes. Doesn't every grandparent have pics?

This is a photo taken Father's Day (last Sunday) after church. He is the one in the cap, behind his little step-sister. His older brother is on the right, and their Dad, my youngest son, is in the middle.



Here's his Camaro doing a burnout at Jackson Dragway, The House of Hook. Sorry it's a bit blurry. He ran an 11.8 et with a .001 reaction time on that pass.

[skialot2]

Thought of this today.

To the title subject.

Back in the muscle car days of the late ‘60’s.
What did a L-88 Camaro cost then?

I would guess $6 -$7k??

We know the new rocket cars are $100k.

What is the math of ‘1968 money to today?

Wouldnt that settle this argument?

I am not sure about an L-88 Camaro. But a Brand new 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 454 fully loaded was $4500.

[DeudeMann]

So as a long-time car modder, with some familiarity but just now seriously looking into the world of fast boats:
- I think that the low availability of cheap, fast hulls is a problem
- The cost of an outboard motor compared to a car motor of comparable power is ridiculous
- Aftermarket parts for boats are expensive compared to cars
- V8 jet boats are a way around the cost of the engine but they have their limitations from what I have read, namely hydrolift hulls are harder due to water inlet problems (?)

Maybe what is needed is a way to combine cheap, readily available parts into something fast, maybe older bass boat hulls, some kind of cheap prop drive system (no idea here), and American automotive V6 and V8 motors. If you want to go lightweight and compact, inexpensive, bullet-proof junk yard sport bike engines make 180-200 HP and weigh about 200 lbs. with the transmission. Bonus, they sound amazing. There are also plenty of 200-300 HP small Japanese car engines out there as well.

Figure out a way to drop a junk yard car or motorcycle engine into an old (but sound) hull with a prop drive system (no idea what) so someone can build a 80+ MPH non-sketchy boat for ~$10K in parts in their garage and you have something. A nice paint job is optional.

BTW - I do know that 300 BHP steady-state and 300 BHP peak rating are not the same thing.

[DeudeMann]

To the point of the dying breed of automotive hot-rodders, speaking for the Gen-X/Gen-Y crowd, the hot-rodders are alive and well:
- 1000+ HP is the new 400 HP
- Modern all-aluminum V8s are better than the 60s all-iron V8s. Sorry boomers.
- There is a plethora of affordable, even cheap turbos in any size you want
- Very powerful and sophisticated EFI systems, stock and aftermarket
- If you don't like messing with EFI then you can go off-the-shelf blow-through carb if you like
- Cheap 'race fuel' at the gas station pumps (E85)
- Street and race tires are much, much better, no comparison. Broader selection and far better performance.
- Tons of suspension components
- 10 second street cars are not uncommon, and 9 second street cars are harder-core but they are out there. Remember when a 14-second car was fast? Now that's meh...
- There are cable, streaming, and youtuber channels dedicated to modding cars.

[John S]

Why, yes. Doesn't every grandparent have pics?

This is a photo taken Father's Day (last Sunday) after church. He is the one in the cap, behind his little step-sister. His older brother is on the right, and their Dad, my youngest son, is in the middle.



Here's his Camaro doing a burnout at Jackson Dragway, The House of Hook. Sorry it's a bit blurry. He ran an 11.8 et with a .001 reaction time on that pass.

Thanks for the pics. Good looking family, cool looking car. That kid must have way more restraint than I did at that age... Or at my current age. I've been looking at old mustangs, but I'll opt for the low HP ones, soni don't have to ride my bicycle to work.