Author Topic: New member needs advice  (Read 3419 times)

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Offline jandgwhatley

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New member needs advice
« on: August 30, 2019, 06:41:23 PM »
A few years ago I bought a 68 V-143 JetFlite just to get a nice 75 horse Merc off it. I rigged a 35 horse back on it and took it to a nearby lake to run it out a couple of times to work out some engine bugs. I fell head over heels for this boat. Honestly the last time I took it “to test it” was just because it was like a jet ski for grown ups! So sad when I sold it. I looked for the last couple of years to find another one. 2 weeks ago I found one 3 hours away. Brought it home with a grin all the way. It is in great overall shape after I got all the dirt off of it. Now for the advice part. I need a motor. The 35 was really fun but with an 11 pitch prop was really slow. I know the hull is rated for a 60 horse max. Does anyone who has one know what a 40 or 50 horse motor will be like on it? Not looking to set speed records but don’t wanna dog either. Will have grandkids on a tube behind it at some point as well. Any advice would be welcome. I attached pictures of the new 66 as well as a few of my 68.

Online Hyperacme

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Re: New member needs advice
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2019, 08:02:31 PM »
Welcome to the forum JandG …

65 HP but would have been powerhead rated back then ..

Would guess a late 80's to early 90's 70 hp Johnson / Evinrude 3 cylinder motor with tilt & trim could get you over 40 mph/gps.
Propped right you shouldn't have any problem pulling a tube, even with a few people in the boat.

Had a 1994 Johnson 60 HP with T & T on my 1972 V156 and could get about 42 mph/gps.
I could get about 10 mile to a gallon of fuel with that setup .. Driving all day at max throttle !
My V156 came with a 1971 65 HP Merc 4 cylinder with out tilt & trim and could do about 35 mph/gps.

Best set up would be a 90 HP Yamaha 3 cylinder .. Bet you could get 50 mph plus with it !
Not sure how well a Merc I6 or Johnson / Evinrude V4 would work on that hull, but high 50's mph/gps.
Trent put a 175 HP V6 Merc on one and it didn't work out to well …

Offline jandgwhatley

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Re: New member needs advice
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2019, 10:10:38 AM »
Thanks for the reply and for flipping the pictures I had upside down! What years did Yamaha have a 3 cylinder 90 and was it the same power head they used for the 70?

Online Hyperacme

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Re: New member needs advice
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2019, 11:33:04 AM »
Quick search .. Yamaha 90 HP motors were made from 1985 until 2009.
Might have been built longer ..
The 90 HP was bigger (cubic inch/CC) then the 70 HP motor.
Around here (Minnesota) the 90 HP Yamaha motors go for top dollar, if you can find one.
A nice 70 HP Johnson / Evinrude would be much easier to find .. and cheaper.

Some member have brought boat/motor/trailer just for one part off the package, because the total package was cheaper then the single part they wanted, then sold the other parts. So if you found a good motor on a rotted hull for cheap, you could scrap the boat, sell the trailer and use the motor .. Or put your old motor on it and resell it.

V156 / 60 HP Johnson


Offline jandgwhatley

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Re: New member needs advice
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2019, 04:00:07 PM »
Thanks for the info. That’s how I fell in love with the jet flight in the first place. I bought the 68 for 900$ took off the real nice 75 horse Merc and threw on an old 35 and sold it for 1900$. That 68 was in near mint shape tho and sold 3 times again after I sold it and ended up with the last owner paying 4000$ for it. I took out the 68 once with the 75 on it and scared myself silly when I hammered on it and the boat jumped clear out of the water bounced and leap out again and was on plane all in a matter of like 50 feet. That’s why I was thinking less power. Where I live in the Joplin mo area there are a ton of old boats in the 1000$ or less with good motors on them. There was one with a 4 Yamaha with t n t for 400$ on Craigslist I was looking at. That video of your Tri-Hull with a 60 looks close to where I wanna be at.  I will change gears and go for the higher hp.

Online Hyperacme

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Re: New member needs advice
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2019, 04:25:05 PM »
The late 80's to mid 90's 60 / 70 Johnson/Evinrude 3 cylinders are great motors.
Easy to work on, easy to find parts and service if needed.
My V156 was almost 200 lbs. heavier then your V143, but had a pad .. So yours should be in the 40 to 45 mph range.
Would be nice to have a little extra power when pulling tube with few people in the boat.
A 70 HP J/E would be very close to performance of the 75 HP Merc you had.
Make sure it has tilt & trim !

Offline Glastronjohn18

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Re: New member needs advice
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2019, 07:39:23 PM »
I had a '69 Jetflite with a '63 Johnson 75HP hanging off the back. That early 75 was so heavy the transom just barely cleared the water. Topped  out about 47MPH and not much of the boat in the water. You're absolutely right about the jetski for grown ups.
John
'80 CVX 18 - Survivor Class
'78 CVX 18
'76 V 225 -   Bal Harbor
'80 V195XL
'86 CVX 18- And '86 Makes 3

Offline ces308

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Re: New member needs advice
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2020, 06:42:16 PM »
Hello ! Growing up , the family used to go up to Hardy Dam and camp for the weekends and there were a couple guys up there running those boats with 100 hp ,short shaft mercs and they went like heck ! Thats when I feel in love with Glastron ! I have a CV-16 with a 115 hp merc that I bought new in 1974 and never stopped loving that boat! As a friend pf mine always says," There's no substitute for cu in ! " lol 

Nice project !
Chris Ambrose
1974 CV-16 115 hp Mercury
2019 Mini Most 10 hp Mercury
1960 Merc200
1964 Merc 110
1971 Merc 200
1964 Merc 39