HTM

[Chestah Cheetah]

Anybody own or know someone who has an HTM? I want to get some feedback from first hand experience. This is something that I may be ordering next season. I've seen the reviews and times (143 MPH w/a single bravo 1200 HP). The hull is supppose to be like no other when it comes to handling and high speed stability.

[RiverDave]

I went for a 102mph ride in a HTM last weekend as a matter of fact. (Lake Castaic of all places!) In any event The hull felt pretty stable right at a 100, but 143?? Thats scooting along pretty good. I've been in three other cats at triple digits at the river, but two of them were larger 28' (A Warlock, and a Daytona). The only one that I can compare to it Daves Custom Boats 22 (It had O/B's http://free.***boat.net/ubb/frown.gif ). That was a REAL fast, but it felt stable (more stable then the HTM) in my opinion. I liked the DCB better. (Even with the O/B's) RiverDave

[ponponracing]

Cheetah,
a can't imagine a Bravo standing 1200 ponies, even for a (how do you say?)winy tiny ride. But I respect your word. How much for the drive?

[Chestah Cheetah]

I got HTM's promotional video a while back and I was impressed. I learned more about them lately: I keep driving by this house with a slammed chevy dually in my town that has an HTM decal on the back window so I went to talk to the guy thinking he was an owner and it ended up being Ken Lane, HTM's engine builder. He had the SR24 in front and I hopped in. Talked to him for a while, great guy. The boat has really tall freeboard and room inside the cabin is huge considering it's a cat (I prefer it over the low pro "SS"). As far as the bravo handling the HP, it could have been a #6 drive (I think), I know they had one on another boat that was doing mid 120's. I don't remember which, it was either HOT BOAT or maybe F & P Boating that said it was "the fastest single engine bravo we've ever heard of", along with a picture of Steve and Ken holding up a GPS and Radar with 143mph. He is out at the lake as we speak with the boat (invited me, but guess where I am? WORK). At this point I think I pretty much axed all the builders (for various reasons) except for DCB cause I know nothing about them yet. I'ts funny that you say the DCB was more stable with outboards Dave. I would never have them but I think the boats in general are worth checking out. As far these blistering speeds are concerned, I'm not looking to even break a 100 to begin with. These studies pretty much tell me about the stability of the hull design. HTM is suppose to have the best high speed turning capability when compared to same size cats. I recommend checking out their video, especially for the offshore footage. Thanks!

[Eliminator]

I agree with River Dave. DCB's (Dave's Custom Boats) are the best tunnels on the water. You can get them with I/O's, too. But if you're looking for that hole shot and out and out top speed, look no further than a Mach 22 with twin Merc 300-X's. Just sit down, shut up, and hold on !!!
=]
[This message has been edited by Eliminator (edited June 24, 2001).]

[Havasu Hangin']

Originally posted by Chestah Cheetah:
As far as the bravo handling the HP, it could have been a #6 drive
I read somewhere that they were bolting up those new B-Max drives to some high-horsepower HTMs.
DCB was also looking at those, as well.
[This message has been edited by Havasu Hangin' (edited June 24, 2001).]

[mrjetskey1]

there is a htm running around lake conroe here in texas it looks like it is a sweet ride he,s running a single 540 with blower in a 25' hull he runs high 90's but cant hang with my clip ons.he has said his fuel consumption is outrageous.for high speeds i love my eliminator 23' w 3x2.5s modified great speed 117 good fuel economy and cruises 85 at 4200 rpm
.sorry had to brag on my boat but a tunnel deserves outboards .later marv. in texas

[Chestah Cheetah]

I'll ask Ken about the B-Max drives next time I see him. In the meantime I'm gonna get some info on DCB's. TO ALL OF YOU WHO WENT THE LAKE OR RIVER TODAY, I WISH THERE WAS A MIDDLE FINGER ICON. Sorry, just jealous cause my boats in the shop again. Have a nice day!

[RiverDave]

Chestah, I'll tell you if your looking to find out which one is the best just go for a ride in both. I'm sure your going to make your own mind up after that. However there are other factors here, if the engine builder for HTM lived right up the street from me, then I'd probably go with the HTM, for obvious reasons. (Neighborly hookups,) You know can he borrow some sugar, can you borrow that blower etc... http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif . As far as I'm concerned though they are way to High Freeboard and they look kinda "frumpy" If your looking for a smaller Cat Eliminator, or DCB, and actually SKATER if you can find one. Now Skaters are usually "wild rides." Good luck. RiverDave

[Chestah Cheetah]

Dave, I do intend to make some time to ride in both. He offered me, but I work a lot right now. As far as the high freeboard, that's one of the reasons I personally like it. I intend to romp in the Pacifc often so it helps. They do make the "ss" version for those who want the low pro. Neighborly hookups help, imagine warranty work in your own driveway.

[RiverDave]

I'd be carefull ocean running in a 24' boat. I really don't know a whole lot about it, but I went out a few times in my friends 38' and we were getting tossed around. Just from what I saw my 23' would probably sink! http://free.***boat.net/ubb/frown.gif
As far as the Neighborly favors, I think you have a serious hookup there. Does he build motors for HTM exclusively? Or is he a local engine builder?
RiverDave

[skijake]

I stay at the same RV park that Steve the owner of HTM stays at in Havasu. He does build a nice boat and a fast boat.
I've talked to him about his boats and set-ups a few times. He seems like a nice guy and proud of his boats (can't say I blame him).
I'm building a speedski boat right now and after watching the power and abuse he puts to his bravo drives and still drives it back to the ramp everytime, I asked him about the best set up.
He said that the best set-up that he has used is the one that he is building using a combination of afermarket parts and the new XR from merc.
I can only go with what I've seen and I can't remember anyone that has given a harder test to drives then he does.
Also I've seen his boats fly and even though I'm building a differant boat for other reasons I am impressed and would say that it is a boat to check out.
I've talked to some people in the know about the b-max and they say that it is a good idea but they still have some problems to work out

[BADAXE]

skijake,
off the subject but.. what skirace boat are you building. details man!

[Chestah Cheetah]

At first I was kinda iffy about the whole offshore thing, but if you watch the video........... It doesn't mean that you can go run in 8ft seas or anything, and if it gets real rough, slow down. Just common sense.
Ken, from what I know, only builds for HTM along with sales, etc. He informed me that they are one of the few that build engines in house and that a lot of the other BIG custom builders just buy packages from Teauge or Pfaff. I pretty much had it decided and was gonna place an order this season but since I am a new boater (been reading every magazine and brochure I could get my hands on since I was twelve, does that count?) I decided to get something cheaper and smaller. My learning experience has been a roller coaster, but with many lessons learned. I started this topic to get a little familiar with other peoples thoughts on this boat and I have gotten some great feedback. Thanks fellas!

[skijake]

Badaxe
I'm building a Hallett Vector.
Don't like doing it like everyone else so instead of using twin turbo's I'm going Blown.
I have a stroked 454 (490) with a 14-71 Littlefield build blower and a superchiller.
Right now the engine is in and I'm working on the wiring, doing the dash this week.
Then have to plumb it by a set of headers and few other parts.
I've got a Bravo on it now and investagating what I want to do for the drive, my X-demension is off a bit so think I'll end up with an Imco lower unit that is two inches shorter.
Hope to be out at Havasu with it soon.

[HTM]

HI I PERSONAALY OWN A HTM SS24 WITH A 525SC IGO TO HAVASU EVERY WEEKEND I CAN TELL YOU FIRST HAND THAT MY HTM HANDLES BETTER THEN DCB 22 THEY MAKE A GREAT BOAT BUT AT HIGH SPEEDS IT PORPOISES..STEVE DOES NOT USE BMAX DRIVES ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY SUCK AND U CANT GET PARTS FOR THEM I USE A BRAVO XR MYSELF IM VERY HAPPY WITH IT..

[RiverDave]

Porpousing at High Speeds?? C'mon now,
RiverDave

[RiverDave]

Sorry for the double post,
Does HTM have a web site?

[Chestah Cheetah]

Dave, HTM does have a website (it pretty much blows (I told Ken it does too).
www.hightorquemarine.com (http://www.hightorquemarine.com)
Click on the BS marine link on the bottom for more and better pictures.

[MrHavasuCat]

I have owned 2 dcb's the last 2 years (mach 26). My first one had outboards and was fast, but I got rid of it because the 2.5's were nothing but problems. I love the I/O much better. The mach 22 is a very nice boat and very fast, as far as porpoising goes dave redesigned the bottom of the 26 for this year and the porpoise is gone. He might have done the same with the 22. A mach 22 with 2 clamp on's is a very fast boat.

[racingrascal]

In response to the offshore use. My last boat was a 22' Scarab and I used that out of Long Beach, Ca. every week and it was a blast. You just learn how to drive all over again. You may get beat a little bit but the 24 is bigger than my boat was and I still had a great time. Passengers never did care for the big airtime though. But then again you can't jump a tunnel like a V-bottom.

[boatnam2]

im not sure but didn't that htm that went 130+only last 10 minutes dont believe the hype a bravo one will not i repeat will not last over 600 ponies i dont care what anyone tells you.the guy that built my motor built a 572 in a htm and i guess it hauls ass but the stock bravo will not handle that kinda power.as for the offshore thing i took my american offshore out in the ocean and it scared the shit out of me and will never do it again the ocean is the real deal better left up to the big boys,i learned my lesson.

[superdave013]

I meet Steve at Parker a long time ago. (Steve, I was the guy in the blown injected flat that race your hydro) He builds some nice stuff. I also know a guy that has an HTM with a KB Olds (close to 600") with a PSI blower and it will run over 130. (He breaks alot of parts too). The HTM that ran so fast at firebird did use a B-Max outdrive if i'm not mistakin. I would not get one of Steves engines but his boats are very very nice. I have also been to DCB's shop and was more than impressed. I kinda like the look of them better but the HTM has a better cabin if that's what your into. Also have a buddie with a 26' American Offshore and it's more than bitchin. I just had to add the third boat in the mix!

[Chestah Cheetah]

I pretty much agree with a stock bravo 1 not being able to handle the power, but when you're talking b-max/XR, it's a different story. Yeah they might have a few bugs to work out, but that's why we should let them break drives and figure it out before committing to one.
Boatnam, any likes/dislikes about your American Offshore? Might have been scary because of your low freeboard? I like the HTM SR 24 because it's built as tall or taller than a comparable Vee, and it looks like it can hold it's own out in the Pacific. I personally have only driven a twin screw 31' Scarab and 2 Warlock 27's in the ocean. The Scarab felt like it was gonna break apart after each re-entry, the Warlocks felt a little better. I can only imagine a smaller 24' cat in there, but I'm always up to get the shit scared out of me....

[ward]

I also have consdered purchasing an htm based on all the hipe created (by htm) I,live about 30 min away from castaic lake the testing grounds for most htm,s, I also know 4 friends that own 3-ss models and 1-sr model. all four have experienced numerous problems I.e. delamination,stress cracks trailers falling apart,complete engine failer,poor warranty service or none at all,I have ridden in all 4 boats,and experienced,extreme bow flex,the whole dash assembley shuddering from side to side,and in my opinion a horable ride until about 80 mph although no porpose at all,and 2-of the 4 hulls do track well at high speeds,there is only so much you can do with the hydrodynamics and aerodynamics to go faster,when these are exshausted you must either lighted the load thus coprimising structural integrity, or throw in more horse power and comprimise reliabilaty, or both,witch is the senerio at htm,with their promotional boats (Sales tacticts)P.T. Barnum comes to mind A sucker born every min, )htm could probably build you a nice sound hull, but then, the were faster then everbody else hype will be just that,you also must remember if you want to go fast in any boat you need horsepower, steve the owner of htm has about 1400 in his promo boat, he goes thru this engine at least once a month or ken lane strugles to keep it together to the tune of about $30,000 per month, A engine running around 700 to 900 horse will need to be removed and inspected at the start of every seasone,(Prevenative matenance) even the best of parts can fail, any good engine builder will say the same,I.E. Teauge,Blosedale,Paul Phaff so if you plan to go fast have your wallets open wide,so if you plan to spend $60,000 to $100,000 on a boat it would be a good idea to water test at least 4 I would recomend Eliminator,DCB,(Howard nice but slow),and HTM ask tons of questions visit the shops look at the organazation, call on the phone and leave messages,see how well the return calls,how often is the owner in,and most of all do not by the bullshit promoted by the M.F.G. of the the product you plan to buy they all lie to sell the key is investigation on your own part,

[RiverDave]

I've heard some things about what you just said as well. I've never seen them just yet which is why I didn't post anything about it but I've heard that some people are not happy right now.
RD

[Chestah Cheetah]

My understanding is that the problems with bowflex and delamintaion were happening to the earlier batch built in '98-'99. Trailers, engine failure, and poor warranty service is new to my ears (eyes). As far as the "hype"- hype can only get me in their door, after that I better see some facts and results to back it up, otherwise I'm walking right back out. Everyone in any industry will market their product as the best, you have to, it's in the marketing handbook. I plan on doing a lot of research, test rides, and talking to current boat owners of different builders. This is where you will get the truth. If you ask a current owner of what they think of their boat they'll tell you if it's solid or shit!

[boatnam2]

hey cc,sorry i didn't answer your question ealier just seen it.im in the process of trying to get a new boat.i love my ao and i would put that hull up aganist any aother boat with the same horsepower and be faster almost everytime.blosdale has one and he swears by the hull.the only problem is that the company is shit,and im not into talking bad about a company i have had many bad experiences in the boat industry but mention no names,but what they did to me was and a lot of other people i cannot recommend them.let me just tell you some of the stuff.i bought the boat from there west coast guy art at the time,i think he;s part of force now check if your buying a force boat and be very careful.well my little adventure started by buying the boat and getting my first payment almost my second payment before i got the boat.after many of phone calls and bullshit lies i get the boat but on a rental trailer they use to bring the boat from texas.so it takes me another two months to get my trailer which i have to pick up myself and take to the lake put my boat on it and take the old one back.great service so far.now it time to put the blower on it so i haul it to blosdale in havasu to be pulled balanced blue printed and put back together.at the time i had a race car and was racing at super chevy and i get this call from jeff blosdale saying that my motor was used and he ran the numbers and the motor was out of a 96 commander hmmmm that makes since at the time the guy that owned american offshore was the old owner of commander.needless to say i went out the next round at the races i was pissed.jeff was saying i wasn't the first guy they had screwed over he new a few guys that done wrong by them.then i had problems with gauges wiring etc etc.i went around art and called american offhore about the problems but they never done shit.i think ther is a new owner now but be very careful about buying a boat out of state.you want the boat builder to be close so when you do have problems you can have someone to help you.well my fingers are tired i would of wrote this with a lot more nasty words if it was not a forum.very bad deal all the way around jsu want to get new boat and put the oast behind me.

[MrHavasuCat]

By the way Jeff Blosdale now owns a Talon with a blown 581. The boat is built in florida and is very similar to an american offshore. Nice boat.

[Blown Lavey]

Just a thought,take a look at the Lavey 27 cat.Not the fastest but lots of freeboard and well built.

[boatnam2]

hey havasu cat,so how is jeff doing these days,busy as hell i bet.

[MrHavasuCat]

boatnam2,
Jeff is doing good. He is very busy building new motors, and repairing broken motors like mine (good thing is we are going to do some upgrades while it is apart, more hp). Jeff is one of the best guys I have dealt with in the industry hands down. He is a boater, and understands boaters needs.

[boatnam2]

so havasu cat,what was the total damage,did you tear the valve train up,or the whole motor.i hope the damage wasn't to bad.sounds like you already have plenty of ponies,i know i know you can never have enough.good luck to a speedy recovery to the lake.boatnam

[MrHavasuCat]

Boatnam2,
It is amazing, the cam broke at the rear near the distributor and did not cause any other damage. While it is apart we are going to upgrade to a hydraulic roller cam and some other valve train upgrades. Should gain a little more hp and reliability. I pulled the drive off tonight and it is being shipped to teague for a gear change and more top end. I am hopping for about 115 mph when done.

[boatnam2]

now thats what im talking about 115 is getting the job done.shouldn't have to many people staying along side of you running that speed,thats always a good feeling.

[MrHavasuCat]

I can't wait. My buddy is running 113 mph with the same motor and boat with 1.36 gears. Now I have to dial in another prop. Going to start with a merc lab 30 4 blade. Have a good one.
chris

[boatnam2]

hey chris,what did you gps your ride at.i changed my set up,i was running a modified bravo 1 29, 1:36 gears 14#'s of boost spinning around 5900 depending on the water surface.i raced a couple of 26 dcb's with twin outboards and could run with them easily.never really gps it though always wanted to know how fast the old gal was running.

[MrHavasuCat]

I ran 99.6 on gps before the boat was dialed in with 4 people on board and full of fuel (100 gal) at Havasu (only turning about 5400 rpm). My gaffrig speedo was within 1 mph of the gps, as it was on my last boat.I had the prop reworked 3 times before it worked properly (spinning 5800 rpm). I ran against two outboard powered mach 26's before I broke my motor a couple of weeks ago, and smoked both of them. One is running 2.5's at about 102 in the Havasu heat. I pulled him running about 105 mph with 4 people on board and 1/4 fuel. The other boat was running pro max's and is running in the high 90's. I walked by him like it was nothing. My last mach 26 with 2.5's was radared by ***boat at 102 mph with 1/2 fuel and two large adults on board. With just my girlfriend (100#) and I it would run 105-106 mph.
[This message has been edited by MrHavasuCat (edited July 19, 2001).]

[boatnam2]

hey chris,thanks for the info.i thought i was running about 109 or so wasn't really sure.the one dcb i raced said he gps his boat the day before by himself and it went 105 and i pulled him pretty easy.but know im only running 7 to 8 pounds with the 29 and i actually got to much prop.the motor is having a tough time getting the rpm.i cut back on the boost because i was in the market for a new boat and i didn't want any problems.but the way things are looking with finances right know i think the new boat is out for a while,so i think its time to put the other pulley back on and get the old gal back to were she likes to run.besides i have a pontoon boat now when trimed out perfect,going down river, down hill, down wind,will run 32mph just incase the old gal decides to spit out her guts.i still have something to get wet in. jim

[MrHavasuCat]

What kind of boat do you have? It is funny you mentioned a pontoon boat, we are thinking about buying one as well. Would be nice at times we don't want to worry about our dcb and no cleanup to worry about. I know what you mean about finances, the stock market is not doing well now. Hopefully all will turn around and prosperity will be in the near future.
Chris

[boatnam2]

hi chris,yea the stock market is shit!i have a 26 ft american offshore.its been very reliable the last two years zero down time.the pontoon has worked out very sweet.i got a divorce last year so my daughter goes with me now and my new girlfreind has 3 kids so the ao dosen't always have enough room.i went in thirds on the pontoon.it only cost me 80 dollars a month and its nice to have something to run all the kids around in.are last trip we had like 14 or 15 people in it we could all go to breakfast together including lots of other people from the camp site i didn't even know.made 3 trips to the casino.it really works out nice.most of the time i pawn all the kids off on my buddie and get to take my boat with just two people so that works out nice.and it just nice to have a back up when there is down time with my boat.

[MrHavasuCat]

Sounds cool, we really want one. We are looking for a good used one. I would like to get about a 25' with a stern drive. I don't want to spend to much and I am not in a hurry so I will keep looking. I need to stop spending money on my dcb so I can afford it.
Chris

[Catatonic]

My wife and I are also looking at HTM possibly as our next tunnel. I have spoken with several current owners of the newer batch of 24's and they have all had about the same response. The boat seems to be well-made, solid and fast given the proper horsepower. I have heard that it hunts a bit through the mid-range. Which I can imagine that a 24 foot tunnel without a center sponson would do. However, the top end ride seems to be great overall. We have kids and need the extra room underneath for naps and such and are not ready to sacrifice and buy a V-bottom...perish the thought. Any info from HTM owners would be greatly appreciated. Incidentally, Steve Coloumbe quoted me $53,000 for an SR-24 with a stock 496. Sounded pretty reasonable to me.

[James'SS-24]

I have a new HTM SS-24 with a 496 mag. I love the boat, but so far the srvice leaves a little to be desired. No Problems with boat after the initial bugs were worked out (one fuel gauge had the sender installed wrong and the drive was low on oil). On Havasu with 50 gallons of fuel and most of my normal stuff that we all carry the boat will pull 80 on the speedo at 4800 pulling my lab finished 28 bravo one prop. I have lately been trying to get in touch with someone at HTM to get a sender for the fuel pressure gauge but no one seems to know anything about it and Ken doesn't seem to want to call me back. Beginning to wonder about service after the sale!

[James'SS-24]

By the way, mine is the ghost flame boat on the HTM web page under "new construction."

[James'SS-24]

OK. I need to recant the comment about customer service. HTM did finally call me about the sender for my fuel pressure gauge and they were more than helpfull! They are just really busy right now and it is taking some time to take care of things. Steve's willingness to answer questions and enthusiasm for his product were some of the main reasons I bought one of his boats, (plus I love the boat) http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[kc***boat]

Ward I have an HTM that I run at the lake of the Ozarks. My boat with the last motor ran 90 on gps and was a very safe ride. HTM sucks if you need something from them. I have run with eliminators and american offshores all in the same size range. The american offshores handle the rough water here the best. The worst was eliminators. The reason HTMs are faster than most cats is because they are not true cats. The trailers are junk I had to redo mine. I have driven all types of cats smaller and larger, HTMs are a safe boat. Safer than most. My boat ran over 100 with a crate 502 and a ProCharger in Power Boat and 87 in Hot Boat with a 7.4 and a ProCharger. I added headers and ran 90. Originally posted by ward:
I also have consdered purchasing an htm based on all the hipe created (by htm) I,live about 30 min away from castaic lake the testing grounds for most htm,s, I also know 4 friends that own 3-ss models and 1-sr model. all four have experienced numerous problems I.e. delamination,stress cracks trailers falling apart,complete engine failer,poor warranty service or none at all,I have ridden in all 4 boats,and experienced,extreme bow flex,the whole dash assembley shuddering from side to side,and in my opinion a horable ride until about 80 mph although no porpose at all,and 2-of the 4 hulls do track well at high speeds,there is only so much you can do with the hydrodynamics and aerodynamics to go faster,when these are exshausted you must either lighted the load thus coprimising structural integrity, or throw in more horse power and comprimise reliabilaty, or both,witch is the senerio at htm,with their promotional boats (Sales tacticts)P.T. Barnum comes to mind A sucker born every min, )htm could probably build you a nice sound hull, but then, the were faster then everbody else hype will be just that,you also must remember if you want to go fast in any boat you need horsepower, steve the owner of htm has about 1400 in his promo boat, he goes thru this engine at least once a month or ken lane strugles to keep it together to the tune of about $30,000 per month, A engine running around 700 to 900 horse will need to be removed and inspected at the start of every seasone,(Prevenative matenance) even the best of parts can fail, any good engine builder will say the same,I.E. Teauge,Blosedale,Paul Phaff so if you plan to go fast have your wallets open wide,so if you plan to spend $60,000 to $100,000 on a boat it would be a good idea to water test at least 4 I would recomend Eliminator,DCB,(Howard nice but slow),and HTM ask tons of questions visit the shops look at the organazation, call on the phone and leave messages,see how well the return calls,how often is the owner in,and most of all do not by the bullshit promoted by the M.F.G. of the the product you plan to buy they all lie to sell the key is investigation on your own part,

[kc***boat]

Check with people on www.offshoreonly.com (http://www.offshoreonly.com) there are several people with HTMs from all over the country. Originally posted by Chestah Cheetah:
Anybody own or know someone who has an HTM? I want to get some feedback from first hand experience. This is something that I may be ordering next season. I've seen the reviews and times (143 MPH w/a single bravo 1200 HP). The hull is supppose to be like no other when it comes to handling and high speed stability.

[kc***boat]

Originally posted by kc***boat:
Ward I have an HTM that I run at the lake of the Ozarks. My boat with the last motor ran 90 on gps and was a very safe ride. HTM sucks if you need something from them so do all the west coast builders. I have run with eliminators and american offshores all in the same size range. The american offshores handle the rough water here the best. The worst was eliminators. The reason HTMs are faster than most cats is because they are not true cats. The trailers are junk I had to redo mine. I have driven all types of cats smaller and larger, HTMs are a safe boat. Safer than most. My boat ran over 100 with a crate 502 and a ProCharger in Power Boat and 87 in Hot Boat with a 7.4 and a ProCharger. I added headers and ran 90.

[FastCats]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by boatnam2:
[B]hey cc,sorry i didn't answer your question ealier just seen it.im in the process of trying to get a new boat.i love my ao and i would put that hull up aganist any aother boat with the same horsepower and be faster almost everytime.blosdale has one and he swears by the hull.
Hi,
I just finished reading your response about your ordeal with Art and your American Offshore. I too agree with you about putting that hull against anyone with equal horsepower. It is a shame that there are a few dealers or so called dealers that will take someone wanting a boat and misrepresent a quality boat such as that.
With that being said, I will go ahead and introduce myself, I am Scott Hutchinson and I am the New owner of American Offshore Powerboats and I have been called a number of times by Art and after the first few calls, I have decided to not return his calls. I just didn't get a good feeling about the deal. He has no showroom or actual dealership, therefore he probably has no clue to customer service as well. If there is anything that we can do to help, please let us know, I can't guarantee that you may ever be happy with us again, but we would give it our best to try and do the right thing. Again, we can't help if we don't know about it. There are a lot of great cat manufacturers out there and we have been around for over a decade ourselves and have always been known for FAST CATS!
Let me know by calling me personally!
Sincerely,
Scott Hutchinson
American Offshore Powerboats
1-866-272-2287 (toll free)

[boatnam2]

hi scott,glad to hear someone new has taken over ao.it was the best boat i ever owned inspite of all the problems.not the best rigged but maybe you will change that! but as far as speed, ride and cornering like i said i would put it up against anything with the same hp and in any water condition anytime.offcourse most cats in california are american offshore's i can name three manafacture's with the exact same bottom and two more that i haven't looked at up close but look pretty much the same.so that tells me it must be a fast hull.scott i went to a deep v this time around i want to try a little offshore stuff since i live so close to the ocean.i hope everything works out for you and your new company because it is a sweet boat.

[FastCats]

Hi boatnam,
Good luck with the VEE, Our 37 works great in the big stuff, I even think that it rides a little too good, kind of boring...
Our rigging (and our rigging personel) have change tremendously. I basically cleaned house when I came in. It seemed the only logical thing to do with what I had been familiar with and what I saw when I walked in. Our Interiors have also been upgraded and our layups are extremely strong. I sold a 3100 to a guy in Havasu and one to a guy in San Diego and both could not believe as to how well they were built.
If there is anything that we can do to help (even with your Vee) LET US KNOW! and we will do our best to help. Like you said, the American Offshores have a great bottom and now with good people with the desire to serve the customer, hopefully if you ever decide to look at cats again, you will give us a call. I just built a 26 with a Quad whipple,... 131 so far with 14 psi(1200hp), we dynoed it as well at 17psi (1455hp) but have yet to bump it up in the boat! Again, Best wishes with the Vee and please let us know when your are ready to go fast again.
Sincerely,
Scott Hutchinson
American Offshore

[FastCats]

Also, I am familiar with some of the Manufacturers that have tried to copy us, the only problem is that when trying... the fit is never the same and they won't perform quite as well. Thanks again

[boatnam2]

hi scott.good luck with the company.i know the 37 cat must be sweet but it's a little out of my range.some day when i become rich a big cat will be the first thing i buy.and it will be an american offshore.

[HTM Racing]

Originally posted by ward:
I also have consdered purchasing an htm based on all the hipe created (by htm) I,live about 30 min away from castaic lake the testing grounds for most htm,s, I also know 4 friends that own 3-ss models and 1-sr model. all four have experienced numerous problems I.e. delamination,stress cracks trailers falling apart,complete engine failer,poor warranty service or none at all,I have ridden in all 4 boats,and experienced,extreme bow flex,the whole dash assembley shuddering from side to side,and in my opinion a horable ride until about 80 mph although no porpose at all,and 2-of the 4 hulls do track well at high speeds,there is only so much you can do with the hydrodynamics and aerodynamics to go faster,when these are exshausted you must either lighted the load thus coprimising structural integrity, or throw in more horse power and comprimise reliabilaty, or both,witch is the senerio at htm,with their promotional boats (Sales tacticts)P.T. Barnum comes to mind A sucker born every min, )htm could probably build you a nice sound hull, but then, the were faster then everbody else hype will be just that,you also must remember if you want to go fast in any boat you need horsepower, steve the owner of htm has about 1400 in his promo boat, he goes thru this engine at least once a month or ken lane strugles to keep it together to the tune of about $30,000 per month, A engine running around 700 to 900 horse will need to be removed and inspected at the start of every seasone,(Prevenative matenance) even the best of parts can fail, any good engine builder will say the same,I.E. Teauge,Blosedale,Paul Phaff so if you plan to go fast have your wallets open wide,so if you plan to spend $60,000 to $100,000 on a boat it would be a good idea to water test at least 4 I would recomend Eliminator,DCB,(Howard nice but slow),and HTM ask tons of questions visit the shops look at the organazation, call on the phone and leave messages,see how well the return calls,how often is the owner in,and most of all do not by the bullshit promoted by the M.F.G. of the the product you plan to buy they all lie to sell the key is investigation on your own part,
We can guess who wrote this but why bother?
Such unsubstantiated rumors seem very hateful and all of the aboove statements are total fabrications.
Apparently this writer hates us enough to make up lies making his identity easy to guess!
HTM Racing, see us on Lake Castaic Sept. 29-30

[mrpumps HTM]

Originally posted by Eliminator:
I agree with River Dave. DCB's (Dave's Custom Boats) are the best tunnels on the water. You can get them with I/O's, too. But if you're looking for that hole shot and out and out top speed, look no further than a Mach 22 with twin Merc 300-X's. Just sit down, shut up, and hold on !!!
=]take one of your Mach 22 to the drags ,bet it will not run a low 11 1/4 mile
fire bird 11/1/01 SEE U
[This message has been edited by Eliminator (edited June 24, 2001).]

[mrpumps HTM]

Originally posted by HTM Racing:
We can guess who wrote this but why bother?
Such unsubstantiated rumors seem very hateful and all of the aboove statements are total fabrications.
Apparently this writer hates us enough to make up lies making his identity easy to guess!
HTM Racing, see us on Lake Castaic Sept. 29-30
WHERE IN THE HELL DID YOU GET YOURE INFORMATION. OBVIOUUUUUUUSLY YOU HAVE ALOT OF MISINFORMEED INFO. PLUS SOME SERIOUS ISSUES . MAYBE THE UNABILITY TO PURCHASE A QUALITY BOAT WITH THE MAGNITUDE OF A HTM HAS MADE YOU HOSTILE BUT BEFORE YOU SHOOT YOUR MOUTH YOU SHOULD RESEARCH THE FACTS. TRY GETTING SOME INFO FROM LAST WEEKS PERFORMANCES AT CASTAIC LAKE . THEN MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE THE FACT CORRECTLY. I LVE AT CASTAIC AND FROM WHAT I CAN SEE THE HTM IS BECOMING THE WAY TO GO. MINE FLAT HAULS ASS. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR SOME CORRECT AND TRUE FROM EXPERIANCE ADVISE AT mrpumpca@aol.com see you at the lake

[RiverDave2]

MRPump, I'd like to take a ride. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif
RD

[mrpumps HTM]

Originally posted by RiverDave2:
MRPump, I'd like to take a ride. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif
RD
RD. E-MAIL ME @mr.pumpca@aol.com for a flight at castaic one sunday!!!!!!!!

[HTM Lady]

Originally posted by mrpumps HTM:
RD. E-MAIL ME @mr.pumpca@aol.com for a flight at castaic one sunday!!!!!!!!
mrpump,
I want a ride.

[RiverDave2]

I look forward to it!
RD

[dcb4life]

I agree 100 % about the fact about DCB. I have a DCB MAch 26 with twin OB's and it is the most stable ride for a tunnel of its size. In my opinion, a HTM isn't comparable to an HTM. Unless speed is your only goal

[jkelly]

[ EARLY QUOTE SENT OUT]
I have owned Warlock boats in the past and the HTM out performs the Warlock in all aspects. The Warlock has a real bad porpoise and chine walks at high speeds and I don’t even want to talk about getting it to plane. I’m no expert, but by owning both boats, the HTM I own I have no issues with performance and stability as far above the rest.
I would not trade my HTM for the world…I only have the 496 with a PRO CHARGER and I ran 89…
On a GPS in Havasu with 2 people it…with half of tank of gas….
Originally posted by Chestah Cheetah:
Anybody own or know someone who has an HTM? I want to get some feedback from first hand experience. This is something that I may be ordering next season. I've seen the reviews and times (143 MPH w/a single bravo 1200 HP). The hull is supppose to be like no other when it comes to handling and high speed stability.

[James'SS-24]

How long have you had the procharger on your engine? I have been playing with the idea of procharger but I am wondering about reliability issues. I am leaning toward doing a whipplecharger.

[mrpumpsHTM]

JAMES SS 24 ......as we speak im under construction at HTM, on a new pro-charger/psi/wipple type project.i have the roots blower blues!!!!!!!!!!!THEY JUST RUN OUT OF AIR. THE PRO-CHARGER IS POWER MAKEN MO FRO.

[James'SS-24]

MrPumps, From what I have found out about the procharger on my 496 I'm leary of it. They don't do anything with any of the engine settings as far as the ecu is concerned. That's why I'm looking at the whipple system. From what I understand they program the ecu to work under boost so I can keep my efi engine. If I were to consider a carb engine I would go with the procharger too. I know when I picked up my boat Steve's engine had just came of the dyno pulling 1340 hp. It sure sounded good! Plus I like keeping my engine hatch in one piece. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif I'm also after reliability! I wrench all day so I don't want to have to spend a lot of time working on my baby so I can go have fun!
Good luck on the new motor! Is Ken building it for you? Keep me posted as to how it runs!
[This message has been edited by James'SS-24 (edited January 09, 2002).]

[warlock25]

hey jelly what ever , whats up with all the warlock bashing on every forum? Looks like you are new to these boards and don't have much to say. You obviously had a bad experience with a warlock, but I can tell you they are not all bad. I've had mine since 1993 with a blown 502 and a bravo one outdrive. Neither have been touch since the boat was new. I upgrading the engine now rather than buying a new boat. zero jell cracks, and she still looks new. after 9 years she still took me to triple digits with 2 people on board. Happy warlock owner,John

[mrpumpsHTM]

JAMES SS 24... MY bud has a sr24 with a stock 496 ,needed more beans so HTM added a basic pro-chager system to it, it added about 12mph/85mph with only 2lb of boost .HOWEVER now he has need for real speed,ken at HTM is installing (AS WE SPEEK)a blown 565,14/71 all the good $HIT, now he is looking at maybe 115/120mph...
C U ON THE WATER.....

[mrpumpsHTM]

WARLOCK 25 Whatsup how is your project coming,summer is just around the corner ,i have people that can help, gel repair ,upholestry,trailer repaint,just about complete boat repair.

[waterbum]

You tell em John.My sxt comes out of the hole like a cat with it's ass turpentined and corncob'd!!!!Never any chine walking.Incredebly stable all around minus the slight porpoise at 80 or so although I'm sure this will be gone when I add some ponies.The ride in the rough is also nothing short of incredeble!!!Two summers and no spiders in my gel,this cat is built to be strong and fast also has a very rich interior built by Warlock to my exact specs.I guess you all know by now I LOVE my WARLOCK!!! The Bum http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[mrpumpsHTM]

jkelly....just talked steve now i know your boat ,its sweet !i remember it now yellow flams.steve was all fired up about running 150mph at castaic today in his new 30 footer

[warlock25]

Hey mr pumps- good to hear from you, awesome news coming from castiac today. Can't wait for summer! I just got back my dart aluminum heads. All massaged out and ready to make some good HP. The hull is at Havasu eliminator getting the bottom gel repair(Sand Bar). The upolstery is already done. I'll be talking to you soon on the trailer,(needs paint & maybe some diamond plating). Appreciate the hook up. Still trying to swing the b-max(Poor boy syndrome), but trying to work it out(you know,Wife etc)Will be in touch soon. John

[warlock25]

Hey waterbum, I couldn't help writing to defend a great boat. As I recall it was Tom Stolart's warlock who really started the big power cats before everyone else jumped on the band wagon. He's the one who set up my boat and Its everybit the ride you talked about. Mine gets on plane just as you described. hardly any bow rise at all. and just like you said the dolphining should end with the extra ponies I'm adding. The warlock jkelly talks about really must have been rigged poorly.(Wrong)Talk to you soon, Winter sucks, John out

[HUFFPOWER]

hey,mrpumps,no don l built motor this time,whats up with that ?? my sis's kids need to eat them high dollar porter house steaks !!! who's building you new motor ?? how come you guys like to twist them big blocks to 7000 rpm ?? they live alot longer at 6000 .....i once heard that the htm plug came from a hawaiian cat,years ago ?????hummm!!!