Top Cat Test Ride Info

[hd&boatrider]

I was thinking that the G1M Top Cat might be a good choice for a new boat. Can you guys tell me some real life stories about the boat and G1M? Any info is appreciated. I am thinking of going down Monday to check it out.
Thanks in advance
[ September 23, 2003, 02:35 PM: Message edited by: hd&boatrider ]

[Havasu Hangin']

A friend of mine has one...great boat. Rumor has it that it's the old Talon/AOS bottom...so it pretty well race-proven.
His has the 575SC, and it pretty windy at 80MPH and up...

[DogHouse]

tom, the (talon) bottom is well proven to say the least, so you know the boat will handle and perform well. take a look, see if you like the deck lines, interior layout, construction, etc. seems like the prices are very competitive, so if you like what you see, go for it! lots of happy conquest deck boat owners out there, don't see why the cat would be any different. or you could always go up the street and buy a magic! :D

[hd&boatrider]

Thanks guys....Keep em coming and I will have questions later.... :) This dial up in BHC is a piece of shit and I get knocked off-line all the time. I will go in later when there is less conjestion on the AOL network.

[bohica]

I've really been toying with the idea of selling my 34' Magic and getting a Top Cat. Wonder what kind of a trade Keith can give me?

[hd&boatrider]

I am going down there in a few minutes to check it out. I need more input from you guys frown

[Havasu_Dreamin]

Took a test ride on one at the end of July. Talk to Keith and he will take you on a ride as well. Very nice boat!
Edit: The test ride was on the deckboat, sorry.
[ September 18, 2003, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: Havasu_Dreamin ]

[summerlove]

hd&boatrider:
I am going down there in a few minutes to check it out. I need more input from you guys :( Take me with you!!! Havwe fun, and report back :D
HD, you gonna buy one?

[jbtrailerjim]

Havasu Dreamin, The Top Cat is the deck boat. The cat is called the Boss Cat.
I have a friend that has owned several of the deck boats and he loves them. IMO...I think it's the best looking deck boats on the market.

[TrailerparkTJ]

I've never heard of Top Cat...anybody have a pic of one to post?

[Havasu_Dreamin]

summerlove:
HD, you gonna buy one? Not sure, doubt it. Keith had offred me a ride back at the LA Boat show anytime I was out in Havasu. I made sure he knew up front I was not a buying customer at the time.
[ September 18, 2003, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: Havasu_Dreamin ]

[hd&boatrider]

I went down to the facility and I have to admit that I was pretty impressed. i am probably going to go on a demo ride Monday or Tueday. Keith was very well informed about the product and took me thru the entire process. I especially liked the amount of Balsa wood they use. I like the new ones with the seperate seats for the driver and the passenger. Not the two seat combo. Also liked the walk thru area in the back with the 3 seat accross. One thing that did not impress me was the single engine hatch lift. It wobbles and really needs the two lifts in my opinion. That will solve the problem.
A lot of stuff is considered optional but they will give an allowance to be used for options. Couple of questions for you experts out there:
1) Should I get the 0 effort upgrade? Cost $900.
2) The 11 foot bimini is $1,535....Can't I have one made for substanially less than that from say Cover Me Custom?
3) Should I spend the extra $815. to get the deck hardware and rails powdercoated?
4) $400. for thru hull exhaust...What do you think about this? I am not sure exactly this does for me although my Commander has this already.
5) I was thinking of the 496HO (425HP w/Bravo X) instead of the 496Mag (375HP w/Bravo 1) but Keith does not think it is worth the added cost ($5,000) unless I will be adding a blower eventually ($7K) What do you guys think about the different motors and setup? The difference as far as top end is about 6 MPH.
Anyhow, I think the boat would be a good choice for me and I am looking forward to the demo ride. I still have not decided what kind of boat to go with and this is just one of the boats I am looking at. Thanks for any input you might be able to give me..

[Keith E. Sayre]

River Dave: Thanks for the info! I should put you to work and then I'll go to the river! Really--thanks for the pat on the back.
In response to your questions that may not have
quite been answered yet,
(1) there is no $400 charge for "thru hull exhaust", it is a standard feature for all Merc
big block packages. it is on the price list in
case someone buys one with a small block where it is optional.
(2) as for the bimini tops, remember that we use 7/8" diameter stainless steel poles when making our biminis and the side wall thickness of these tubes is .065 thick. Some use aluminum or ss with much thinner side wall thicknesses. Also remember that we allow up to 6 different stripes or checkers in the tops and that we don't use any straps with
hooks to secure them--we use ss poles. Also remember that we put two lateral side poles on to keep them from swaying from side to side and the overall length with 4 bows is 11' long. Then
please remember that we drill out and rivet every single joint or connection where everyone else uses "set screws". Obviously, the fabric is 100%
Sunbrella material. We run them up all the time
over 90 mph and they don't bend, wobble, tear or
break down. They're expensive but they're strong. I wouldn't want anything less--afer all, if something gives way, it'll be you and your wife and kids that will be getting hit by a faulty or weaker product.
(3) As for horsepower, we have a brand new Volvo
600 (540 inch injected Chevrolet) sitting here in
a crate ready to go. Cool engine with a monster camshaft. Very reliable and sounds great. We also have a used 2002 Conquest Top Cat with a
Volvo 600 duo prop outdrive with about 60 hours
on it, loaded for $80,000. It has a full bench back seat though. You can see this very boat in Hot Boat Magazine in September 2002 article.
(4) As for the 496 Mag versus the 496HO question, According to Steve Donohue at Mercruiser, the only differences between the 2 motors is the
crank, cam, dampener and the computer. As a matter of fact the only way to tell the difference without looking at the paper tags is to feel the little bumps on the back side of the dampener. We've ran the boats side by side and although the top end is about 5 or 6 mph different, it's a dead race up to about 50 mph.
But the steel crank is absolutely necessary for
a whipple or any aftermarket blowers or turbos.
HD&Boatrider: Thanks again for your visit! You
have a great family and we appreciated the visit. I look forward to seeing you next week!
We'll take out the new deckboat with the 525 in it!
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400

[RVRASAP]

Arrrrggh... I swore I'd never register. I don't have the time for this addiction, but I had to go to bat for the brand. hd...The options you described, short of the powdercoated hardware, are on my boat. Spend the bucks for all of them. You'll regret it every time you drop the boat in the water if you don't. Spring for the front and rear washdowns and the front swimstep also. Yea I'm biased, but I've owned several boats, and I can't think of any other that I would want to "move up" too. PM or e-mail me and I'll get you a phone # if you need more convincing.

[RVRASAP]

I preach to my employees about time online....and look at the example I'm going to start setting...Fire me now and get it over with.

[Mandelon]

Those are the best looking deck boats out there for sure. Saw a pre-owned one go by in the channel last weekend with a for sale sign. $75,000.
Lot of moola, but sweeeeeeet lookin!
I am a bit worried about the through hull exhaust and the pending sound regulations. If that legislation passes we will all be phucked! frown

[hd&boatrider]

-----Every Top Cat I've ever seen has the standard all in one shifter. Did they change the dash layout to accomodate offshore controls? I've driven boats with both zero effort and conventional, while obviously the zero efforts are preferred.. If someone told me to pop 900.00 and put them on my boat right now I'd say no, I'm happy with what I have. The only cool thing about zero efforts though, is god forbid you turn the key off when the thing is in gear you don't have to sit there and fight and wrestle with the cables to get it back into neutral to start the motor.-----
It was on the Topcats I was looking at and I have never used it before. When I go on the test ride I will determine then if it is necessary or not. I think Santa Jeanne would like it as she is left handed and it would make it easier for her to drive.
-----The biminis they make are worth the extra doe.. Although I don't know that there worth that much. I'd negotiate the price down to a more reasonable 1000.00 bucks and try to get them to build it. The biminis that there making are thicker Stainless steel tubing, and are capable of reaching pretty decent speeds without coming apart. Nothing sucks more then having a 25mph bimini, believe me I know. It might be worth it to source it outside though if you can find someone that's willing to build it with the same construction methods, but cheaper.-----
I know about this and so does Santa Jeanne. One time on the Commander she was in the back and the bimini collapsed at about 50 and punched her in the head at least 5 times before I could stop. I was shocked and she was banged up. I took the bimini to Cover Me Custom and the rebuilt it with ss which solved the problem. I will see about this one also. I think CMC made the biminis for HTM back then. If the cost is pretty close I would rather go with G1M. Who knows maybe Keith will drop the price....lol
-----I'm a big believer in chrome/polished railings, but that's just me. I think the powdercoated ones really take away from the boat.-----
Actually, I am with you here on this one RD. On the Commander I had all my red gauges, etc changed to a polished look and it made the boat look very nice.
-----Well with that big integrated swim step it does sound BAD FREAKIN ASS. As a matter of fact even a 496HO stock sounds freakin mean resonating under that swim step.-----
I may not understand this aspect of it. I thought the THE put the exhaust below the water line thereby making the boat more quiet. Can you explain this a little more for me. I think that it also increased the efficiency of the motor.
-----I don't know if you can find any anymore, but I can tell you from experience that a Volvo DPX600 with the counter rotating props is the ticket on that boat. I test drove one with a buddy of mine, and it hauled ass, came out of the hole good with no prop blow out (duo props) and cornered like a sports car. Talk to Keith (he's old school river) about possibly trying to get a little more HP for the buck via a custom engine builder, or different engine pkg. That hull can handle MEGA HP, so why not atleast on some level go a touch over stock?-----
I am trying to keep the $ somewhat reasonable but I am not one to skimp RD. I do believe in having a little extra HP to use on an as needed basis :) I will have to think about this one a little bit more. I will definetly take the Volvo into consideration and see what Keith thinks about it also.
-----IMO, The conquests (Top Cat) are the baddest DeckBoat on the market. Magic came out with there new one which is basically the same bottom as the Conquest (should drive relatively the same) but with a more "rounded" look to where the passengers sit in kind of a Pod up front. Alot of people like this becuase it's "fresh" and "new" to the Market, but over all from an industrial design standpoint I still like the looks of the Conquest better even if it has been on the market forever.-----
If I go deck it will be the Topcat. Since G1M makes the hull for the Magic I don't see any reason to go to Magic. After seeing the entire production process I am very impressed with the floor and extra balsa wood they use -vs- the Magic. There is a reason that the Magic would be less--at least I am assuming that the Magic would be somewhat less.
-----While some may disagree with me on this point, I definately think I'd go with a Bravo III on that boat instead of a Bravo I. (If you can't find the DPX 600 pkg) If your not looking for the ultimate top speed boat, IMO it will make it a much better all around boat. Better handling, faster planing times, and it will also help to lift that big ass pig out of the water at slower speeds via more leverage from the outdrive. Just my .02 RD-----
I will talk to Keith about that RD. I did not see the BIII as an option on their engine packages but I assume anything is possible.
I think Keith is right and you should be working for G1M....lol Thanks for all the input RD. If I end up getting the Topcat I will make sure to give you a ride on it with all the SB's you can drink.
[ September 19, 2003, 07:34 AM: Message edited by: hd&boatrider ]

[hd&boatrider]

-----In response to your questions that may not have quite been answered yet,
(1) there is no $400 charge for "thru hull exhaust", it is a standard feature for all Merc
big block packages. it is on the price list in
case someone buys one with a small block where it is optional.-----
I understand now Keith....can you explain to me exactly what the THE does for me? See my ? posed to RD on this one...
-----(2) as for the bimini tops, remember that we use 7/8" diameter stainless steel poles when making our biminis and the side wall thickness of these tubes is .065 thick. Some use aluminum or ss with much thinner side wall thicknesses. Also remember that we allow up to 6 different stripes or checkers in the tops and that we don't use any straps with hooks to secure them--we use ss poles. Also remember that we put two lateral side poles on to keep them from swaying from side to side and the overall length with 4 bows is 11' long. Then please remember that we drill out and rivet every single joint or connection where everyone else uses "set screws". Obviously, the fabric is 100% Sunbrella material. We run them up all the time over 90 mph and they don't bend, wobble, tear or break down. They're expensive but they're strong. I wouldn't want anything less--afer all, if something gives way, it'll be you and your wife and kids that will be getting hit by a faulty or weaker product.-----
I understand Keith. The product is very strong and sturdy. No doubt about that. By the way Jeanne (known as Santa Jeanne, that is another story) is my GF and the 3 kids are hers from her ex-husband. I just went along with it yesterday instead of explaining it at the time. No problem but I thought I should let you know.
-----(3) As for horsepower, we have a brand new Volvo 600 (540 inch injected Chevrolet) sitting here in a crate ready to go. Cool engine with a monster camshaft. Very reliable and sounds great. We also have a used 2002 Conquest Top Cat with a Volvo 600 duo prop outdrive with about 60 hours on it, loaded for $80,000. It has a full bench back seat though. You can see this very boat in Hot Boat Magazine in September 2002 article.-----
We will talk more on the engine options as we move forward. I am leaning towards having you guys make me a brand new one. If I am going to spend this much money on a boat I would want it built exactly the way I want it. Simple, clean lines with the setup that I really want. Who knows though :)
-----(4) As for the 496 Mag versus the 496HO question, According to Steve Donohue at Mercruiser, the only differences between the 2 motors is the crank, cam, dampener and the computer. As a matter of fact the only way to tell the difference without looking at the paper tags is to feel the little bumps on the back side of the dampener. We've ran the boats side by side and although the top end is about 5 or 6 mph different, it's a dead race up to about 50 mph. But the steel crank is absolutely necessary for a whipple or any aftermarket blowers or turbos.-----
I have a pretty good handle on this aspect of it but now RD has clouded things a bit....lol At least when comparing the 496 -vs- the 496HO. I appreciate your honesty concerning these choices.
-----I look forward to seeing you next week!
We'll take out the new deckboat with the 525 in it!
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400-----
I will give you a call over the weekend and we will try to firm up the demo ride. I look forward to it also.
Tom

[tenchi17]

We have a 496HO in our 29' and All I can say is I love it and it handals very well.

[OGShocker]

hd&boatrider:
One thing that did not impress me was the single engine hatch lift. It wobbles and really needs the two lifts in my opinion. That will solve the problem. Do they give you the option of installing Dana Marine hatch lifts? Look here!! (http://www.danamarineproducts.com/store.cfm?CatId=145&group_id=14&CFID=9248&CFTOKEN=4673762) We have a set on our Dana 27', (standard feature)they are the way to go!
my .02

[1ASKYDV]

Keith E. Sayre:
We'll take out the new deckboat with the 525 in it!
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400 Keith,
Out of curiosity, what speed are you guys seeing with the deck & HP525?
Larry

[THOR]

I would love to pic up a used deck, but they hold their value so much, and dont have that kind of grip yet. Are there any around for 50K or so?
THOR (very poor guy)

[OGShocker]

Keith E. Sayre:
(3) As for horsepower, we have a brand new Volvo 600 (540 inch injected Chevrolet) sitting here in a crate ready to go. Cool engine with a monster camshaft. Very reliable and sounds great.
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400 Did not Volvo go out of production on all their HP motors over a year ago? Shame I thought they had the best package going.
If the motor is in the crate, how do you know what it sounds like? :D

[Havasu_Dreamin]

I'm not a gear head by any stretch of the imagination but the thru-hull-exhaust will let the engine brethe easier from what I understand.
Conquest is the baddest deckboat out there, IMHO. I sat in both the Eliminator and the Conquest, even test drove the Conquest, and I liked the Conquest better. that boat is the perfect boat if you ahve a ton of people and all of their stuff. Plus it just looks bitchen!

[Keith E. Sayre]

HD--In response to your questions
(1)The "thru hull exhaust" comes out above the
water line and obviously increases air flow which
promotes horsepower! In older boats there was an option called Silent Choice or Captains Call where with the push of a dash mounted button, one could send the exhaust straight out of the transom or run it through a "Y Pipe" and out through the propeller which would quite it down.
Mercruiser no longer makes those Y Pipes anymore so all big block Merc engines go straight out the
transom or straight out with the help of a muffler system. In the deckboat, while idling, it's loud behind the boat but inside we
can converse without raising our voices. When
running on the water it's wind noise that is
heard and is not loud at all inside the boat.
Behind it once again it is very loud.
(2) The new noise regulations will cost us about
$600--to buy and properly install good quality
muffler systems to be compliant with California.
(3) The $900 ZERO EFFORT shifter/control setup
is a bit pricey because Arko upholstery has to
build the entire drivers seat differently to
accomodate the shifter system and their cables.
It ends up being a big long arm about 8 inches
wide sticking off the right front corner of the
seat. It's quite extensive. The regular single
shifter can be mounted on the fiberglass gunnel
flush.
(4) OGShocker--No we haven't offered the Dana
power hinges on our deckboat yet as they haven't
had time to fit them in at their plant yet. We
did however take our 28' Cat and our 276 V bottoms
down to Dana to get fitted and we really like the
speed of those hinges. Maybe soon we'll do the
deckboat. As for adding the second engine hatch
lift at this time. I suppose that it will certainly make the hatch more secure while it is
open or opening. When our hatch is down however, it is not relying on the strength of the support
of the engine hatch lift(s). It sits firmly on 4
flat fiberglass surfaces and is very solid.
Larry-Askydv-- the 525 Merc engine usually pushes our boat about 76--77--maybe 78 mph. How fast does yours go?
Thor: I know where there is a 1994 Conquest deckboat with about 160 hours on it and 60 hours on a 502 Merc Magnum package. Superclean boat
and they want $52,000 for it. There is also an
all white 1994 Conquest Deckboat with 502 Mag that's also real clean for about $55,000. This
is as inexpenvie as Conquests get.
OGSHOCKER--you asked about how we knew what the
Volvo 600 sounds like. We have about 5 boats with them in it and I've driven 2 of them. These 600hp volvos sound wicked!
Good luck and have fun!
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
928-680-1400

[hd&boatrider]

Here is my take on the demo ride I took yesterday.
Keith was eating lunch when I arrived and he was very gracious to work it out to go on the ride. It was an unexpected "show-up" by me so I really appreciated his taking the time out to do this. Nodigg came along with me for the ride.....
We had to take Keiths beast to do the launch as I did not have the proper hitch....that friggin thing is huge :)
We launched at Windsor and since Nodigg has a deck boat I asked him to back it off. It was quite easy to launch as Keith backed up and popped us off the trailer. It was very easy to control around the docks and Nodigg was impressed with the slow handling capabilities.
When Keith boarded he took over and took off. We hit about 62/63 with the 496HO and the water was flat as can be. What a beautiful day for boating. He then proceeded to show me how the turns handle and it was very responsive. I did feel like we were leaning in and not getting to roll over. At this time he let me drive. The 0 effort throttle setup is the way to go. It is much easier to move the boat around while in the marina area. He trusted me to pull up next to another Top Cat that had the Volvo 600 setup. He walked off the bow and started it up so I could hear it. The 600 sounded pretty sweet but we could not take it out for a drive :( . As he got back on I noticed how easy it was to move this boat around. In a no wake zone all you have to do is put it in forward with no throttle and you glide along at a wakeless speed. We drive around a little bit and see some HTM's and DCB's. There was a manufacture "unofficial" poker run kind of thing going on and ***boat was covering it. Keith has us go into the Nautical Inn beach area and there were some beautiful boats there. Cobra, HTM, Schiada, Howards, Eliminator, Magic, Conquest, etc....Very impressive gathering. Anyhow, we hang out there for a while and Nodigg and I check out some of the other boats.
As we take off again there we see the Top Cat that has the 525 engine. We did not get a chance to go for a ride in it but saw it take off and accelarate away from us. Left us behind big time. The bow on the 525 came down almost immediately. The 496HO is sufficient for most eveybody but if I go Top Cat I have decided I will have them put in the 500HP or the 525. I want the speed and power there when needed :)
When we got back I dropped Keith off, he got his truck and I pulled it on the tailer. It was very easy and would trust Santa Jeanne to do this. You don't even have to pull the drive up which I love.
Couple of other things:
We saw the maiden voyage of a 34' Advantage Cat with twin 800's that was making 105 MPH passes. It sounded sweet and looked good. A little porpising but not much. That boat is going to kick some ass on the lakes. I got to talk to the Mercruiser Rep for a few minutes and he was as excited as the Advantage people. Everybody was giving high 5's to each other and they were very happy about the preformance of the boat. A Magic was out there trying to mess with the Advantage and looked silly. It eventually went to the side as it was getting embarassed...
Then there was a pontoon that couldn't be pulled out of the water because of the drop off and low water. Keith and Nodigg devised a plan to lift the friggin trailer with a rope and it worked. We spent about 45 minutes on that one but the older couple appreciated the help and you know what they saw about karma.
All in all it was a good day and if I go deck Top Cat is on my very, very short list.
[ September 23, 2003, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: hd&boatrider ]

[nodigg]

I was very impressed with Keith! I liked the way he handled himself and potential customer(s) as well. He was certainly a fountain of information.
I always thought the Eliminator and the Conquest looked very similar but did not know Eliminator bought the old Conquest mold for their deck boat! We beached right next to one at the Nautical for a bit.
Hey Doghouse, is it true Magic is the same bottom hull as well? I was all set for a Magic cat and now Conquest has a dual, (individual left and right seat) set up. What to do, what to do.....
Doghouse, how has Magic been for you on service on go-back and get it correctd stuff?? Or has there been any need?
HD&boat is sold I think! If I ever get the money to move up out of my Fast Cat, Conquest will definately get a hard look after the test ride and info.
Thanks for letting me tag along fellas.

[roln 20s]

I've riden in one 28 Conquest and I loved it. I've just chatted boats with Kieth before and he is a great guy. Gotta love the conquest, despite the popularity of the new Magic, I still LOVE the Conquest. Never heard a complaint about that boat yet.
Here's a couple of pics of some!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/510/53TOM_AND_CREW_GETTING_READY_TO_LAUNCH-med.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/522/1conquestkira-med.JPG
And of course- the best looking one EVER in person- IMO...
http://www.riverracerx.com/ofthemonth/julyupdates/julyboat1.jpg
HD&Boatrider--I think you will be very happy with the Conquest, but then again, who wouldn't!
The 496HO is a must as a minimum (IMO), check out Larrysengine.com for the 580 carb (675hp)- same as Charley's DCB 29. Great motor, better price.
Roln 20s

[hd&boatrider]

roln 20s:
I've riden in one 28 Conquest and I loved it. I've just chatted boats with Kieth before and he is a great guy. Gotta love the conquest, despite the popularity of the new Magic, I still LOVE the Conquest. Never heard a complaint about that boat yet.
Here's a couple of pics of some!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/510/53TOM_AND_CREW_GETTING_READY_TO_LAUNCH-med.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/522/1conquestkira-med.JPG
And of course- the best looking one EVER in person- IMO...
http://www.riverracerx.com/ofthemonth/julyupdates/julyboat1.jpg
HD&Boatrider--I think you will be very happy with the Conquest, but then again, who wouldn't!
The 496HO is a must as a minimum (IMO), check out Larrysengine.com for the 580 carb (675hp)- same as Charley's DCB 29. Great motor, better price.
Roln 20s Roln 20s: Nice pics. I agree with the who wouldn't statement...lol The graphics on your boat are clean which I like. I relly like that red one though. As you can tell I am kind of partial to the red....
Anybody have any ideas on what I should use to come up with a graphic or color tool? I would love to be able to kind of paint a blank Top Cat in the computer and try all sorts of stuff.

[DogHouse]

nodigg:
Hey Doghouse, is it true Magic is the same bottom hull as well? I was all set for a Magic cat and now Conquest has a dual, (individual left and right seat) set up. What to do, what to do.....
Doghouse, how has Magic been for you on service on go-back and get it correctd stuff?? Or has there been any need?
Nodigg & HDBR, to the best of my knowledge, yes the bottoms on both the Conquest & Magic cats/decks are very similar, both "derived" from the original Talon cat like so many others in the industry. It's a very versatile design. It would be hard to go wrong with either the Conquest or the Magic, both very nice boats. I think we all know which one I'd pick but that's just me! :D
RE: customer service, ya just had to open that can of worms eh? wink
I've had good luck getting the few small things fixed that were wrong on mine. IMO, treat them fairly with reasonable expectations and you won't have any problem.
Remember these things like HP to get them moving fast enough to take full advantage of the tunnels. I don't think the 496HO is enough to make the boat very interesting. Like Roln said, that big motor from Larry is a nice setup.
-brian
ps: I may be out for the 10/3-10/5 weekend depending on how the arm is doing. If so, I'll catch up with everyone at the sandbar on friday...
[ September 24, 2003, 11:03 AM: Message edited by: DogHouse ]

[bohica]

How are the insurance companies rating these boats. Are the rates on a Top Cat or Magic deck boat as outrageous as all the cat guys paying? One of the main reasons I'd consider a deck boat is that I'm sick of paying Thousand of dollars in insurance. Who has a deckboat with 500+ hp and what kind of rates are you paying?

[hd&boatrider]

bohica:
How are the insurance companies rating these boats. Are the rates on a Top Cat or Magic deck boat as outrageous as all the cat guys paying? One of the main reasons I'd consider a deck boat is that I'm sick of paying Thousand of dollars in insurance. Who has a deckboat with 500+ hp and what kind of rates are you paying? I think Keith over at G1M said the ins would be about 700-800 per year on the Top Cat w/the 496HO. I have not checked into that yet though.

[roln 20s]

Roln 20s: Nice pics. I agree with the who wouldn't statement...lol The graphics on your boat are clean which I like. I relly like that red one though. As you can tell I am kind of partial to the red....
Anybody have any ideas on what I should use to come up with a graphic or color tool? I would love to be able to kind of paint a blank Top Cat in the computer and try all sorts of stuff.
Actually- none of those boats are mine. I'm not that lucky yet. But I love them all. The blue and gray one- I saw at Havasu last year being pulled up and walked around it. Plus- the trailer that sits on is awesome- I think it had like a drive guard :D
When charley was trying to design his Mach F29- someone turned a 34 pure white so everyone can play with it. I started a topic within the passt month on a 25 daytona with flames and people played with that for a whole day- someone there can help for sure. I can help you crash your computer- but thats about it
Roln 20s

[Craig]

hd&boatrider:
bohica:
How are the insurance companies rating these boats. Are the rates on a Top Cat or Magic deck boat as outrageous as all the cat guys paying? One of the main reasons I'd consider a deck boat is that I'm sick of paying Thousand of dollars in insurance. Who has a deckboat with 500+ hp and what kind of rates are you paying? I think Keith over at G1M said the ins would be about 700-800 per year on the Top Cat w/the 496HO. I have not checked into that yet though. You might want to check with what insurance company he's quoting. Donnie called around because he loves the Conquest deckboat. The insurance companys caught on. The prices he was quoted were the same be it a deckboat on "cat" :( Any of you deckboat guys got good deals?
Craig

[STGP]

I got a new Magic deck this year (see pic). I don't think you can go wrong with either they are both great boats, I had a hard time chooseing. My experience with service at Magic was excelent. As for the insurence I doubt that $800.00 figure, I have the 496HO and pay around $1250.00 http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/598P1010081-med.JPG

[Keith E. Sayre]

The deckboats are getting a big break in price from the people that we have dealt with and we
know 4 or 5 agents that have done us right.
Call me if you need some phone numbers and names
of "cooperating" agents.
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400

[roln 20s]

Hey Kieth- How fast is that Blue/Gray Top Cat that I posted pics of? HP? That thing is bad ass. Can you refresh my memory- does that boat's trailer have a drive guard? If I recall- it was super trick.
Thanks,
Roln 20s

[Keith E. Sayre]

Larry: The new Top Cat II deckboat with the new
seating arrangement ran 78+ on GPS for Hot Boat
magazine yesterday with 2 big guys and full tanks
of fuel in flat water! We're happy and they seemed to enjoy it. I'll post some photos
tommorrow.
Roln 20's--I'll find out how fast the one with
the blue and grey stripes goes. Also, the first
one shown with the red tribal graphics belongs to the Fox family and runs 85 mph with a 575 in it. The second one is Dean Sears boat and it
runs about 75 with a Volvo 600 in it and may
be coming up for sale with a new Merc package in
it so that he can buy the new Top Cat II!
It's probably the most expensive one ever built. $6,000 in wheels and tires, $10,000 in stereo
etc etc!
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400

[Schmegma]

hey keith, what besides the seating arrangement has changed??And by the way, what is Dean doing for power in this one? I still think that orange and silver one is right there!!

[RVRASAP]

On the insurance deal.. we're paying about $550 through a Havasu State Farm agent on an 02 with the HO.. not much more than my last vee bottom.
Also, we have the zero effort controls and would highly recommend them for general flying around the lake and plain looking cool, but if your towing any skiers or boarders you kind of have to do the left hand shift while the right throttles thing. The boat handles so well that you won't need to steer that first second or so anyways.

[Keith E. Sayre]

Kenny Nichols just got his insurance today for
$835 a year for his new 2004 Conquest deckboat
with $500 deductible. That seems about average
from what we've been seeing recently.
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400

[Keith E. Sayre]

Here's a photo of the new Top Cat II deckboat.
As you can see the seating arrangement has been changed so that mom has a forward facing bucket seat with wind protection in front of her. You give up about 4 seats in order to gain this.
This is the first one and it has a 525 Merc in it
and Hot Boat got it going 78 mph last week at the
test. It's loaded, with steering, Smartcraft system, GPS, etc etc etc. It will be for sale
as soon as we get another one built for demos.
I'll post more photos in another thread.
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400 http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/514/1106Mvc-006s-med.jpg

[1ASKYDV]

Looks real nice Keith...
How much for a trade in on mine? (j/k) :D
Larry

[hot_diggity_dog]

Thanks keith, next time you see us, stop if your not on a demo ride with a customer. wink
Can you post that same overhead shot of the old model so we can see the comparison?
Thanks
HDD :cool:

[Keith E. Sayre]

As you requested:
Here's the overhead of the traditional seating
arrangement Conquest deckboat that we've sold for years.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/1106overhead_top_cat1-med.jpg
[ October 02, 2003, 04:06 PM: Message edited by: Keith E. Sayre ]

[phebus]

[ October 02, 2003, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: phebus ]

[Party Cat]

Here ya go....
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/514/1106Mvc-081f-med.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/514/1106Mvc-006s-med.jpg

[Keith E. Sayre]

Roln 20's: The grey and blue deckboat has a
Boostpower built whipplecharged engine. It is
supposed to run in the 90's.
We've all seen Sofa Kings boat run and some of you
have seen Steve Hensley's new Conquest with the
1280HP quad rotor in it but----
Wait until you see Rob De Camps new boat!!! How
about a Gary Teague quad rotor big inch motor with standoff box and a Merc #6 dry sump!!
Stay tuned!
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu

[Keith E. Sayre]

RD and Partycat--thanks for the technical support!
Keith

[hot_diggity_dog]

Thanks Keith, :)
Isn't technology great, wink with the side by side shot's I just saved you about 100 questions. :p
Keith I like the new layout, :D and wifey will dig the wind blockage, wink looks great.
RD <---- Prefers the original seating layout.
RD <---- Not Married! eek!
HDD :cool:

[hot_diggity_dog]

would think the Wifey would like it better to sit next to her man would she not?
RD ask NoDigg Rick about when you are doing 80 with no protection, eek! kinda sucks because everyone is alway's saying to slow down. :mad:
Just a personal preference I guess, :p but the only reason I'm thinking about getting a Conquest is the new layout. wink
Hot (When Wifey's happy I'm happy wink ) Diggity Dog :cool:

[hd&boatrider]

RiverDave:
I would think the Wifey would like it better to sit next to her man would she not?
That's actually the reason I like the original seating layout better is you can have your honey sitting right next to ya..
That and it appears the boat can hold way more people that way. wink
RD After a while I can guarantee you that it will be like "Can you sit over there?" lol It does hold more people but everybody needs a little space but.....I prefer the two seats. You can still get enough people on the boat with this set-up.

[Freak]

Wouldn't it have been possible to extend the windshield on the original seating arrangement to cover the whole driver/passenger bench seat?
Nice boats! If I could just win the lottery.....

[Keith E. Sayre]

Freak: unfortunately no we can't get a single windshield to work for 2 people (at least without
reworking the entire helm or redesigning it).
The driver always gets a great spot and the
passenger always ends up getting the wind. Frankly, in the summer it feels great but I can
see where in the winter time it may be nice to
have mom out of the wind.
Keith Sayre
Conquest Boats
Lake Havasu City
928-680-1400

[jbtrailerjim]

Keith,
The new seating layout is awesome. Just wish I could have afforded one when I was boat shopping this summer. Oh well... maybe next boat. :D
I still say it's the best looking deck boat on the water.