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Southern Airboat Gallery Archives

new ride
Chad at the Glen swing.
Loaden wood at camp.
new wardaddy
snake creek
Airboat wedding
Waterthunder

Waterthunder

Well-known member
Finally my boat is done. I’m going to test it early tomorrow because on Thursday nights FWC pulls everybody over and writes a ton of tickets. I would love to go riding tonight with my buddies but I don’t want to get hassled the first time out plus I’m sure I forgot something that will cost me a hundred bucks. Anyway if everything goes good I will see you all at Lake Kiss and a word of caution bring a driver with you or don’t drink this weekend because FWC will be out in force they love those holiday weekends.
 
I was hoping you would go tonight with you shakin the bushes the FWC would leave me alone :lol:
 
I’m sure Mathew will keep them busy. Them guy’s get a hard on when they see a nitrous bottle in a boat. You should have seen the hard time they gave Jay M retired father when they saw a bottle in his ride boat. I had three in mine and was praying I didn’t get pulled over. I felt like Rodney King being profiled. I may go out tonight but I’m not taking my boat I’m getting a scoffer to drive me around.
 
Hopefully I built my airboat last for at least 10 years. I really wanted a heavy duty long life hull so I went with a riveted deck over most people wanted 8K plus to build a .100 riveted 70 series hardened aluminum hull. I had one built by Diamond Back they built the hull I wanted not the hull they wanted to build me. It’s 10� wider than most deck overs and around a foot longer I did everything I could to keep it from riding on the nose. Every single high horsepower boat I have ever built accept for my Hamant Hull rode on its nose. My Lewis hull I could literally push the bow under water just by flooring it. I think by far Hamant has the nicest rigging out there it’s really unique and has style to it so I had the guy’s at Hamant rig it out and I put a Rotator gearbox from Classic on it. I fired it up last night for the first time and went straight out to Oak Head. I couldn’t possibly be happier with the boat it rides so free in the water. I burned 10 gallons of gas even after racing it 4 or 5 times and it rides like a dream. What a fun boat to drive across the lake. I know they guy that was in the back seat thinks I’m crazy but once we made it back home I think he enjoyed the ride.
 
waterthunder,

i have a question for you. i'm not new to airboats but new to car engines. (1) Do I need an electronic ignition box? (2) How do reduction units mount, to the motor or the stand?......thanks
 
The main two gearboxes the Rotator and Stinger bolt to the bell housing flange of the motor and have two mounting holes on the bottom rear of the gearbox for connecting to your motor stand. Also unless you’re running 11.5 to one compression and up a good HEI is all you need. Anything else is over kill because of the low RPM’s and low cylinder pressures your motor will experience. If you motor is hopped up with compression and cylinder pressure then consider a Crane or MSD ignition system.
 
so the stand will come with holes prepared for the reduction unit? what about for belt units? what is an HEI? i think i'm buying a 383 with about 480 hp, will i need the little electronic ignition box for that?
 
If it’s a 450 to 500HP 383 a worked HEI will be fine. A HEI is a factory G.M. distributor HEI stands for High Energy Ignition. I strongly recommend only a gear box unless you are not all concerned about performance or you have a large 14foot or bigger air boat.
 
I have put hundreds of hours on them, sprayed them with over 700HP of nitrous(2 kits) and ran them on motors producing over 800HP hell I even put a clutch on one. I have yet to hurt one. I keep hearing all the belt drive sellers and owners talking about how gear boxes aren’t as reliable but the funny thing is none of them have ever owned or ran a gear box. Has anybody on this board ever witness a Stinger or Rotator gear box break. I know ten plus years ago the first few had glitches but I also have a buddy who ones one of the very first Rotators ever made it doesn’t even have a name on it. He has Over 1,000 hours of insanely ridiculous abuse with out one problem and still runs it.
 
I have only installed and owned the hard drive. However I can see the obvious benefits with the soft drive and being an engine builder I recommend them to customers to help improve and remove harmonics.
 
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