Boats For Sale:
SUFFERING FROM A LITTLE "AIR206' SICKNESS |
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velde99 
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Joined: November-04-2012 Location: Tampa Florida Status: Offline Points: 1108 |
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 Topic: SUFFERING FROM A LITTLE "AIR206' SICKNESSPosted: May-03-2016 at 1:46pm |
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SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO I BECAME FRIENDS WITH A FELLOW MEMBER STEVE KARRAS -AIR 206. STEVE WAS BITTEN BY THE SAME BUG I HAD BEEN BITTEN BY- THE EXCEL/BFN BUG. STEVE AND I HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THESE BOATS. HE IS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND HAS TOUGHT ME WELL. THE EXCEL/BFN CLUB IS A SMALL AND EXCLUSIVE GROUP WITH ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF MEMBERS, SO TO FIND SOMEONE WHO LOVES THESE BOATS LIKE ME WAS A REAL TREAT.
WHEN THESE BOATS CAME OUT I WAS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. I HAD A POSTER FROM THE DEALERSHIP HANGING IN MY DORM ROOM. I WANTED THIS NEW V-DRIVE SO BAD I COULD TASTE IT, BUT FUNDS WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR IT BACK THEN. AFTER COLLEGE I ENDED UP WITH SEVERAL OTHER SKI NAUTIQUES, AND DECIDED IN 2012 I WOULD BUY WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED. THE HUNT FOR A UNMOLESTED BFN WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. I FINALLY FOUND A ONE OWNER YELLOW BFN IN TEXAS AND THE QUEST WAS COMPLETE- WELL SO I THOUGHT, I'LL LET YOU BE THE JUDGE.  1991 'BIG BIRD' BFN SOLD BIG BIRD TO GET OUR "38 HOUR EXCEL" (WHO IS THAT DRIVING?) I WANTED TO OWN THE NICEST EXCEL ON THE PLANET. I FOUND THIS TIMECAPSULE IN TEXAS. IN 2014.  THEN THINGS WENT CRAZY!!! WE ADDED A LOT TO THE FLEET IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS!  1992 "RON SCARPA'S" BFN  1991 "TEAM TEAL"  1992 "ALABAMA SPECIAL" OPEN BOW EXCEL  1991 "TEAM BLUE" BFN SO I AM KNEE DEEP IN RESTORING ALL THESE BABIES. I AM SURE OVER TIME I WILL BUY AND SELL MORE, BUT FOR NOW I THINK WE ARE GOOD. I AM FELLING A LITTLE "AIR206" SICK. MANY THANKS TO MY BFN BROTHER FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND CONVERSATIONS OVER THE YEARS. HE TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY I HAVE BECOME THE EXCEL/BFN KING- BUT I THINK HE WILL ALWAYS BE THE KING OF OUR CLUB. |
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Donald80SN
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Joined: January-12-2009 Location: Denver, NC Status: Offline Points: 3887 |
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Posted: May-03-2016 at 2:01pm |
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Rod,
Thanks for warning us about casual contact with Steve K.. I will be sure to wear the proper protection when I see him again. I do not want to get such a disease that he has obviously spread to you. I drove his BFN onto the trailer and the White Lake Mini and I found myself recently planning a trip to BFN / Excel rich Alabama and I do not even know why. Now I realize I may have been infected and will seek proper medical attention. Got to go, my boat wrap guy is on the phone calling me back right now. Thanks again, Donald |
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1980 Ski Nautique SOLD Back to Cypress Gardens
2002 Sport Nautique, GT-40, FCT2, Cover Sports, Tower Bimini, Inc., Wet Sounds Audio System, Star Gazer Wake Edition S. 1968 Ski Nautique, Project. |
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velde99
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Posted: May-03-2016 at 2:14pm |
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Don
I was fine until he test drove my new excel in 2014. He drove it for its maiden voyage , then all hell broke loose. |
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Donald80SN
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Posted: May-03-2016 at 2:21pm |
Typical reaction to the casual contact with Steve K. I am also concerned that the little boy riding in the boat with him has been exposed to this disease. We though Zika was bad. Donald |
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1980 Ski Nautique SOLD Back to Cypress Gardens
2002 Sport Nautique, GT-40, FCT2, Cover Sports, Tower Bimini, Inc., Wet Sounds Audio System, Star Gazer Wake Edition S. 1968 Ski Nautique, Project. |
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velde99
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Posted: May-03-2016 at 2:35pm |
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Yes Don - sadly he has been exposed. He suffers from the sickness but thankfully his bank account has not been affected yet. That's what he has his dad for. I will do my best to keep the disease from spreading though the family.
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Air206
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Joined: September-28-2008 Location: Roanoke, VA Status: Offline Points: 3000 |
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Posted: May-03-2016 at 5:52pm |
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Great to see all your Excels posted and not just on my phone! Excel Fever is contagious...... folks who drive them are surprised..... nicest "dump trucks" on the water!
Don and Mark USE their Excels. I TALK Excels. You RESTORE Excels. "The King is dead............... Long Live the King!"  |
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gun-driver
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Posted: May-03-2016 at 10:31pm |
 I thought that was Zach with you 
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dwouncmd
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Joined: July-10-2009 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 919 |
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 10:12am |
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Hope to see the fleet some day.
My wife has proven to be a very effective antidote to the sickness. As much as I would like to own a 454 barefoot/excel, despite my best efforts (look at the lovely sun deck and all of that floor space honey, not mention how nice it rides when the water is rough!), I can't seem to break the 2 boat barrier. |
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89 SN
<a href="http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6567&sort=&pagenum=1" rel="nofollow">7 |
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phatsat67
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 10:25am |
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I've grown since you saw me at the bucket Paul haha.
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skutsch
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Joined: June-19-2008 Location: Racine, WI Status: Offline Points: 2874 |
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 12:43pm |
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That is quite the fleet...
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velde99
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 12:51pm |
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Skutch
Thanks! Love these boats. |
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velde99
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 12:51pm |
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Keep eating those wheaties Zach.
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Hollywood
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Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13510 |
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 3:15pm |
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A roll call of Air206's past and present Excels here would be helpful.
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Air206
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Joined: September-28-2008 Location: Roanoke, VA Status: Offline Points: 3000 |
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 3:37pm |
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HW - that's not appropriate. Val doesn't quite know of the middle Blue on Blue '92. That was a dalliance and meant nothing to me (she never actually came to our lake)
 ........... so just the 2. We will never speak of the middle one.............Ordered the Cran/Gray '92 and sold that for the 206..........I missed the Excel almost immediately and started looking for a 454 this time.......... then bought the current BFN from FLA in 2011. I get inoculated periodically from my wife, who like Wayne's wife, insists on keeping the boat numbers down (but a couple of 16/17 ft 60's boats fit in the same space, I tell her). Who wouldn't want a nice Blue Mustang and a red Skier?
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Hollywood
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 4:28pm |
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Was that 92 ononewheel's boat? What ever happened to it?
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Air206
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Posted: May-04-2016 at 4:44pm |
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I don't count that one - I never took possession of that boat.
It was a strange situation from the start.... communication was poor...... pictures were mismatched...... I was ready to go get it and he stopped all communication. No calls taken or returned or texts. I always assumed he found another buyer. Even the names he gave me were not the legal names..... so, there was obviously stuff I didn't understand. |
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kapla
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Posted: May-06-2016 at 5:06pm |
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I want to ride an excel eventually....hope not to get the fever though.....
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<a href="">1992 ski nautique
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velde99
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Posted: May-06-2016 at 5:54pm |
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Kapla 👍🏻
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Smithfamily
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Posted: May-06-2016 at 8:10pm |
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Very Nice.
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Js
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Chevy350
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Posted: May-06-2016 at 8:14pm |
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That's quite the fleet of excel's you got there...
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1972 Mustang
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Airfooter
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Joined: August-07-2012 Location: Savage, MN Status: Offline Points: 95 |
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 12:11am |
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Whoa, very nice!! Congrats on being able to continue to grow the fleet and provide the rescues a good home.
What's your take on the 454 vs the 351 HO in these boats? Big difference in sound? |
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1992 Nautique Excel
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velde99
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 12:20am |
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Airfooter. One of my excels has a 351. Another has 351 Ho ( not running) others have 454's. The 454 sounds much better- the 351 looks like a toy enigine in the engine bay compared to the 454's. I have one 454 that is propped for out of the hole performance and it has the same top end as the standard 351. The one 454 top ends at 53- and is set up as it came from factory. The props on these boats seem to really make or break performance. With that being said- great way to customize the ride you are trying to achieve. Air206 says best set up is HO 351. When I have that engine running- I will let ya know.
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Airfooter
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 12:40am |
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Thanks for the feedback. I've seen Steve comment before that he thought that the 351 HO was the best set up. Sometimes I wish I had the 454 just to have it, which is why I was curious what your thoughts were. I've considered the Acme 328 for a while, but I haven't pulled the trigger as I haven't been able to use the boat much lately.
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1992 Nautique Excel
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Air206
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Joined: September-28-2008 Location: Roanoke, VA Status: Offline Points: 3000 |
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 1:37am |
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I have had a 4 blade Johnson on the standard 351 and I didn't care for it, although the new owner did. He also said it surfed well; So, whatever.........
 The aft weight of the 454 really makes it behave differently. The Excel hull is not a sports car. The 351 is a F150, the 454 is an F350 in feel..... but its wake table is flatter and slightly higher than DD BFNs with less "washy" edges. My silly trim tab helps the 454 "butt plant" but is thought to scrub MPH at top end. Due to clearance issues, you only have the 328 as an option on the OEM setup. It is a smoother prop than stock and the folks i know who have swapped theirs like it. Buy it, try it for the season, then sell it to Rod if you don't like it..... he's got a few driveshafts, and engine configs to try it on. I think the guys who didn't like it had the other trans/v-drive reduction ratio. After talking to a PCM rep at White lake, I am excited to hear that my dream is a possibility - a 6L in an Excel! We talked about modifications needed and it sounds very do-able. With the new DUI driving the 454 like it is, it would be crazy to change right now; but if I hit the Powerball.................. 
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velde99
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 2:15am |
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Steve - what mods to a 454? 6L? 454 is a 7.4 L
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Air206
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 2:29am |
No Mods - Engine SWAP. 6L is lighter than 454 (7.4L) and that helps Excel hull get going....... Strong HP, at less weight. |
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velde99
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 2:36am |
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And will make your wallet weight less to the tune of $10,000😜
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Air206
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Posted: May-07-2016 at 2:41am |
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Nope - RR marine 454s are valuable to the right folks (in your area esp.) - even ones with 800 hrs.
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velde99 wrote: