First Nautique Acme 540 or 542

I bought my first inboard a few months ago. It is a 1983 sn2001. I am very pleased with the purchase and feel like I got a great deal. Stringers are solid, boat starts and runs great. I had it out two days ago and happened upon a submerged rock about 100 feet offshore.   My prop is mangled. Luckily, I was only idling along and only hit the prop, not the hull.

I found a never used acme 540 for $250, might be able to get it for a little less. I plan on wakeboarding, skiing, surfing and barefooting. Am I going to kick myself for getting the 540 and not the 542? The 542 would be $120 more.

Should I stop worrying about it and buy the 540 with the plan to get the 542 later as a spare?

Thanks in advance.

Hollywood wrote: Get the 540

Agree, changed my boats performance. My wife slalom's and I wakeboard and very pleased with the 540.

Thanks everybody, Just bought the 540 for $225. I'm pretty excited. What is the difference between the commander manifolds and the triangle high rise ones? This is what's in my 83:

Commanders look way cooler.......


john

Riley wrote: 540 is a 13x12? 542 is 13x11..5 and will spin too fast on a 2001?

Correct, 540 is 13 X 12

I bought a 542 as a spare for my 88'. I have not as yet put it on to see what the numbers are as compared to the 540 numbers I did a few years ago when I first got it. May have to run numbers again on both the 540 & 542 on the same day possibly this weekend if the nice weather holds out.

Thanks for all the comments. This boat is like a dream. I have been searching for a decent priced nautique for a while and I was more than happy to trade my I/O runabout for the 2001.