4bus

Peter,

1.3-1.5 that close does it really matter? Honestly you seem really sensative about the cost of fuel, so IMO run from this boat. It is a great boat, but relatively heavy for it's size because of all the the comforts it has. People that own 322, 342 and 38 special Baja don't worroy about fuel, they take the hit to have large cabins, heads, great daytime area and a/c / gens/ fridges. These boats are the caddilac Escalades of boats...they suck on fuel, but all boats suck on fuel.

Here are some options if you want to do better on fuel-

Outboards, they are much better

Diesel, again much better

Or find a very light overpowered performance boat that has a high cruise speed, and then stay out of the throttle. Point if you have to travel 30 miles on a boat that cruises at 35 mph at 3000 vs one that cruises at 65 mph at 3000 rpm you will run half the time, if you stay at cruise

Worrying about tenths of a mpg is just crazy in this sport.....imo of course

Baja_342

My two previous Bajas were twin 7.4 MPI, 310HP powered 29 Outlaw and a 302. I was shocked going to a 342 with 502s how much more fuel I burn. I think if I actually calculated it it would make me sick. A couple hundred HP and a couple thousand lbs make a big difference.

wannabe

Peter:

You need to do a compression check on the motors. That will tell you a lot about the engines. The 454's have a tendency to have head gaskets go bad over time. Especially on the back cylinders.\\

Wannabe

500hps

not sure on my mpg,but its not good.my 322 with 600hps runs 84 [email protected] rpms and on a average day trip i spend 3-5 hundred on fuel.if thats all it cost,then i am good with that.tom

PeterBerglund

Thanks for all replies!
It might be the best to follow my brain which say "stay away from this boat" as some of you suggest, but on the other hand you only live once. Years are just passing by... And now there is this opportunity to get this 322 for a reasonable price tag. Listed for about US$40.000 here in Sweden. The boat is from Kentucky and the hull and drives are in perfect shape thanks to sweet water and good care. The inside is not that good, perhaps a 6 of 10. Some wear and tear. But what to expect from a 1996 version.

The 600 hours on the engines makes me still a bit worried as I said in my original post, but it is perhaps not that bad as some of you have commented. I will check the compression test protocol. What else to check?

As far as the MPG figure interest, it all comes down to money. Fuel prices in Sweden are just crazy with almost US$9/Gallon... I think it's about twice the price compared with the States. So the difference between for example 1.1 MPG and 1.58 is a 30% improvement and makes a difference...

What I really would like to get my hands on is some "official" specification from Baja regarding the 322 when it comes to performance and fuel economy for different engine setups from mid 1990s. I have searched but have never found anything. Anyone out there who knows where to find this kind of documents from the past?

/Peter

endeavour32

If your as concerned as you seem about the MPG find a different hull. A step bottom Fountain or Formula would give you better cruise speed with the same power. Also get a fuel injected engines this again will give better economy than carb motors. To me $40,000 for a 96 Baja in 6 out of 10 shape does not seem like a good deal. IMO Baja's are on the low end of the performance boat spectum, for $40,000 I would think you could get a better boat. Why not try and find a nice Formula 292 fastec with small blocks. This would most likey give you better top end and better fuel economy. Yes its a smaller boat but your fuel bills will be smaller as well.

PeterBerglund

Thanks again for replies and private posts.
I should mention that $40K is the listed price here in Sweden, which means that costs for shipment ($8K), tax (25%) and custom charge (1,5%) on top of that must be considered. That means that the price in the US is like $25K for this boat. But before you can turn the key here in Sweden the price tag has rised another $15K... So I guess the seller here in Sweden has purchased the boat in the US for around $25-30K and ask for $40K to get +/-0. The very same boat was listed for $50K 9 month ago, so it seems hard to get rid of it.

So to compare it with US prices, is $25-30K a good deal for this boat?

However, right now it feels like I should forget this boat and go for something like you propose "endeavour32". It just feels too risky and too expensive with the 322 considering fuel consumption and our fuel prices here in Sweden. I'm considering ebay and importing a boat myself during the coming winter, but I'm a bit frightened of all frauds and dishonest sellers out there...

wannabe

Peter have a survey done FIRST. They will check for water/rot in the stringers and transom, etc.

Wannabe

4bus

I really hope this guy is not Jim Darr :/

Yoda_Man

my motors are stock mpi magnum 502s merc rated them at 415 at the prop but with the same cam as the 454 im not sure how much more hp they really have.

im paying about 5.75cdn per us gallon 1.49/L for regular