profile_69

First post. New to boating. Avid car nut.

I've got a '90 Profile 308. It originally had twin 454/bravo 1's.

I want to power it on a budget and I found a 454/TRS for $1200.

I want to know if this is feasible or a bad idea. Thanks.

Jon

BDiggity

if you are wanting to replace the bravos w/ trs..

you will also need transmissions for the trs
the engines will need to be moved up around 18" or so to make room for the tranny
the transom will need to be redone for the different cutouts for the trs's.
i think u are looking at probably at least double the $1200 cost

dereknkathy

there is NO justification for converting a bravo boat to TRS. you say boat orig had 454-bravo. does that mean it is a hull with no motors-drives-gimballs? i just watched a mid nineties 25 foot cruiser sell on ebay for 600 or so bucks. drive, gimball, 454 stuck from sitting 5 years. season is winding down. there will be a lot of people giving up on the boat they were planning to resurrect this year and now hafta store it for another winter. bravo parts are expensive unless you buy a whole boat. it is also the only way to SEE what all you need, let alone actually get the parts. the 454-TRS you found might be worth it as a motor and a TRS setup to re-sell. but the newest TRS is 20 years old and most are 25 to 30 plus.

Too Stroked

It sounds like you want o convert a twin screw Bravo boat to a single screw TRS boat. Quite honestly, all you will end up with is a hacked up boat that won't get out of it's own way and zero resale value. I wouldn't recommend it.

profile_69

I don't want to covert to single.

I have considered buying it for the motor and selling the TRS (which is complete in boat with trans).

The only reason I considered it it because I have read that a TRS is stronger than a bravo 1 and I would like to upgrade the power to moderate levels.

I don't think redoing the transom will be a task I can't handle either, but I'm just looking for more seasoned advice. Will the re-sale not be as high even though the TRS drive can handle more power? I thought this would be a plus or is that not even the case?

Thanks

joe27baja

TRS drives are discontinued and it is getting harder to find parts for them. They dont break very much but when they do parts are sometimes an issue, Beside getting away from a bravo and going to a TRS is a step backwards. If you are blowing Bravo's step up to an X or an XR...That upgrade would only take a few hours and going to other way would take you several weekends and labor intensive....But live your dream if you must.

dereknkathy

you lose a foot of interior room after moving engine forward and replacing bulkhead in front of motor. and hafta build a longer engine hatch, new upholstery on it. yes, you will depreciate the boat. TRS is a good drive. BUT, no new cases available for over a decade now. i bought a set of gears for one 10 years ago. no idea if still avail now. there are lots of drive options that fit the merc keyhole cut-out, and leave the engine where it is...but if you want that engine and the TRS isn't eaten up, it is easy to resell the drive. they don't fetch 3 to 5 k like they used to, most boats have either died or been converted. but there are still a bunch still running around, and their owners are always looking for a spare...oh yeah, what is the complete boat with TRS setup you are looking at?

mcollinstn

Nobody will consider a TRS swap to be an upgrade. It will be a serious "downgrade" in the value of the boat. Period.

"Moderate Power" is tolerated well enough by XR Bravos. Moderate power is "less than 550 hp".

MC

Too Stroked

Thanks for the clarification. That at least makes some sense, but here's some things you might want to think about:

- TRS boats in general have lower resale values due to the lack of parts availablity for the drives.

- TRS boats - havin gthe same power as a Bravo boat - will be slower due to the extra weight, difference in cennter of balance and higher hydrodynamic drag.

- Which 454 would you be buying? (I'm guussing it'[s a 330 HP.) Remember that you'd still have to find a mate for it.

- If you went with a TRS, what you'd save up front would be more than eaten up with hull modifications. Moving bulkheads, mounting transmissions, etc.

profile_69

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I will wait around till I find some bravos.

And btw, I'm pretty sure living my dream includes a sorenson surface drive and some turbine power lol.