1987 Z-25 restoration and repower

[wakechaser]

hi donzi folks....

wondering if anyone out there has ever repowered their 1987 Z-25. im wondering what the result will be if i take out my old 454 w/ tr transmission, in place of a new merc. big block with a bravo one drive. the motor would move one foot to transom and im wanting to know what the weight transfer will do to the ride of the boat. anybody????? im desperate because i've just blown up the old motor, and have the boat sitting a shop with the topsides off, new gas tank ready to go in, fiberglass work on the go, and i dont know what im going to do about the motor scenario.

also, wondering what the max hp and max hull speed is on the Z-25. also where to find stock apholstery.....and a new windshield. ???? any answers would be very much appreciated.

michael - vancouver, british columbia

[Donzigo]

a. It will not hurt a thing to change the engine & outdrive. Weight will not create any problems. You should check all the stringers & gussts while you have the engine out. Also, take the panels off the back corners and check the transom for rot. It happened a lot in this model.
b. There is no upholstry already made. That's a custom thing. It should be made by a BOAT upholstry shop, only, and out of heavy gauge material and triple stiched.
c. Your winsheild was made by a companyin Palmetto, Florida by the name of "Stratos". It has long gone out of business. If your windsheild has the curl at the top, that process is very difficult and expensive. It's not too hard for a plastic company to bend plexiglass in one direction. As I understand it, if it needs to be bent in two directions, it must be baked in an oven, and not too many companies have an oven that big.
I had a Z-25 for years. It's a great boat, very heavy, very comfortable, and has lots of "curb appeal"
I hope this helps.
Richard Aaron
727-867-7020