I have a 1970 27 Express with a single small block that I souped up to about 400 hp. I cruise anywhere from 14-22 knots @ 2800-3500 rpm, burning around 11-18gph. Minimum planing speed (most economical speed) is about 13.5 knots. Top speed is about 30 knots. With stock 318's I'm guessing you'll have slightly worse fuel economy, with a minimum planing speed of around 12-13 knots. The second prop will provide more lift, which will give you a faster time to plane, a slower minimum planing speed and a slower top speed, assuming equivalent total horsepower. The boat handles rough weather extremely well. Bayliners pass me in calm weather. I pass them in rough weather. The boat is solid as a rock, even 40 years on. With twin 318's you'll have a limited range on the 100 or so gallons of gas you can carry. I had some custom aluminum tanks made that increased my bunker from 100 to 136 gallons, and I'm thinking about adding a third tank to the underside of my custom aluminum swim step. Gas docks are far apart here in SE Alaska. Another issue with twins is limited room in the engine compartment for servicing. I looked at a twin to your boat that was for sale in Sitka and I'm glad I have a single. The good part is with twins you're not working them very hard and they should last pretty much forever with proper maintenance. Parts for small block Chryslers are not as common as Chevy's, but they are still readily available if you look. Good Luck!
John --- On Sun, 5/30/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [UnifliteWorld] 1970 27' Uniflite Express To: "UnifliteWorld" <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, May 30, 2010, 8:54 AM Hello all--I'm considering considering a 1970 27' Express, and I thought I "ask the experts" what they thought of this model. It's in pretty decent condition, no major issues that I can tell yet. Twin 318's I'm out here on Lake Erie, and the boat's been a freshwater boat since new. There isn't a lot of Uniflite's out here, actually they're pretty rare, but I'm well aware of their reputation of build quality. The boat is still on the hard, so I haven't had an opportunity to give it a sea trail. I want to do some light to medium-duty great lakes cruising with it. Lake Erie has a mean reputation for a short, steep chop and I'm curious how this boat might handle this.. The twin Chrysler's seem like a bit much for this boat, so I image it's pretty fast. I'm not really interested in speed so much, but GPH is a concern. Can this thing be cruised at say 15-20 knots with some relative economy? Any other thoughts, perceptions, "look-out-for's", ideas would be appreciated. Thnaks -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "UnifliteWorld" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/unifliteworld?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "UnifliteWorld" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/unifliteworld?hl=en.
