Hey all. I have been looking at the Formula 31SS for a while now and tommorow I'm going to see if I can make a deal on a new one. I wanted to see if anyone had opinions on this model. I think I want the big block 496 motors. I was told that is the way to go. Anything I should look out for? The boat will be at my house at the Jersey shore on a boat lift so I dont think I need that corrosive option? THANKS
I've been into boating for years and owned a number of they in the past. I presently own a 28ft Cat with twins.Formula makes a great boat. You should be very happy with your choice. For the 496's, here are my thoughts. If you "think" you are going to want to mod the engines at ANY TIME, and I mean ANY thoughts, go with the MercuryRacing 525's. They are a much better platform to modify. Easily capable of making 1000hp reliably, with a Whipple Charger. If you have NO desire whatsoever, to modify them then go with the 496HO's instead of the standard 496's. They are a better package all around. Also on a 31FT boat make sure regardless of motors, you get the XR drives. Stay away from the X drive. A heavier boat needs a stronger drive especially if you run the ocean and fly the boat. The shock of the boat reentering the water takes a toll on the drives and the XR will be muck more reliable. There are some great forums out there to check as well Offshoreonly.com and Hotboats.com are very popular. Fust do yourself a favor, if you even think you might want more power, go with the 525's. Purchasing a lower powered motor is the biggest complaint people have after buying a performance boat. You see it every week on hotboat. If you have any other questions, please let me know if I can help. Darrell.
I have been really attracted to that boat too. While I have owned a boat with the 496 and love them I don't think you can go bigger than the twin 6.2 Mercruiser small blocks in the 310 SS (I am assuming that is what you are referring to) but check with the dealer. IF you can get them in that boat I would recommend them from my personal experience overall. They are certainly a very reliable, powerful, and torquey motor and are a snap to maintain for the do-it-yourselfer. However, they will probably be a tight fit in the engine compartment despite the 310SS's wider beam. Also, for the extra 200 combined HP for the 496 HO you also pickup 400 lbs in combined weight compared to the 6.2's.
Thanks much for you post. This will be my first boat. I have jet skis and I know that doesnt count but I didnt want to go with a smaller boat and then want a bigger boat in 1 year. I will most likely never mod the boat. The dealer for some reason was not sure on the motors. The formula website shows the 496 as an option when you build the boat. ANd yes it is the 310 Sun Sport. He also told me about the addred wieght. How In your opinion are the 6.2 motors? Are they enough to handle a 31Ft boat? Or should I go with teh 33SS and get the 496 motors? I probably also not maintain teh boat myself either. THANKS
I have not owned the 6.2's but the difference would probably be minimal other than the hole shot coming on plane and top speed. Since the 310 is more of a cruiser than an all out performance boat I would bet the 6.2's would be a healty balance of price, power, and performance. Of course, try to test drive one if you can just like anything else and see what you prefer.
I have owned a Formula for the last 3 years and its been the best boat ever. My last boat was a Powerquest and I had a hard time selling it because I underpowered it. The people at Formula have the best customer service I have ever seen. I had to call for some gel coat to fix a small nic. When I asked how much they said FREE and paid the shipping.
I just looked up the 310SS. It's dry weight is 9700lbs plus.Well over 10000 LBS when loaded. Just a bit of advice from someone that has owned a lot of boats. Do not get the 6.2's in a boat of that size and weight. Boat motors are all about torque. And there is a huge difference between a 6.2 and the 496's. The 6.2 works great in lite weight ski boats ,and very well with twins in 28-30ft narrow beam high performance V's (Superboats, American Offshores ect...). After checking out that boat and seeing what your looking to do, ABSOLUTELY go with the 496's. They have a closed cooling system,, and are very efficient. Due to the higher torque output, they will cruise at a lower RPM than the smallblocks, and enjoy a much longer life. The 6.2's have not proven to be the best choice (reliability wise) for heavier boats. PLUS resale will be much better with the 496's. Darrell.
Hi Darrell. The Formula dealer told me the 496 motors add 400 pounds of weight. I think the crusing speed was about 3000RPM- 34MPH with the 496 and 3500RPM-31 MPH with the 6.2 They Also told me the 6.2's are 330HP each and are what everyone orders with the 310. The other problem with the 496 motors the Formula dealer told me, was that the motors takes up all of the engine compartment and sit real close to the edge of the boat. Thanks for your reply.
Does the dealer have a 6.2 boat in stock? If so he is just selling you, when it comes to buying a boat the sales guy is the last person you should solely listen too. Owners/previous owners/and fellow boaters will give you the best unbiased information, sounds like you are close to pulling the triger so I would highly suggest going to offshoreonly and ask all the questions you want in the Formula forum....Do not get anything less than 496 HO's or you will be very sorry once you sign the paperwork.
NO not in stock. I figure if Im going to spend money on a boat. I will pcik and chose my options that I want. So I ordered it yesterday as you indicated. The problem is I got the 6.2. Now I didnt know the 350SS also has that new design which I like. I will now be going with the 350SS with the 496HO motors!! I was jsut concerened with the way he was talking me out of the 496 motors for this boat. Thanks guys BTW: isnt 35 feet a bit big for a first time boater? .. There goes my new dock I guess
Congrats on the boat. Although a 35 is fairly big for the first time boater, you will be fine if you simply use common sense. First, you, and maybe your wife, should take a Coast Guard approved boating safety class. These are available all over and I believe West Marines also have classes going. Next you might want to do a boating school. The best out there is Tres Martin. He's a former champ and runs a school in Florida for everything from a pleasure boat, to full Unlimited superboats. Not only will this help keep you and your family safe, it will usually help lower your insurance costs. They teach you how to properly run your boat using all the trim and drive adjustments, plus the throttles. There is a lot to learn for a first time boat owner. Good luck, and be safe. My wife and I could never see NOT owning a boat. For us, it gives the perfect opertunity to spend time with the family. Even though the kids are out of the house, they always want to spend time on the boat. Best regards, Darrell.
Thanks. I changed my order today to the 350SS with the 496HO motors. My plan was to hire an experienced captain that I know to take me out the first few times to get to know how everything works. Also , I went with the new Axius digital joystick system that allows beginners like myself to operate at slow speeds to dock and avoid wiping out other boats or my dock. In NJ it is the law to have the safety course. Which my entire family alread has becasue we have jetskis as well. THANKS..
I see, you're right. The 496 HO is similar to the 502 MAG MPI and that moves the 280 I have very well.
