2007 Challenger 180 SE Newbie

[Jcamaro]

Okay Guys,


I went and picked up my challenger this weekend. It's in great shape...very clean and the guy is a seadoo mechanic that owned the thing. It's a 1 owner boat with 170hrs and a fresh complete 200hr kit on the S/C (including the shaft, I'm assuming this means something)

Boat has two very minor pulls in the vinyl which i will be attending to...provided they don't charge an arm and a leg. Other than that it's as clean as you're gonna find for a 2007

I've been reading through many different posts on the forums and I've still got a few questions I'm hoping you fine fellas would be willing to answer for me.

Is there any harm in using the self draining compartments under the seats as coolers themselves? I did this with the spot in front of the ski seat on my sportster.

I intend to run in fresh and salt water and i noticed that the flush out is no where near as easy to reach on this pump assembly....vs my previous sportster. Is there a way to extend or make this easier for the hose? Keep in mind I intend to put a quick connect on there and leave it the same as i did with the previous boat.

This boat has a bimini top....is there a solution for leaving it down in choppy water that won't allow it to move around and potentially damage something?

The ICS system is non function and appears to have been disabled. I understand it's crap anyway. What's the best way to ensure that the intake grate remains in a fixed position and doesn't move up or down? It was up about 1.5" too far in after the 1300km drive back.

I'm also interested in swapping out the stock head unit for something that does bluetooth to your phone. I'd like to retain the helm control for the stereo. What needs to be done and what are recommendations for a basic bluetooth compatible marine deck that fit this bill?


Thanks guys,

Johnny

I'd also appreciate any tips that you guys can provide about the boat from your own experience.

 

[Diablo]

Hi Johnny i also am semi new here i have the same year and model as you. I ripped my old stereo out and put in a new Clarion M505 head unit with Bluetooth and USB and iPod connectivity.was easy as due to the old unit being Clarion also was just plug and play i also ordered a new remote which is 10 pin din the old one is 8 pin but pulled it all thru and utilized the old remote up in the bow area also purchased 4 x Polk audio speakers and a Polk audio marine sub woofer and a clarion mono block marine amp all up $1200 Australian spent cheaper for u people over in the U.S.oh btw i bought all my gear brand new on ebay
Regards Craig

 

[Coastiejoe]

The updated shaft is better than the stock 08 and older. So yes, it does mean something in your case.

Some quick disconnect fittings do not allow water to run through them when the other half is not attached. Make sure you use a style that DOES allow water to pass when not being used. This is the exit for the water from the exhaust manifold under normal use.

 

[Jcamaro]

The updated shaft is better than the stock 08 and older. So yes, it does mean something in your case.

Some quick disconnect fittings do not allow water to run through them when the other half is not attached. Make sure you use a style that DOES allow water to pass when not being used. This is the exit for the water from the exhaust manifold under normal use.

I made sure that it was a straight through fitting last time as well. Great tip though. Thanks for the info on the shaft.

 

[Jcamaro]

Hi Johnny i also am semi new here i have the same year and model as you. I ripped my old stereo out and put in a new Clarion M505 head unit with Bluetooth and USB and iPod connectivity.was easy as due to the old unit being Clarion also was just plug and play i also ordered a new remote which is 10 pin din the old one is 8 pin but pulled it all thru and utilized the old remote up in the bow area also purchased 4 x Polk audio speakers and a Polk audio marine sub woofer and a clarion mono block marine amp all up $1200 Australian spent cheaper for u people over in the U.S.oh btw i bought all my gear brand new on ebay
Regards Craig

Craig,

Which way do the stock remote wires run? I'm assuming if you were able to install the old remote in the bow....it still works with the 505 but with reduced functionality? As long as I could turn the volume up and down and mute the music I'd be happy with that.

My stock head unit is the Clarion 455

Thanks,

Johnny

 

[Jcamaro]

Not to reply to my own comment. But I wanna bump this up for a little feedback.

I was out yesterday and in calm fresh water (low tide, since our rivers are brackish) and managed to hit 51mph WOT at 8050-8100 RPM. Coming back at the end of the day I was only able to hit 47mph at 7700-7800 rpm. Temperatures were higher when we first launched so I'm not sure if I just got a good batch of air for that initial run or if the brackish water actually slowed the boat down.

I'd really like to be able to consistenly hit 50mph if at all possible. Ideas?

 

[pete63]

current and water density?

 

[Eclipse1701d]

current and water density?

Agreed... with a little debris in the intake grate...

 

[go_panthers]

If you're using a gps to monitor your speed, a 2mph current will equal a 4 mph difference in speed traveling downstream vs upstream.

If you're boat has a paddle wheel speedometer, it doesn't know about the current flow. So, it could be debris or air temperature affecting engine performance at that point.