What to expect from a 97 Pantera II?

[NJBass]

I have a 98 Pantera II. Max HP is 200, 19 feet long and I believe the beam is 93″. Front deck layout is as follows…..rod locker on the passenger side, big storage compartment in the middle, another nice size storage compartment on the drivers side, a cooler in the middle, and another really small storager area next to the cooler. There is also storage under the seats. My boat does not have the deck extension which would add additional storage and deck space. Ive had the boat for a year now, this is my first bass boat. I absolutely love the boat. I have a 200 mariner on mine and have hit 68 mph, can probaly get to 70 – 71. It has a great ride and easy to drive. Every non-boater that I have had it in loves the ride. Good luck.

[jignpig]

Bench seat with storage underneath. Dual livewells on back deck. Front deck had port rod locker, center tackle storage, a small “day use” box and right side storage box. There was a tackle tray in front of the driver console that you could put the old hard tackle boxes or an ice chest in that area.200 Opti on the 97 PII would probably still get upper 60s to low 70s. I would strongly suggest the Opti of those years be checked out with a fine tooth comb so to speak.Great riding, smooth driving, solid boat. 19 with 95″ beam. http://basscatowners.yuku.com/topic/14690. Here is a link to one for sale that you can see the general layout………..Last edited by jignpig on November 8th, 2010, 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.96 Eyra/12 Mercury 175 Pro XS with 2015 single axle trailer2017 Victory Gunner

[rchafin294]

jignpig wrote:Bench seat with storage underneath. Dual livewells on back deck. Front deck had port rod locker, center tackle storage, a small “day use” box and right side storage box. There was a tackle tray in front of the driver console that you could put the old hard tackle boxes or an ice chest in that area.200 Opti on the 97 PII would probably still get upper 60s to low 70s. I would strongly suggest the Opti of those years be checked out with a fine tooth comb so to speak.Great riding, smooth driving, solid boat. 19 with 95″ beam.Are there issues with the optimax series in that year? The dealer Im working with about the boat has done a thorough check on the motor and is supposed to do a water test for me today. They said that the compression came back good on all cylinders and said I was more than welcome to the read out. But Im definitely taking the boat for a test drive before purchasing the boat.

[Loanshark]

the deck layout is great. the deck insert makes the deck even better. i often fish both myself and partner on the front deck, and we have ample room. the back deck is plenty big and we fished all weekend with 3 of us chunking crankbaits with no problem (i did however put the guy that never fishes RIGHT next to me) the livewells are HUGE will hold 3 limits of 3-5 lb bass and never lost a fish in them. i can get low 70s out of my 200 2.5L Mariner with me (175) all my gear (full tourney) and 1/2- 3/4 tanks. add my partner (250) and his footlocker of tackle and we are in the mid to upper 60s. I would definately have the motor checked out as that is where you would have probles with the rig, the boat will last a lifetime maybe have to change some pumps, switches etc but you cant beat the boat. if you havent ridden in one you are going to be amazed, best driest ride i have ever been in. if it is calm on your test ride they all are smooth. if you get some chop or 2-3 footers you can really see where this boat will perform. good luck and post some pics whe you get it!!brad

[jignpig]

The early Optimax engines had a mixed opinion in terms of reliability. For the most part they were good engines, Optimax technology came out in about 97 so it was all still new.I ordered a new 97 PII from a dealer. He encouraged me to go EFI until the bugs were worked out of the Optimax as he already had two new 97 model engines with blown powerheads.Of course, that was then, and I am still running older EFI engines. My brother has run Optimax technology on two different boat/engine combos since 2003 with no problems.If you have it all checked out, compression test and leak down test, test drive and dealer is standup guy, it is the best you can do for peace of mind. Again, it is a very fisherman friendly combo. Kind of wish I had mine back but at the time I sold it, someone got a heckuva boat.96 Eyra/12 Mercury 175 Pro XS with 2015 single axle trailer2017 Victory Gunner

[nivek]

If I was buying a used boat from a dealer I would insist on a leak down test not just a compression test. A compression test will tell you if you have a bad cylinder a leak down test will tell you if it is worn and how badly. There are many sites that explain the test and how to perform it. It should not be a big deal for a dealer to do. Good luck with the boat

[rchafin294]

nivek wrote:If I was buying a used boat from a dealer I would insist on a leak down test not just a compression test. A compression test will tell you if you have a bad cylinder a leak down test will tell you if it is worn and how badly. There are many sites that explain the test and how to perform it. It should not be a big deal for a dealer to do. Good luck with the boatThanks for the advice. I will contact the dealer and see if they would do a leak down test for me.

[tswanson]

What to expect from a 97 Pantera II? A whole lot of fun !!

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