TOPIC: Please help me identify this 24' 1970's houseboat

Hello and thank you for the add to FiberGlassics. Im looking for some help to identify this boat. It has a OMC 190 electric outdrive with a ford 289. I am trying to get in touch with the previous owner but he is old and not very responsive. The hull is a catamaran style and appears to have been factory produced from some type of mold. Please help me identify the boat and where any hull ID number may be located. It is not in the right rear corner where most boats have the number engraved.
Thank you in advance for you help and time.

Welcome. That is a nice looking hull and should be pretty stable with the twin hull. Someone here likely will be able to help you with your questions. I believe it was about 1972 when hull ID numbers were required to be stamped into the hull starboard side on outer transom. Who knows if there might be a hull tag screwed or riveted in somewhere. On this website I have seen random tags show up in lots of different places. Good luck with your project. Someone likely will identify the boat and maybe even direct you to the library in case their may be good information there to help you.

With that Omc stringer drive I suspect late 60's. As the Dr. said probably no stamped in ID. Wondering if you looked real closely at the helm area or maybe in the bath area might be some type of label for the builder. The Ford 289 is a strong runner, later upped to the 302. I had the 289 in my '67 Ford XL and the 302 came out in '69. Slap a couple Cleveland 351 heads and you have yourself a Boss 302.
Sorry couldn't name the boat but at least you now have a year to work with.

I was able to find the OMC outdrive model 990220R. The tag is on the upper part of the outdrive inside the boat on the top of the bellhousing. According to the model info the outdrive is an OMC Electric shift 1974 model. It looks like the motor has been rebuilt so im hoping I dont have to do much more than just get the outdrive back in order before we can take it for a test ride. Holley makes a nice supercharger kit for the 289. Its expensive but then we could really have some fun.
www.holley.com/products/superchargers/supercharger/parts/77-174FSBP-1

That model # is a 1974 190 HP 302. I don't see where they ever used a 289.

I think someone changed the block or maybe just rebuilt it. I was told that a 3 bolt crank pulley is a 289 and a 4 bolt is a 302. But i could be wrong

I don't know about that but if it has the OMC data plate riveted on then it it probably the original 302.

Here is the data plate on my 120. I live & breath electric shift OMC I /O's

Jimandros can you tell me where the water pressure gauge hooks up on the OMC Electric outdrive? if it has one. Also can you tell me if these outdrives were ever equipped with a trim sensor. the reason i ask is the dash in the boat has a pressure gauge and a trim gauge. im thinking these may be some extra gauges as they are not hooked to anything and i really cant find a place to connect either of them.

I have never seen a water pressure gauge on any I/O regardless of brand.
OMC electric stringer drives only had TRIM as on option. Even with the trim option, a gauge was also another option. TILT was standard and had no gauge. But there was an optional warning light to alert you the drive was not fully down (part number 981751). I don't see where trim was an option on the 190 HP in 1974. I think later Ford small blocks had trim option & it could have been retro fitted; BUT WHY, that big boat wouldn't respond enough to trim to bother. If you have trim, your front motor mounts will be hydraulic cylinders that raise & lower the engine thus pivoting the entire engine & drive on the rear mounts.
TILT runs the electric motor that drives the quadrant gear on the left side of the outdrive. DO NOT try to operate the engine with the drive tilted except at idle for minimal periods of time.

Since the engine is 1974 vintage (and I assume the drive is too). That boat should have the USCG MIC number on the upper right portion of the transom. (This requirement started in Nov '72). Earlier in this thread someone mentioned it but I don't see were you ever claimed to have found it. Perhaps the boat is older & been repowered?

I guess i was meaning to ask about the tilt not trim. My boat for sure does not have the trim cylinders. So they just had an idiot light to make sure the outdrive was down. I did see where you are not supposed to operate the outdrive unless it is fully down. Thank you for the info. I will see what it takes to at least make it work like the factory shipped it.

About the hull number it is for sure not stamped in the rear of the hull. I am still tearing out the interior so hoping i may find something. Based on the outdrive setup its for sure early 70's and it does not look like it was ever repowered.

If the number isn't on the boat, then it must be prior to Nov 1972.
I don't see where OMC used Ford engines prior to 1974. So perhaps it is repowered from earlier OMC drive to the 1974 Ford model?
But why the trim gauge?

I believe the boat is a land and sea camper model.