www.iFourWinns.com

I think the Horizon 190 with the jet would be a hoot.

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2008 210SS 6.2L DTS Bravo 1 Now featuring MercMonitor w/SmartTow

Looks cool, but I'm sticking to my guns it doesn't look like a true "OEM" installation. The cables are just all over the place and messy. Would be cool though, even better if it was TDI

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2003 Chaparral 215ss
2009 Stingray 195CS--SOLD
2000 Four Winns H180--SOLD
Rick's H180 Mods

I too own a 1995 Horizon 190 DLX Jet Drive. I am the second owner, purchasing it when it only had 64 hours on the clock. The first owner bought it from a Four Winns dealer near the factory. It spent its days on Lake Cadillac when not stored indoors. He kept it in great shape - it was almost brand new in 2008.

I was told that a Four Winns VP instructed staff to build the jet drive, but once the corporate owners (OMC) stopped in and saw that Four Winns was using their competitor's (American Turbine) jet drive, they told them to shut the project down. There were only about 100 made in 1995. Although I have never seen one with a '96 date stamp, ironically, the link to the manual page that RotaryRacer provided in an earlier post clearly shows the jet drive on the boat in the top center and lower right corner. I assume they had the graphics printed before the project was halted. Several years ago, I was able to download the 1995 graphics. There was no reference to the turbine that year.

The boat rides quite nice and is very safe. I did suck a tow rope up in the water intake and had to cut and pull it out in sections. Its top speed is around 45 mpg. It's a breeze to winterize, just change the oil, drain the manifolds and fog the carb.

Thanks for that info Russ. Stick around.

Greg

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2008 210SS 6.2L DTS Bravo 1 Now featuring MercMonitor w/SmartTow

Great info. I had never heard the story before, however, for some reason that is exactly what I sort of thought may have happened.

It is sort of interesting that by 1996 OMC was essentially out of the sterndrive business since they were divesting all that over to Volvo Penta. I guess OMC kept the little 2 stroke jet drive used in the Fling until 2000 when they went under.

Get some pictures of your boat posted so we can see how it is all put together.

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Current Boats:
'04-Four Winns 180 Freedom 150 HP Evinrude
'74-Winner 280 Vacation Express T-302 Mercruiser V-Drives
'81-4Winns 180 Marquise Cuddy 165 HP Mercruiser I6

I recently bought the same boat!! The gals that sold it to me said the four winns only made about 200 of them. Oddly enough, I am finding the same things withe my boat... The trim gauge doesn't work either so they must have used the same panel for all of the boats and the trim is not connected. The depth gauge doesn't work at all on mine but the speedo is working fine. So far I have had a blast with it. Hope you enjoy yours too!

Why would a jet boat need a trim gauge?

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'96 200 Horizon 5.8l VP/SX

what a rare bird.. never would have believed if you wouldnt showed photo and brochure.

Re: "Why would a jet boat need a trim gauge?"


I just bought the same boat. It Jet needs a trim gauge...or, should have one anyway. Because there IS power trim. It isn't on the handle like a stern drive though. It is an ACC switch on the dash that controls the trim. And it works quite well and does the same thing the trim on a drive does. Only with a jet, there is no "trailer" position. Only the nozzle is trimmed, not the whole drive.

My wife bought me the Horizen 190 Jet drive behind a ford 351. I have had a few minor problems here and there but nothing that could not be worked out. Full tank with 3 adults I get an average speed of 50mph. Seems to depend upon the quality of fuel and the water. The trim guage failes to work in my boat also. The depth guage works fine, it agrees with my fish finder as far a depth goes. I have also read these are a rare boat and i will post some pictures as soon as I get home and on my tower.

Four Winns did build a 190 Horizon with a Jet drive as described. I owned a 95 190 Horizon I/O and had a couple four winns catalogs showing the 190 with a jet. They didn't sell quite as well and were a little slower than the others, but they were something unique at the time. Have fun with it.