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Formula vs. Fountain

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#25 ·
Huh, like any other Fourm, you can go down through the posts and clearly see were owners of product "A" will tell you what a piece of chit product "B" is, and likewise the other way.

They are both quality built, non-econo boats. It's certain that some will prefer some things about one brand over another, but still understand and respect the differences.

Weather or not Fountain survives another month in this terrible market is a non-issue. Shoot, GM can barely make it, you won't see too many people dumping on the 69 Chevelle over it.
 
#26 ·
PJDiesel said:
Weather or not Fountain survives another month in this terrible market is a non-issue.
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Unless you happen to need support from the factory, which will not be there if they go south! :D

How many Studebaker's do you see on the road today?
 
#27 ·
Original poster stated someone was looking at something from 1989. At this point I am doubting the factory would be a whole lot of help with things.........

My position was no one will think any less of the 10 meter (or a 42 for that matter) if Fountain dies. Still decent boats that just about everyone knows when they see one.
 
#28 · (Edited)
PJDiesel said:
Original poster stated someone was looking at something from 1989. At this point I am doubting the factory would be a whole lot of help with things.........
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You overlooked one very important fact about that first post. He specifically wanted information on older Formula and Fountain boats. I posted an answer to his question that is very important to him.

As for your quip.

Call Formula with a question about any of the boats they built regardless of the age.

I think you will be amazed at the help they provide.

Like I said, they are second to none!

Just ask anyone who owns one. :winker:

Then try asking the same question with any other boat manufacturer and see the difference. :D
 
#29 ·
I just called formula about a 1989 311 I was thinking of buying, they told me they were nice boats and to enjoy it.

I then called formula about a 10 meter I was considering, they told they were nice boats and to enjoy it.

I felt equally supported from both factories when asking them about a product they built 20 years ago.
 
#30 ·
PJDiesel said:
Original poster stated someone was looking at something from 1989. At this point I am doubting the factory would be a whole lot of help with things.........
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And you'd be way wrong about Formula. Not only do they STILL know just about every little detail about boats made back then, they still STOCK many parts for those models. And if they don't stock the parts, they'll give you a part number so you can at least try and chase it down.

Last year I wanted new rubber "feet" for my swim ladder; 20yrs old and they had them. New dash switches, in stock. Gaskets for the exhaust trim rings, in stock. Little round rubber bumpers where the engine hatch rests on rear bench, in stock. Have a question on wiring? They might just send the whole wiring diagram for the boat.

The one thing they couldn't help me with was a small Kenwood mini-amplifier; I couldn't blame them for not keeping up with 20yr old stereo parts.
 
#31 ·
Can someone get me a picture of say a fountain and a another brand with the same LOA and roughly the same size class boat?

pictures with the hulls out of the water and a profile view of the boats?
 
#32 ·
PJDiesel said:
Original poster stated someone was looking at something from 1989. At this point I am doubting the factory would be a whole lot of help with things.........

My position was no one will think any less of the 10 meter (or a 42 for that matter) if Fountain dies. Still decent boats that just about everyone knows when they see one.
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you are gonna catch alotta crap about this comment bud,

I have owned a 88 Formula 242 and now a 93 271 everything I have called on has been answered, every part I have called for I have gotten or been told where to go, this includes gelcoat and paint codes and there current manufactures. I even have mix codes and blend amounts for my imron colors. I called on about 4/5 boats when looking and received any info I wanted including place of org sale build sheets, warranty work, everything.

When I had my 242 I had called them for some info, the way I was treated and felt after I said I would buy nothing else again, here I was the 3rd~5th owner on a almost 20 year old boat at the time and I felt like I just bought a brand new 500,000 boat
Heres to Formula :pop: :cheers:
 
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#33 ·
And,........... I called the Chaparral factory about an 88 Villain IV I had, you would have thought I was asking them about a boat they never even produced. From what I had read over the years, they were a solid boat with decent fit and finish, the factory support was certainly lacking,........... we enjoyed the boat nonetheless.


I thought we were talking factory support (as in warranty "support", etc.)
 
#35 · (Edited)
PJDiesel said:
I thought we were talking factory support (as in warranty "support", etc.)
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I don't think the word "Warranty" was mentioned anywhere regarding "Factory Support."

In my posts I said Formula has support second to none. You've now heard from some of the members here who will back me up on that statement.

It has nothing to do with Warranty, it has everything to do with the owner of a Formula boat, of any age, being happy.

But now that we have opened that little item. I developed a fluid leak in one of the actuators for my trim tabs on my 330SS.

I called Formula and asked if I could have the leak taken care of locally. They said they would handle everything and would call me back with the solution.

Trenton Marine from Trenton New Jersey, the dealer I bought the boat from, sent a tech to my house in Middle River Maryland to take care of the problem

The piston was replaced while my boat was on my lift at my house. Part of the repair was completely cleaning the bilge of the fluid from the leaking piston.

Betcha Reggie wouldn't do that. :popc1
 
#36 ·
I have had the following boats.
Mark Twain
Chris Craft
Four Winns
And 3 Formula's

Had great service with all on parts. I think that is more the dealers then the manufacture.

I do have to say that on my current 2000 312 Fastech
I needed some gel. I took the silent thunder off and had a great fiberglass shop fill the holes the proper way. Jones Fiberglass called Formula to get the color. Instead of getting the number, Thunderbird sent him a quart of gel. No cost, no freight, and a note saying to call with any questions. That was only a year ago.

Also, look at this link for T-Bird.
http://www.formulaboats.com/vintage_formula/vintage_formula.aspx
They don't have to do this stuff. It cost them money!!!!!
 
#37 ·
ghart said:

But now that we have opened that little item. I developed a fluid leak in one of the actuators for my trim tabs on my 330SS.



Betcha Reggie wouldn't do that. :popc1
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Then again, Reggie wouldn't have sent out a new boat with a defective part. :D

That said, love my Fountain, but I agree about the Formulas.
 
#38 ·
STIX said:
Also, look at this link for T-Bird.
http://www.formulaboats.com/vintage_formula/vintage_formula.aspx
They don't have to do this stuff. It cost them money!!!!!
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It may costa few bucks now but it sells a load of boats because Formula is great at making people happy.

Every year I get a mailer with new brochures and DVDs on every boat they build.

Every year someone asks me about my boat and how I like it. I give them the DVD and brochures.

That mailer cost them money too but it is no telling how many new Formulas are sold because they send them to every buyer of a Formula boat every year.

What an incredible boat company.
 
#39 ·
PJDiesel said:
I thought we were talking factory support (as in warranty "support", etc.)
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But in your first post you pointed out we were talking "originally" about a 20yr old boat?

I know we're beating up on you here, :laugh: but here's another example. Formula can still tell you cable lengths for drive trim and tab indicators. They can still tell you original X-dim, crank centerline widths and prop depths. The Formula factory has even offered tech support for a complete re-rig on a 382 from 525/Bravo to 700/NXTs.

I bet a lot of Formula owners would pay money to have some kind of "repair manual" with all this info, like you can get for cars. But just about anything you want to know is just a phone call away.
 
#40 ·
handfulz28 said:
But in your first post you pointed out we were talking "originally" about a 20yr old boat?

I know we're beating up on you here, :laugh:
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Correct, I did mention the age. Reason being, I doubted anyone with a boat of that vintage would call the FACTORY for support. Just seemed a little unusual to me.

I don't feel beat up, I've been on internet forums many years in many different topics. I'm very familiar with "my brand is best and this is why", (over and over and over again).

Seen people switch from one to another and start all over again with how theirs is best (and here is why).

Very rare, and not of human nature to just say, "Yup, I bought something inferior".
 
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blackhawk
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