Laser 2500

geeforcem · 08-05-09, 03:18 AM

Hey guys... new to this site. This is a great site u guys have. Hang out on S&F and Byuboyz site mostly..

figured i could post a couple of pics of my recently finished (well..never really finished) 1979 Laser 2500 basser. It's a kevlar hull.. all new floors and transom, carpet, buffed gelcoat. This one took a while..other projects got in the way, but i finally got it back in the water last month. Hung a 1991 2.5 200 Mariner with a nose cone and a 26" chopper and a Rapid Jack 6 in. plate.

needs a few more finishing touches..

jeff

1FASTLASER · 08-05-09, 06:31 AM

WOW!!!! man good find. Guess you can tell from my sig that I to have a Laser. LOL in fact the same color. Man they produced alot of those lasers with the same color scheme. I know of 7 right now that are still in the water same color....just different lengths. Thanks for the pics now ya gotta let the folks know HOW DO SHE RUN???? I have a purdy good idea but enlighhten us.

geeforcem · 08-05-09, 10:34 AM

hey 1fast...yup i knew you would like it. I've seen you post on Scream and Fly and ByuBoyz. In fact a long time ago i think i messaged you about one of your Lasers.

I've only had time to take it out for a couple of hours... just trying to get acquainted with the hull. The boat comes out of the hole quick and sets up nice. You can feel the boat get up on the pad and hold very well. I ran it up to 6000rpms and still had 3/4 throttle left with the 26" chopper. No speedo yet.. getting a gps soon. I have the engine set with the point of the nose cone even with the pad. Runs excellent at neutral trim. I'll be going out soon again and will keep updates!

Yes.. you are right. I have seen quite a few of this color combo. THese old Lasers are great hulls. If you look at the old Hydra-Sport 168/178vee's, the hulls are almost identical with a few change... Summerford worked with Hydra Sports in the early days before the start up of Laser. I have found another... may try to pick it.

I also have an LTV comp boat and a 160v ski boat. THe LTV has a 2.0 Merc and the 16' has a 115 inline (soon to be 2.0 V6!!)

Do you or anyone else on here have some pics of your Lasers on here? I always love to see more!

Jeff

geeforcem · 08-05-09, 03:31 PM

haha..correction....

...at 6000rpm, it still had a quarter throttle left... it will probably turn this prop 7000+

jeff

Abbeysdad · 08-05-09, 03:58 PM

what keeps it on the water?

geeforcem · 08-05-09, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

what keeps it on the water?

funny you say that....

back when i was a kid and saw these boats brand new at the tournaments, it wasn't uncommon to see a lone fisherman with an 80lb. sand bag sitting in the passenger seat.

These boats are weight sensitive...I put my battery(s) along with any extra weight i can on the port side to counter my weight.

jeff

geeforcem · 08-05-09, 04:58 PM

if you look carefully at this pic..you can see the steering wheel and seat positioning is closer to the center than most boats, yet it is still a side seater...

all the deck/storage lids were made of aluminum..much lighter than the comparable fiberglass lids... along with the kevlar, this makes the boat pretty lightweight for it's size. It's a 17 footer.

Also, if you look at the transom near the pad, there was more setback built into the hull than most of the boats at the time... along with a 24" transom height vs. 20-22" for the typical bassboat. There are also some little tricks in on the bottom that Summerford put in. All this makes for a pretty fast hull...even by today's standards.

Back in '79-81, My uncle had a hydra-sports 178vee... very similar hull to this Laser. He ran a '79 merc 200 and then an '82 Merc 200... engine raise 2 in. off the transom and with the very same 26" chopper i am using now. That boat was also kevlar reinforced but was a true 18 footer. Back then he could get about 74mph turning 6200rpm.

With todays setups and props, i think i'll be up in the 80's somewhere...

jeff

1FASTLASER · 08-06-09, 07:00 AM

Yeah Ole Summerford has built some mighty fast and fine boats fer sure. I just cant imagine what he is doing building da boats he is now........talk about a 180 degree turnaround. Anyways I have several several pics of Lasers when I get some more time I will post em up.
Glad you told abbysdad bout the weight thing. Alot of times I ferget to post that up. I am setting or helping setup a 19ftr as we speak. Just waiting on him to get me some more numbers.
Yeah abby....the faster the boat the more you gotta play wif da weight and WHERE to put it.
On the Laser I am working on right now weight is gonna BE VERY CRUCIAL. I gotta 16ftr that am putting some serious ponies on. After I yanked the cap I kinda redesigned the bilge area with the help of ole TREX. It oughta be a fun ride especially when I run by a 20' Skeeter like he was on da trailer.....Gotta LUV IT!!!!!

Abbeysdad · 08-06-09, 08:48 AM

I guess I don't understand 'the need for speed' in a fishing boat - perhaps like the old Indian that just wants good food, a warm fire and a smoke now and then, I'm coming to a point where I just want time to slow down some so I can enjoy the moments. It seems like some of you fellas got an awful big motor pushing a small boat way fast across the water. The fish will still be there if you get there 5 minutes later!
Oh okay, I guess in a tournament there's a race to the best fishin hole, but I think it's about the catch, not the rooster tail that gets there!

....Just sayin

(but don't listen to me...so far I haven't been much of a threat to any fishes around here! Like the woodchuck that raids my garden, they just laugh at me!)

Now them there hydroplane boats....wow, unless they catch air and launch skyward.

geeforcem · 08-06-09, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1FASTLASER

Yeah Ole Summerford has built some mighty fast and fine boats fer sure. I just cant imagine what he is doing building da boats he is now........talk about a 180 degree turnaround. Anyways I have several several pics of Lasers when I get some more time I will post em up.
Glad you told abbysdad bout the weight thing. Alot of times I ferget to post that up. I am setting or helping setup a 19ftr as we speak. Just waiting on him to get me some more numbers.
Yeah abby....the faster the boat the more you gotta play wif da weight and WHERE to put it.
On the Laser I am working on right now weight is gonna BE VERY CRUCIAL. I gotta 16ftr that am putting some serious ponies on. After I yanked the cap I kinda redesigned the bilge area with the help of ole TREX. It oughta be a fun ride especially when I run by a 20' Skeeter like he was on da trailer.....Gotta LUV IT!!!!!

I know all too well about those 16' lasers... mine is super weight sensitive, especially being a side by side seat ski hull. If i just lean one way or another while driving it affects the boat. I could make it a center single seat but i kinda prefer the side by side look. Again, i just shift the weight around in the hull

geeforcem · 08-06-09, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

I guess I don't understand 'the need for speed' in a fishing boat - perhaps like the old Indian that just wants good food, a warm fire and a smoke now and then, I'm coming to a point where I just want time to slow down some so I can enjoy the moments. It seems like some of you fellas got an awful big motor pushing a small boat way fast across the water. The fish will still be there if you get there 5 minutes later!
Oh okay, I guess in a tournament there's a race to the best fishin hole, but I think it's about the catch, not the rooster tail that gets there!

....Just sayin

(but don't listen to me...so far I haven't been much of a threat to any fishes around here! Like the woodchuck that raids my garden, they just laugh at me!)

Now them there hydroplane boats....wow, unless they catch air and launch skyward.

It's all good Abbysdad! You are absolutely right... the fish don't care how fast we get there. I could fish just as well in any other rig fast or slow..and have many times. But that's the beauty of the life that we live. We have all these choices. That's what makes these forums so interesting.. we get to share our experiences...if we all did the same.. what's the fun of talking about it.

This is something i just love to do. It's a challenge for me...i actually build all my own engines from junk engines. The hull is one i rescued from someone's used car lot.. it needed lots of restoration. And now it's something i can be proud of.

nofearengineer · 08-06-09, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

I guess I don't understand 'the need for speed' in a fishing boat - perhaps like the old Indian that just wants good food, a warm fire and a smoke now and then, I'm coming to a point where I just want time to slow down some so I can enjoy the moments. It seems like some of you fellas got an awful big motor pushing a small boat way fast across the water. The fish will still be there if you get there 5 minutes later!
Oh okay, I guess in a tournament there's a race to the best fishin hole, but I think it's about the catch, not the rooster tail that gets there!

....Just sayin

(but don't listen to me...so far I haven't been much of a threat to any fishes around here! Like the woodchuck that raids my garden, they just laugh at me!)

Now them there hydroplane boats....wow, unless they catch air and launch skyward.

I understand and agree, Dad. But I have to admit I have kind of picked up the desire to go a little faster than when I first started with my boat this year. My boat only goes about 45 in perfect conditions, but when I first got it, I was just about clueless on handling waves and other boats' wakes. I would end up doing 20mph all the way down the lake. I didn't think I would ever want to go faster than 45 mph. Now I am definitely looking for more motor for my boat so I can try out 60. Faster? Can't say I won't do it.

But having been through some bad car wrecks in my life, I will always have respect for speed and safety.

Abbeysdad · 08-06-09, 01:29 PM

Okay, but 'dad' says lets be careful out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEET...layer_embedded

Seems to me this fella barely had control in the other runs before he hit the other boats wake. Dern lucky he's around to talk about his foolishness.

Footnote: btw, gotta wonder with another boat right there filming him, how it is they mention he was in the water 10 minutes and the vest/lanyard saved his life.... Gee, if you're ever filming someone and things go wrong, put the dern camera down and help the guy!

nofearengineer · 08-06-09, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

Okay, but 'dad' says lets be careful out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEET...layer_embedded

Seems to me this fella barely had control in the other runs before he hit the other boats wake. Dern lucky he's around to talk about his foolishness.

Footnote: btw, gotta wonder with another boat right there filming him, how it is they mention he was in the water 10 minutes and the vest/lanyard saved his life.... Gee, if you're ever filming someone and things go wrong, put the dern camera down and help the guy!

We've all seen that video a few times, and yeah, that guy was very foolish to jump a wake at that speed. Oh, we silly boaters....

If you read the comments below the video, they answered the 10 minute question. He was indeed in the water for 10 minutes...while they were helping him. They had to make sure he was "structurally sound" before they lifted him out of the water. The same way they don't move trauma victims until they take inventory and stabilize the spine and neck.

Abbeysdad · 08-06-09, 03:59 PM

Quote:

We've all seen that video a few times,

oh wow - didn't know you were all together out there!
I was making the Bobcat Goldsmith -> Rodney King reference.
lol

(Not sure how they diagnosed a cracked sternum, broken ribs and almost broken neck and collar bone while he was in the water - but no matter. In any event real good thing that lanyard was connected and worked).

Come to think of it, do you guys routinely use the kill switch lanyard?

MississippiBoy · 08-06-09, 04:44 PM

I ALWAYS have the kill switch attached to me somehow. I don't care if I'm just idling 50 yards from one side of the river to the other, if the big motor's on, I've got the lanyard on.

By the way, the guy in that video was about 5 minutes from my house when that happened. That's what you get when you drive beyond your abilities.

nofearengineer · 08-06-09, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

oh wow - didn't know you were all together out there!
I was making the Bobcat Goldsmith -> Rodney King reference.
lol

(Not sure how they diagnosed a cracked sternum, broken ribs and almost broken neck and collar bone while he was in the water - but no matter. In any event real good thing that lanyard was connected and worked).

Come to think of it, do you guys routinely use the kill switch lanyard?

I get the impression you thought I was being a smart a$$...sorry, I wasn't...it just came out that way. I get that a lot hehe.

I didn't mean they diagnosed him in the water. I just meant they took 10 minutes to make sure his head was still attached right, and he could still feel his feet and hands, etc. You get the idea.

Now back to being an a-hole...who the heck is Bobcat Goldsmith?

geeforcem · 08-06-09, 11:43 PM

Always respect the speed and water... I always wear life jackets and kill switches and will only open it up when conditions are safe and no boat traffic around.

I build race cars for a living and race myself too. At our shop, safety is NUMBER 1 priority

Abbeysdad · 08-07-09, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Now back to being an a-hole...who the heck is Bobcat Goldsmith?

yer right aye - got his last name wrong (sorry bobcat Goldthwait, but Goldsmith is a good name too!) ....still "if you see me getting beat up by the police, put the camera down and help me" in that squeaky voice.

ally260 · 08-07-09, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geeforcem

Do you or anyone else on here have some pics of your Lasers on here? I always love to see more!

Here's a couple links ta mine Jeff. My home computer took a dump and I lost all my stuff, (reason for tha link ta another thread and another site...)
http://www.bassfishin.com/bass-boats...laser-2550-87/

http://www.bassboatmagazine.com/showthread.php?t=1839

geeforcem · 08-07-09, 07:56 PM

Hey Ally...

sweet boat for sure! I've seen your pics on S&F... I've been looking for that same cowling for mine to make it 'period correct'! Those newer 2500's are also on my list future boats to have!

jeff

nofearengineer · 08-07-09, 10:04 PM

Hehe...sweet lookin old Merc there. I remember my jerk stepdad used to moan and groan about Mercs like that way back when..."yeah, they're popular, but they stop making parts for them after a few years...."..."Johnson is a much better motor..." etc. On and on and on....

I'm pretty sure they all make good motors, but I'm sure it would tick him off to know I drive a Mercury.

CMorg · 08-07-09, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

Okay, but 'dad' says lets be careful out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEET...layer_embedded

Seems to me this fella barely had control in the other runs before he hit the other boats wake. Dern lucky he's around to talk about his foolishness.

Footnote: btw, gotta wonder with another boat right there filming him, how it is they mention he was in the water 10 minutes and the vest/lanyard saved his life.... Gee, if you're ever filming someone and things go wrong, put the dern camera down and help the guy!

What an idiot..

CMorg · 08-07-09, 10:35 PM

The boater , not you.

ally260 · 08-08-09, 07:39 AM

Jeff, I've got a '79 thats completly torn apart waitin' on me ta start on. I like tha inside on it better than tha '85 (steering, rod locker) for makin' more of a hot rod than a fishin' boat. One thing ya might wanna look at on yours is tha way tha livewell opens. A little ruff water and any kinda speed it will get ya wet in a hurry if its got water in it.
I might turn tha formula cowl loose in tha near future if your interested. Always glad ta see someone keepin' tha ole' Lasers on tha water. Good job...............T

Just a note. Get ya a GOOD gearcase soon...................

08-05-09, 03:18 AM	#1
geeforcem BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 16	Laser 2500 Hey guys... new to this site. This is a great site u guys have. Hang out on S&F and Byuboyz site mostly.. figured i could post a couple of pics of my recently finished (well..never really finished) 1979 Laser 2500 basser. It's a kevlar hull.. all new floors and transom, carpet, buffed gelcoat. This one took a while..other projects got in the way, but i finally got it back in the water last month. Hung a 1991 2.5 200 Mariner with a nose cone and a 26" chopper and a Rapid Jack 6 in. plate. needs a few more finishing touches.. jeff

08-05-09, 06:31 AM	#2
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	WOW!!!! man good find. Guess you can tell from my sig that I to have a Laser. LOL in fact the same color. Man they produced alot of those lasers with the same color scheme. I know of 7 right now that are still in the water same color....just different lengths. Thanks for the pics now ya gotta let the folks know HOW DO SHE RUN???? I have a purdy good idea but enlighhten us. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

08-06-09, 07:00 AM	#8
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Yeah Ole Summerford has built some mighty fast and fine boats fer sure. I just cant imagine what he is doing building da boats he is now........talk about a 180 degree turnaround. Anyways I have several several pics of Lasers when I get some more time I will post em up. Glad you told abbysdad bout the weight thing. Alot of times I ferget to post that up. I am setting or helping setup a 19ftr as we speak. Just waiting on him to get me some more numbers. Yeah abby....the faster the boat the more you gotta play wif da weight and WHERE to put it. On the Laser I am working on right now weight is gonna BE VERY CRUCIAL. I gotta 16ftr that am putting some serious ponies on. After I yanked the cap I kinda redesigned the bilge area with the help of ole TREX. It oughta be a fun ride especially when I run by a 20' Skeeter like he was on da trailer.....Gotta LUV IT!!!!! __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

08-06-09, 01:29 PM	#13
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	Okay, but 'dad' says lets be careful out there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEET...layer_embedded Seems to me this fella barely had control in the other runs before he hit the other boats wake. Dern lucky he's around to talk about his foolishness. Footnote: btw, gotta wonder with another boat right there filming him, how it is they mention he was in the water 10 minutes and the vest/lanyard saved his life.... *Gee, if you're ever filming someone and things go wrong, put the dern camera down and help the guy!* Last edited by Abbeysdad; 08-06-09 at 01:35 PM.

08-06-09, 04:44 PM	#16
MississippiBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ridgeland MS Posts: 3,923	I ALWAYS have the kill switch attached to me somehow. I don't care if I'm just idling 50 yards from one side of the river to the other, if the big motor's on, I've got the lanyard on. By the way, the guy in that video was about 5 minutes from my house when that happened. That's what you get when you drive beyond your abilities. __________________ I smell smoke, and I hear sirens. Do you think that's a problem?

08-05-09, 10:34 AM	#3
geeforcem BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 16	hey 1fast...yup i knew you would like it. I've seen you post on Scream and Fly and ByuBoyz. In fact a long time ago i think i messaged you about one of your Lasers. I've only had time to take it out for a couple of hours... just trying to get acquainted with the hull. The boat comes out of the hole quick and sets up nice. You can feel the boat get up on the pad and hold very well. I ran it up to 6000rpms and still had 3/4 throttle left with the 26" chopper. No speedo yet.. getting a gps soon. I have the engine set with the point of the nose cone even with the pad. Runs excellent at neutral trim. I'll be going out soon again and will keep updates! Yes.. you are right. I have seen quite a few of this color combo. THese old Lasers are great hulls. If you look at the old Hydra-Sport 168/178vee's, the hulls are almost identical with a few change... Summerford worked with Hydra Sports in the early days before the start up of Laser. I have found another... may try to pick it. I also have an LTV comp boat and a 160v ski boat. THe LTV has a 2.0 Merc and the 16' has a 115 inline (soon to be 2.0 V6!!) Do you or anyone else on here have some pics of your Lasers on here? I always love to see more! Jeff

08-05-09, 03:31 PM	#4
geeforcem BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 16	haha..correction.... ...at 6000rpm, it still had a quarter throttle left... it will probably turn this prop 7000+ jeff

08-05-09, 03:58 PM	#5
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	what keeps it on the water?

08-05-09, 04:58 PM	#7
geeforcem BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 16	if you look carefully at this pic..you can see the steering wheel and seat positioning is closer to the center than most boats, yet it is still a side seater... all the deck/storage lids were made of aluminum..much lighter than the comparable fiberglass lids... along with the kevlar, this makes the boat pretty lightweight for it's size. It's a 17 footer. Also, if you look at the transom near the pad, there was more setback built into the hull than most of the boats at the time... along with a 24" transom height vs. 20-22" for the typical bassboat. There are also some little tricks in on the bottom that Summerford put in. All this makes for a pretty fast hull...even by today's standards. Back in '79-81, My uncle had a hydra-sports 178vee... very similar hull to this Laser. He ran a '79 merc 200 and then an '82 Merc 200... engine raise 2 in. off the transom and with the very same 26" chopper i am using now. That boat was also kevlar reinforced but was a true 18 footer. Back then he could get about 74mph turning 6200rpm. With todays setups and props, i think i'll be up in the 80's somewhere... jeff

08-06-09, 08:48 AM	#9
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	I guess I don't understand 'the need for speed' in a fishing boat - perhaps like the old Indian that just wants good food, a warm fire and a smoke now and then, I'm coming to a point where I just want time to slow down some so I can enjoy the moments. It seems like some of you fellas got an awful big motor pushing a small boat way fast across the water. The fish will still be there if you get there 5 minutes later! Oh okay, I guess in a tournament there's a race to the best fishin hole, but I think it's about the catch, not the rooster tail that gets there! ....Just sayin (but don't listen to me...so far I haven't been much of a threat to any fishes around here! Like the woodchuck that raids my garden, they just laugh at me!) Now them there hydroplane boats....wow, unless they catch air and launch skyward.

08-06-09, 11:43 PM	#18
geeforcem BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 16	Always respect the speed and water... I always wear life jackets and kill switches and will only open it up when conditions are safe and no boat traffic around. I build race cars for a living and race myself too. At our shop, safety is NUMBER 1 priority

08-07-09, 07:56 PM	#21
geeforcem BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 16	Hey Ally... sweet boat for sure! I've seen your pics on S&F... I've been looking for that same cowling for mine to make it 'period correct'! Those newer 2500's are also on my list future boats to have! jeff

08-07-09, 10:04 PM	#22
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Hehe...sweet lookin old Merc there. I remember my jerk stepdad used to moan and groan about Mercs like that way back when..."yeah, they're popular, but they stop making parts for them after a few years...."..."Johnson is a much better motor..." etc. On and on and on.... I'm pretty sure they all make good motors, but I'm sure it would tick him off to know I drive a Mercury. __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

08-07-09, 10:35 PM	#24
CMorg BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Southern , IN Posts: 1,832	The boater , not you.

08-08-09, 07:39 AM	#25
ally260 BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ft. Worth, Tx Posts: 97	Jeff, I've got a '79 thats completly torn apart waitin' on me ta start on. I like tha inside on it better than tha '85 (steering, rod locker) for makin' more of a hot rod than a fishin' boat. One thing ya might wanna look at on yours is tha way tha livewell opens. A little ruff water and any kinda speed it will get ya wet in a hurry if its got water in it. I might turn tha formula cowl loose in tha near future if your interested. Always glad ta see someone keepin' tha ole' Lasers on tha water. Good job...............T Just a note. Get ya a GOOD gearcase soon................... Last edited by ally260; 08-08-09 at 07:49 AM.

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