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Kunkel's Marine!!!

diesel30

diesel30

Member
Well, I picked up the big girl on Thursday after talking a bit with Jason about doing some pretty big upgrades. Converted her to full hydraulic steering from helm back, complete exhaust change from factory to Stainless Marine manifolds and risers, mechanical indicators and a few other little stuff. All I can say is WOW. The quality of work, the communication during the process and honest opinions on future upgrades were absolutely first class. Next time I need anything done this is the first place I'm going to. It's nice that there is still very good quality honest boat shops still out there considering the amount of bad ones. Probably a big reason why they have been in business for so long. If anyone is looking to do some upgrades and want some high quality work I'd highly suggest looking them up no matter how far away you are from them. It will be worth every penny. Lucky for me they're an hour north of me! Thanks again Jason for the great work!! :banana::banana::cheers:

- Jim
 
I love hearing of great places to get work done. I've been working with a great place as well, mdoffshore.com. Cheap they are not but high quality they are.
 
Kunkels did my Dad's boat and hadleycat is right, they are truly class acts and do amazing work!!! Jason has also been a wealth of information and part selection for my LS project. If I have the extra money when the motor is done, I will consider having them do the install and rigging.
 
They are the real deal.
When I sold Mates back in the day, Checkmate included a separate "Performance Report" w/our catalog and price lists.
It showed speed/performance on all their models. Those numbers came from the Kunkels.

They probably know more about set up/HP VS performance on each model than anyone on the planet.

Harold used to order one of every new model, box stock, then pull the motor and install one of his mules to see what they'd do.
I remember the key take away in that discussion was the level of torque his mules made. Not the HP's ;)

I remember one of my last visits, they had just become an Eliminator dealer and had one there. A 25' I think, w/big power.
When I quizzed Harold about how it ran, he said high 90's (as I recall) then chuckled and said it was only 10 shy of the same power in a 26' Convincor :)

I sold marine supplies before moving to Fla 9 yrs ago and I used to call on their shop. Don't think I ever sold them a thing but it was my favorite stop and they probably saw me more than they cared to :)
 
They have a famous video from back in their O/B days.

Harold was famous back then for making the OMC V-8 O/B's run like they should have.

He had a trick (275 heads on a 300??) that I don't remember that really brought them to life.

He was a Concord dealer at the time (mid/late 80's) and this was when the 24' Skater was just getting popular but Merc only had the 2.4's then and there way more 80 MPH Skaters than 90 MPH Skaters and probably nothing outside of a full race rig that was any faster.
(I outran one w/2.4's w/my first Sonic)

Their was local legend that he had a 22' Concord vee bottom ski boat w/a V-8 that out ran a Skater.

I brought that up w/Harold on one of my visits there and don't you know he pulled out an old VHS tape, popped it in a machine and showed it to me.
He raced the Skater 3 times and beat him two and only lost the third one due to getting out of control and having to lift!

Now that was cool.
How many of us would have lost money on that race?? (my hand is up)

Story #2.

I came very close to buying a 25' and then a 26' Convincor off of him.
One time when I was there drooling on a Convincor, he had a 27' Fountain that he took on trade parked right beside it.
Said he was keeping it as a sales aid to educate people on Mates famous mold/glass work. You could stand in/beside either boat and see a DRASTIC difference between the two!
The Fountain wasn't even close.

Wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it.
 
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