Rihacek Brothers Heading To Shootout With Big-Power Fountain 27
The owner of Fountain Powerboats 27 Fever V-bottom, John Rihacek and his brother, Steve, had hoped to be in the mix this week at Big Thunder Marine’s sixth annual Baja, Fountain and Donzi Fun Run. The brand-specific happening on the Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri is among the duo’s favorite events. But they won’t make it this year as they are prepping the 1995-model-year sportboat called Saturday Night Fever for competition in the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in late August.
Steve Rihacek made significant power moves in his 27-foot Fountain for this year’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos
“Unfortunately we won’t have Saturday Night Fever ready for the BFD run, but she’ll definitely be at the Shootout,” said Steve Rihacek. “We’re going for 100-plus-mph, baby. But safety is still our No. 1 goal.”
To prepare for the top-speed event, John Rihacek has been having the boat’s 548-cubic-inch engine upgraded by Ateco Engine and Dyno Shop of Ingleside, Ill. What began as “top-end refreshment” has not surprisingly morphed into a bigger project. Engine displacement is now 555 cubic inches. Enhancements include new CNC-ported cylinder heads, custom 9.12-1 RaceTec pistons, a rebuilt/ported 3.3-liter Whipple supercharger and a Dominator 1350 carburetor.
The upgrades for the Saturday Night Fever sportboat’s engines were extensive.
“At this point, nobody will be able to match the 1400 hp we’re stuffing into this thing,” John Rihacek said, then chuckled. “’Technically’ speaking, we struck true to our word. The entire top-end of the engine is fresh; the crank, rods and block are the same.
“We’re closing the cooling system to the intercooler for the blower and will be feeding it with specifically regulated coolant to keep us in the optimum range of proper density and atomization,” he added. “We’ve also re-addressed key features of the boat and hull that we feel weren’t being optimized enough. We hope these changes will bring this little furious Fountain to untouchable territory.”
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