Hello all. We picked up what turned out to be a very interesting orphan. She's a beauty for her age, and we'd like to know everything about her. Shes an 84 VL75 with an unusual serial number, 1XB11. Can anyone tell us more about it... like why no info on searches, no listing on NADA for anything smaller than a VL90??? Thanks so much.
We fell for her in a heartbeat, but she needs TLC. She has all the amenities we were looking for in a small bass boat for the smaller reservoirs local to us, and is our summer project. Any info from hydra aficionados would be greatly appreciated.
Wow, trying not to lose hope, because some great guys on THT sent us here with encouraging words, and there've been a few VL-80 owners here, but perhaps too long ago. A bunch of views but no responses. Guess the right hydra guy just hasn't seen it yet.
Things we have gleaned - the VL-75, -80, and -90 are all the same 15.33 foot mold with differences in how much horsepower the different transoms could handle. And ours seems to be the only VL-75 out there. Or that has survived this long. She weighs in at about 650lbs, and could be the lightest fully equipped bass boat Hydra-Sports ever made, or at least lightest made in the early 80s. Her hull design was the first of the vee locks, which touted less porpoising on the low end over the pad vee design, and became the standard for the entire line in '85. But our boat is an '84, and with the exception of a very few VL-80s and VL-90s, the rest of the '84 lineup were all old style pad vee design.
We are really hoping ours isn't the only VL-75 out there, but at this point she's sure feeling alone.
I have 3 old HydraSports sales brochures,an 88,89,and a 92.The.VL series had been dropped before 88.The.closest boats are the Xseries,IMG_20200328_212723212.jpg
"with the exception of a very few VL-80s and VL-90s, the rest of the '84 lineup were all old style pad vee design."
This information is inaccurate. I had an '84 VL-475 which had the "Vee-Lock" hull, (as the VL indicates), in a 17.5ft. 150hp rated package.
That's a cool little boat, enjoy it!
Kevin
2009 Champion 183CX
My brother has that same boat. Vl 75. Has a 90 mariner on it. It’s not on the original trailer any longer but it’s in great shape. I will tell him to take a look at your pics
Reminiscing here...BASSmaster magazine had a page showing Ray Scott displaying a 15 ft boat with a 90 Merc that clearly had Hydra Sport "lines" but sold under some B.A.S.S. affiliated name. Only came in gunmetal mf with white and orange trim.
Thanks guys. Kenny's is rewired now, new stator, cleaned up nice. Will have to take better pics next time out with him. We fell in love and will always be in love with that lil hydra. It's perfect size for him to get into the coves he likes, easy to pull with his Colorado, easy to park in its bay. Just such a way cool junior fully functional and sparkly bass boat. He can't help but grin every time he sees it. And the kids gettin to be a wicked good angler.
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