Results 1 to 3 of 3
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
    Posts
    2

    What was factory jack plate size?

    I have a 96 Coral 202 that came with A 200 Johnson. From my understanding most boats came from the factory with a jack plate. I’m looking to add one. Would preferably not want to lengthen shift, steering and throttle cables. Am I safe to jump straight to an 8 inch or would 6 be pushing it with factory length cables? Thank you.

  2. Member Tx 201's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Abilene, Texas
    Posts
    3,001
    #2
    I think in '96 they were 6" JPs. That is what came on my brother's 96 201. My 2000 201 came with an 8" JP and then later years 10" and occasional 12" plates were attached. I think they thought a bigger JP would put too much stress on the transom in the early years, but then realized how strong the transom was and began to see much better performance numbers moving the motor further away from the transom. There was a guy on here that experimented quite a bit with JPs on a Cobra and found that the 12" JP gave the best overall performance as it moved the motor far enough away from the boat to get in the sweet spot. Since it is my understanding the 201 Cobra and the 202 Coral share the same hull, I think the above would apply. If you are going to install a JP, might as well use one that gives you the best numbers. For years I have played around with the idea of putting a 12" on my boat. Kids in college ate up the extra money for the boat, and now that I am done with paying for all the colleges and can put some money into the boat, I found a deal on a 2016 Triton I just couldn't pass up. So I will never know the full potential for my Cobra. 12" plate and a 250 Pro XS was my plan, but now I am in the process of selling the Cobra.

    All of the above is from memory, I am sure someone will come along shortly to either confirm or correct. I understand about the cables, but that is a small cost to get the most out of your boat if you are going to the trouble of adding a JP. Good Luck!!!!

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    California
    Posts
    141
    #3
    I'm pretty sure the jack plate they put on depended upon the motor. I remember the dealer I got my 98 Coral 201 from going round and round over this stuff with the factory. In the end it was decided that a reinforced transom and 10" jack plate would be best for the Mercury Promax 300 on mine. In fact, the structure is so strong, my coast guard plate says "unlimited" for the max hp motor! And, that 10" jack plate really seems like a good combination because it's so fast, it scares the crap out of you!
    1998 Viper Coral 201
    1998 Mercury Promax 300
    Sportmaster lower-end