To hear Scott Price talk about it, there is going to be a new generation of boaters looking to update models that are only a few years old. As a co-owner of CP Performance in California with Mike Mays, he's starting to see the trend taking hold.

"I think we're going to see a group of guys who are buying used boats, and they're going to want more power or to maybe replace the old controls," Price said. "I believe you're going to see more of that."

That's why we've partnered with CP Performance for a series of tech/install stories on a new Eliminator 27 Daytona (see Page 57). Although the work was done on a new boat, the application can apply to most used catamarans and V-bottoms on the market.

And unlike many tech installs you've seen in this magazine, we're going to take it a step further and carry it over to our Web site www.powerboatmag.com. Because space is inherently limited in a print publication, we tend to highlight the key points in tech stories rather than going on for pages and pages with small, boring photographs.

Thanks to the Internet, space is no longer an issue. The Web allows us to provide more photographs—and larger ones, too—along with more detailed installation instructions. We also plan to offer quick installs that you'll only find exclusively on the Powerboat Web site.

While I realize that most of you aren't going to undertake a drive installation like the one featured in this issue, it's going to give you the basic knowledge of how it's done. But maybe in the coming months, whether it's a story on installing new gauges or replacing old battery boxes, perhaps one project will strike you as a fun weekend task.

That's where Price and company come in for the Daytona buildup story. Having worked on boats since he was a teenager, Price says boaters with some basic mechanical skills can upgrade their boats.

"My objective is to show that it's really not that difficult," he said. "I want people to realize they can do it themselves and have the custom boat they've wanted."

To find parts for the catamaran, Price turned to the company's 300-page catalog. But don't assume the products installed in the coming issues will just be stuff built by CP Performance or its sister company Hardin Marine. Price went to manufacturers such as IMCO Marine for a gimble assembly and Livorsi Marine for gauges. When it came to items like the throttle and shifter, they went in-house.

"We looked for products that were best for the application," Price said.

The 27-foot Daytona delivered to the company's Rohnert Park, Calif., facility was simply a hull with a completed interior. About the only additional work that Price had Eliminator do was cut a hole in the transom for the drive.

When the project is completed, Price estimates the boat will run about 120 mph. They plan to campaign the completed boat at several poker runs this year.

Asked why they picked a single-engine boat for the project, Price went back to the affordability issue. He noted that the 27 Daytona is one of Eliminator's more popular models.

"It really seems to be the ultimate hot rod on the water before you step up to a larger boat," Price said. "It's still a do-it-yourself boat for most people."

Hopefully what you see in the coming months will inspire you to get out the wrench and tackle that improvement project on your boat. With spring well underway, there's no better time.—Gregg Mansfield