The OMC v4s are high torque, rugged motors and in my experience, propped right, can get on speaking terms with 4700-5000 rpm without any performance mods.. I have a 135 Evinrude on a 22′ pontoon boat….you can ski behind it with half a dozen people on board. My brother has a 100 Johnson on a 15′ glastron and it regularly becomes airborne of the tops of waves. Growing up, my neighbor had a 17′ Thompson much like the one you are contemplating. My buddy & used it to drag a downed 2-seat helicopted out of the lake.
I’ve noticed 2 trends in those I’ve owned and others I’ve had the pleasure to work on. 1) On older models it’s a bear to dial in both carbs for max performance. Be ready to spend some time with a tach and speedo doing it. and 2) the ring top ring lands on some original pistons were too thin. Timing too advanced or inferior fuel causing pre-detonation would beat the top of the piston and erode the top ring lands, following which the top rings would disintegrate.The above mentioned 100 Johnson fell prey to that… to clean up the battered cylinder walls, we bored it out 30 and put in new sturdier pistons with thicker ring lands.
