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38 Commander Engine Options

Greetings all! I’m new to the group and not a current owner but considering a 1965 38 Commander that’s well known in my area and would need a full refit and new power. It’s currently on the second set of engines in its lifetime which look to be early 80s 454s. I see mention of 454 / 7.4 engines here but in another forum someone made a comment about “many people having done the 454 swap and not being happy with the result”. Can folks comment on this and if there’s a typical go-to for a re-power?

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James Frens
22 نوفمبر 2025

My ‘67 38 Sedan has 90’s era Crusader 454s, carbureted. They run great and push the boat to 30 mph. But fuel consumption is excessive. If I were repowering with a view to long term ownership and long range cruising, I’d go to Nanni or Yanmar diesel.

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