I may purchase a 1999 Bell wildfire in whitegold layup. I like the durability of the layup. What is the weight of the boat with wood trim.? How about the blackgold weights with same trim. Charlie are you out there? Any help is appreciated.
Bob
WildFire weight
I owned one for eleven years and never weighed it without stuff attached to it (useless, I know). I estimate 35 pounds even though that’s a little under spec weight, I believe. Everybody who lifted it was surprised at how light it was, for a boat with wood rails and a layer of glass. I had an early model with glued-in foam blocks for flotation. I think a 1999 model will have tanks and will be a little heavier.
Wonderful boat.
– Mark
Great boat
Mine was WhiteGold and weighed 42 pounds with wood rails, built in flotation chambers, and wood decks with cane seat. Very responsive canoe, great fun to paddle.
2002 Wildfire weights/prices…
– Last Updated: Feb-07-08 3:17 PM EST –
From Bell 2002 catalog:
Royalex w/ vinyl trim: 44 lb. $900.00
Whitegold w/alum.trim: 39 lb. $1,395.00
KevCrystal w/alum.trim: 33 lb. $1,595.00
Blackgold w/alum, trim: 35 lb. $1,895.00
BOB
Thanks
its a big help.
Bob
Wild in W/G
Bells’ WG laminate was a good one. The FG outer served as a good compression layer with a full Kev interior. The sole issue is the core mat footbal, which flattened the hull a little.
Bells’ WG is/was, discontinued this year, is a rugged layup.
Surely, the B/G was a better laminate, but replacing ~$8/yd FG with ~$50/yd Carbon, and installing a Carbon/Kev football, will cause price to soar as weights drop and ruggedness increases.
Charlie
You mentioned the WG hull as being slightly flattened as a result of the coremat. Any performance differences between the two layups?
White verse Black [Gold]
Sure, the B/G hull is a little rounder on bottom; a little more responsive, a little faster.