I have a 1976 Hallett Bubble Deck. They are great boats, but they are heavy as hell. I have talked to some good family friends that work at Hallett now and worked there when our boats were built, so they were able to speak first hand about the construction of the boat- they will testify that it is a good hull but it was built thick.
That being said, they can run, and they can run well, but it takes power. Not just bolt on crap but real power and you need to have the right set up (pump and hardware wise). From what I can tell thus far, you will need more than 500 HP to get into the 70's with this hull. You will also need to have a nicely built pump, a droop may or may not be necessary depending on your pump location. I would consult an expert on that stuff. I know Jack Mclure of MPD in Costa Mesa is very familiar with this particular boat- he's taken a good chuck of my money thus far and I could certainly spend more.
If you want to take this hull into the 80's you are going to need more than 550-600 HP and pump work for sure. And the list goes on and on from there, it's all about how much money you want to spend.
If you are able, I would highly suggest going to the Tom Papp Memorial event at Lake Elsinore next month, there are two guys that have Hallett Bubbledecks that run them well into the high 80's and mid 90's, they are nice guys that will let you peak your head in and around their boats to see what their set ups are.
So, to answer your question directly, YES, they are good boats but they're heavy. With the right amount of power and the right pump set up they will run. And, best of all, it's a Hallett, they will hold their value better than most 60's and 70's boats.
Feel free to PM me with questions.
