200Hp for sure. I had a 150 merc on mine and it did 60 tops with a 6" setback plate on it. I hated the way it handeled & it seamed like I was allways at full throttle just to keep it on plane. Switched over to a 2.4 and it made a huge difference. Woke the boat up.

You will need a 20" shaft 25" is way too long.

As far as brands I have no preference but I do run mercury's now. A merk will be a little cheaper if you plan on doing any modifications in the future.

What length of motor do I need? 20" or 25"?

Im kind of an OMC guy myself but they both make great motors.

is 1 motor any better than another? what should I stay away from? I want to stay with oil injection for sure.

At least a 200

welcome to the forum, Paul.

A 150 should get you to 60 with a jack plate and a little set up. A 200 will run 60-65 bolted to the transom with a 25 pitch prop easy.

I bought my 91 xt vegas with a fresh 86 200 mercury bolted to the transom and a 25 pitch high five prop. It would come out of the hole like a rocket and run right about 65.

I think you will want more speed than 60 fairly soon. These xt hulls handle great once you get the hang of them and get up on the pad at about 65, from that point they rilly take off. If you go with a 200 it's a great building block for more in the future, and with set up it will run into the 80's.

Keep us posted and let's see some pictures.

Put a 200 or a 225 on it and with the right prop/setback/motor height you should see much more than 60 easily.

Due to money issues I can only afford to run the 175 Rude on my Vulture this year and maybe next but I should do better than 60 with it. I do plan on a 300 rude someday if I can find one for the right price.

Maybe Chet will chime in with his set up as he has a Vegas XT that does very well.

And welcome to the board.

I bought a bare hull and looking for advice on what to power it with . Speeds up to 60 mph would be perfect. A good hole shot for skiing is also necessary.
Thanks,Paul.