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Dave98
01-12-2003, 02:55 PM
When I first started reading this board, I remember some discussion about a connection between Donzi and Cobalt.

Today I went to visit my boat in storage. While there, I found an old Cobalt and took some pictures. Here they are:
http://www.donzi.net/photos/dfarrington09.jpg
and http://www.donzi.net/photos/dfarrington10.jpgand another http://www.donzi.net/photos/dfarrington11.jpg
Sorry for the photos. It was very dark.

The interior was completely gone. It looked like the dash and gauges were intact. There was no obvious fiberglass damage with just a brief inspection. Would this boat be worth looking into?

Thanks,

Dave

harbormaster
01-12-2003, 03:34 PM
Ahhhh. Its a vdrive. That would be a cool boat to have.

riverrat
01-12-2003, 05:49 PM
don't know the yr. model. but I'm with Scot it would be a cool boat to have. I think alot of boat companys got the molds for Dozi's in one way or another. it's not a Donzi but it's got to be rare..
2cents :D
the rat..

Magic Float
01-12-2003, 06:09 PM
Cobalt didn't get a Donzi mold, they popped one. IMHO that's not a cool boat, about as cool as a Python. There is a difference. A Donzi is a Donzi, a pop is a pop,nothing more, nothing less.

Greg Maier
01-12-2003, 06:50 PM
What does popping a mold mean? I would imagine that they take an original Donzi and make a mold of its hull, then use that mold to produce their hulls. Is that correct? :confused:

Magic Float
01-12-2003, 07:28 PM
That's correct, Greg, also called "splashing". Easy and cheap to get a hull and deck mold from someone else's blood,sweat,and tears. That's what Cobalt,Python,4 Winns and others did. Been going on in our industry for 40 years. The most copied designs were Glastrons,everything they did was original.All of Don Aronow's stuff is still being copied today.Laws have recently changed but still hard to win a splash case. Best thing to do is buy the real thing.

Tony
01-12-2003, 09:33 PM
Craig Zimmerman is the Cobalt expert, he even put together a web site detailing which models corresponded to the Donzi equivalent. They copied the 16, 18, and Corsican. A friend of mine has a '72 Cobalt "Corsican" model, and it is very well built. Holman-Moody, Volvo...and still going strong 30 years later.

Craig
01-27-2003, 12:34 PM
Didn't see this post before. That IS a Cool Boat. It used to belong to a Wayne Siegert. Has a 351W with the V-drive. Talked to Wayne a little a couple years ago, but didn't keep in touch. Do you know who owns it now? Still Waynes?

Dave98
01-28-2003, 07:38 PM
Sorry for the fat avatar. I will work on it tonight.

I do not know who owns the boat now. It is sitting in an old chevy factory that is now used as storage. I will ask around next time I am down there. How did you know the history of this boat?

Dave

Sagbay32
01-28-2003, 09:10 PM
Better check the info you have on Four Winns......they didn't "splash", they were given the hull in the OMC years. The U boats were going to be the next generation classics. aka Donzi cousins.

Mike

Cuda
01-28-2003, 09:12 PM
Is this a Criterion splash?

http://www.donzi.net/photos/jgriffcobalt.jpg

Craig
01-29-2003, 12:53 PM
Dave,

Just hooked up with the past (or possibly still current) owner by searching around on the internet. I think it was probably through this site.

Appreciate any ID of current owner.

I'd like to keep in touch with the owners of these boats. I only know of a handful of actual boats. 2 GT-500's (Corsican copies) (w/ HM Volvo 270's) and 4 XV-200's (Sweet 16 copies) (2 w/ HM Volvo 270's and 2 V-drives - this boat is one of the 2 V-drives).

Cuda,

I doubt it. That is a much more recent Cobalt (like later 80's). I think they got out of the Donzi copying biz pretty quickly after those few early models and all the "hubbub".

Don't have my Cobalt history info. with me but the pic looks like what Cobalt called a "Condurre." Not positive.

mphatc
01-29-2003, 06:50 PM
That is not a splash or a pop of a Donzi. My father had one of those, absolutely a terrible boat in any kind of waves . . rough ride uncomfortable seating . . fwiw . . my 2 cents worth

Mario L.