outboard donzi baby

[zeeksta]

i have a 1972 16 foot outboard donzi is it a baby?
it is immaculate! is it rare?maybe someone can tell me some more about it
thanks
zeek

[RPD]

Is it a "baby donzi"... I don't know. Is it an "OB Baby"... apparently so, see the old brochures available on this site.... Is it rare... I don't know how rare, but, compared to the 16 Ski-sporter/sweet 16 it sure is... I saw one in a brochure in 1976 and never saw another until I bought mine in (about) 1990.... since then I have seen only one other in person, briefly, and this place is crawling with donzi's.. it would be nice to know how many were made.

What kind of power does yours have?

[RPD]

PS: There apparently have been some conversions.... so always check to see if it is a factory outboard...

[zeeksta]

it is not a conversion, im going to put my 200 johnson on it...it should go...

[GEOO]

zeeksta,
Where in CT. I live in Fairfield?? I always wanted a 16 OB. Great boat. GEOO

[zeeksta]

im in deep river
on the ct river...
do you know how many they made
are you still looking for one?
i know where there might be one in darien

[RPD]

Yes it should... be carefull.... Mine (a '76) originally had a 200 or 235 on it, but that was the old rating system, at the powerhead... I now have a 150 and it runs great, I feel it could have handled a 175.. My concern was weight on the transom. Previously, I had a 140 Evinrude (363 lbs) and went to a Yamaha 150 Vmax (444 lbs)... It handled it fine, but I only have inches of freeboard at the transom and would be concerned about adding more weight. The 175 Vmax this past year was an HPDI which weighed 468 lbs. I think the Evinrude/Johnson FICHT's are lighter, but I thought the motor was too narrow for the motor well and would be UGLY (even though I've always been an OMC fan) and an ugly boat is like an ugly woman, who wants it ... anyway OMC was in bankruptcy at the time I repowered. Also, I closed up the hole in the motor well where the cables, etc, came out, because it was too close to the transom and even with the 140 would take on water when drifting in a chop. I moved the cable exit to the forward bulkhead of the motor well and enclosed them in a conduit as is common practice on newer OB boats. It looks great, makes it look more modern, and allayed my fears of swamping if the motor died in the bay.

[zeeksta]

my 200 is a 79 so it only makes about 160 horsies
but im sure it will push her along nicely...

[RPD]

If I remember correctly, that motor is only about 385 or 390 lbs so you should be fine weight wise. And I think it's the same block mine originally had.

[zeeksta]

382 lbs... i weighed it!!! hows that for anal?
solid mounts low water pick up nose cone torque tab jack plate relieved exhaust...it runs great...
i hope this donzi hook doesnt haunt me too bad

[RPD]

Forget the hook... it's mostly out of the water at WOT unless you trim the motor way up to lift the bow too much... (See the discussion on 16 vs 18 hulls).... lift the bow, but not too much, then put plenty of power behind it... a current 175 wouldn't be too much, nor should your 200.

[zeeksta]

so if i stay out of the trim i should go faster?
that is new to me! my sutphen needed the trim to go

[RPD]

The hook is only between the outer strake and the chine. At speed this is virtually out of the water, but if you trim the motor way out it will tend to push the stern down and put the hook in the water.

My experience is that if I trim it all the way out it gets real hairy and I gain only a little bit of speed (1-2 mph) over mid-level trim... I found the same thing with my 140, only at a slightly lower speed.... So it seems to me that to go fast, and be able to hold it for more than a minute or two, top end horsepower is more effective.

So far, I'm not on my final prop, as I currently overrev the engine with a 21" pitch. I think I'll go to a 23" and try again, but I don't think it will change trim effect.

[zeeksta]

ive got a 23 and a 25 designed to run jacked up
with a jack plate... i hope they are in the right range...

[RPD]

I suspect that it will turn the 25 with the jackplate.... and, by the way, the jackplate will probably be the most effective $$$$ you've spent.

[zeeksta]

that jack plate is amazing what a difference!!!!

[zeeksta]

if anyone else knows about these boats, let me know

[John Benkoczy]

I recently resored a 16 OB. 1997 rebuilt 175 Johnson runs 54 mph WOT with 2 people on board -1/2 tank of gas - with trim balance between the tabs and the lowere units it runs solid as a rock

http://donzi.net/photos/Donziboat-2Ahttp://donzi.net/photos/Donziboat-3http://donsi.net/photos/Donziboat-4

[John Benkoczy]

http://donzi.net/photos/Donziboat-2A.jpg

[John Benkoczy]

http://donzi.net/photos/Donziboat-3.jpg

[zeeksta]

what a beauty!!! you just inspired me to start rigging my boat soon!!!! i just bouht it 3 days ago. what do you have for a prop on her?

[RPD]

John Benkoczy, your boat is beautiful!!! As soon as I get a chance to photo mine I'll post it also. I replaced the gas tank, which was in pretty good shape, but at 25 yrs I thought should be checked, and once the deck is off... might as well replace it. I rerouted my control cables just as you have done though they enter the motor on the starboard side. Mine runs 55 trimmed down and 57 trimmed up on the Yamaha integrated speedo. I haven't checked it by gps yet, because I need to increase my prop pitch as I'm overreving the engine. I don't have trim tabs but have wondered if they would have much effect in reducing chine walk without reducing speed. I don't find the chine walk much of a problem except when fully trimmed out. Do you know the weight of your motor? Mine lists at 444 lbs.

Zeeksta... go for it!! You won't be sorry.

[GEOO]

John,
Clean!!! I love those little outboards!!! Nice Ride. GEOO

[RPD]

Yes it is.... the Bass motors have a 20" shaft while there were no short shafts available on the saltwater series at the time I got mine... they even have one with a 17.5 inch shaft and dual propellers which would probably work well and be very interesting.... The bass-boat guys do like to run so I figured the motor would be strong at the top end, and I haven't been disappointed.

[smoothie]

Looks Great! right down to the emblems on the sides. wink.gif

[zeeksta]

john wht year is your boat...it is perfect... hat didyou have to do to it? where did u get the interior?

[RPD]

Are you saying the motor develops more than 150 hp? Or less? They specify the rpms as 5000-5500 but now I'll have to go back and see if it says that the 150 hp is at that rpm or if it just says that is the operating range. Actually, the 150 is the lowest output in the bass series, with a 175, 200 and 225 I think, so I guess they no longer limit them to 150??? I really don't know much about bass boats, the only fresh water I've ever seen was in the bath tub.

[BigGrizzly]

According toy stuff the USCG rating on that boat is 135 HP. so be carefull with the inspections of the local gendarmes.

Randy

[RPD]

Thanks for the input on the Vmax, it has made me feel better about the choice. I was very apprehensive about using a bass motor... for one, I was concerned about the anticorrosion, but personally I felt it was probably mostly marketing because it's likely cheaper to give them all the same treatment than to set up a separate production line.. anyway, I always flush it and decided to take my chances. Then I was worried about the "stigma" of a freshwater motor, especially one with a cowling inspired by motocross bikes.... in the end, I decided the scoop on the cowling just brought the OB Baby in line with the current crop of garish performance boats while the hull maintained some dignity. The best of both worlds.

[John Benkoczy]

boat is a '73 - pulled the deck and replaced the fuel tank (Florida Marine Tanks), new wiring and guages (Gaffrig II), removed and rechromed all the hardware, new Bilt Rite interior and marine carpet from R&R. Lenco tabs (seem to work OK). AwlGrip stripe and sides - the rest is originial gelcoat refinished with NuGlass (after wet sanding) Still playing with the prop - 17 inch right now - will try 19 inch next. The Sarasota owners rally was the maiden cruise so I'm still tuning uphttp://www.donzi.net/photos/SarasotaDonzi.jpg

[zeeksta]

i went out in my new boat today!!! in the ct river this afternoon. it was great! the old 200 pushed us along, but the 23 prop isnt enough
going 25...boat is solid and beatiful going to post pictues of my baby does bilt right have a web site? mt drivers seat is a piece of $#@*&
i would like a nice new one to match my new benches... let me know

[RPD]

GREAT PICTURE!!! My wife says that must be a mannequin in the boat and can't be a woman, .... Ever since I got airborne with her aboard, she's convinced that women shouldn't ride in Donzi's. She told me to slow down that day but I told her I couldn't be seen crossing the bay slowly in a Donzi! Anyway, we're still married but I now own an additional boat.

[Cuda]

Wow, sweet ride John! I have never liked the looks of a performance boat with an outboard until today. smile.gif Hope to see it out on the water around here sometime later this year. Bet it isn't hard to pick out of a crowded marina! biggrin.gif

[RPD]

Looks like you did basically the same restoration I did on my '76 except mine was white so we only awlgripped the stripes and buffed the gelcoat elsewhere. Also, I haven't done the interior yet, can't bring myself to do it yet as it is still original with only one small tear that I, myself, put in it. I put white treadmaster on the cockpit sole rather than carpet, I like it better because it doesn't hold water and it looks good but the white is hard to keep clean.... my questions: (1) what do the trim tabs do for you? When you trim them completly up out of the way, how does it handle differently? and (2) Do the people that did your seat cushions specialize in donzi's? We have good canvas & upholstery people here, so unless they have special experience with those curved cushions I might as well do it at home.