View Full Version : Ebay 18 V drive
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31270&item=2415119131
Greg Maier
05-13-2003, 02:11 PM
That is the one that I posted about a few weeks ago on Kent Island, MD.
flametamer
05-13-2003, 04:02 PM
Has anyone looked at this boat or any history, if so email me at JHarran@aol.com I am very interested in this boat
Dredgeking
05-13-2003, 04:20 PM
i like the idea of a V drive. are there any downsides?
TuxedoPk
05-13-2003, 04:39 PM
Speed
TuxedoPk
05-13-2003, 04:41 PM
And because it's an inboard, shallow water is more of an issue, the inabilitity to lift the outdrives when launching/retrieving..
Oh, but they are JUST SO COOOOOOL! And reliable! Did I mention COOOOOOL! :D
If you want speed, buy a tunnel hull... wink
JimG
FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
05-13-2003, 05:47 PM
Tux is right. Speed is sacrificed because they aren't (up) trimable, and because of the added weight of the gearbox.
The V-drive was offered, I believe, because the outdrives of the day couldn't handle the torque of the 427s (Secret Service, Lake LBJ, etc.). I don't know why so many of the V-drives were ordered with the small block motors. I guess old habits die hard.
I would imagine weight distribution is better with a big block, but with the small block it rides a little bow heavy.
Hey Magoo, how did yours ride with the 427?
The last small block V-drive on eBay, the red one, got up to $8200 without meeting the reserve. I'd be surprised if this one gets any bids given the opening bid of $11,500.
FR :p
FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
05-13-2003, 05:59 PM
Oh, yeah. They're a lot harder to dock. Because they're true inboards, they only back up in one direction no matter where you put the steering wheel. Outboards and I/Os are so much easier to maneuver.
FR :p
The 16', 18, 19', 22' and 28' were all built with a vee drive at one time or another. I always considered the stern drive to be an instrument of the devil. After we sold Donzi for the second time, I started Nova Marine, building only vee drive boats.
--------------------
BROWNIE
I'm with Brownie on this one... I'd trade my 18' for a V-Drive in a heartbeat! There's just something about 'em! As far as them being "difficult" to drive, it just takes more practice. My Blackfin and my current Trojan are both single screw inboards. It took a while to learn the dynamics, but once you got it down it's easy. wink
Jim
Cool....yes. Strong ...yes. I love them. And I agree sterndrives are an instrument of the devil.
That being said there is no way around one fact. In general on a Donzi, and I am just talking about Donzi's here not drag boats and so forth, they are slow. Very slow. If you don't care too much about speed go for it and someday I would love to have one for the cool factor. For example:
John Shabas: Hornet V drive 700-800 hp= 75 mph
Richard Weaver: Hornet Bravo 400 ish hp = 70 mph
Chris
My Donzi looks nice but when I say go...she better move :)
Poodle,
I think the 22 he is talking about is the 7 meter...originally called the 22.
Chris
TuxedoPk
05-14-2003, 11:07 AM
I'm not sure about the 22s, but my 1970 21' GT has a V.
CDMA, what's slow? What kind of speeds are attainable in a 18' V-Drive with standard power? I'm seeing 52 mph with my Volvo 250. I'd give up 10 mph to have a V-Drive. :D
Am I getting old? :o
FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
05-14-2003, 02:17 PM
My hat's off to anyone who can dock a single screw inboard. We've had a straight drive Century Coronado since '86, and I still find myself fighting to get it onto the boat lift. Whenever Dad hears me returning with it, he races down to the dock to do his human fender act! :D
FR :p
Islander
05-14-2003, 02:56 PM
For me the biggest drawback of v-drives is the draft limitations coupled with fragility of the rudder if you touch bottom. We had a 19' St. Tropez with a v-drive back in the late 60's and while exploring the back country in the keys, at a slow speed, bumped the rudder on the bottom and snapped it off. We got back 6 hours later by steering with an oar. Only maintenance issue I can remember was to keep an eye on the stuffing box for leaks.
krakmeup
05-14-2003, 03:02 PM
Agreed FlatRacer!! I can personally attest to the skill it takes - JimG has shown it to me many times upon our return to the docks in his Trojan. As I fight urges to grab the dock, Jim always tells me to back off - he then puts her where she needs to go!! Sure, it takes a few more shifts and the occaisional go 'round, but it CAN be done. There are books written on how to handle one, and the true captains out there can show you how - it is something that also comes with many hours in the boat - I know JimG does about 200 hours every year. Watching the local shrimpers do the same thing with the big boats is really awesome to watch! My hat's off to those single screw boys, gimme my twins! :D :D Too bad the vees eat up sooo much speed!!
Flatracer, it just takes practice. I can turn my 26 flybridge boat within it's own length... but ONLY IN ONE DIRECTION, he he!! :D
I think draft is roughly the same as the outdrive boats. The advantage of the outdrive boats is, of course, tilt! But my inboard boats have been bulletproof. You want that stuffing box to drip a little to keep the packing lubed, just not too much.
Not to mention, that shiny bronze prop on a gleaming stainless shaft is just plain sexy! :D
Thanks Krakmeup!
Ten bazillion tournament ski boaters (and now wakeboarders) can't be wrong!
Watching the shrimpers is a hoot! Take a five foot tall Vietnamese shrimper and a fifty foot wood hull single screw shrimpboat coming into the channel at 8 knots WITH THE CURRENT! The captain spins the wheel to starboard. Shifts to reverse. Vroom! A huge cloud of diesel smoke comes out of the stack, the boat just STOPS! Spins the wheel all the way to the stops to port. Vroom! More smoke and the dang boat just walks sideways to the dock. It's a beautiful thing to watch. :D
Riley
05-14-2003, 09:08 PM
I guess I'm in the minority here, but I grew up driving Chris-Craft inboards, and always found them easy to dock. My Dad was awesome, he could bring the old boats into the dock every time, smooth as silk no matter what the wind or waves,and not hit a thing. Not easy, especially with the gear shift on the floor, and the throttle lever located on the center of the steering wheel!
On the subject on V-Drive Donzi's, there was one on a lake near us when I was a kid that ran a Hilborn injected 468 BBC. "Mellow Yellow" was supposed to run over 100 mph, but that was just a rumour.
Riley
05-14-2003, 09:15 PM
I guess I'm in the minority here, but I grew up driving Chris-Craft inboards, and always found them easy to dock. My Dad was awesome, he could bring the old boats into the dock every time, smooth as silk no matter what the wind or waves,and not hit a thing. Not easy, especially with the gear shift on the floor, and the throttle lever located on the center of the steering wheel!
On the subject on V-Drive Donzi's, there was one on a lake near us when I was a kid that ran a Hilborn injected 468 BBC. "Mellow Yellow" was supposed to run over 100 mph, but that was just a rumour.
Greg Maier
05-16-2003, 05:52 AM
I got some pics of her during my travels:
V drive 18 (http://www.donzi.net/photos/gmaiervdrive1.jpg)
V drive 18 (http://www.donzi.net/photos/gmaierform5.jpg)
V drive 18 (http://www.donzi.net/photos/gmaiervdrive2.jpg)
V drive 18 (http://www.donzi.net/photos/gmaiervdrive3.jpg)
V drive 1 (http://www.donzi.net/photos/gmaiervdrive4.jpg)
The guys phone number is 410 819 0687
He has a price of $11,500 on the for sale sign.
krakmeup
05-16-2003, 08:58 AM
Saaweeet!!!! JimG, you NEED this one!
Islander
05-16-2003, 10:07 AM
The seller says it's a '73, yet it has the barrel back and hard v-bottom. I thought they changed that earlier. Am I wrong?
Yup you are right. She is a 67 or 68. NOT a 73
It's pretty! But, it's not for me... I like 'em original. Now, if there were a HM mill hiding under that hatch, and the original helm, that'd be another story! :)
JimG
Hotboat
05-18-2003, 06:42 PM
I have had several inboards and love them. You do need tabs added. With an inboard, you have to learn to drive the boat, not just point and click as with an I/O. There is just something sweet about coming in on the port side, bow first and then walking the stern sideways to dock. I get a RUSH just thinking about it! biggrin.
boldts
05-18-2003, 08:19 PM
No cut intended Hotboat, but doesn't everyone with a sterndrive also do that? :D Turn that drive towards the dock and hit reverse. It's sweet when you get it right. :)
Hotboat
05-18-2003, 08:24 PM
Yeah, but the boat backs up and pulls the bow away from the dock. The inboard just moves sideways.
93stangers
01-25-2018, 07:02 PM
Hey Riley, sorry to bring up such an old post but I saw your comment about Mellow Yellow. I grew up with that boat, it was our best friends boat. We actually bought their house in sail bay. That’s how we meet. Paul Sr bought the boat from someone who raced it in Michigan. It needed 110 octane minimum (super high compression) and ran on 24 volts. It was actually clocked at 114.7mph wayyyy back in the day (who knows how accurate it was). The motor was super unreliable. It had to be rebuilt every year. So he had the compression dropped so they could run around 100 octane mix and added the classic Hilborn injection stacks that made that boat famous. While on Diamond Lake it “only” ran in the 90’s. This is Based on a newer checkmate in the late 90’s that they advertised 86mph and we walk away from him. It was fun smoking all those 300hp bass boats too! Some of my best memories are in that boat. I ended up buying a 67’ v-drive myself! If you got any stories I would love to hear them! I got plenty!!! LOL
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