CUSTOM DONZI's

[DUCATIF1]

Ok I know I am on here more than anyone else without a boat but the site is full of info. Back to the question; How come there are no pics of any custom Donzi's?? Every 22 I have ever seen has the exact same paint scheme with no identity?? No insult intended for you sensitive types. I know it is classic look but even Ferrari and Lambo guys show with odd ball color once in a while. Heck if you ever saw Lambo's color charts it would amaze you what you could get. Maybe I am missing something here?? I see custom painted and tricked out boats of every other make and some larger Donzi's. Besides that guy Scott's orange and white they all look kind of the same? Makes me kind of want to clear out shop and start doing Donzi's. No chance, I will leave that to Scott I am too busy with the cars and bikes. Let's see some pics!!!

[RedDog]

No offense, but I like them simple with a simple stripe (or in some cases even no stripe - I guess that's custom). Maybe you are looking for a Baja rather than a Donzi? wink

[TuxedoPk]

The elegence is in the simplicity of the lines. It's similar to a single Diamond Tiffany setting.

Ok, the latter chopper gun classics are more like a single Zarconia Tiffany setting :)

[Bryan Tuvell 33ZX]

Not a 22, but this 33 is still for sale and Donzi did the paint, so I hear.
Bryan
http://www.donzi.net/photos/tuvell332000.jpg

[DUCATIF1]

Just to clear up post I am not trying to buy anything just want to see some custom boats. Are you telling me that with that many members everybody has same white hull with one of three color stripes?? That is one cheap looking flame job on that 38'

[Speed-Racer]

Most people's boats that I have seen, that I know, have something unique about there boat. Weather it be gauges eek! , steering wheels, exhaust, stereo, engines, engine compartments eek! , hatches, and etc....Most people seem to have something custom.....and yes the classic lines are classic.

[Stix Magill]

To each his own, but I believe some things are best left alone. Some people will "customize" till it's no longer cool.

Saw a lowrider truck today with hydraulics, neon, candy paint, huge chrome wheels, nitrous, etc. We laughed outloud until we saw the paint on the tailgate, then we just about soiled our britches. Painted huge across the tailgate "Southern Born, Southern Bread".

Oh yes. Another customizing genius. :p
I'll try to get a pic.

Stix

[FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack]

I'm sure you'll find as Donzis gain more of a "classic" status among fiberglass boats, more and more of them will be put back to original state in their restorations.
Remember how many wild paint jobs and custom body mods you saw on '63-'67 Corvettes back in the '70s? I guarantee most of those mods have been undone in subsequent restorations.
I feel Donzis will get the same type of reverence for their original style as the old 'Vettes have.

FR :p

P.S. Have you seen some of the Anniversary, and Special Edition models? Some of those factory color schemes are quite nice.

[TMANN]

Here is mine. Its not custom because it is from the Donzi factory painted like this but it is different. :cool:
http://tiemworks.com/donzi/images/1062483_1.jpg

TMANN

[roadtrip se]

My boat is red with a red stripe. From a distance it looks like any other Classic 22.

But take a closer look. It has a powdercoated dash with Gaffrig 1 gauges and Gps speedo, stainless steel leather wrapped wheel, pop up cleats, twin ram steering with wrapped lines, straight tips, polished shorty, billeted battery boxes, 500EFI, CMI headers, and the list goes on.

Point is, take a closer look and you will see that not one of these boats is the same. the beauty is in the details, not a flashy paint job.

Todd

[donzifirstlove]

its just a classic elegance, it was love at first sight, sleak and simple, not too loud, just cool. it doesnt need a crazy paint job. it turns heads everywhere I go, even among big tricked out boats.

[boldts]

Have to agree with all the other responses here. Mine is the classic color sides and stripe, but you won't find the shade of blue on my 22 Classic on every other one out there. It was custom ordered by the previous owner. It is a medium blue rather than the usual dark blue found. I don't mean to brag or put down any other owners Donzi either, but I believe that most Donzi owners really feel in love with their boat because of what is offered in the total package, not the color or graphics on the hull.

Let me put it another way and again, nothing against the owners of the boat I am using in this example. Go to a lunch ramp with a 22 Baja and all it's pretty graphics. I'll pull up with my plain and simple 22 Donzi Classic and see how many on-lookers are watching everything I do with my boat including bringing her to life and backing off the trailer. The funny part is that the Baja passengers are all doing the same thing as the on-lookers. They are asking the Baja owner, "What kind of boat is that?" "It is so cool looking!" It's the mystic of a Donzi, not the colors on the outside. You won't find another boat like it on the lake. :)

[Barry Phillips]

My brother said the same thing to me about my Classic and funny I never get tired of looking at it. You can almost tell what year a Checkmate is by how much glitter there is in the jel, or a Baja or Formula by the color of there graphic package, truth is Classic Donzis don't need all that **** to look good. No one gets to bent out of shape over a Checkmate at the launch ramp, yet any Classic Donzi owner enjoys attention anywhere he or she goses. Last weekend the brother of a Checkmate owner was so impressed with my Classic that I could not get away from him. He did not know what a Donzi was but he knew it was something special. Donzi will make a new Classic any way you what it, but why bother. They all look great, they are magic.

SO-SLO

[DUCATIF1]

I have backed out of no deal??? Only boat owner I contacted on this site about boat I said I would purchase was Jerry and he put me off for several months while his boat was in storage for the winter. In that time period other things came up and I determined it was too far a trip and the added costs associated would add quite a bit to the deal. I have looked at about 10 boats and all have had problems. Problem is ANY Donzi you guys see for sale is followed with a post stating "Someone's gotta grab this one it is perfect" without even having any idea what condition boat is in. To answer the above in regards to the paint a custom boat does not have to have a metalflake paint job or some loud scheme. Someone noted a red on red boat and that is what I am looking for pics of. For no other reason than I would like to see pics of personalized boats. By the way the Harley thing is BS. I have and still own several of them and have built jap bikes that were nicer and cheaper. I would hope a Donzi isn't like a Harley where most people spend $20k to be instant wanna be tough guy? Yes they are classic boats but there ar a lot of you out there that have made them there owm and given them an identity while retaining the classic style. I just wanted to spark some interest in posting some cool pics. WOW!!

[Surfer]

My classic 18 is white with a simple blue stripe, about as plain as it gets. Last Sunday while skiing, I spoted this guy waving his hands from the shore, thinking he was in trouble (or me), we cruised over, all he wanted was a closer look at the boat, and an offer to buy it on the spot. It sure wasn't the glitter paint job that got his attention.

[HyperDonzi]

Parents own a Baja....Fan of a Donzi :)

I have only seen 4 Baja's with the same stripes and year as ours, One a few years back, and one last october, then 2 this year...Not fast, but original :D

[RedDog]

I forgot to mention in my first post - my 18 is custom; just look under the hatch :D

http://www.donzi.net/photos/floydt012.jpg

Oh - and custom Bajas? The best looking one I have seen is a local boat - solid black and way cool!

[Greg Maier]

Donzi Classics are like beautiful women, they don't need much makeup. Boats with those wild graphic paintjobs look like two-bit streetwalkers to me. I agree that graphic paintjobs are truly artwork, but so is stone sculpture, and I don't think a granite bust of Ceasar would look good on my Classic.

[roadtrip se]

Red on red, some of my favorite shots of the Donzi Classic 22 Somerville Edition...

http://www.donzi.net/photos/tsomerville39.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/tsomerville16.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/tsomerville28.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/tsomerville34.jpg

[Dredgeking]

i like my harley, but i won't throw a custom paint job on it. why? because it's difficult to sell something that only appeals to me. customizing anything hurts the resale value and minimizes the potential customers. classics like original harley's and donzi's hold their value better because they appeal to a much wider range of people. most of the "custom" boats i see i wouldn't touch or consider buying. people can really ruin a boat if they get too crazy with the custom. the problem is they think they have added to the value of the boat and then can't figure out why no one wants to buy it when they need to sell it.

[smoothie]

DUCATIF1...buy a 20 cig...I havent seen two alike yet :p

[PaulO]

It's like Andy Worhol vs. Rembrant. Both are art. If you get it, you don't have to ask why. If you are asking why, you are in the wrong camp.
PaulO

[CrackerJack]

Some things cannot be improved on, and a Classic is one of them. In my humble, but most accurate opinion.

[boldts]

Hey, just learned that the 33ZX Daytona with the black and flame paint scheme has a new home in Cincinnati, OH. Can't wait to meet it's owner and see it in person! :D

[Eugene Nahemow]

This is actually a good post for me as I've been spending too much time lately thinking about this.
When I restored my Magnum I did not want to stick with the same eras paint scheme, but wanted to update the boat. It was a lot of work to finally design a scheme where I felt that the boat was still classic but yet contemporary. I personally don't like flames,tribal or the traditional checkered flag themes. I my own opinion I think I've accomplished this.

Before new hatch.

http://www.donzi.net/photos/ENahemow03.jpg

After new hatch.

http://www.donzi.net/photos/ENahemow35.jpg

http://www.donzi.net/photos/ENahemow31.jpg

Now that I am restoring an 18 Classic, I also want to personalize it. The problem is (again in my own opinion) smaller boats don't lend themselves to larger graphic schemes. Although you don't have to stay with the tried and true formula. Boats that I think have been very successful in being non- traditional have been the Testarossa edition, CDMA's solid paint color, Pearson's and especially Lenny's new color.
Originally I was thinking about all red boat,like the Testarossa and actually using the Ferrari paints. My lastest scheme is to have the boat all white with a platinum (yes platinum not silver) modified deck stripe. No waterline stripe. All trim and gauges would be plated either polished or brushed nickel. I think anyone doing a complete restoration should think a little out of the box. It makes for a more interesting world. Just please no flames! :D

[harbormaster]

Shame on you RiverRat. I think your comments were uncalled for.

Ducati,

What type of boat do you want? What is your budget? Maybe we can help.

As far as customizing paint goes....

I was offered a good deal on a boat that had been customized with a "Wild" paint job. I was not even remotely interested because of the paint color.

I would love to paint the Z29 Black with yellow/red flames. Unfortunately we have to think about eventually selling our boats also.
How many people will buy a black boat w/flames over a white boat with red stripes?

[Jake]

I am a current boat owner, however not of a Donzi. I fell in love with Donzi's at the Annapolis Boat Show in 2001. I found a 28 ZXO that had very suttle graphics and beautiful lines. Every other boat I saw I felt was too showy. With every Donzi I have seen yet it is the lines that make it beautiful, not the paint and show. After finding this site, I have come to love the lines of the Classics, there is a reason they are basically the same as they were thirty years ago, you don't mess with perfection. Bottom line to me is that one of the reasons I love Donzi's is because I can see one with no graphics or paint at all and it is still one of the most beautiful boats I have seen. To me Donzis are in a class with no other in the market today. p.s. I don't sell for Donzi, although maybe I should. wink

Jake

[Marlin275]

The Chris-Crafts didn't need wild paint.
It's the design that matters!
Less is More with these classics!
Donzi always had great colors.

The graphics were on the race boats.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/cgabeler222.jpg
1969 National/ World Champion Don Aronow's 33' Cary
This is the best Graphics/Paint ever on a go-fast boat! IMHO! :cool: : biggrin.


X18-1973 - first year of introduction
#41 of 149 ever made
improved and curved out
"still classic but yet contemporary"
All Donzi

[Greg Maier]

This is a perfect example of a boat that is over-customized. I have seen this one on the selling block for a long time. Actually, I'm surprised Digger hasn't bought it since he is a military aviator :)

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

[Greg Maier]

Tuxedopk,

Do they use chopper guns on the new classics? I assumed that Donzi was above using chopper guns in their lay-up. What year did they start doing this?

[CDMA]

1987

[TuxedoPk]

I forget, who was running Donzi when they made this change in 1987? :D

[BUIZILLA]

Hey Tux, speaking of forgetful..

I hear your having a hard time remembering where you put the title to your X boat you just lost in that bet.... wink

J

t'ain't no Chop Suey in my '87's

[DUCATIF1]

That Magnum is very nice boat. There is one local near me but has more race type interior. I am in no rush to buy anything and readily admit it. That deal for that rare boat will come up and I will be ready not regretfull about bad purchase. I have bought and sold more cars and bikes to know they show up when you are not looking; so don't settle!! If you need any assistance in color codes for your Ferrari color choices let me know. Ferrari red is not as nice as many people think there are nicer and deeper tones available. If you are interested in pro color scheme the guy who draws out my cars I am sure would design boat scheme as well. He is magazine recognized artist and reasonable. By the way I agree flames really do not belong on a Donzi. I do think there are many color options to explore even keeping orig stripe scheme.

[Ed Donnelly]

Wanna be tough guys, I'm 58yrs old with a 2000 soft tail. I grew up a long time ago( maybe 10 yrs ago) I didn't buy the Harley for the tough guy image. I bought it for the same reason as I have owned Donzis for the last 38 yrs. The mystic and resale is pretty good too. I enjoyed my 16' for 28yrs and sold it for double what I paid for it. I went wild and crazy with my 16'in the early 80s,painted her with Imron 74 corvette gun metal grey top and sides,with a black stripe.Everyone that knew me thought I was crazy. Redid it the following back to the original yellow. The Harbour master should have pics of it in his files..Ed