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MerC
11-22-2000, 09:04 PM
Could anyone please straighten out some of the defining changes that have taken place over the years..I realize there are some differences like the barrel backs..sharp V's..Volvo, OMC, MerC's...etc. I know it's a big question, but I feel I need to know.

Thanks,

Marc

CDMA
11-23-2000, 11:07 AM
16 always non barrel back

18 barrel back till 70 ( deep v goes with barrelback)

Triple hatch in 66 and maybe a few in 67

Left hand steering till maybe late 70's (????)

Volvo till about the same. Switch in steering goes with switch to mercruiser

Mercruiser in early 80's. Some Mercruiser some OMC in late 80's and early 90's. After maybe 93ish all Mercruiser.

Hope that helps

Chris

boldts
11-23-2000, 08:32 PM
Chris,
Are you sure about the 18' being a barrel back up until 70? In looking through the registry at 18s, I found a 66 backend that looks like what I would call a barrel back. (The whole backend has a curve from corner to corner.) I then found a 67 that looks like my 69. (Straight line from corner to corner with a raised curve off of the straight backend line.) Another thing about my 69 is that the V does not go all the way to the transom. I have a rounded bottom at the transom. Didn't the barrel back Donzi also have the 3 piece engine cover? My 69 has a flat hinged cover.
I don't mean to question your knowledge, but I was curious about these differences.

Scott Boldt

Rob
11-23-2000, 08:55 PM
I don't think the switch to MerCruiser and RH steering are necesarily linked. Forrest's 72 Ski Sporter is a prime example of that-LH steering and MerCruiser outdrive. Forrest has said in the past he believe his boat was one of the first with MerCruiser however. I think the switch to RH steering must have been in 78 or 79.

Forrest, if you read this, there are are a couple of things about that boat that have always puzzled me. Though it is undoubtably a 72, it seems to have the instrument panel and drivers seat design of the earlier Ski Sporters-like pre 1969. Most of the 1970 and later 16's have the more narrow and tall aluminum instrument panel and the wrap around drivers seat. Yours has the wider cast instrument panel and the drivers seat with stainless trim. Do you think your boat was one off because of the outdrive experiement, or do you think there is more variation in the 1970 and later boats than I am assuming?

BERTRAM BOY
11-23-2000, 09:12 PM
My '66 2+3 is a single hatch barrelback.
BERTRAM BOY

Scott Pearson
11-23-2000, 09:24 PM
Boldt,
It sounds like you have a late 69. I think Donzi stopped the Barrelback and the keel change in late 68 early 69. As far a Left Hand Steering, I saw a 1974 that still had it. I think they wet even later then that.

(NJ)Scott

CDMA
11-23-2000, 09:30 PM
Bolt I gather my 70 data from Emmo's boat. His is a 1970 18 2+3 barrelback...maybe his is a late 69 registerd as a 70.

Chris

MerC
11-24-2000, 10:48 AM
Thanks guys..Just trying figure out what years I'd like to track down..

Marc

Forrest
11-24-2000, 11:16 AM
Rob, the instrument panel is made by Mercruiser and was probably contained in the same box with the "888" Mercruiser stern drive package that was originally purchased by Donzi for installation in my 16. Later 16 Donzis used Volvo setups probably since it was impossible to change the drivers position on a 16 Ski Sport without building another mold for the deck. But they did just that when Donzi reintroduced the 16 as the Sweet 16 in the late '80s. The driver's seat is another thing though. I'm not sure when they got away from the chair type seat and went to the wrap-around bucket, but I do think it was somewhere around '72 or '73. John Harmon at Bilt-Rite did say that they stopped using the chair seat when the company in Tennessee that supplied the curved plywood seat back and bottoms quit building them.

Oh, one more wrench in the works. My '79 Hornet II has a Mercruiser (left-hand turning) TRS big-block setup and left-hand (Port) steering . . . go figure?

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Forrest

boldts
11-24-2000, 02:41 PM
Guys,
Can you explain Barrelback to me? If Emmo has a 1970 barrelback, Is my 69 also considered a barrelback? The 1966 18'Donzi looks much different than mine when looking at the transom. Were there maybe 2 options thru the late 60's early 70's in deck design?

Scott Boldt

GEOO
11-24-2000, 06:23 PM
My X-18 was made in 75 Sold as a 76. Has right hand steering. GEOO

Blewbyu
11-24-2000, 07:04 PM
Boltz-Barrelback transom is smooth all the way to the top where the deck joins the hull.The non-barrelbacks have a horizontal line about 4/5ths of the way up the transom where the deck joins the hull-trim piece runs all around boat on this seam.Looking straight at the stern-the curvature at the top is nearly the same on both types of boats.The barrelback boats exhibit the flattened end of each planing strake at the transom,and (I believe)they all had the sharp entry 24 degree V all the way to the transom.
Regards-Jeff

Blewbyu
11-24-2000, 07:24 PM
Scott (Boldt)-sorry I misspelt yer name in last post!
Forrest-I went to figure!Seems logical....left (port)steering counteracts LH turning prop (as in Volvo setup).......?
Damn-I misspelled misspelt.
Department of Redundancy Department
Heer we have spelcheck now-how's it werk?

boldts
11-24-2000, 07:57 PM
Thanks Jeff. My 69 is definitely not a barrel back Donzi then. So, how could Emmo have a 1970 barrel back?

MerC
11-25-2000, 09:16 PM
Is this DONZI in the registry a barrel back? 1966 18' hull# flzw133b87..just a reference..

Oh, and Gene, if your here..very nice DONZI!

boldts
11-25-2000, 10:17 PM
Marc,
Yes, Those are good pictures of a barrel back Donzi. Take a look at this 18' to see the difference. Moran, Dan 1968 18 - C18-246 - IND, Indianapolis. I also found a 67 barrel back in the registry so it looks like 1968 is the year when the change between the two styles occurred.

Scott Boldt

MerC
11-25-2000, 10:23 PM
Thanks Scott..just trying to figure out what I want to chase down!

Emmo
11-27-2000, 10:12 PM
This is very interesting-

This is an 1968?-

http://www.donzi.net/hull/C18-246/7.jpg

This is GeneD's 1966 prototype-

http://www.donzi.net/hull/FLZW7133B87/dragptransom.jpg

My boat is definitely a barrel back and I have the original foil still intact that shows the serial number and the title that shows it as a 1970.



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Emmo mailto:emmette@emmette.comemmette@emmette.com</A>

CDMA
11-27-2000, 10:24 PM
Ummmm I told you I told you...that yellow boat is newer...my guess is 75 a la last two digits in number on transom.

Chris

boldts
11-27-2000, 11:28 PM
Chris,
My 1969 18' Classic looks just like the transom of the yellow boat pictured. My HIN number is: 1N824RE Is my boat actually a 69? I used a pencil and paper on the silver piece behind the rear seat and I got a hull number: C18 308 Can anyone tell me if this hull was built in 69? I'm not sure where the number on the registration HIN came from. Is there another number somewhere that gives you the year?

Scott Boldt

RickR
11-28-2000, 07:44 AM
Just guessing, but Donzi probably offered the Barrel Back or a Straight Back for a few years in the late 60's and early 70's. Boat and engine companies tend to use whatever is on hand to get the product out the door.

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RICKR
mailto:riggerb@aol.comriggerb@aol.com</A>