Donzi or clone

[okeykidd]

I am looking at a 1976 sweet 16 with a v-drive. with a mopar383.It has a AZ seral numbers not Donzi.How can I find out if this is a clone? and is 5500 about right for the selling price.

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hp2bsq

[GEOO]

Can you get us some pictures?? GEOO

[EricG]

This is the second time this boat has shown up on the registry....the first time it was in Traderonline and someone on the list bought it, and now apparently he is selling it...it looks to be one heck of a cool project boat!!

Do a search in the old postings, there is quite a bit of talk about this boat, I don't think it was ever disputed that its a very unique but apparently real Donzi...

Good luck!!

EG

[BigGrizzly]

Yes this is a clone maybe a cobalt. Talk to Craig he knows about these things. If it is a v-drive, I wouldn't buy it. Handling is not up to par, speed is way down and it w2ould be hard to unload. Plus parts will be a nightmare. Its been up for sale at least twice in six months wonder why?

[Craig]

I know 1 of the Cobalts (one that is a Sweet 16 style)I showed in pics recently was (is) a V-drive, but, correct me if I'm wrong (BG and others), didn't Donzi actually make some 16 V-drives?? Maybe I'm also just thinking of the one discussed here if it has come up before. At any rate I'd have to agree V-drive's would be neat in a way and probably simpler, but not as versitile re: speed, etc. ... Still I do like the red and white Donzi V-drive in the registry -- I forget whose it is. Bigger than a 16 I think. Dash on that one is cool. Has about 26 gages! (I'm exagerating, but I'll bet it has 10!!-- have to check).
Craig

[okeykidd]

when I was sixteen I worked at a marina in Maryland run by the navy and they had a 16 v-drive and I fell in love with it. this was in 1976 and the boat was a 1969 the vessel # was G1 it was a fun boat

[Blewbyu]

Okey-If I'm not mistaken,this boat is in Mich.The owner bought it a little over a year ago from a car lot in S.Cal.-believe it was on Ebay.He had it shipped to Mich.It was a Donzi 16 W/Mopar 383 and V-drive.Unusual cutout around the V-drive.Just needed some exhaust repair and lotsa elbow grease at the time.Had a "gooseneck" tach mounted on the front deck,middle of the stripe.Solid yellow hull.Looked like it needed an interior at the time.The new owner sent me some pics via email-looked good after he had worked it over.Had AZ registry.Not unusual,hard to find HIN on older Donzis,so some states assigned their own reg numbers,and the that nmbr stayed with boat.Donzi did build V-drive 16's-see registry archives.The price seems about right if trailer is still with boat and engine is good.

[okeykidd]

I would like to thank all of you for the time spent on helping me out. Do you think that this boat would be that hard to find parts for and would it be faster or slower then a I/O?

[Blewbyu]

Parts shouldn't be a problem.Lotsa Mopar speed stuff all over the place too.
Speed will probably be a little less than an I/O Donzi-but still faster than most other boats around.Because of the stationary shaft angle,v-drive boats have tendency to run nose lower than trimmed out I/O boats.
Generally-Donzi's like to "air out" the hull to build speed.If you have to beat someone in particular-you will find 18 footers faster than 16's.If you don't,buy the 16.Helluva neat boat with v-drive!Make sure the trailer has a guard that goes below the prop so you dont make a spendy noise leaving the 7-11!