1992 18' "BARE"???

[gjohns6896]

I found a 1992 18 footer but with nothing on it. Meaning, no thru-hull exhaust, no trim tabs, old 5.7L 350 with OMC King Cobra drive. Has somewhere between 300-350 hours all together. The guy says it will run 60 MPH with just him in it, but he is also not getting all the RPMs out of the engine. <He says max for this set-up is about 4600 RPMs>?? He is getting about 4100 RPMs. He also suggested a change of prop would make the difference. It has a 21 pitch SS prop right now. That is all the information I have.

Would a cleaver prop work well with this set-up?
If so, what size/pitch?

Surely the prop alone would not bump up the RPMs THAT much...or would it?

What else could it be? He said he has never had any problems starting it or her not running smoothly...so what should I expect?

Cheers,
George :rolleyes:

[gjohns6896]

Forgot one more thing...would this be a good Donzi for my first one...meaning it has not been "molested" like all the others I have looked at and test-driven?

I am not a mechanic, so I do not want to nor do I expect to have to work on my Donzi every other day like some of these guys do...tinkering with them left and right. I want a turn-key Donzi.

Thanks!
George :rolleyes:

[Stix Magill]

In my humble opinion, the hours are getting on up there on the engine. If it has been used in salt, it may be ready for a new engine soon. If in fresh it probably has plenty more. Remember, boat engines are under a heavey load all the time (no coasting in a boat) and run at high RPMs. Think about running your car un a steep hill, fully loaded, floored for 350 hours!
I have read on this board that 350 in the salt is about all that you should count on, although there are plenty of exceptions. Fresh water numbers seem to be around 500 or more. In other words, a "turnkey boat" requiring a new engine in 1 to 3 years from now isn't really turnkey. But, not neccessarily a "turkey" either! The thru hull exhaust has pros and cons. If you love the sound of the thru hull, buy a different boat. My next Donzi will have Captains Call or comparable.
You WILL want to add trim tabs to level your boat with uneven loads.
The speed numbers sound right to me.

My 2 cents.....
if it is a fair deal, and a very clean boat, and you really want it, and you can afford to put an engine and an outdrive on it in a year, BUY IT. The 18 is a great boat. Good luck!

[mattyboy]

some other thoughts,

the omc king cobra drives were sturdy and take a beating, but parts/mechanics may be hard to find.

a prop change will help but I don't think a cleaver is the answer. they like to run ventilated
so you would have to trim to the sky which will effect the ride or move the X dimension.

the 18 is a great boat, and all the omc's guys I've talked to love them on their Donzi's

and the layup and finish on the omc boats were supposed to be pretty good.

if it fits your expectations go for it.
most guys work on their boats to tweek the last mph out of it, A donzi is a tough boat, and will take a beating with out any pampering, I keep mine clean as possible, look after the engine and run it hard

some day all BOAT owners find out what BOAT stands for!

Matt

[MOP]

Try to find out what the stock prop was, if the one on the boat is the stock one I would be doing some checking out of the engine. RPM only goes away when you have problems.

[Ranman]

Mattyboy, In Detroit it stands for:

Bring
Out
A
Thousand

[mattyboy]

In NY it's almost the same price!

bust
out
another
thousand

Matt

[Cuda]

The King Cobra drives are supposed to be as strong as Bravo 1's. I had one on a heavy aft cabin, and never had any problems with it.

Y ikes
A nother
C ouple
H undred
T housand
:D

[ToonaFish]

Dollars
Or
Not
Zooms
In
Style

Bunches,

Celene 'yet another rainy day in Georgia'

[gjohns6896]

Well, all I can tell you is what I have been told, and that is the boat runs great...with the exception of the missing 500 RPMs. He says it starts every time on the first turn...and the only time it did not was when he took it out of storage <turned over twice then>. At any rate, all else is fine...clean and smooth, he says. It will need an oil change, as he has not done that yet, so I will surely do that soon. And I will be checking the drive oil to see if there is any water there. I have been through that once already.

Would love to hear more about the OMCs...never have had a problem with my "Cobra"...but never have had a "King Cobra."

Cheers,
George

[gjohns6896]

Just by looking at the OMC drives, the King Cobra is so much larger and beefier than the regular Cobra drive. Am I mistaken there, or is this so?

I will look at this 18 today, and test the King Cobra and see if it IS strong enough to handle ME or not.

George :cool:

[Dr. Dan]

George, Liz and I have a '93 22 Classic with the King Cobra Drive...we have had zero problems knock on wood that were the fault of the Drive! (Jet Ski hit it in Sarsota) got a new cover works fine! Parts are still available from several sources, but are going to become more scarce over time...our long range plan involves a "Complete Repower" eventually, but to be honest with you..our boat is exactly what you are hoping to find... :D Turn Key :D I unfortunately am on the road alot and do not have the time to do the work I would like to, so I do the cosmetic stuff and I keep the fluids changed, otherwise I rely on my local guys to service it, it's been the best purchase in my life... eek! (Next To That Rent To Own A Bride Place, where I got Liz) :p Just Kiddin! ...Doc

[gjohns6896]

WELL...I bought an 18 Donzi! WOOHOO!!!

I am now on the road to happiness!

Very impressive, those little 18s are!

George :D :D :D :cool: wink

[harbormaster]

Ha Ha Ha Hee Hee Hee, poodle you are soo funny.
did you get the email I sent you??

[mattyboy]

not that I'm not happy you guys got new boats but I gotta say I like toona's new avatar eek! eek!

Matt

[gjohns6896]

I do have this to say about the 18...when you turn, it DIPS! No, DROPS more like it! I have never been in a deep-v that did that before. Mind you, I was RAISED on deep-v's.

At any rate, I am still getting used to the FLY-OVER-THE-WAVES feeling. FUN SH_T!!! It also drives the same if there are four people or just me in the boat <with full fuel>. FUN!!! I have a smile on my face every second I am driving her! And when she gets airborne and TWISTS because of the torque coming off the prop is AWESOME! Words cannot describe it!

But you all must know what I am talking about.

Now, comes the questions...I have no horn, but DO have a horn button. The owner said the wiring was all there...ALL WHERE?!?!? I got under there as far as I could and did not see where it ended up...I see the wires coming off the switch and to the reset switch and then they just disappear! WHERE ARE THE WIRES FOR THE HORN????

Also, the engine is only giving me 3900 RPMs from the 5.7L 350. It has the OMC K.C. drive, and works very well. Very smooth. But, I max out everytime at only 55MPH +/- and don't know where to begin. It has the STOCK prop and it says 21" and "Viper" on one of the blades. It is Stainless. How on this earth can I get the final 600 RPMs out of my stocker? Should the 350 not put out at least 4600 RPMs?

Those are my two main concerns right now...horn can wait, I have a whistle. I NEED SPEED!

There is a 28 foot Chris Craft with twin 454s out here and I WANT his ASS!!! He can only run 60 MPH, but I want to WHALE on him...PLEASE HELP!!!

Thanks you very much,
George