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View Full Version : 88-89 z29 good or bad



Hardonzi
11-20-2002, 07:05 PM
Friend of mine looking at one with twin fresh 454`s in Sarasota for 25k...Heard some rumors about Chris Craft making these boats back then,wanted to know if their was any truth to the rumor. Are these solid Donzi`s from then any comment good or bad will be helpful. THANKS

Greg K
11-20-2002, 07:17 PM
It's possible that it was. Easy to find...look at the max occupancy plate or whatever they call it. It should tell you who was the manufacturer...and if it was CC..who cares ?
My '93 C22 is one of the OMC years boats and the plate reads Donzi by Chris Craft. Many out there are this way.

HP 600SC
11-20-2002, 07:24 PM
It is not made by ChrisCraft......in general they are great boats!! But if it is the yellow one owned by the guy that owns a lawn service....dont waste your time....it is a DOGGG and with transom rot that he is trying to hide as well as MANY other things that dont add up!!!

harbormaster
11-20-2002, 08:05 PM
On those boats you need to check them carefully for rot in the stringers and transom.

Donzigo
11-22-2002, 07:54 AM
I have owned a 1987 Z-25 for 10 yrs or so, before It went to a fine new owner, Dennis Bosch, of Vermont. (Of course, it's still on the lift in my back yard, so I haven't suffered "withdrawals just yet. Can't bring myself to accept that it is no longer..............I can't say it). Anyway, and I also now own a Z-33 1989, (which is more like being on a high speed bus, than a Donzi, I'm still not entirely happy) Therefore, I feel like I can speak to this question. But, if I'm wrong, be nice when you correct me. In case you haven't noticed, this is a tough crowd, if you are wrong.

In 1986/87, Dick Genth designed and built the Z class boats, his personal designs. 1988 June, Genth fired, OMC comes along. There were still many unfinished Donzi's w Merc packages in the plant. OMC, immediately moved Chris Craft into Genth's gorgeous Donzi plant. (Fishboy, help us here, didn't yur brother, Buddy work in the plant?). OMC/Chris Craft management had no choice but to finish the boats already in production and promised to dealers, hence "Chris Craft makes Donzi's", and so what, it was the same people on the line making them. I have one of those last Donzis out of the plant. Mine is 1989 Z-33 w Mercury 454's, from OMC Corp, built by Chris Craft. Life can be strange.

Yes, Scot, the 1987/88 model Z boats experienced many stringer problems. My Z-25 was re-stringered from front to back: $14,500, so Dennis is getting one sweet Z-25. Not "like-new" but "New". The fiberglass workmanship on the 1987/89 years leaves something to be desired, my opinion, but, the rest if great, all Perko everything, until OMC took over. I think OMC actually moved the Donzi molds to Goshen, Indiana to another OMC factory. I'm sure someone else will know.

Postscript: Chris Craft shortly after that pretty much failed, and moved just north of the old Donzi plant into tiny facility. Stayed rather dormant until they recently moved back into the Donzi facility they used to occupy under now new owners. The plant is nice again, today. Still looks tale-tale a little like Donzi. Light grey building with red accents. I like RED!