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JP BRESCIA
07-02-2001, 11:20 PM
I have been quietly visiting this site for quite some time now and have learned a few things. One, you fellas know your stuff and I don't. Two, everyone seems to want to help. Three, there are quite a few comedians. This is my first posting so I wanted to intoduce myself befor I jump in. My name is JP and I recently purchased a Classic Donzi. This is my first Donzi, first I/O for that matter. I boat along the Jersey Coast and have always owned a Boston Whaler b/c I Fish. However, I have always admired the style and performance of the older Classics.

In April I located a 1980 18' Dove-Grey/Burgandy Mercruiser 260 in Erie, Pa. My brother-in-law and I took the trip(10 Hours) from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Erie to check it out. It was 100% original with no additional holes in the interior/exterior glass. The seats were firm and the color of the vinyl was like new. The cockpit was in great shape b/c of a factory vinyl cover. The exterior glass was very heavily oxidized and the stripe looked pink. The motor was original with good compression but had a bad alternator. Other than that the motor was clean as a whistle. I guess there isn't any wax in Erie? I liked it and it came back to Jersey w/ me. After some wet sand and buffing the glass looks great. With a new atlternator and a special tune-up package she runs great and handles the back-bay chop with ease.

So here are my questions. Is there a way to find out how many dove-grey/burgandy 18's were made in 1980? Also, is there a decent pricing guide for older Clasics?

Scott Pearson
07-03-2001, 06:19 AM
JP,
Welcome to the board! Its great to see some more people on this board who live in NJ. This way I can get an extra hand on my new project when I flip the deck and hull over....Hint , Hint.

Any hooooo.....You will always get some great info from everyone on the board. As far as the colors on your boat Im sure someone knows out there. Whats it worth?????? I'm not sure if you can get a good writen price on Donzi's. NADA is a joke. I feel these boats are worth what someone will pay for them and what they are.

Good Luck and Welcome!

(NJ)Scott

Christian
07-03-2001, 06:39 AM
JP, hello and welcome!
good to hear your a donzi owner.
we called donzi about our color and they had the numbers on its honey and red color. you might want to try them. I hope we get to see your boat at the AC gathering in Aug!!
email me @ RoseBudRacing@aol.com
i am in moorestown NJ, a couple of towns over.
stay well
Christian

jaroot
07-03-2001, 07:18 AM
no wax on lake erie? heck i think i keep the wax manufacturers in business! Congrats on the boat... a classic sure is somethin! CEPT a fishin boat! well that kinda fishin anyway... if ya know what i mean...

Looped
07-03-2001, 08:08 AM
Welcome Aboard JP,
That color combo seamed to be a semi-common option. Most of the ones that I have seen with that combination have the chalky faded look on the red unless if the Donzi was covered most of its life. You could try to contact Donzi C/S and see if they have any records but chances are they won’t have much on pre-1994 Donzis.

Craig

JP BRESCIA
07-03-2001, 10:12 AM
Thanks for the warm welcome. I am very excited to be a part of the Donzi community. Scott, I will be happy to help you if you give me enough notice. Luckily my boat doesn't need any major work but I am sure helping you will give me a better knowledge of what is doing under the deck. As for the gathering in AC, Scott, I would love some more info about this event. Also, let me know about any other clubs/events that are located in NJ,Pa, etc.

JimG205
07-03-2001, 02:36 PM
JP-Good luck with the 18.I looked at your boat back in March and still have pix from my conversation's with Dave the previous owner.You bought a nice clean Donzi! I passed for a later year model,though I'm still negotiating.would like to see a pix all buffed out.Good luck,Jim.

boldts
07-03-2001, 03:02 PM
JP,
Welcome to the Donzi family! As you have already mentioned, there is a wealth of knowledge about Donzi boats on this website.

For information about the Atlantic City gathering, send Frank a note. If it's happenin in AC, Frank knows about it. Frank Civitano - yposdonzi@adelphia.net

There are a number of gatherings happening all over the country. Most recently and probably one of the closer ones to you is the Lake George Dust-off. This is an all Classic gathering. If you get an itch to travel, we hold one called "The Awakening of the Horses" in May on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. If you would like to see the details of the event, go to www.mwdonziclub.com (http://www.mwdonziclub.com) The date for this event has not been set yet for 2002, but I'll be starting to put it together here real soon.

Enjoy your new Donzi Classic,

Scott Boldt
The Midwest Donzi Club

Dr. Dan
07-03-2001, 10:49 PM
JP, Welcome, congrats on your aquisition! I have to agree with Scott Pearson, these "Classics" are more like a virus, once it's in your blood, you can't get rid of it! When you have time, I would suggest you scroll through some of the older posts, you will find a ton of interesting and sometimes comical experiences we have had. Check out the Registry photos and you can make some comparisons, I can tell you one thing, Pearson' is "an artist", especially when it comes to restoration, his 18' walked away with all the cool awards this year at Lake George, his boat should be a poster child for those of us struggling to recreate our fantasy rides. Good Luck, Safe Boating...Doc