Four Winns Donzi ?

[Craig]

This was funny. At "iboats.com" there's a Four Winns Unlimited 17 (U-boat) listed as a Donzi 16. Even says "donzi" under the manufacturer.

Here's the link.

http://boats.iboats.com/donzi/performance_boats--1030/39896-ad.html

Okay, I got a classic '65 Mustang for sale that's really a '73 Comet...

...

[Rootsy]

75 knots at full tilt? holy wha and why the hell am i wasting my time with the REAL donzi 16??? :(

JR - slowpoke

[Tony]

From the same site, here are lots of pictures of a decent looking (although underpowered) Minx.

http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/marine_classifieds/view_photos.cgi?ad_id=38771&img=0&count=4

[Rootsy]

hey.. that minx is sporting an Alpha SS... and appears to have a 320 efi... with new bearings for preventative reasons :eek!: 74 knots? man i really am slow.... where i am i wasting all of this HP??? :rolleyes:

[mattyboy]

LET ME BE BRIEF SHORT AND ON TOPIC
75 NOT
the minx is listed on boattrader for 22K just down from 24k NOT


Matty

[Barry Phillips]

That U17 and 19 for that matter ain't no Donzi. U is a good name for it, since Four Winns killed it after only a few years. Sails took a dive.

[Tony]

Actually, from my understanding, it was a well built copy of the Donzi hull. Sales were marginal due, in part, to a test report in which the driver did not know how to handle the deep vee hull. Four Winns stopped production because Donzi threatened litigation.

[MattM]

The knowledge of that program that was common several years ago was those two boats were developed at Donzi, while under ownership of OMC, to replace the classic series. When OMC sold off donzi, the molds went to four winns, who at the time, and maybe still is owned by OMC.

[Brad Lyon]

Wow, people from Portland like the Red Wings, be it from Michigan or Oregon!

[Craig]

Tony - I remember conversing with you several years ago about these. You mailed be a bunch of info. on them that I still have.

The only thing that I don't think is right in your post is the part about OMC still owning them as I'm pretty sure OMC is completely gone now.

Johnson and Evinrude OB's (previously by OMC) are still around because Bombadiere bought them and kept them going.

Still, I thought the U-boats were pretty neat. Don't like the deck styling as much as the Donzi.

[travesty]

Four Winns is now part of the really boss Genmar family. I don't think CEO Irwin Jacobs has any intention of building a high quality product anytime soon so they should stay far away from any more Donzi copies.

[FISHIN SUCKS]

At least, the U boat shares some similar characteristics of the classic Donzi. We have this nut here in Fort Wayne that has been trying to pawn off a Donzi wannabe (not even close to a look-alike) Arriva for the last 2 years. He has peeled off the Arriva graphics and replaced with Donzi ZX graphics. To top it off, still has the original swim platform with Arriva molded into it. Although while flattering, most people around here agree that this has got to be the ugliest Donzi around!

[Craig]

I don't know, I saw a post that mentioned that even the old Silverline Boat company copied (sort of) Donzi's 16'.

Did some surfing and found THIS (see pics below).

Looks pretty wierd. Built in 1970 and 1971.

I know my Cobalt "IS" a copy, but at least it looks like what it copied; this thing is ugly! (my opinion).

Mostly the windshield and dash ruin it (to me).

[Greg Corey]

Here is another Donzi copy that is made by a company in Canada.

http://www.grewmfg.com/classy16.html

Remember, you get what you pay for, and don't settle for imitations!

[boxy]

I wonder if the Grew is a splash of the old Donzi/Shepard boat that was built in Canada under licence ?

Greg, give me a call at 613-223-8808 and I'll fill you in on the 1000 Islands Donzi Weekend we have planned.

[tamburello]

If Donzi put a windshield like that on the classics I think we could put the great weenie bar v. windshield debate to rest forever.

- Jeff

[Craig]

Here is another Donzi copy that is made by a company in Canada.

http://www.grewmfg.com/classy16.html

Remember, you get what you pay for, and don't settle for imitations!

Greg,

The expression "You get what you pay for" usually applies when something is purchased at a lower cost (i.e. trying to get a deal for less money).

Not sure about the cost of the mentioned Silverline Aruba or the Canadian GREW boat in your link, but my Cobalt sold for $6,750.00 new in 1969 - 1970; that was a very expensive 16' boat in those days.

Again, I don't know anything about the GREW boat, but check this out (a pretty good warranty from GREW- they must think they've built the thing pretty well):

http://www.grewmfg.com/grwarrant.html

The Aruba just looks funny to me. The windshield and the deck look kind of cut and paste. Some of their other boats looked alright (Silverline web site). I remember some of those boats. Seemed nice enough, but really don't know anything about them. Just seems the Aruba's layout was not as well planned as their other models.

[Craig]

Wonder how long that anchor light lasted?? looks lie a liability lawsuit waiting to happen!

C,
if you have bigger files of these shots would you email em to me please??

TX! :)

MadPoodle,

Tried to e-mail you the Silverline Aruba pics I saved from the Sliverline site (along with a couple other models), but I couldn't find an attach or insert button on the e-mail option. Where is it?!?!?!?!

Anyway, thought I'd just post them all here. I can click on these thumbnails (from this post) to enlarge once and then, if I put the cursor over the lower right corner an icon appears that, when I click it, it blows it up to its (I guess) original size. At that size the pics are all very clear - can read all small print very well.

Several of the ones I tried to post of the Aruba, the site won't let me post (says I've already put them in this thread). I guess they're the same image for both catalog years, just different size and page layout.

If you e-mail me your regular e-mail address, I'll send them that way too.

Left the ones of some other Silverline models here.

Craig

[Greg Corey]

My comment was not in regards to the Cobalt but was directed to the Grew which, when last checked, sold at about two thirds the cost of the Donzi. The hull itself does not even come close to sounding anywhere near as solid. (simple thump test) It's interior was not finished as well either, and the sun pad on the back left a lot to be desired.

[Craig]

Whoa! 2/3? That's pretty cheap. Well You get what you pay for! :wink:

Something dawned on me recently about the cost of Donzi 16' vs 18.'

How come in the 60's, according to price info. (this site) the difference between a 16 and an 18 was only about $485.00 (see '69 price lists) and now yo're looking at about a $16,000.00 difference!

1969 - $6,250(for a 16) / $6,735(for an 18) = 93% of the 18's price for a 16.

2004- "about" $26,000(for a 16) / "about" $42,000(for an 18) = 62% of the 18's price for a 16.

In other words, in 1969 an 18 cost about 1.1 times what a 16 cost..........
..........but in 2004 an 18 costs about 1.6 times what the 16 costs.

Did the 18 get better or did the 16 get worse???? Just kidding; I assume it's just based on what's selling the best.

Interesting though. :anchor:

[roadtrip se]

My year old price sheets show a RETAIL of $26.7 for a 16 with 4.3 alpha
and a RETAIL of $31.7 for an 18 with 350mag alpha.

Expensive, yes, but not that big of difference between the two.

In terms of what they build, lets just say that the 16 mold doesn't get much use any more. Best selling Donzi last year, including all of the ZX and fishboats? The 22 Classic. The legend is alive and well!

Todd
"Occassional broker of new and used Classics"

[gold-n-rod]

Best selling Donzi last year, including all of the ZX and fishboats? The 22 Classic

And that, I understand, is out of one mold. Wow!

goldnrod

[Craig]

Todd - I wondered if I might not be a little off on my 2004 "new" prices. I was sure I saw one 18' in Annapolis for around $42,000?

Hey, the new 16 price (off the top of my head) was right there in the ball park!

If your numbers are good, then a new 18 only costs about 1.2 times the cost of the 16 compared to 1.1 times from '69. That's not so bad.

[markdonzi]

OMC is definitely out of business as I am currently in bankruptcy court with them over an outboard motor that blew up while still under warranty. Bombardier purchased most of the assets and refused to honor the warranty. Put a bad taste in my mouth and I will never buy a Bombardier product as their customer service stinks ( in my opinion). Losing $14,000 will do that to you.

mark donzi

[Craig]

Mark Donzi - That stinks! I remember an ad not long ago in (guessing) Boating World that sort of made it look like Bombadiere was upgrading the way the new Johnson's were built. Also an article about how there had been a bunch of lawsuits due to problems with there outboards, but they felt confident the new technology in them was worth keeping going. It's too bad OMC died. I always liked Johnson outboards. I have a 15hp 1977 that still runs like a top (almost literally ;)) and my Dad had a '76 85 hp on a boat that I still see running around pulling skiers (and I know how much wear and tear I put on that motor personally for about 20 years)! Hope you get some satisfaction. Doesn't sound good.

[blackhawk]

Actually, from my understanding, it was a well built copy of the Donzi hull. Sales were marginal due, in part, to a test report in which the driver did not know how to handle the deep vee hull. Four Winns stopped production because Donzi threatened litigation.

Tony is right, I THINK it was Hot Boat magazine that did the test and said the boat was "dangerous" which hurt sales since they were trying to break into the performance market. Too bad because it really is a well built boat with awesome performance.