Corsiacn

[HEMPEROR]

CORSICAN :cistineb: HOWDY FOLKS--HOW MANY CORSICANS WERE MADE AND THROUGH WHAT YEARS? IF I READ THE INFO RIGHT IT WAS 58 AND THEY WERE MADE UP UNTIL 1971
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO HAVE ONE PERFECTLY RESTORED INCLUDING FILLING EVERY VOID CRACK TRANSOM ECT.
I STILL HAVE THE 1969 2+3 THAT GRANNY GAVE THE FAMILY THE SUMMER OF 69. IT HAS BEEN REBUILT BUT NOT ORIGINAL.
WE HAD A PULL OFF WITH THE SOUTHEND GANG WHO HAD A NEW CORRECT CRAFT SKIBOAT.OURS STLL HAD THE HOLMAN MOODY 289 OR 302 . I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ENGINE IT WAS.THEY PULLED 9 2 SKI SKIERS, WE PULLED 11!! THAT WAS THE LAST SUMMER THE DONZI WAS THOUGHT OF AS JUST ANOTHER PRETTY BOAT WITH NO BALLS. BAREFOOTED BEHIND IT ALL THE TIME ! SOMETIMES THREE OF US AT A TIME!

[mphatc]

CORSICAN :cistineb: HOWDY FOLKS--HOW MANY CORSICANS WERE MADE AND THROUGH WHAT YEARS?

54 total, last boat belongs to oldred, Bill S.


IF I READ THE INFO RIGHT IT WAS 58 AND THEY WERE MADE UP UNTIL 1971

71 to the best of my knowledge is correct . . Bill??

HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO HAVE ONE PERFECTLY RESTORED INCLUDING FILLING EVERY VOID CRACK TRANSOM ECT.

I'm in the process presently with Hull C18-32 a 1969 302 H&M Corsican
I STILL HAVE THE 1969 2+3 THAT GRANNY GAVE THE FAMILY THE SUMMER OF 69. IT HAS BEEN REBUILT BUT NOT ORIGINAL.

Rebulit but not original , please elaborate . . and what is the hull number?

WE HAD A PULL OFF WITH THE SOUTHEND GANG WHO HAD A NEW CORRECT CRAFT SKIBOAT.OURS STLL HAD THE HOLMAN MOODY 289 OR 302 . I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ENGINE IT WAS.THEY PULLED 9 2 SKI SKIERS, WE PULLED 11!! THAT WAS THE LAST SUMMER THE DONZI WAS THOUGHT OF AS JUST ANOTHER PRETTY BOAT WITH NO BALLS. BAREFOOTED BEHIND IT ALL THE TIME ! SOMETIMES THREE OF US AT A TIME!

They are awesome, I agree, I searched 20 years to find mine!

MPHATC

[HEMPEROR]

GREENARIAL BLACK
MPAHTC--THANKS FOR THE INFO.
NOT ORIGINAL MEANS---BLOWN 350,(450HP+supposedly)BUT NO BIG DEAL---BENNETT TRIM TABS,LARGE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE NOSE DOWN AT VERY LOW SPEEDS---BRAVO ONE DRIVE---LATHAM STEERING--ACCELERATOR PEDAL,VERY NICE WHEN ONE GETS USED TO THEM!
ALL THESE THINGS ARE REALLY NICE ,ALTHOUGH EXCEPT FOR EXTRA ,SPEED THE BOAT IS NOT AS BALANCED AS IT WAS WHEN NEW. WHEN IT WAS ORIGINAL I COULD PULL THE ENTIRE BOAT OUT OF THE WATER AFTER THREE DEFTLY PLACED THROTTLE JAMS! I COULD ACTUALLY GET THE BOAT TO JUMP OUT OF THE WATER ,VOLVO OUTDRIVE AND ALL ON A GLASS FLAT DAY!! THE HOLMAN MOODY HAD SO MUCH TORQUE. I THINK THE HP WAS RATED AT 225 WITHH A TWO BARRELL AND 235 WITH A 4 BARRELL.
THE OTHER NEGATIVE OF my SET UP IS THAT WHILE THE LATHAM STEERING IS NICE,VERY SAFE ,AND DOES NOT GET BOTHERED BY TORQUE STEER,IT IS SLOW RESPONDING ON QUICK MOVES AND IS A REAL PITA (PAIN IN THE ASS) TO PARK.ORIGINAL IT COULD BE HANDLED WITH VERY LITTLE (1/2 TURN)FOR QUICK MANOUVERS, AND WAS SIMPLE TO PARK , INCLUDING BACKING UP.
THE LATHAM STEERING DOES GIVE A VERY POSITIVE AND ACCURATE STEERING SITUATION AT HIGH SPEEDS,ACTUALLY ANY SPEED BUT IT IS DEFINITELY MANY MORE TURNS LOCK TO LOCK, MAKING SLOWER SPEEDS MORE CHALLENGING AS WELL AS DOCKING.BUT....I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE BOAT SINCE 1969 SO...NO BIG DEAL.
UNFORTUNATELY THE HOLMAN MOODY WAS DUMPED INTO A DUMPSTER BY MISTAKE AND DISAPPEARED. BIG BUMMER!!
THE 350 IS NICE AND GETS ME TO ABOUT 75MPH BUT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY MORE TORQUE THAN THE HOLMAN MOODY. BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG THE 350 STILL GIVES THE VISITORS IN THE BAY SOME JOLLIES WHEN I STAND HER UP TALL DOING WHEELIES!!
WHEN I SAY THE BALANCE IS NOT AS GOOD AS ORIGINAL, ONE MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE ADJUSTABLE TRIM AS IT DOES NOW AND THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE THE TRIM WAS TO MOVE THE PIN AT THE OUTDRIVE INSTEAD OF WITH A BUTTON. IN OTHER WORDS ,I QUESS IT WAS ADJUSTABLE BUT NOT ON THE FLY, AND CERTAINLY NOT AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON!
AFTER 20 YEARS SEARCHING, WHAT DO YOU HAVE . I PRESUME AN 18 2+3 . IS IT ORIGINAL? MINE IS THE ORIGINAL YELLOW WITH GREEN RACING STRIPE(MAYBE NOT EXACTLY ,PERFECT SAME AS ORIGINAL YELLOW AND GREEN BUT ...SAME IDEA)
HOW ABOUT THE CORSICAN. ANY INFO ON THE COST TO GET ONE PERFECTLY REDONE. MINUS THE ENGINE?
THANKS,
THE HEMPEROR

[mphatc]

Originality . . and it's value???

We've discussed that on numerous restoration threads here . .

IMHO, chages to more modern mechanical components is OK and should not depreciate the value of a rare boat . . . the wooden boat people do it all the time!!

There have been alot of changes to yours . . and none of them are reversible!
I would stay with the Bravo I , but it sounds like your 350 was built for high HP power which always sacrifices torque . .

To bad the H&M stuff was discarded! But not all is lost as this stuff can still be bought used with some searching.

Presently my Corsican hull # C18-32 is completely apart getting a mechanical refurbishment. A new 302 connected to a Bravo I . . with all the H&M goodies as I want to keep the Ford sound and have it looking original, but also improve performance by adding power trim.

Your comments on the steering being slow . . and the Latham set up ratio . .you should be able to improve this with a different helm unit, larger piece to reduce your turns lock to lock.

What are you running for a prop? Is it set up as a LH rotation ? What is the drive ratio?
Even with the change in power the boat should still be able to launch well if it's propped right. I can't see how the Bravo would effect a launch???

As to the costs of a restoration . . ask me when I'm done! It's more than I expected, but less than a new 18 Classic!

MPHATC

[Craig]

HEMPORER - Oh man, barefooting 3 at a time! That brings back "a" memory. Only had the opportunity to do that one time. We used to barefoot a lot and once me and 2 buddies that were also barefooters got up behind a (70's) Ski Nautique. One did deep water start, one started on a "hydro-slide" as we used to call all knee boards, and I stepped off of my slalom ski. That's the only way we could get it going, but the funny thing is each take off (just described) takes slightly different speeds at different times. Somehow we got it going. I think the hardest part was the deep water starter waiting for the knee board guy to get into position (some of us would get going on a knee board first (on knees), then shift and go from a sitting position while some just started sitting). I think the way it worked out was that the guy starting "deep water" was the best barefooter of the 3 of us and he was able to just ski on his butt pretty slow until the knee board guy got ready. I (from the slalom ski) could wait until the others were underway, then just step off. It was fun and 3 barefooters really get some attention. Poor guy in the middle had a 100' line while me and the other outside guy had 75' lines. Middle guy was getting sprayed pretty good until we pulled out farther!
Now I wanna go skiing!

Oh yeah, in the spirit of sticking to the topic, and in closing, Corsicans look cool. :jestera:
Actually skiing "was" part of the post...

[mphatc]

Well worth the OT!

Nice story!

Mphatc

[olredalert]

.......Just got back from the south and am just now getting on the board after almost a month.Sorry guys!Boy did I miss this place!
.......Yes there were only 54 Corsicans.Mine is serial number 54 and construction on it was started in late 75 and completed in early 76.52 and 53 were both built and completed in 1975proir to my boat,but I have no other info on them.Sure would like to.Dont really understand where that 58 number came from,but am sure I have the last one as prior owner talked to Allen at DONZI back when he was able and willing to access all the info they have.He is no longer at DONZI and no one else seems willing to do this anymore.Guess nobody there knows how much we here treasure this kind of stuff.
.......Number 54 also is the "only factory built" Mercruiser powered Corsican,as it came with the 280/TRS set-up just as Poodles X18 did when new.It is light blue and white,almost identical to Marios(MPHATCs)which he bought from me.54 led a very sheltered life. It seems to have started out life in Ohio,and then made it up to Detroit and into the hands of Ray Laetham(Ray Laetham Pontiac,Grosse Point,MI.).Then the young fella I bought it from got it and no one seems to have put many hours on her.
.......Dont know if anyone else has mentioned it,HEMPORER, but you should set aside the July weekend(check events section) we(MADCOW) are having our July DONZI meet on Laake St.Clair.Ill have my boat there and another guy local to Harsens Island will have his yellow 427 Holman-Moody/V-drive there as well.Hopefully we can talk Mario into buttoning up his boat and dragging it out as well.A Corsican reunion,,,,,,,,OH YES!..........Bill S

[mphatc]

Sorry Bill, I can't make it . .. to far at that time of year. Most every weekend has me scheduled for some race track event . .

Mario