22 Classic ride quality and performance w/350MPI

[Mr. Demeanor]

Hello everyone! Just registered and some of you may know me from the other boards. I just sold my 26' Liberator and not having a boat is killing me.I found a 1999 22' Donzi Classic 350MPI/Bravo showing 42 hours for $19K. Seems like a good deal from what I found on the Boat Trader. No trailer. The boat needs a good scrubbing and the red stripe up the deck and hatch is faded but it I think it will buff out. Interior is dirty but undamaged.
1. How do these boats ride? I see the transom is rounded at the bottom which would seem to hurt the ride.
2. What kind of performance with the 350mpi?
3. Whats an aluminum trailer going to cost?
4. Is it a fairly re=sellable boat?

Any info good bad or indifferent is appreciated. Ride quality is important as I have a fused spine. I know its a 22' boat but some ride great. some dont. I need to know up front.

We just bought a house with a boat ramp a stone throw away but this is about as much boat as it would handle. I really like the styling as well. I would like to step up in the near future but this would get me out on the water from our community ramp.

[Mr. Demeanor]

How do they compare to 22 Scarabs. Prices seem close. Scarab looks a little bigger, Donzi looks cooler imo.

[boxy]

I've never rode in a 22 Scarab, but I have spent some time in a 19 Scarab, and the ride between the 18 2+3 and the 19 is like night and day, the 19 has a considerably shallower deadrise, and you feel it over every boat wake.
If you are looking for a softer ride, avoid the Scarab, and grab the 22 Donzi, if you need more speed, the 350 MPI is a good candidate for a ProCharger/Whipple type upgrade.

[Pismo]

Sounds like a great boat for a great price, lots of older 22s with more hours are asking mid $20ks so $19k seems great. Hopefully fresh water, even salt is a deal with so few hours. The ecu keeps track of hours independent of the hour meter if you think that may be inaccurate get a dealer to read the true hours if unsure. Trailer is $2-3k for a nice one, $500 for a bad one that works. I have always thought a small block and a Bravo drive is the perfect combo for the 22 so a 350mpi is great, would be perfect if you could work it to about 400-425hp, nice and light weight. A 383 worked to 450hp would be perfect. Think 60-65mph with this setup with a Mirage Plus type prop. A 310hp big block with a 23 mirage plus commonly goes 63-65mph so you are right here.

The rounded bottom is of course not as smooth as a complete vee but is not much noticeably worse. It makes the boat a little wobbly over 70mph usless you have hydr steering. A full vee will ride a little better but a 22 will ride better than a pad vee like a Velocity, or any modified vee. The ride is very good and with some minor driving skill it can be very smooth with never a jaring bang. It also planes very slow so you can go slow on rough days, esp with a small block which is 300lbs lighter. A solid heavyish feeling boat that still gets up and goes.

I would say the resale market is fairly active if reasonably priced. Lots of thr higher priced ones sit on boattrader for months and months. The clean ones go fast.


Jump on it and enjoy...


What color, where is it listed so we can take a looks?

Cheers
SL

[MOP]

I am a Mouse motor man go for it and what they said!

MOP

[RedDog]

Damn - I'm wanting to replace my 502 with a SB! No, but I can see the benefits of a stout SB in a 22C. Light and quick!

[BUIZILLA]

Buy it, put on a Whipple supercharger, Stainless marine exhaust...

don't look back, the big block guys will be envious... wanna fry the big guys, get an IMCO shorty last on the list...

JH :boat:

[Rootsy]

:biggrin.:

[Mark Albers]

Mr D :wink:

I took a looked at that same Classic located in Sarsota
I would defintly check the hour meter against the engine computer
The red stripe might not buff out ???
Their was some oil in the engine compartment
(the 22 only comes with a cocpit cover)
Other then that hull is really straight
I bet you could get her for $18,000

Buy it !!!

Mark :cool:
Sarasota - - - W F O (close to the factory and far from a dream)

[MOP]

I see we got a :D out of Mouse Motor Man, I have been following both 22C threads intently. I think for the guy that is not chasing who ever is faster and never will be quite happy, a mildly juiced up SB may be perfect and make the boat a bit more spirited being a little more svelte. I am getting super antsy having a 22C sitting next to the house since last October :banghead: and not having ridden in it yet. Got my drive back today, have about an hours worth of incidentals :wrench: left them will fire it off tomorrow! Yeah Jamie you know I like the Wee Motors Too! My other MM is still short some minor stuff, but its on its way thanks to a nice Southern Gent!

Phil

[Mr. Demeanor]

Mark, thats the same boat alright. I noticed the same things. I took a good look at it today and Im guessing the hour meter is off. The place says they have a scan tool and will check it but I would want an independant reading. The sun has hit the red strip hard bt even if it doesnt buff, it could be painted reasonably. The hull looks good. The oil appears to be coming from the resevoir but I would check closer before buying.

[Pismo]

See

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?p=291589#post291589

[Mr. Demeanor]

Talked to the salesman. What an ass. I could go on but I will not buy a boat from someone who is blatantly lying to me. It wasnt the boat for me. I hung up after he told me the sludge in the bilge was from their mechanic who just changed the oil. Apparently they get the oil straight from the desert. Thank you all for your help. :cool!:

[MOP]

Had to dig this post back up!!!! Now that I have blown $300 bucks worth of gas through the 300 and had 10 days of all kinds of running quite a bit of hammer down the 22 with a small block is just plain Bitchen! My GPS shows 320+ miles of running up here, boat runs 60+ full fuel and Me, cheap as Doo Doo on fuel. This baby was a score and I am really glad I held out for a small block.

Phil

[Tony]

I don't seem to see many people using extension boxes on their Classics. I know that the Imco shorty raises the X, but doesn't an ext. box also raise the X an inch or so?

I remember an 18' for sale with an extension box and he said it really helped handling and performance. Would this work well behind a stout 350?

[blackhawk]

Tony, if I remember right, putting an extension box will actually have the same effect as lowering the drive 1". That's why a lot of companies offer boxes that will raise your X 2" so you have a net effect of a 1" higher X and your drive in much cleaner water. However, you do need to raise your motor 2" to use that box.

[blackhawk]

Scott, the Stellings box does have some adjustment but it's less than an inch unless they have changed it within the last year. Boxes like the IMCO that raise the X up 2" do require raising the engine 2".