Donzi mystery outdrives

[picklefish]

Anybody seen this Donzi for sale on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2489216796&category=31271#ebayphotohosting ? It says the outdrives are alpha ones, but what's with the stop sign shaped transom assembly? It looks like the transom plate from the old Mercruiser II. What are those things?

[mattyboy]

volvo / merc transom adaptor plates I would imagine

[picklefish]

I've never heard of or seen adapter plates before. How do those work? If I want to put in a different outdrive instead of having to redo and recut the transom, then all I have to do is cut a bigger hole, bolt one of these on and then I'm set?

[mattyboy]

well the stop signs as you call them look to be the old volvo transom plates so he either did some voodoo engineering or there is an adaptor plate, bracket, whatever, to allow the alpha to use the volvo hole
but why???
sorry don't want to start the volvo alpha thingy :p
well atleast not now maybe a month from now

[Rich]

Got to www.outdrives.com/plates.html. They have transom adaptor plates for various manufacturers.

[Rootsy]

wow they even added nosecones to the ole alphas and swept the skegs... whooo wee...

[picklefish]

Rich, thanks for the web address-- I was going crazy trying to find transom adapters on Google. I was beginning to get nightmares about what I would do if I ever blew my Mercruiser II outdrive, even though with its six litre gear oil capicity and huge shafts and gears it will probably last forever-- now I know. I've redone stringers and a transom once before, about twenty-five years ago and was not looking forward to the prospect of maybe having to do another one. Besides I'm supposed to be rebuilding the house, not the boat and my wife would kill me. This opens a whole new world of old boats that I can now consider because I would never buy a boat that came with an OMC. The stupid set up they have with the little wheels with those rounded nubs that are supposed to be gear teeth instead of a u-joint are rediculous. And I'm sure that's just the start of problems that might be encountered. What were they thinking that Mercury had a patent on u-joints?

[Pismo]

Maybe it was old style OMC to Alpha, then very understandable.