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View Full Version : I need some objective input, my deal's going to $hit



gold-n-rod
05-09-2005, 05:13 PM
Sorry for all the drama here guys, but I need some cooler heads to guide my thinking here.

Background: I submitted an offer on a low hour (66) '03 16 Classic, loaded inc. V8 mpi, tabs, tab indicators, quick and quiet, windshield, Sony CD player and fire supression, all sitting on an '03 Loadmaster trailer. My offer was accepted.

Brad V. went over and looked the boat over and provided me with a very objective inspection of the boat, but since the marina was closed at the time, couldn't hear it run or check the compression.

I made arrangements to travel 600 miles (one way) to sea trial the boat this week. I have the financing arranged (check in hand) the insurance all set up and a travelling companion.

Here's the snag: The boat was advertised as having Z-Care warranty until 2008 (2003 model + 5 years = 2008). Turns out that the boat is a very early '03 model that went into service in July '02. It had its first owner for only 6 months. It changed hands and owner #2 had it until he traded it on a new Formula in late summer '04. According to Donzi (I verified) Z-care can only be transferred once. The hull warranty can be transferred (good thru '07) but no to Z-care.

Marina is apologetic and will refund my deposit, no problem. They will sell me an extended warranty, but do not feel obligated to pay it themselves because they've already "come down a lot on price."

Here are my choices:

1. Walk away and keep looking (this boat is exactly how I would order a new one, but I can't afford a new one). For all I know, they have another buyer lined up who is willing to either pay more or take it without the Z-care.
2. Take it without the warranty. (What's up with an '03 boat that's already been through 2 owners anyway?)
3. Take it and buy the aftermarket warranty.
4. Other?

I am sick about this turn of events and need to make a decision by tomorrow.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Randy

Cuda
05-09-2005, 05:48 PM
I wouldn't let the Z care keep me away if I wanted the boat.

Hotspare
05-09-2005, 06:05 PM
Randy ,,,,,,,,,
Just hold off a while ,,,,,, The boat's probably not going to sell that fast, and the price is going to come down ...... Wait for the price to come down enough to compensate the cost of an aftermarket warranty ...... Key, is getting what you want for the right price ......... I don't think that price is bad though, but it's what you agreeded to pay, including a warranty ..... As far as multiple owners ,,,,, If everything checks out ok, I wouldn't worry about it ............. These boats are not for everyone ......... Just my opinion .............. Good luck ..........

John W
05-09-2005, 06:38 PM
Randy ,,,,,,,,,
Just hold off a while ,,,,,, The boat's probably not going to sell that fast, and the price is going to come down ...... Wait for the price to come down enough to compensate the cost of an aftermarket warranty ...... Key, is getting what you want for the right price ......... I don't think that price is bad though, but it's what you agreeded to pay, including a warranty ..... As far as multiple owners ,,,,, If everything checks out ok, I wouldn't worry about it ............. These boats are not for everyone ......... Just my opinion .............. Good luck ..........

Randy,
I had an 04 16 classic with all those options, but the way it rode in the chesapeake bay, I traded in for a 22 and now am I happy. The extended warranties are way too expensive. If you want the boat hire a surveyor and survey the boat and have someone do an engine survey, oil analysis, etc. The price on the rig with the trailer is pretty good, I paid about 26k for a new one with the trailer. Try the dealer in Ohio, preferred power, Ask for Bobby, hell hook you up with etiher a new boat or find you a good used boat. i have bought two from him so far and no regrets, Plus I live in Maryland, the dealers here are just too expensive.
Hope this helps, Plus I think You ought to ride in the 16 with the big motor first, If I had I would have bought the 22 the first time.
No offense to any 16 owners!!!!
JW

gold-n-rod
05-09-2005, 07:03 PM
Randy,
I had an 04 16 classic with all those options, but the way it rode in the chesapeake bay, I traded in for a 22 and now am I happy. The extended warranties are way too expensive. If you want the boat hire a surveyor and survey the boat and have someone do an engine survey, oil analysis, etc. The price on the rig with the trailer is pretty good, I paid about 26k for a new one with the trailer. Try the dealer in Ohio, preferred power, Ask for Bobby, hell hook you up with etiher a new boat or find you a good used boat. i have bought two from him so far and no regrets, Plus I live in Maryland, the dealers here are just too expensive.
Hope this helps, Plus I think You ought to ride in the 16 with the big motor first, If I had I would have bought the 22 the first time.
No offense to any 16 owners!!!!
JW

John, what about the V8 16 did you not like? Was it only in the Bay that it was troubling? Or the general stern heavy feeling. Did your boat have tabs? Did it help?

I'm not looking for a big water boat. I need an inland water fun toy. This would be my second boat; I have a 24' cuddy for big water and big crowds.

I appreciate your input.

BUIZILLA
05-09-2005, 07:30 PM
Sooooooo,,

You DO have the check in hand..

You DO have a traveling mate....

You DID have the boat pre-inspected...

you ARE basically getting a new boat...

What the hell are you waiting for??

JH

Dr. Dan
05-09-2005, 07:35 PM
:bonk: I can't speak for your size needs...but I wouldn't walk away from the Boat if its what I wanted....only you can make that determination.

I never buy anything based on a Warranty, Implied or otherwise...I buy based on the Quality and Application...wheather its a Boat,Truck or whatever. You have to do Due Diligence...everything is Buyer Beware!

If its a sound Boat...buy it! I would come down...check it out and meet a surveyor there...if your that nervous about it. :wavey:

As to multiple owners, in a short time frame...I would bet they felt it was too small for there "Real Needs or Application"...nothing more!

But ya don't know until ye see it, drive it yourself. :bonk:

Good Luck!

Doc :biggrin.:

John W
05-09-2005, 09:30 PM
I am just suggesting that the 16 is a river or Lake boat. I however got tired of running up and down the Severn river because the wind was blowing 10-15 knots and the happy speed for the 16 was 40 mph. The conditions of the Bay warrented a bigger boat, so I traded it. It had 24 hours on it when i traded it. You will however need to get a turbo propeller 22 pitch , The stock prop will get in to the rev alarm, unlkess one of the previous owners did that for you. I am beginning to think each one of the Donzi classics has its on charateristics. I think taht if you are running on a lake or river you should be fine andf have great fun, The bay with a 3 foot close chop, beat my kidneys in to submiison. My 22 however is great and perfect for my use, i think the 18 would have been great as well but the 22 was on the trailer and ready to go.
You owe your self a sea trial , if you like do the survey, at 66 hours and problems I think would have shown themselves.
Ride , survey it and then Buy it.
JW

gold-n-rod
05-10-2005, 06:46 AM
Thanks for the input, guys. Here's my current leanings after sleeping on it.

I really like the boat and the price. As I mentioned, this is exactly how I would spec out a new one.

If the boat is a nice one, the warranty issue may be a moot point. There's no way for me to assess that without seeing and running it.

Since my travel plans are already in place and my father is also looking forward to the road trip, we are going to proceed with the plan to view and run the boat.

Although a more thorough survey may be in order, I am going to have to rely on my experience and instincts. Nothing says we have to tow it home. If it doesn't look or feel right, I'll take my deposit and return home empty-handed. Thanks to Brad V., I have a good idea what I'll find when I get there, so it really shakes down to how she runs and performs.

I'll keep you posted. We're leaving tomorrow am.

Fish boy
05-10-2005, 07:24 AM
Glad to hear it. Post some pics of your new ride when you get back. COngrats man!!:beer:

fish

McGary911
05-10-2005, 11:46 AM
I wouldn't sweat the 2 owner thing. How many on this board have made the move 16 > 18 > 22. For some people the 16 is merely testing the waters....just enough to make them want to take it to the next level.

The Zcare would certainly be nice, but if it's the boat you want, I'd be tempted to go for it. There has been more than one thread (here, and in other places) explaining some of the difficulties folks have had getting their boats properly repaired under Zcare.....Good luck. It's fun when you get this close to getting the Donzi you've always wanted.

Rootsy
05-10-2005, 12:03 PM
I am the second owner of my 16... i am sure it came with z-care, maybe, who knows... i knew nothing about it when i bought it in 2000. I never had a need for it as in stock form they are pretty rugged honestly.

now just wait until you think you want to run oh 65 then 70 then 75... warranty means zilch zero nada... and it won't be long before you get that urge... :beer:

JR

18FOOTER
05-10-2005, 12:23 PM
I'm in the car business and see this type of agony frequently on car deals. My own and customers. If it's everything you want, happy with the price and ready. Do it! If you cancel and can't duplicate the deal, you'll be agonizing a lot more than you are now.

Last Tango
05-10-2005, 01:20 PM
By now you have purchased your boat. Do not look backwards. Aftermarket warranties are nice but not critical as most of them don't really cover the niggly stuff you would hope to have covered. I purchased my first Donzi in February 2000. A beautiful Classic 16. Six months later I traded it in and took delivery of a brand new 2001 Classic 18. Was there anything wrong with the 16? Not one thing, except I wanted more speed than the 55MPH that the 190HP V6 could do. It was a beautiful boat. It had Z-Care which was transferrable one time.
I have kept the 18 for 5 years now. No desire to trade up to a Classic 22. Along the way, I also acquired a 2000 Z3250 that I loved, but proved to be way more than I could handle maintenance and money-wise. I was the second owner of that boat. The first owner put a total of 60 hours on the engines. I put another 80 hours on them in two years. The generator had about 600 hours... I sold it after 2 years. Twin big blocks and half a dozen auxilliary systems just were too rich for my wallet. I was glad I had kept my 18 during that time, and still have it.
I have had problems with my 18 that were seldom related to warrenty issues. None of the problems have been hull or deck. All were just electrical stuff on the engine. Nothing internal or drive-related.
Buy your boat...
Love your boat...
Expect to have problems from time to time... it's a boat.
Keep the boat as long as you enjoy it, then move on.
A 16 or an 18 can be towed by the same mid-size truck or SUV. A step up to a 22 requires a step up in towing power at the same time.

gold-n-rod
05-13-2005, 11:05 AM
OK, I'm home. The 16 is parked in my driveway.

I was able to negotiate a reasonable arrangement with the dealer for a one year extended service contract. Hopefully, this will be enough to cover any unpleasant surprises that crop up the first year.

It was a 12 hour tow home. Man, do I have a sore butt!!!!

Pics this weekend.

PS: Don't ask me what I learned about towing with the cockpit cover on. :bawling:

Rootsy
05-13-2005, 11:10 AM
OK, I'm home. The 16 is parked in my driveway.

I was able to negotiate a reasonable arrangement with the dealer for a one year extended service contract. Hopefully, this will be enough to cover any unpleasant surprises that crop up the first year.

It was a 12 hour tow home. Man, do I have a sore butt!!!!

Pics this weekend.

PS: Don't ask me what I learned about towing with the cockpit cover on. :bawling:

you learned that you have to turn around a lot to go get it... and that the back seat cushions really like to come out of the boat at about 70 or so...

replace the male snaps that are screwed into the boat and have the cover resewn to take out any stretch and it should stay on well...

JR

McGary911
05-13-2005, 11:27 AM
Congrats! It's a pretty good feeling picking up a new (for you) Donzi. Looking forward to the pics. I dont know if the cockpit cover experience is better or worse than towing 500 miles only to realize your truck's rear was leaking the slow way.....talk about hard to get off the hull! :bawling:

RedDog
05-13-2005, 12:40 PM
put some of these snaps (both male and female) on and it will help - http://canvasdealer.com/snap_fasteners_pullthedot.asp

gold-n-rod
05-13-2005, 12:46 PM
you learned that you have to turn around a lot to go get it... and that the back seat cushions really like to come out of the boat at about 70 or so...

replace the male snaps that are screwed into the boat and have the cover resewn to take out any stretch and it should stay on well...

JR

Well, it was in the middle of the noon rush on I95 outside DC. There was no going back. Somewhere, there's a trucker trying to find out how a big ole piece of red canvas got caught in his radiator.

We were smart enough to take the cushions out for the remainder of the trip. I'll make sure the NEW cover has proper snappage.