PDA

View Full Version : New Project



Edel
01-17-2006, 01:13 PM
It is with great anticipation that I start a donzi fix it upper if you can use those terms.
I have inherited a what seems to be a donzi 1968 thereabout 16 whatever.
I have tried unsuccessfully to determine the hull number, but have more or less been able to confirm that the motor is a chevy V 8 1968, with a stringer stern drive.
Parts for the above are rare and hard to come by. However I will not be let down by this hurdle. Now befor anyone gets me wrong let me explain the major obstacle.....





Yes I am in Africa, South Africa to be exact. Do you honestly believe that anyone hers has ever heard of a Donzi:angryfire

I would therefore appreciate any help or information regarding this project.:crossfing

hardcrab
01-17-2006, 01:28 PM
it would be most helpful if you are able to post pictures, inside and out.
try to determine what areas need structural repair IE: stringers, transom and, top deck are prone to moisture damage. tap on stringers, ect. with a small ball peen hammer to detect soft areas .
all of this is do-able but a realistic and honest assessment is the best place to start

Morgan's Cloud
01-17-2006, 02:06 PM
Although it was'nt mandated that HIN's be put on US made boats untill the early -70's it seems as though a large number of members here have in fact found numbers on their late -60's boats. I'm sure you will get a few suggestions as to where to look.
I can confirm that my -66 has no number anywhere.
It's good to have another 'international member' around ... btw how much is your gas down there ? (make it fair ... quote in US$ per US gallon please :biggrin.: )
Steve

Rootsy
01-18-2006, 02:32 PM
backside of the dash on the passenger side... or the bow eye block which you'll see once the deck is off... take a good strong light and a wet towel under the dash with you when you look... if you wipe the glass down it helps to show what is written under it...

MOP
01-18-2006, 02:38 PM
By stringer drive you are talking OMC, got a hunch if it is that old it is electric shift:eek: Not sure what you want to budget on the project but a switch to a late drive will save you a lot of head aches. I know shipping times are long as are costs but it is worth some thought. Any glassed in wood deck or hull as mentioned above needs to be checked out and a pretty good chance it will need a fuel tank. The pains of a project be well offset by the grin you have when you run it.:smile: :smile: Also a hardy welcome to the Worldly Clan!

Phil

Edel
01-26-2006, 11:08 AM
Thanks Morgan's Cloud, Hardcrab, Rootsy and Mop:yes:
Your advice and replies are well appreciated. Firstly sorry about the long delay, but I am an accountant by trade:shocking: and it is year end.

However back to things more important:
I will post pictures within the next few days. Actually the boat is in quite good nick. I have redone the some of the wiring in the meantime. But having problems with the tilt motor. That has now been sent in and I should have it back by tomorrow. It is extremely difficult to remove the tilt motor without taking out the engine. I have done it though with the help of my son who I might add is a hell of alot smaller than me a can fit into some strange places.
Also quite a nightmare being in a country that mainly uses metric spanners and bolts. Morgan's Cloud we had a huge increase in the price of what you call gas, but it has come down now and is about $3.34 per gallon.

Anyway it is almost weekend and I need to start preping for the various repairs.
Again thanks for all the advice and help.:biggrin:

Will try and psot pictures by Sunday here. (have no idea what time it will be there.)

Morgan's Cloud
01-26-2006, 11:23 AM
* $3.34 a gallon * Is that all ? ? :biggrin.:
Look forward to the pictures .....

Edel
01-30-2006, 12:31 PM
Ok maybe not too bad however we are having a price increase on Wednesday of about 3 US cents per litre. I suppose not much over there. Anyway back to things Donzi like. What a bitch living here. The clutch pack on the tilt cluttch has bombed out. I will however try and make a plan. About $400 repairs, transport to Africa is a killer. It is also quite a mission in finding parts but the best I can find is go2marine.com. Any other ideas.

Pictures as promised will follow hopefully by the week end.
I however seem to take a liking to Edelbrock carbs, beside the name can they be used on a boat.:smile:

Morgan's Cloud
01-30-2006, 01:03 PM
I had a friend who had a boat with an OMC engine package in his boat when we were kids.
Those electric shift units were a lot tougher than first anticipated. The only thing you have to be REALLY careful with is to make sure you NEVER go from FWD to REV (or vice versa) without pausing momentarily in the neutral detent. Failure to do so will cause the spring that coils around the gear drums to snap the 'tag' off of one end and you will end up loosing fwd or reverse.. depending on which way you threw the shift lever too quickly.
The tilt clutch is an easy fix when the right parts show up. Also make sure that your unit is in the full down position before running under load. I have seen a few where the clutch was so tight that the owners inadvertantly ran with the unit slightly tilted up, When the ' ball knuckle' joint on the trans assembly does'nt mate perfectly it is'nt long before it makes the 'knuckles' look like hibiscus petals .. ask me how I know these things :biggrin:
The 90 degree steering angle is really nice in tight quarters too.
Take my word .. the parts issue is a nightmare to every boat owner who does'nt live in the US.
After a while you become an expert as sourcing and importing !
Steve
ps / Keep a supply of shear pins for the prop too .

Edel
04-05-2006, 11:51 AM
Well it has been some time now. The project has come on just fine. The only problems left are the tilt clutch mechanism and the steering. We started her fine even went out and tried some skiing. This was briefly successful until the damn steering went. Now the tilt clutch kit is not too sound either.
I will post pictures as soon as I can.

Please understand we are on African time here. By the way how is go2marine as a supplier?

Later guys:cool:

Rootsy
04-05-2006, 12:19 PM
i would really like some photos of the stringer drive setup in the boat... REALLY i would... please... :beer: