1987 Minx for Sale

[VetteLT193]

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/3/0/81624930.htm

Anyone know this boat? it looks good, and the price seems to be right. I dropped them an email yesterday but haven't heard back yet. I will try calling today sometime but would rather be informed if this is known to be a bad hull or ?

There was a thread posted here in 2004 about a boat in the same general area that people though fell off a trailer... it didn't reference the year or color though...

Anyone have the breakdown on how many minx's were built in each year (and by color even?)

Thanks for any help!

[Cuda]

I think the general number is 159, but there may have been a couple more. I don't know of any breakdowns by colors.

[DAULEY]

its been forsale for a long time
i would have it surveyed

[VetteLT193]

Thanks for the feedback so far...

I'm trying to get into the Donzi world... my brother has a 22 classic (it is on Donzi's web site under the poker run area, the red/white one with candy striped interior: http://www.donzimarine.com/DonziWebsite/Site/PokerRuns/PR3.html )

not sure if anyone knows of him or his boat, but he has had it for years and he tells me if I get a donzi I'll never sell it :)

[Cuda]

not sure if anyone knows of him or his boat, but he has had it for years and he tells me if I get a donzi I'll never sell it :)
Only to get another Donzi, and that's only if you don't have the room to add to the fleet. :)

[VetteLT193]

Only to get another Donzi, and that's only if you don't have the room to add to the fleet. :)

Nice looking pair :biggrin:

[gcarter]

You have to be so careful buying a mid '80's Donzi. There are inherent structural problems with all of them unless these problems have already been addressed.
Read the first four or five pages of this post and you'll see what I mean.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36703

IMHO, really good (very low hours and stored inside) unrestored Minx's are only worth $10K-$14K. And there are VERY few of those. All the rest (most all of them) are only worth $5K-$8K, with a trailer and running. Most owners get upside down with these boats compared to the market, i.e., they all need structural work and they all need new fuel tanks.
If you're interested in production numbers, take a look at this;

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39260

[Cuda]

You have to be so careful buying a mid '80's Donzi. There are inherent structural problems with all of them unless these problems have already been addressed.
Read the first four or five pages of this post and you'll see what I mean.
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=36703
IMHO, really good (very low hours and stored inside) unrestored Minx's are only worth $10K-$14K. And there are VERY few of those. All the rest (most all of them) are only worth $5K-$8K, with a trailer and running. Most owners get upside down with these boats compared to the market, i.e., they all need structural work and they all need new fuel tanks.
If you're interested in production numbers, take a look at this;
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39260
That doesn't just pertain to Donzis, or Minx's in particular. It's very easy to get upside down in any boat. That why new one's cost so much; they are worth it! :)

[SS18]

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/3/0/81624930.htm
Anyone know this boat? it looks good, and the price seems to be right. I dropped them an email yesterday but haven't heard back yet. I will try calling today sometime but would rather be informed if this is known to be a bad hull or ?
There was a thread posted here in 2004 about a boat in the same general area that people though fell off a trailer... it didn't reference the year or color though...
Anyone have the breakdown on how many minx's were built in each year (and by color even?)
Thanks for any help!

Boat trader says add is expired?

[BUIZILLA]

You have to be so careful buying a mid '80's Donzi. There are inherent structural problems with all of them unless these problems have already been addressed.
they all need structural work and they all need new fuel tanks.FWIW, I find this tidbit of information to be so false, as to defy reality. Both of my '87s are/were EXCELLENT quality boats, and NEITHER exhibit anything related to what I read above. My 18 has about 330 hours now without a single crack or flaw, it's 100% original. My Minx had 220 hours and was equally solid and 100% original. Thats a combined 550 hours on two samples, with a combined 36, yes 36 years of use, without one problem, not including my Criterion which is 26 years old and over 400 hours, so thats makes it 66 hull years and 950 hours of documented experience, just for me. Just because one person had to lift one deck, off one boat, doesn't make the other 160 Minx hulls, 29 Criterions, 400+ 18's, and countless others, total pieces of ****. Implying that ALL Donzi hulls made in the 80's need structural or fuel tank work, IMO, is reckless and inaccurate information, and somewhat insulting to owners herein, and a hull builders family, whom are also members here... i'm sorry George, thats just how I honestly feel.

Damn proud DONZI owner.

Jim

[gcarter]

Well Jim, you are a fastidious buyer of boats and do not fall for the average bargain. All your examples have been among the very finest that exist. I know this because one of them now lives about two miles from my house and I'm very familiar with it.
Using the Minx as an example, it has averaged about 11 hours a year over its lifetime, and if I remember correctly, it came from NH, or somewhere nearby, so it was probably kept inside for much of every year of its life.
However, if these boats aren't carefully cared for, they do suffer in the two areas that I and a number of others, like CDMA in his website, have carefully noted.
Most boats were never intended to last for 20 years of use without exceptional precautions being taken. After all, these were production boats, albeit, expensive ones. They had to be built, like every production boat, with the bottom line foremost in mind, I think Bud would agree with this statement. Some shortcuts are inevitable.
IMO, the two shortcomings of Donzis of this era are;
1) The cockpit floor sits on four small matt wrapped spacers which left the rear seat cantilevered over empty space. Eventually the floor bowed down under heavy load and it slammed into the stringers, causing cracks, mostly cosmetic at first but would eventually allow rot in the core. Ask Trueser. I think I came up with a structural solution that should last 50 years without any further concern.
2) The original gas tanks supplied from the forerunner of RDS, weren't protected in any way. You know what happens to them.

If I would say anything else, it's caveat emptor.
Know what to look for.
Inspect carefully.
Don't overpay.

P.S.
Jim, I hope your not insinuating, that because I stated that 20 year old Donzis aren't perfecr that I don't love my boat. I must have 1500 hours of labor in it. In fact, I would rather work on it than use it.

[BUIZILLA]

George, you used the the word ALL, which imply's each and every example. Thats just not true that EVERY hull in the 80's, requires structure and tank work.... in fact, very few ever needed anything at all, except maybe some Z products, which did have some shortfalls. The Classic line has performed great, through all of the ownerships, considering the amount built. Just because one neglected and unmaintained Minx needed massive work, doesn't mean that ALL of the different products that DONZI built in the 80's do. In fact, of the 5,000+ members on this board and 160 Minx's built, yours is the ONLY one that has shown massive public restoration. That means that less than 0.625% of Minx production has so far required your extent of public repairs. Way less than 1%... Thats not a bad record in my book.

You did a nice job with yours, but that doesn't mean that everyone elses Donzi faces the same pitfalls and expectations. If you have 1500 hours, and your time is worth $50/hr then you have $75,000 of time invested not including parts and purchase, which means you have $100,000 invested in your purported $14,000 value. I don't have that much $$$/time in my 18, Critter and 302 Scarab packages COMBINED.

JH

[gcarter]

Well again Jim, yours are pretty good examples of the models you mentioned.
But let me name a few others that HAVE shown the same problems;
CDMA's 22 on his website.
Trueser's 22
Cuda's 22
The minx for sale that erroniously claimed to have Kevlar in it.
There are other Minx owners who have contacted me personally with pictures that showed the same problems.
Mine is far from the only one. Perhaps only myself, CDMA, and Trueser are the only ones who have admitedly done anything about it.

And yeah, it's kind of dumb to invest $18K and 1500 hours into something that obviously isn't worth that much, but it's a lot of fun and I've REALLY enjoyed it.
I guess I'll just have to keep it.

[gcarter]

Let me show you an example;
This picture is from the post about Kevlar. If you look carefully at the seat back at floor level, you'll see the floor sitting on the stringer. In fact, look again and you'll notice the floor is indented about 1/4" from contact with the stringer.
Originally, there was about 1/2" clearance ABOVE the stringer (the thickness of the mat wrapped spacer lying between the stringer and floor about 6"-8" towards the bow from this view).
This is EXACTLY the way my Minx looked. In fact I posted some pictures early on showing the same issues.

[Lenny]

There was a thread posted here in 2004 about a boat in the same general area that people though fell off a trailer... it didn't reference the year or color though...


Vette, the boat that fell off the trailer was a Hornet III, mostly blue with white, not this one, not even the same hull. No worries about it being THAT one. Also, that happened about three or more years ago, and re-surfaced 1-1/2 years once again through "posts". The post you know. Nope, not that boat.

I have had no "build" issues as of yet either. They are what they are. This is not a Z06 Vette, this is a 1-5-10-20-30-40 year old boat that loves big water and crazy people and still hosts an unchanged hullform.

It lives up to the chore well...better than any other...no worries

[Lenny]

Err, correct. I edited it. Thanx

[VetteLT193]

I like getting negative responses too... I fully understand that every 80's Donzi isn't going to have problems...

My brother's 22 (1987) had over 1000 hours on the original engine and drive. I enphasize had because he is now in the midst of going to engine number 4, with many more than 1000 hours on the original hull. He redid the interior, and had it awlgripped by choice to make it easier to clean and maintain... upgraded the gauges by choice too, mostly for looks. the boat spent most of it's life in the ocean, and the pic I linked to earlier is in the middle of a poker run. How bad can these boats be built if his has not only passed the test of time, but use?

I also understand going after anything mechanical from the mid-80's is probably going to have some sort of problems.... so, i take every experience as a single one, and like to look at the whole.

It looks like this minx is sold... anyone else know of any other 18-22 donzi's out there that are in the roughly $10k price range? I haven't found many, even with rather low expectations for condition:(

[onesubdrvr]

I like getting negative responses too... I fully understand that every 80's Donzi isn't going to have problems...
My brother's 22 (1987) had over 1000 hours on the original engine and drive. I enphasize had because he is now in the midst of going to engine number 4, with many more than 1000 hours on the original hull. He redid the interior, and had it awlgripped by choice to make it easier to clean and maintain... upgraded the gauges by choice too, mostly for looks. the boat spent most of it's life in the ocean, and the pic I linked to earlier is in the middle of a poker run. How bad can these boats be built if his has not only passed the test of time, but use?
I also understand going after anything mechanical from the mid-80's is probably going to have some sort of problems.... so, i take every experience as a single one, and like to look at the whole.
It looks like this minx is sold... anyone else know of any other 18-22 donzi's out there that are in the roughly $10k price range? I haven't found many, even with rather low expectations for condition:(
I've got a 21' Ragazza, 9k with power, 5k without :biggrin:

Wayne

[Dalelama]

I'll have to agree with Jim on this one.....
The 2 Minx I've been associated with (Cuda's & Kenny's) had NO tank or deck problems... some minute gel stress cracks... but no structural damage ANYWHERE!

My 16 & 18 were 70's boats.. so that might not apply to this discussion, but there weren't any problems there either... except reckless operation... I was prone to flying, and that was BEFORE getting a licence and airplane!

George.... great job on your boat, I wish I had the patience for the "frame off" resto.... but Kenny's boat is as far as I'll go unless it becomes necessary, as it did in your case.

[Surfer]

Just had to add my dime, I've got an 85, rebuilt it in 2000, original tank no problems, I also have a nack for flying, run the boat offshore a few times a week, not a crack to be seen, flawless bottom, no stringer problems, and I'm sure the hull has at least 3000 hours under my butt.

[JimG205]

My Minx had 283 hrs on the meter when I purchased it.The only flaw it had was the floor stress cracks that George mentioned-BUT-the deck,hull,stringers and gel are far superior to any other 20 yr old boat that's seen both salt and fresh water.My boat was and is a user,sure I'd like to do some mods such as new gauges,interior,tweak the engine a little.Bottom line is I love the LOOKS,RIDE,and the fact that it's a "DONZI".:jestera:

[MOP]

A boat is a boat! They all have some faults that may or may not be significant or to your liking. What I see with my fellow Donzites is, they for the most part they love and care for their boats far better then the rest of the pack. That in a nut shell sets their boats above most others in condition. Some must fess up to being a bit over anal, they rarely reap the rewards they deserve in $$$! But justifiably have massive bragging rights!

I love my Blue Beast even though it does not come close to many I have seen, we are and will continue to be a great bunch of guys with great boats!

P.S. If that Minx went for 10K someone got a steal!

M.O.P.