Critter #15(?) found!

[Ryan23]

And if all goes well, this basketcase may very well become mine :D She is VERY, VERY rough. However I cannot idly stand by while it rots away on a trailer. Mandy and I stumbled across it a few weeks ago by accident. I glanced at it, did a double take, and was like..."WTF? Is that a Criterion!?" Sure enough, HIN reads DMR... Aside from my Spitfire, this is my second favorite Donzi (to include the Criterion II which is THE hotness).

Looks like she was built in 79' and if I chip away a bit more paint I'm pretty sure it will be a production sequence of 15. She is buried in the weeds, hasn't been in water for two years. Apparently a transom seal got replaced, it leaked, and it almost sank. The boat was then shelved. I'm working out the specifics but I may be able to pick it up for a song. Looks pretty original although it has a bit of paint on it ;) Boy is it rough though. I poked around a little bit with the owners permission. Stringers appear intact along with the transom. Hatch has a crack. Motor is a Mercury 454 with a TRS drive. However, I'm certainly no marine surveyor. We'll see.

Look away if these kinda pictures turn your stomach :D

Pics in no particular order. Sorry for the quality, it was getting dark:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scoobywrx/donzi/critter1.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scoobywrx/donzi/critter2.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scoobywrx/donzi/critter3.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scoobywrx/donzi/critter4.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scoobywrx/donzi/critter5.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scoobywrx/donzi/critter6.jpg



Ryan


P.S. The windshield is there, it was just too dark to see it.

[Dredgeking]

i dig it.

[gcarter]

If it's any consolation, it's in better shape than my Minx was.
Just imagine you're only buying a hull.

[BUIZILLA]

the steering wheel is on backwards........

but that's the least of your problems :cool:

[Pismo]

Doesn't look like the original TRS drive. Doesn't look like a TRS.

[BigGrizzly]

REyan, if you need to see an origional to copy your welcom to come down to my house and take all the pictures etc. It looks like a trs to me. This is the base modle and looks like no one has scerewed it up too bad. Mine has all the lights and rally dash. Yours and Jim's are sisters. His is as close to new as possible. I'm someone who can appreciate the boat is going to save it. This is the boat that I always wanted but didn't know it untill I got it. Props should be there today.

[BUIZILLA]

Mine has the optional rally dash, depth finder, gauges, and power hatch switches

this is a very basic setup, that someone has added the thru hulls later on, several of the Critter's were origiannl built with thru prop exhaust

JH

[Ryan23]

I wondered about the dash as it did look kinda "plain" compared to some of the pictures I've seen on the board. The hatch on this one isn't powered (although it may have been at one time). It has a stanchion with a "J" shaped groove that holds the hatch up once it's lifted. Kind of an odd arrangement but maybe it was put in when the hydraulics gave out? I have no idea what the interior color scheme was although it looks like it may have been white with a blue boot stripe on the outside. It's currently gray. No "Donzi" or "Criterion" decals on either side either.

Ryan

[Pismo]

This is what a TRS looks like, a big boxy top end. Maybe you'll get lucky and someone has already upgraded to a Bravo. They sure did not put those black end caps on the trim ram bolts in 1979, something has changed.

[seano]

it looks like a bravo drive to me...

[Ryan23]

It could very well be a Bravo. I based my ASSumption on the fact that Criterions came with them, it was black, and it didn't say Alpha or Bravo on it :tongue:

The engine was a black Merc 454 (carb'd), maybe it was repowered at some point? Or did these boats come with that powerplant (Mercury) from Donzi?

Ryan

[ITTLFLI]

That appears to be a Bravo drive(at least the one in the pic).

[McGary911]

WOW, great find. Hopefully, you'll soon be a member of the exclusive Crit' Club :yes:

Looks like a lot of work but will be well worthwile. Many of these boats came with the 330 hp \ 454 big block mated to the TRS, so you may have the original engine there.

I'll bet they turned around the steering wheel to get a bit more thigh room, as it can be pretty tight in the drivers seat if you're a big person.

Keep us posted, and good luck......

[BigGrizzly]

my drive had the black end caps on it and I'm the third owner. Drive hasd not been rebult untill i got it. Ryan drop everything and go look!

[seano]

i'm with griz...'git 'er done man...

[Ryan23]

my drive had the black end caps on it and I'm the third owner. Drive hasd not been rebult untill i got it. Ryan drop everything and go look!

Well, I'm currently pulling off one of my "questionable" Volvos for a "less questionable" 280 that I picked up for the Spitfire. I replaced the other drive last month and seems to be running great so far. Oil is nice and clean and she spins quietly. At the current rate I've been able to find them in the used market, I could replace 10 Volvos for the price of one Bravo :) Now if I could just get trim we'd be golden...

I'd also like to attach these shiny new props while I'm at it so we can get out on the water this weekend :p. Maybe I'll get a chance to get some more pics of the Crit next week.

Ryan