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View Full Version : Might go look at this '69 16...any advice?



SurfGreenTele
12-03-2006, 10:57 PM
http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/0/7/86794907.htm

May not be worth the asking price, but it's pretty close to where I live, so I may go take a look. Any tips on what to check out on it? What's the deal with only 3 clam shell vents? I found an old ad for it on usedboats.com, which had 2 larger pics, which I'm attaching...

Formula Jr
12-04-2006, 04:32 AM
Since the added vent looks like the new style pergo, adding another shouldn't be to big a problem. But the four will not match. Its probably a late dated 1968, in which case it had two vents. The added "blower vent" IS kind of funny, as is having the original vents both facing foreward. The boat has been painted, so, buyer beware - look for glass repair work. There is nothing here that proves it is actually a "real" Donzi. With a strong four barrel 351 with thru exhaust this should be a fairly fast 16, faster than a new one. It should at least do 60. The ad does say it was restored. That can mean many things. If the gas tank was replaced and maybe the deck recored or the stringers reworked, this may be a good find with a little work, another vent and some period decals to get it back to some sense of trim. It might not be a collectable, but its a runner.
If the seller doesn't know anything about the boat then their price should reflect that. The ad has that quality about it - no provinance. The seller will tell you more about the boat, than the boat will. The wrap around handholds, and what I'm seeing, says its a real, vintage 68-69 Donzi thats been faired and repainted.

jl1962
12-04-2006, 06:04 AM
Looks like a reasonable entry level 16' and/or candidate for further restoration.

Bring a flashlight and look for a hull #. Should be on the back of the dash or up on the inside of the stem where the bow ring is glassed/bolted in.

Does it have an interior? Has the tank been replaced? The trailer looks a little shaky. If the drive and engine are solid - make a bid. If any of the above is suspect, 7K is too high. If the boat needs paint, an interior, engine work, drive work, a trailer, gauges and a new tank - RUN AWAY. You would be much better served buying a boat like the '68 v-drive barrelback which likely needs nothing and where the owner almost certainly has way more into it than the asking price.

Remember, new boats depreciate (like crazy), old boats are ongoing projects that are either capital intensive ($$$$), or labor intensive - which one do you have a lot of?

Also know (and it's been discussed at length) that 16's are really lake boats - if you are running on bigger water, you might want a bigger boat.

A little over six months to the Dust-off!
JL

Rootsy
12-04-2006, 09:34 AM
Thinking this boat is a bit older than a 69... If anyone is seriously interested in this boat it is right in Matty's back yard, within a few miles of him anyway... I'm sure he wouldnt mind looking at it for someone... toss him a line if interested mnmveth@optonline.net

SurfGreenTele
12-04-2006, 11:31 AM
Thanks a lot fellas. :cool:

I do have a relative who is an experienced painter, so I'm not too worried about the finish, as long as the hull is solid. I know 1 or 2 people that are experienced with hulls that I might be able to bring along. I'll also drop Matty a line. Yeah, I definitely won't bother making an offer it if it needs major work to be a good runner and looker.

Tony
12-04-2006, 08:59 PM
Looks like a reasonable entry level 16' and/or candidate for further restoration.

Bring a flashlight and look for a hull #. Should be on the back of the dash or up on the inside of the stem where the bow ring is glassed/bolted in.

Does it have an interior? Has the tank been replaced? The trailer looks a little shaky. If the drive and engine are solid - make a bid. If any of the above is suspect, 7K is too high. If the boat needs paint, an interior, engine work, drive work, a trailer, gauges and a new tank - RUN AWAY. You would be much better served buying a boat like the '68 v-drive barrelback which likely needs nothing and where the owner almost certainly has way more into it than the asking price.

Remember, new boats depreciate (like crazy), old boats are ongoing projects that are either capital intensive ($$$$), or labor intensive - which one do you have a lot of?

Also know (and it's been discussed at length) that 16's are really lake boats - if you are running on bigger water, you might want a bigger boat.

A little over six months to the Dust-off!
JL




Jay, it looks like you are officially fully consumed by Donzi-itis...congratulations!


:beer:

BERTRAM BOY
12-04-2006, 09:05 PM
Why does it have a right hand prop with a port side helm? Looks like a Volvo ultra prop.......

MOP
12-04-2006, 09:46 PM
Cliff caught the same thing wrong rotation and no tabs, must lay on its side at speed. Bring a 1/2 dollar with you to tap the stringers, deck and transom in and out, should sound nice and sharp any dull sounding areas are suspect for rot! 7k does seem a bit tall price wise but it may turn out to be decent.

Phil

SurfGreenTele
12-04-2006, 10:26 PM
So a new prop would be needed/desirable, eh?

jl1962
12-05-2006, 05:59 AM
Jay, it looks like you are officially fully consumed by Donzi-itis...congratulations!
:beer:
Thanks Tony. Must be contagious, the guy I bought the boat from had a real bad case!

BERTRAM BOY
12-05-2006, 04:59 PM
I'm thinkin' that boat is probably a '65. Look at the way the 3 bolts form a triangle on either side of the drive. That's consistant with an Eaton drive.

gold-n-rod
12-05-2006, 07:29 PM
Thanks Tony. Must be contagious, the guy I bought the boat from had a real bad case!

Oh yeah, he's a real certifiable nut case. And his wife, too!!!!!!!!!!

SurfGreenTele
12-06-2006, 12:31 AM
I'm thinkin' that boat is probably a '65. Look at the way the 3 bolts form a triangle on either side of the drive. That's consistant with an Eaton drive.

Very interesting, thanks for spotting that!

BERTRAM BOY
12-06-2006, 09:20 AM
If this boat is as old as I think it is, it's most likely going to have coring issues. If it's been stored inside most of it's life, you may get off easy. Mine had to have ALL of it's coring replaced. Back then they never sealed any drilled holes, and used cross-grain balsa rather than the more desirable end-grain balsa that is used today.

End-grain balsa keeps moisture localized to a small area should moisture enter the balsa. Cross-grain allows moisture to "wick" throughout the balsa.

SurfGreenTele
12-06-2006, 04:09 PM
Yeah, I'm thinking this boat is probably over my head if it needs too much work right off the bat, unless the seller will go really low on the price.

Formula Jr
12-06-2006, 10:02 PM
GOOD CALL CLIFF! The unrepaired Eaton bolts point that it was a lazy update.
That calls into question the degree to which it was "restored." Anal, which is a good thing in restoration, isn't being exhibited with this boat and the right spin prop says there wasn't much thinking going on here or that money was a big issue - painted by a cheap auto paint shop or what ever. These things take it out of the collectable relm, and put it in the runner relm. 7K is way too high for this with a trash trailer. So offer four K, "As if" you were to offer four K, and be ready to be entertained by the response. The strong motor is the selling point here. If you are ever afraid that someone will outbid you, then SGT you are in trouble. The right boat to meet your purse and requirements will show up eventually. It always does. The internet did something neat that we "old people" are not use to, you don't have to shop locally any more. And there is community to transport this stuff across county. Even if its in several legs.
State what you want - in reason. We can probably find it and with some validation tell you it is a fair price.

BERTRAM BOY
12-07-2006, 07:49 AM
I'm not condemning the boat, I'm just saying what I would expect to find in a 40-41 year old boat with cross-grain balsa. Like I said, if it been stored inside and well cared for it may be okay. It's DEFINETLY worth investigating.

SurfGreenTele
12-07-2006, 12:13 PM
GOOD CALL CLIFF! The unrepaired Eaton bolts point that it was a lazy update.
That calls into question the degree to which it was "restored." Anal, which is a good thing in restoration, isn't being exhibited with this boat and the right spin prop says there wasn't much thinking going on here or that money was a big issue - painted by a cheap auto paint shop or what ever. These things take it out of the collectable relm, and put it in the runner relm. 7K is way too high for this with a trash trailer. So offer four K, "As if" you were to offer four K, and be ready to be entertained by the response. The strong motor is the selling point here. If you are ever afraid that someone will outbid you, then SGT you are in trouble. The right boat to meet your purse and requirements will show up eventually. It always does. The internet did something neat that we "old people" are not use to, you don't have to shop locally any more. And there is community to transport this stuff across county. Even if its in several legs.
State what you want - in reason. We can probably find it and with some validation tell you it is a fair price.

Yeah, I'm definitely taking my time to wait for the right boat. And I always keep in mind that it's a lot easier to buy a boat than sell one. :) Once I get in touch with the seller, I should be able to look at it this weekend, and give you guys a report. Hopefully Matty will be able to meet up as well.

SurfGreenTele
12-07-2006, 08:48 PM
A bit of an update, I spoke with the seller on the phone today. He's out of town this weekend, so I won't be checking it out til next weekend.

He didn't seem to buy it when I told him it's probably older, like a '65, but I didn't go into details about that on the phone. He's owned it for about 10 years and claims the hull and deck are solid. The previous owner had a fire in the engine compartment, so he (the current owner) did some work on the rear end - new stringers, re-cored the rear deck, re-glassed the compartment. He says it's strong, but I guess an up close inspection will be the only way to tell what kind of job he did. He also had a new aluminum tank built. Color was originally maroon. Driver's seat is original with maroon piping. As for the rear/side seats, he only has the bottom cushions, not the backs. He also said that if I was serious after the first look, he would be willing to de-winterize it and run it on the lake.

Tony
12-07-2006, 10:02 PM
...he would be willing to de-winterize it and run it on the lake.


BRRRR.
Make sure you leave your float plan with local authorities...


:beer:

Formula Jr
12-07-2006, 10:40 PM
fire? !!! pass.... run... we are done here....
:wink:

SurfGreenTele
12-08-2006, 12:21 AM
BRRRR.
Make sure you leave your float plan with local authorities...
:beer:

I don't think I'd even chance it anyway. It's possible he meant starting it up, not actually dropping it in water, although I doubt he would de-winterize just for that. The conversation was brief, so I didn't get as many details as I'd have liked to.

SurfGreenTele
12-08-2006, 12:25 AM
fire? !!! pass.... run... we are done here....
:wink:

Haha, I saw that coming! :D And of course I did cringe when he told me that.

But I'm still curious to look at it. It's an easy drive over there at least.

SurfGreenTele
12-08-2006, 11:41 PM
Although I still would like to check this boat out...I'm starting to think that a 16 like this would be a wiser (more reliable/safer :bonk: ) choice for myself: http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.-php?t=46914

I run on a smaller lake (3 miles long/half mile wide) with a speed limit of 30 anyway, heh. :tongue: Of course the old Donzis do have that mojo, and ideally I'd like V8 power and thru hull exhaust...but maybe I could swap in a small block down the road, when the bank account catches up. :wrench: