Early 16 identification

[cutwater]

I've been trying to piece together what I've read about identifying early 16s without HINs. It's been stated that the first 40 didn't have clamshell deck vents and that only the first 25 had Eaton drives. Well, mine has 2 deck vents AND an Eaton drive. How should I go about making an educated guess as to production date and hull number?

Here, http://www.donzi.net/dlist/skisporter/ii.htm it says that deck vents were optional. Would this indicate mine is one of the first 25, but has the deck vent option? If not, I'll be really confused! I will check out the louvered vent this weekend to confirm that it is functional.

If anyone who has this type of info from word of mouth, like from Brownie, etc., PM it to me and I'll try to compile it into a coherent chart.

[Lenny]

Look behind the dash for black felt pen indicating some dates (behind guage cluster if they haven't cut it all away) , as well, on the inside of the bow eye wooden chock on the inside of the hull but that will require cutting it away and peeling off the glass. After that,... ??? it is anyones guess, BUT, it is old... and GOOD

:)

[BERTRAM BOY]

It's possible that the clamshell vents were added later.

[Rodger]

I bought my 1966 16' in 1978. It is an Eaton drive with no deck vents. It just has the louvered intake vent and the discharge vent surrounding the rear white light. I spoke with Roy Farmer, who at the time was plant manager at Donzi, he said the boat is within the first 100. I don't know if he was implying that about 100 were built this way or if he was just generalizing to indicate the boat is early.

[BERTRAM BOY]

Brownie is the one who told me that the first 25 had Eaton drives.

Rodger, Do you know what years Roy Farmer worked at Donzi?

[Rootsy]

here is a 66 triple hatch with the SAME vents... there is no hull number on this boat as the owner had the deck off for a tank replacement and could find nothing anywhere... this boat was purchased brand new in 1966 by the current owner... ie a one owner boat... I have posted a photo of this boat here before taken when it was fairly new and it had this vent on it then... 4 of them to be exact.. so i am SURE they are not replacements...

[cutwater]

The louvered vent is functional, and there are no markings behind the dash that I could see. At some point I will go deck-off since the deck is soft and I also need to replace the fuel tank, so I guess I can check the bow eye chock at that time.

Yes, those are the exact deck vents I have.

[Sweet little 16]

at that early stage they were building roughly 125 + hulls a year , word was that the first ones where white with colored stripes and they were popping them at warp speed plus take into account that the volvo badge eatons ( the 200 ) drive didn't debut until 66 or so there were 200 + hulls done by then

[Formula Jr]

http://www.donzi.net/cat/cat66/pix/Magazine4.gif

Do you see any clamshell vents on this boat? I don't.

At some point in 66, somebody must have looked at the original vent system and said "this isn't going to work." Particularly since you have an ignition source , the stern light, right where it shouldn't be.

There were probably boats in the '66 production line that already had the rear vent hole cut.

I'm going to make an educated guess that the Venting System transition to Clam shells and the Stern Light being moved to a pole are related.

Rememeber that in 1967, we have the first of the Clam Shells with "Donzi" cast into them.

On this boat, the Clam Shell vents don't make any sense since it has the functioning Louver vent and register vent.

Also, regardless of what people recall about when these boats first had the Clam Shells, I can't find any original press photos which can be dated that show Clam Shell Vents on '64 and '65 Donzi 16s. There aren't any on the '66 reviewed in the article above. Which has a drive that looks very similar to your Eaton Series 16. The article says that the Volvo 110 is also an option. But not the one that was tested in the article.
The boat in the article has a 165 Interceptor (marinized ford engine block.) The engine, if original, might have the dates you are looking for.

[cutwater]

take into account that the volvo badge eatons ( the 200 ) drive didn't debut until 66 or so there were 200 + hulls done by then

Mine has an Eaton Series Sixteen drive. Is this the same as the Volvo 200 Eatons? I have seen info on the Eaton Interceptor but never an Eaton Series Sixteen.

[cutwater]

Regarding the Vents.
From 64 to early 66, the boats don't necessarily have to have any of the clam shell vents. They must have been optional. Venting was thru the rear seat and a rather large stainless louvered vent in the rear deck, just above the transom. One side of this vent is usually ducted to a blower.

In 65 to 68, the standard seems to be two, opposing direction clam shell vents (Port open to bow/ Starboard open to stern), the rear seat vent and the louvered rear deck vent.

Hey Jr. -
I had found some of your write-ups in old posts and it was really helpful. Is this info still current? Meaning basically that starting in '66 the two deck vents are standard, while before that they were optional?

What's confusing to me is that Brownie said all of the early models had white hulls. But this boat in the ad with no deck vents appears to be early and has a colored hull. Also, the boat that claims to possibly be Hull No. 1 (owned by Benny?) is a solid blue hull with white stripe and an Eaton drive. Does this confuse anyone else? :confused:

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=38255&highlight=benny&page=2

[Formula Jr]

What gets confusing is that everyone has their own criteria for what may or may not be factual. Verbal history, even if the source is deeply respected, is sometimes at odds with boats that are known to exist and photographic history that can be dated.

Both statements, by Mr. Farmer and Mr. Brown can be true, if they are read correctly. The first 25 16s may have only had Eatons. The first 100 16s may have only had white gel coats and colored stripes. This doesn't pin down a date of a boat. A later boat could have had an eaton or be white with a colored stripe.
But it can lead to a re-examination of a boat claimed to be completely original and of the very first produced. What we are trying the establish is what is the latest that your boat could possibly be and then work back.
It can be a 66, but it can't be a '67. Now we are working back from '66 and will need to find something that could make it a '65.

[cutwater]

Great point. I have spent most of my time browsing Chris Crafts where they kept detailed hull cards and equipment lists for every boat that went out the door. I sometimes forget that Donzi started as a small company making cutting-edge hi perf boats, and in a way I guess the mystique of the early years adds to the Donzi legend. Oh well, at least this should give me something to work on until I can start the restoration.

[BERTRAM BOY]

[QUOTE=Formula Jr;412931
Rememeber that in 1967, we have the first of the Clam Shells with "Donzi" cast into them.

[/QUOTE]


Owen,
Where did you see clam shell vents with Donzi cast into them on a '67?

I've only seen them on '72 Models.

[Formula Jr]

Good catch Cliff!
I may have been caught in my own error of observation.
Satan's Chariot '67 had the Donzi imprinted vents. I assumed everything on that boat was original when I saw it in '74. Some one had two years to put those on if they were only done in '72.

Back to Cutwater's boat, the '64 catalog only talks about "wonder white" gel coat with accents. If your boat is Red Gel, its not a '64.

Can't be a '67 cause the venting had changed by then.

'65 or '66. '65 looks like the first introduction some time late that year where colored gel was used on the 16. So even with out the Hull number we can probably get it down to a window of a year and a few months.

The info from TomRon in the "first Donzi" thread might hold the key to your boat if you can get a number off the drive.

I never noticed the two bow lights before. Figured someone added one to yours, but there it is in the original Lit! Two bow lights......

[BigGrizzly]

First that drive ended in 1965 and was never on q 1966 Donzi. As for the vents they were the first ornament for a owner to change, so using them for identification is never accurate. No one would change back to the old drive, too much trouble. So just say it is a early 1965 and have done.

[Formula Jr]

Is Cutwater's boat painted or is it gel coat?


In evidence from Tomron:

"Hull number 16-55 is ordered March 24, 1965 and delivered April 21, 1965. This boat is white with a blue stripe and midnight blue trim, tinted windshield. Ford Interceptor 165 HP, Engine # GT90L5244626 (this is a Ford 260, same as Mustang 1964 ½ ) Eaton drive # 33093CA16L47.
Sold to: Ohio Valley Yacht Sales, Louisville, Kentucky
Delivered to: Picked up by dealer at Donzi plant in Miami Beach (this boat went to KY)
First Owner: Frank B. Thompson, Jr. Louisville, KY

Hull number 16-136 is ordered July 6, 1965 and delivered July 21, 1965. Order # 199.
This boat is white with a red stripe and red trim, tinted windshield. Ford Interceptor 165 HP, Engine # GT90L526036 (this is a Ford 260, same as Mustang 1964 ½ ) Eaton drive # 34008CA16L47.
Sold to: Ohio Valley Yacht Sales, Louisville, Kentucky
Delivered to: Raymond’s Marine. Jeffersonville, Indiana.
First Owner: S. Paul Jones. Louisville, KY
Second Owner: Me

Hull number 16-145 is ordered July 6, 1965 and delivered July 21, 1965. Order # 198.
This boat is white with a green stripe and green trim, tinted windshield. Ford Interceptor 165 HP, Engine # GT90L526031 (this is a Ford 260, same as Mustang 1964 ½ ) Eaton drive # 33998CA16L47.
Sold to: Ohio Valley Yacht Sales, Louisville, Kentucky
Delivered to: Raymond’s Marine. Jeffersonville, Indiana.
First Owner: ??? Louisville, KY"


Note that all these boats are "white with...." some kind of color trim. Right up to July 6th, 1965. I find that very interesting that all three follow the white base gel coat. What's the number build of the first color gel coat 16? Do we know?

[Rodger]

First that drive ended in 1965 and was never on q 1966 Donzi. As for the vents they were the first ornament for a owner to change, so using them for identification is never accurate. No one would change back to the old drive, too much trouble. So just say it is a early 1965 and have done.


My 1966 16' had that Series 16 drive and I know of 2 other 66's that also have the Series 16 drive.

[Rodger]

[QUOTE=BERTRAM BOY;
Rodger, Do you know what years Roy Farmer worked at Donzi?[/QUOTE]

No I don't know when Roy Farmer started with Donzi. All I know is that the Chisholm brothers hired him and he left when the Genth era took over.

[Rootsy]

No I don't know when Roy Farmer started with Donzi. All I know is that the Chisholm brothers hired him and he left when the Staples era took over.

here let me correct this for you so as not to confuse those who may not know that Genth didn't own jack squat at Donzi... :)


Owen,

67 16's used an entirely different steering wheel than 65, 66, 68's and so on...

[BigGrizzly]

Our 1966 hull number 306 is baby blue gel coat hull with a white deck with a baby blue gel stripe. We still have it and it has not needed restoration at this oint. Wwe bough it new in 1966.

[Rootsy]

Our 1966 hull number 306 is baby blue gel coat hull with a white deck with a baby blue gel stripe. We still have it and it has not needed restoration at this oint. Wwe bough it new in 1966.

I;'ve never seen any photos of your 16... toss some my way if you get a chance eh. Any documentation you have that you got with the boat when purchased new, any chance of a scan of that stuff????

[cutwater]

I;'ve never seen any photos of your 16... toss some my way if you get a chance eh. Any documentation you have that you got with the boat when purchased new, any chance of a scan of that stuff????

Yeah. What Rootsy said!

[Peter Sobran]

I am curious to know how many 1966 boats came through with the backing/mounting block for the through hull coolant pick up. The Eaton drive needed this as there wasn't a pick up on it. Donzi kept putting these redundant items in for a period of time after the drive switch. They are located to the left of the keel under the motor.

[Formula Jr]

Starboard, of the keel? My 66 FJ had that and the water pickup as it was also originally Eaton. Air chisled the whole shebang out and reglassed the hole.
Picked up about 1 mph.

:boat:

[Sweet little 16]

I am curious to know how many 1966 boats came through with the backing/mounting block for the through hull coolant pick up. The Eaton drive needed this as there wasn't a pick up on it. Donzi kept putting these redundant items in for a period of time after the drive switch. They are located to the left of the keel under the motor.

i would bet all of them, seen it on a few 67 and a few 68

[BERTRAM BOY]

I am curious to know how many 1966 boats came through with the backing/mounting block for the through hull coolant pick up. The Eaton drive needed this as there wasn't a pick up on it. Donzi kept putting these redundant items in for a period of time after the drive switch. They are located to the left of the keel under the motor.



My raw water pickup is on the port side as well. It originally had an Eaton.

[1234rob]

hi !! my 66 16' had a eaton and the water pickup and the clam shell air brethers and the air vent. my numbers are 1/4/66x17 my boat had a 289 shelby engine. the flags on the boat, USA and British flag on the side. the boat was off white with a red stripe and a red interior but the hole boat was white. so can you tell me what number boat i have????? i think it is the 17th boat bilt but i do not know??
my e-mail is robbielumbra@gmail.com
thanks if you can tell me about my boat. robbie/1234rob

[jl1962]

Robbie-
Sounds like an early one......post some pictures!
JL
:cool:

[mattyboy]

Robbie,

yes pics would help any numbers on the motor or outdrive will also help. Where did those numbers come from?

the numbers you posted don't really fall into the 16 numbering scheme but that could mean a couple of things.

1. the numbers were given to the boat when someone tried to register it. These numbers may have come off an old registration or could have been made up right at the DMV counter. They have no correlation to the actual hull number. pre hin 16s have the number 16 in them also a production number but not a date.

2. The other possibility is the numbers make it a cobalt. Cobalt made a very well built "splash" of the 16. I believe their model was marketed as a 17 footer.
You might think that would be bad news but not so the Cobalts were very limited production and are now harder to find then the Donzi 16.
The cobalt copy was very hard to tell apart they came rigged just like the donzi. The biggest give away would be the original paint scheme on the cobalt. They performed just as well as the 16

again pics would help
us find out more about your boat.
:)

[mattyboy]

Robbie,

just saw in another thread you got those numbers off the trailer. They have nothing to do with the hull number of the boat .

now you have to grab the flashlight. Crawl up under the deck and look at the bow eye backing plate and the backside of the dash :)

[BobinCovington]

Resurrecting an old thread here...this is interesting stuff. Just to add in more, my hull number is 16-226 and it is a green gelcoat boat - with white stripe. Purchased new by my dad in Southern California. Still have his 1966 registration with hull # in a small frame mounted just in front of rear seat.