Wynn Mill II Replica Race Boat from Formula Jr. Hull

[rustnrot]

Recently I have attended some vintage race boat venues. It occurred to me there is probably no real or replica Wyn Mill II out there, certainly none I have seen at any venues I have attended. If there is, I'd sure like to hear about it.

Anyway, the Formula Jr. hull is virtually identical to the Wyn Mill hull.

If anyone has any knowledge of the original Wyn Mill, pictures, plans, etc. please post here.

Thanks!

[Formula Jr]

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39227&highlight=Wyn-Mil


here's one of your earlier posts that still has all the pics.

I've also thought along the same lines since I have to do a stringer replace and in doing so, I'm fairly sure that the deck is going to get damaged. It was 5200-ed all along the deck hull joint in a previous restoration and I'll probably have to cut the deck off. When I put it back on, the idea of making a Wyn-Mil II replica is very tempting. I'd cut out the side bench and flip it over to reglass to the tub/sole for a 2+3 arrangement and move the helm to starboard. You will notice that you already have all the hard to make corners to put it all back together for the rear bench. I would glass the deck to the hull from the inside all the way around. But I'd have to then cut out the walls and bottom of the tub for access. Then I would grind down/off the lip overhang of the deck, fill and fare it and completely get rid of the rubrail. This would be a serious alteration to the boat, and I'm not sure how well it would hold together with this type of interior glasswork. A real replica, of course, would be wood. I asked on eBay a bunch of times for the original plans. I don't think anyone reads the wanted section of eBay. You'll note that the cockpit of the Wyn-mil II is much smaller and slightly further back than the JRs.

[rustnrot]

As you probably have seen my other projects, mating a wood deck to a glass hull is no problem. That is the only way I would do this project, to me would be easier to start the top deck from scratch rather reuse anything off the original deck with the possible exception of the "barrelback" portions of the top deck.

This would be a replica in the same vein as the Gar Wood speedster replicas I built....those were a glass hull with a wood deck on top only with the addition of mahogany planks glued to the glass hull on the sides also. In my opinion, a replica does NOT have to be of original construction but should appear relatively original. Others opine differently, some use "reproduction" or "re-creation". Right or wrong, I simply use the term "replica"for a non-original recreation.

Personally I would rather have a glass hull based replica than a wood hull....

[Formula Jr]

I looked at the pics of the Norway boat you provided and very quickly broke at least one of the ten commandments!

[rustnrot]

Innocently enough, I typed-in "Wynn-Mill" into the Search on donzi.net just now and came up with this old thread (I swear I typed it in before...but I never saw this thread).

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=26334&highlight=wynn-mill

Anyway, in this thread it was stated by screen name "warren" that:

"I went back and found the artical in the (Feb 1967 Boating) magazine the article was (The Embarrising Donzi) At the end of the aticle was an address to order plans for $50.00 I was wrong about the $350.00. The address was to Jim Wynne at Hydro Mechanical Development Inc.
I still have the plans and article. I will try to scann and post the article. the plans are faded and warn."

We now have the plans although it is not clear to me if they came from this fellow or not (I got my copy from GEOO).

Anyway, the main reason for this post is does anybody have the article in the Feb. 1967 Boating that is mentioned? If not, I found a place that has that issue for sale on the web and will buy it looking for that elusive article if no one seems to have it (or I may get lucky on the microfiche at my local library)...

[tigweld]

Does any one have any idea of the performance of this boat? What horsepower, and speeds were they running??????

[rustnrot]

I just attached a .pdf from 1962. According to this which I found on the internet, Wyn-Mill had 100 hp. I was pretty sure it did NOT have a V8, so I'm guessing just a 4 cyl. although could have been a straight 6 I guess.....

[tigweld]

Wow, only 100hp, I guess mabby upper 40s?

[skunkie]

my father from "norway" had a 350 chevy emgine in it...
he sold the boat but it stayed in the family...and its never going to to leeve it..
now my brother`s got it but i still want some info on the history oround it iff any1 knows...
pardon my frensch but school sucked:cool:

[Formula Jr]

I really need to see this article, The Feb 67 "embarrassing donzi."

I've looked all over for it. Even the Seattle Library doesn't have it. If anyone has this, Please, Please do a scan and put it up here. Or if you don't have a scanner, you can send it to me and I'll scan it and send it back on my dime, to and back.

PM for address.

[wooden donzi]

I know this tread is probally dead, but I noticed that someone asked about the 60's Boat article "The Embarrassing Donzi". I have a copy of the article and can foward it to anyone that needs it.

It was written by Edward Nabb, my father. The boat was passed down to me and I have finally been able to restore it (allthough with a 4.3 Gxi volvo).

If anyone is interested let me know. I think we have the plans for it floating around somewhere. If not dimentions could be taken from my boat. The boat builder that did the repairs said others could be made fairly easily, just not necessarly cheaply.

With the volvo race tuned motor (not the 100 hp, more like 150) Black Magic (the Embarrasing Donzi) could do anout 45 MPH. With a 170/270 drive inline 6 it could get to 50. With the Gxi it gets to 56 trimmed all the way down before it chine walks like crazy. Probally could do 60 if the trim could be raised without chine walking.

[wooden donzi]

Here is the article my dad wrote. Is this what you are looking for?

[jl1962]

Cool piece you got there!
Thanks for posting the pix and the article.
JL

[cutwater]

Wooden Donzi - That is great! The plans should be documented for posterity.

Did you keep the original Volvo race tuned block even though it's not in the boat?

[wooden donzi]

Unfortunatly the engine and rest of the drive was scrapped some time ago. The boat ran is salt water all of its life and the block and head was eaten away beyond repair. If I remember correctly it even ate a hole in the head. In the early 70's the inline 6 170/270 found its way in the boat and my dad and half brother never really looked back.

With the 4 cylinder race motor the boat was apparently difficult to use for water skiing or any other slow speed operation, since it had so much cam and so little low end power. The block was pretty close to stock but the head had what appeared to be tubes for the ports that were cast into the head. I guess this was done to get a smoother flow through the port, and was not unheard of in race motors of the time. The engine also had a fairly aggressive cam and dual side draft carbs (solex I think). The exhaust was also built for that motor, and eventually failed and after it could no longer be patched became an issue to replace (I think it was hand fabricated in the first place). The propellers had to be ordered and built for that application since the output was well beyond what a normal early volvo unit was made for (Dad and older half brother would break props after a season or two of use). The 170/270 ended their greif and the current sx is bulletproof.

Here is the builder who repaired the boat with some pics of the repairs. http://www.choptankboatworks.com/haroldruarkrestoration.html

I will hunt for the plans next time I am home. They are very similar to the Wynn mill plans I found on this site, my dad and the builder just squared of the transom to make it easier to build.

[rustnrot]

Wow, this is absolutely fabulous! And I really like your father's writing! I never did do this project, i.e. old Formula Jr. hull into Wyn Mill race boat. I sold the bare hull years ago. I still have copies of the plans here somewhere but they are very, very hard to read.

Posting of the plans would be much appreciated!