Potential Triple hatch project

[Petee390]

Ok, I know many of have done a project like this. I would like your opinions on what kind of dollars it will take to restore this one. I will be doing much of the work myself. I understand that the level of restoration has a direct correlation to the dollars. I would like to end up with a reliable, quick, and good looking boat. Oh, and does any one know the boat.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-Classic-18-Donzi-2-3-/190410143458?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Power_Motorboats&hash=item2c555436e2

[HOWARD O]

Ok, I know many of have done a project like this. I would like your opinions on what kind of dollars it will take to restore this one. I will be doing much of the work myself. I understand that the level of restoration has a direct correlation to the dollars. I would like to end up with a reliable, quick, and good looking boat. Oh, and does any one know the boat.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967-Classic-18-Donzi-2-3-/190410143458?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Power_Motorboats&hash=item2c555436e2

Wow, that's a screamin' deal on that boat. Looks like it's all there except for the original exhaust manifolds. Needs a new tank anyway, great time to restore while you have the lid off. Re-plating the hardware can get pretty steep nowadays, go through the engine, paint job....etc. I don't know, maybe you can get it done for under 10 grand and have a respectable boat if you do a lot of work yourself. I'd want to keep a boat like that original as possible, but you might decide to repower, so you'd have to add that and another drive to the cost. Upholstery looks good to go, that's a savings right there.

Anyway, really cool boat and at that price, I'd be careful of someone doing the "buy it now" out from under you! Keep us posted!

[BubbleBee]

I can get you into my donzi for close to the buy it now if not the buy it now.

[penbroke]

That boat has been around here before. A bit of searching might dig up some more info...


Frank

[Scott Pearson]

Just to do the fuel tank the right way will be $1500.00 at least. Then once you get that far you have opened a can of worms. If you did all the work yourself and di it nice I would say $20,000.00 + to do the restoration.

[HOWARD O]

Just to do the fuel tank the right way will be $1500.00 at least. Then once you get that far you have opened a can of worms. If you did all the work yourself and di it nice I would say $20,000.00 + to do the restoration.

Wow, that's a lot of money, Scott. It can still be plenty "nice" without all that money, don't you think? While I admire them a lot, not every restoration has to be an absolute museum showpiece like the ones you've done. Personally, I think a simple restoration, with your own labor if you're handy, can still make it at least as nice as it was from the factory to begin with. Provided the hull and such are fairly sound to begin with. If the deck has soft spots, transom rot or whatever, that would be a big can of worms.

Just my opinion speaking from experience of restoring my brother's 16. Granted it was years ago, but it needed a lot of work including rotted balsa on the deck. But we completely did it over, including bodywork, upholstery, lots of rechroming, lots of glasswork, complete paintwork (not gel), etc. and it was still around 10 grand. Yes, it would be probably 50% more today, but it needed more work than this 18 probably does, just from looking at the photos anyway. And the 16 still looks NIIIICE too.

[rustnrot]

Just to do the fuel tank the right way will be $1500.00 at least. Then once you get that far you have opened a can of worms. If you did all the work yourself and di it nice I would say $20,000.00 + to do the restoration.

I'm with Scott 1000% here if you do it 100% right. In fact, I need to make an internet app. You enter in your boat purchase price, then hit submit. It simply adds $20k.

[gcarter]

What Scott and Tom said.
There's no end to it.

It's just like old cars, ya need to buy the best boat you can to start with.
Unless you look at it as "making payments" and do all the work yourself on a piecemeal basis as you have the money and time.

But what would I know about that?

[rustnrot]

In my case, I want the worst example to start with so hopefully can get it for a few hundred bucks. For example, I'd go for this if I could get it as a bare hull for a grand or less. It costs the same to replace totally rotten stringers than partially rotten stringers (I would not replace just the damaged section).

When done, I'd have $21k in it but a like new barrelback that has a nice vintage look that would probably sell for only $15k in today's market.

Because I will replace or rebuild nearly everything (about the only thing left after teardown will be a few layers of glass making up the shape of the hull).

If you can live with a regular style Classic 18, get one a few years old and go boating for around $10k-15k.

[Petee390]

Gone, I hope one of you picked it up. Thanks for the input. My uneducated guess was $20000 to restore it. I willing to spend that. But it doesen't account for my hard work. Learned my lesson in my early 20s on a 67' Murcury Cougar XR7. Never did get my money out of it, but it was a fun project.

Scott

[Just Say N20]

As someone neck deep in a 1967 Ski-Sporter rebuild, I would say the $12,000 - $15,000 numbers are pretty darn accurate. I'm playing in that neighborhood and not done yet.

[flying tomato]

I did a 95% complete restoration on my 84 Donzi Hornet. Total number was 12K (Included 500 on trailer parts). New gas tank, complete rebuild of engine, interior completely new. All new guages, controls, cables, stereo. Had to replace the transmission. Had to do major work to the outdrive due to corrosion. Fixed weak spots in the floor and some exterior fiberglass work. The only thing that isn't perfect is the gelcoat (its a little faded, but not bad)

When I was all said and done, I did put another 3.5K into the motor to bump it up to over 500hp.

This boat sank in Hurricane Ike in late 2008. Bought it cheap--total numbers above include the purchase price.

The internet is awesome. It allows you to find hard to find parts, and it also allows you to shop around for the best price. Many of the needed parts for my project were bought on the internet on sites like ebay. Also many sites have diagrams for repair purposes. I also bought some parts for mine on this site.

[gcarter]

The Minx I sold 3+ years ago had over $24K in it including the purchase price of $4K and no labor counted, and not counting $3K for a new trailer which I was able to barter for.
I paid too much for the boat originally, and I know more now than I did then.

I don't know where I am on the TR project. I need to get a handle on that.
The original purchase price was $11.5K. I think I'm already over $20K.
But of course I've regelled the entire boat too.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

On a little more positive note, I added up about $12,500 for the restoration of my old 1971 18' Donzi which includes the $4250 purchase price. The only thing I have left to do is to raise the boat again and paint the bottom of the hull and get around to painting the trailer. The engine/drive components and upholstery work can eat up some serious money, but if you do all the work yourself it is not so expensive. Bill

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52903&highlight=1971+started

[glashole]

Just to do the fuel tank the right way will be $1500.00 at least. Then once you get that far you have opened a can of worms. If you did all the work yourself and di it nice I would say $20,000.00 + to do the restoration.

same as anything else

if you want to built it better than DONZI did originally like Scott does it will cost money
if you want to jimmy rig the thing together to "make it work fine" then put whatever number you want in there and be suprised later

trust me that you don't get into a restoration to end up with a cheap boat

if you want a cheap boat jump on one of the ones for sale on the board here and have fun

it will; save money in the long run

[Bobby D]

Boat was listed here and I looked at it while on vacation in Ocean City N.J. 2 or 3 years ago. It was shrink wrapped and the owner was reluctant to open it up all the way so did not get a good look. It was sitting on the red eagle trailer (see picture #3) and was not thru hull exhaust.