Looking to buy a Sweet 16- Need help

[Donzinewbee]

Hey guys, sorry if im posting this in the wrong place. Im new here and it took me a while to realize that many posts on the for sale threads are generated by people that are not associated with the adds. I sorry for that.

Im looking for a sweet 16 for a good price that is in overal good shape. I dont mind doing some repairs to it but a complete retoration is probably too much for me to handle. So the boat needs to be well maintained. I live in atlanta so this boat is going to be used in lakes only.

Some things that I have picked up while reading on this forum is to watch out for the gas tank which i guess is located under the lid and cannot be replaced unleass to remove the lid.

Also, is there a website that I can check Hull Numbers? I've seen many people request that. Or can somone teach me how to read the hull numbers?

I want to buy something as soon as possible so I can get it ready for this summer.

Thanks for any help!!!!

Alex

[John C in PA]

Hello Alex, I figured you would come around after the gentle hints about how to buy your Donzi from web links posted by guys here as a favor. Its obvious you need a Donzi fix real bad. I spent a lot of time reading the current and archived posts to bring my level of Donzi knowledge up to where I was somewhat knowledgeable about Donzi's in general and the Sweet 16 in particular.

I would recommend several paths to take at the same time since you appear to be interested in almost anything that comes up and we can't help you if we don't know what you really want):

try to determine what boat length you really want, 6 or 8 cylinder, carb or EFI or a blower, motor CID, outdrive make and model. Or OB if you want to join that crowd of rowdies :wink:.
what condition of the gelcoat will you accept (can you restore or will have to have it done-coupla $100 there). Can you repair a cracked stringer (cost me a coupla hundered for Jamie to repair one split stringer on mine).
Big Item: how far are you willing to drive to check out a boat? My Sweet 16 was a 10 hour tow from NC to PA. If you ask on this site, some close by guys would probably agree to give the rig a once over.
Do you want a cockpit cover? a rug? thru-hull exhaust? Tabs? My Donzi had none of these and it cost me a pretty penny to have these made.
Once you more or less figure these items out you can assign a dollar value to rug, cover, etc and add to how much you have to spend.
Then, be forewarned, as I was by the boys here, to be propared to spend another 20% for unknowns. I'm far beyond that and I haven't considered motor mods or another prop.
Finally, remember Google is your friend. So is Craigs List but there appears to be a lot of poorly written ads or ads that were sold and never pulled down.
Good luck. There's a lot of folks here willing to help you out (unless you also own a Bayliner, in which case get a lot of verbal abuse :shocking::shocking: )

John C

[Donzinewbee]

John, Thanks for the reply. You are right at first I was all over the place. I have been around boats all my life but this is the first time that im able to buy one for myself. I was born and raised in Miami, FL where you can imagine I have had my fair share of boat encounters. All my brothers have had boats, and my friends. So they are all trying to influence my purchase.
I fell in love with a sweet 16 I saw once. It had a supped up big block and it reminded me of a muscle car on water. At first I thought maybe the 16 would be to small. My friend even went so far as to call me big man in a little boat! But these guys are used to going out into the ocean and cruising in 3-5 feet waves. I’m going to use the boat at Lake Lanier to cruise and take my kid hydro sliding. Maybe skiing. for sure we will get an inner tube!!
My friend is concern with me getting an in board because he believes its easier with an outboard. That why im interested in the boat for sale in new jersey. But I don’t want to rule out an in board either.
Basically I want a boat I can spend $6k on and get a good working and good looking overall boat with decent trailer. I saw an add for a couple of great looking almost mint boats for under 10K so I don’t think im far off. This way I can spend 2k or so on things to make it better. Radio, check the motor, maybe replace some gauges. Minor repairs. I can get the boat painted and do the interior next winter to get it perfect.
I just don’t want to buy something that is going to become a black hole of problems and issues.
So I guess one of my questions would be; is the out board more reliable than the in board? Do Donzi die harder’s frown on the out board? If im going to join the club I want to buy the right equipment... Driving is not a problem, I would like to be able to almost make a final decision online first. That way when I do drive 10 hours its to pay the seller and drive home with the boat.
You are really nice to offer your help as you did. If everyone else on this forum is like you I have no doubt that I will get the help I need to make my decision.

[John C in PA]

Glad to help Alex. I bought my Sweet 16 this past September so this is all fresh in my mind. I've been a boat owner on and off for over 35 years but a Donzi was on my "bucket list" and I'm grateful for all the help I received specific to Donzi's from the other guys on this board.

John C

[dstew8]

where in GA do you live I am north of Atlanta give me a call 770 527 7576
Doug

[donzi racer]

Alex, you are going about your quest the right way. John C did a great job in getting you to think out your ideal boat & price range. For your purposes I agree that a 16 would be ideal for what you are trying to accomplish. For what you are looking into, & from many years of using different Donzi's I would let you know about 2 routes that should be right up your alley. I have had quite a few outboard 16 Baby Donzi's with from 115HP to 200HP. The 115 was definitely the most fun & reliable one we ever had. Best Ski boat I was ever behind. Pulled straight & true & would pull about as many skiers as you wanted. The trick to that hull is the hook in the back end of the V-hull. When the boat starts to come out of the water, the water catches the hook & forces the front of the boat downward & seems to put the boat on a plane extremely quick, which in other words puts your skiers, tubers, or kneeboard riders on top of the water pretty quick. So if you have decided that 16 is your size, now for the right 16 for your purposes. The 16 outboards can usually be lower priced than the I/O's. I have seen good 16 Baby's in the $4000 to $6000 range quite often in the last 12 months. You do not need 200 hp, you can do nicely with 115 to 135's. The main detriment to these little beauties is weight on the rear of the boat. The less weight the better the handling, a lot better. These boats are usually going to be 1971 to 1976 models & the gas tanks are something you must check on that old a model, along with the transom. If you blow a motor, it can be expensive to replace an outboard, but most of the outboards are quite durable thses days. If you pay less than 6k & keep them in good shape, it is usually always worth about that price.

Now for the I/O 16,s I have been quite suprised in the performance in the 1990 to 1996 16 with the 4.3 litre alpha drives. The difference from the 4.3 to the 5.0 is very very little in speed or overall performance & the 4.3's that we have had sipped gas instead of gulping. The top speed of the 4.3 propped out right is very close to 60 mph which normally exciting enough. The other good thing about this setup with the 4.3 is that if anything ever happens to the outdtrive, you can replace it with a new SE alpha style drive for $1195 & that comes with a 3 year waranty, as some may advise you to watch out for the OMC drives, they do not seem to bring as money as the alpha drives, but I believe that the same company that sells the outdrive I was describing also sells a converter to replace the cobra drive with an alpha. I believe they are $350. I personally have not heard of any trouble with the gas tanks on these model years also. I have seen quite a few of these 16's in the 1990 to 1996 models with the 4.3 motors for sale in what looks like pretty good shape, for $5500 to $8500. That seems to be pretty much in your budget. The older models of the I/O's can ruin a pocket book in a hurry as some of the owners of those models can attest. Personally I love the older models but for your purposes you should be much better with a newer model. Once again keep it in good shape & you should be able to get pretty close to what you paid for it when you get ready to go up to the 18 or 22 classic as most 1st time Donzi buyers usually do. I wish you great luck in your quest. Tom

[Donzinewbee]

Yes, i've changed my mind. I am now looking at the 18. I have seen a couple that are close to my price range so Im hoping one falls in my lap.

Thanks for all the help guys. Im looking at all the ones here and a couple Ive found on my own.
If anyone has an 18 that they want to sell or know of anyone that is selling one, please contact me. I dont have a huge budget but I will consider any of them.

Thanks again,

Alex
404-435-2270

[Rumblefish]

And the crowd goes silent...........

[flxwhaler]

I Need help. Like Donzinewbee, I am a newbe as well. I love the classic's. There is one I am looking at but need help in determining a "fair" price. Its a 1995 Classic 16 with a 4.3 liter Alpha1 outdrive. Silent choice exhaust. Trim Tabs. Gelcoat and upolstery is in good shape. I wouldnt say the boat is "mint" condition but it is in good shape. Stored (shrinkwrapped) outside. Boat has not been used for 3 years and has been "winterized" with RV solution and has a full tank of "treated" (3 year old) fuel. Boat has no saltwater exposure. Seller is Second owner. Trailer is a little rusty in spots but tires in good shape. NADA says $6,500 but he is asking nearly double that. Again, I am not looking to steal this boat and yet I dont want to get taken. Fair for both parties. You guys are the experts. I know there are many variables, but any help in terms of what would be considered a "fair" price for both parties would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
-Whaler

[Donzi Vol]

Whaler,

Welcome to the board and good luck on the search. First off, you need to see how the boat in question runs. If it's warm in your neck of the woods then fire it up. If not, wait a little bit and then check it out. That's the only way you'll know if the boat is worth $13k. As for NADA, it's not a good tool for Donzi's. It's usually way out of line, as Donzi's don't depreciate as quickly as other boats simply because of their quality build and obvious following.

Whatever you do, get that gas out of the tank! Treated or not, if it's 3 years old, it's time for it to go to the lawn mower.

Lastly, you might want to start a new thread in the same section on here. It's really easy to do, and it will keep Alex on track with his find.

All the best,
David

[donzi racer]

Whaler, a hearty welcome to the Donzi world as well. It is a great obsession. The size, motor, & year of this Donzi is a wonderful starting point for getting into a Donzi. That motor is fast, performs very well in that hull & gets fantastic fuel mileage. As far as value, it is normally worth well over NADA but we have seen good 1990-1992 models sell for 6500 to 8500, & 94 to 95 models from 7500 to 12,500 asking prices. The condition & extras on this particular model seem to be well above normal. I would think that $9000 to $10,000 would be fair if the shape is as good as it says. The boating market, even for Donzi's seems to be very soft right now. Vol is right about the treated gas though. Check it out very well. Great luck, but a good start for a Donzi. Just my 2c, Tom