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View Full Version : Donzi GT-21 Jet, $8,000 (NOT MINE)



Just Say N20
03-01-2011, 08:21 AM
Sorry, working from my phone.

http://tricities.craigslist.org/boa/2238313981.html


73 Donzi - $8000 (Watauga Lake, Butler)

Date: 2011-02-27, 10:15PM EST
Reply to: sale-3krhg-2238313981@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

True Collector: 21 foot GT. Jet. Call for details 423-768-2069

Location: Watauga Lake, Butler
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 2238313981

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axelkloehn
03-01-2011, 08:42 AM
hmmmh, no pics :mad:

silverghost
03-01-2011, 12:00 PM
I was kindly tipped-off to this boat by Rob M. from Hong Kong & Ontario Canada on our forum.~~~Thank's Rob !

I emailed this fellow to send me some digital photos via email.
He called me instead (John) .~~~
I asked for some digital photo shots of his GT-21

Still he has not sent ANY photos as of 11:30 PM today .

A GT-21 jet is not really what I have been looking for~~~
It's a little too big for what I want !

Rather have an 18 or X-18 Donzi water-jet !

This GT-21 is a very big, wide, heavy, and deep boat for a single jet drive.
I'm betting it is a real gas hog !

I doubt it would be as much fun & agile as an 18/X-18, or 16 Donzi waterjet !
I know what they can do ~~~

My uncle had a Donzi X-18 Berkeley/Olds 455 water-jet for five years in the 1970s .
It was literally a Blast to drive~~~
Unlike any other Donzi 18 !
I/O or V-Drive ~~~
I am in fact looking for another 18 or X-18 Donzi jet to replace the one my uncle sold out from under us !

Still this GT-21 is a very rare boat with ANY drive type !

Axel~~~
This would be a great second project "Twin" to your now totally restored former jet GT-21~~~
If you are in fact running out of work to do on your great GT-21 restoration/re-power project ?
It would help keep you busy !
&~~~
We would ALL enjoy reading another great NEW restoration thread from you in Germany !

I hope you finally have some geat fun actually using your restored GT-21 this up-comming Summer !

Just Say N20
03-01-2011, 01:12 PM
I emailed the guy too. I told him I had posted his ad on this site, provided him with the link to the site, and asked him to send me pictures via email, and I would post them on the site for him.

I haven't heard anything yet.

silverghost
03-01-2011, 10:34 PM
I talked to John ~~~the owner of this boat tonight.
I was on the phone for an hour~~~
John seems like a good guy !
He was up-front about the boat's current condition.

This boat has been sitting outside in his TN. yard for 20+ years~~~

Before that it had been sitting in Fla ; and then Ohio.
John painted the hull about ten years ago~~~
It needs buffing & TLC now as the awlgrip has weathered~~~
The deck paint & stripe has some slight damage~~~

The windshield is partially broken ~~~
It needs all new glass/plexi !

It has a BB Chevy 454 sitting in it but the jet pump drive has been removed and he has it off & in storage.

The engine was last run ten years ago, or so~~~
The deck core , transom, and stringers are original & un-touched.

Some interior work was done ten years ago~~~but some of it has since weathered & needs to be re-done .
He has spare material.
The seats were stored inside.

The tonneau cover has rotted away with long-term sun & weather exposure.

It is sitting on another of his boat trailers which does not come with the boat~~~
It might possibly also be bought for extra money.

John has never used this boat; nor ever had it it the water, or running.

The Ohio owner, before John, only ran the boat once or twice and then it sat there at his place outside with the engine removed for years before John bought this project.
The engine rode home in his Pick-up !

It is a Donzi GT-21~~~~
And
It is a jet drive~~~~

Both the above make it quite a rare boat indeed !

Sounds like an interesting project for someone .

John no longer has the time to devote to this project~~~
He says he needs to finally find a new home for this project !

axelkloehn
03-02-2011, 01:52 AM
thanks for your nice words, Brad. There will be another restoration some day after finishing my new house.
Did he tell you something about the performance of the Jet-GT? I am absolutely curios to know how fast that thing is with a BB/jet-combo. Did not find out till now.

I agree with you, the GT is quite big/heavy compared to a 18", but I am surprised how good it runs with my sb/bravo. Never expected it would be so fast (almost 60/gps). So I would love to know how fast the jet will push it...

Just Say N20
03-02-2011, 05:30 AM
Brad, thanks for all the info about the boat.

It brings up an interesting point regarding the value of such a boat. The following points are not a slam on this boat at all. Given what the owner has shared, is it worth $8K in the condition it is in? It is most definitely a rare boat/propulsion combination. However, rare only commands a premium price if there is a demand.

It sounds like this boat will need almost everything. My boat was painted, and faded, and it could not be brought back with any amount of polishing; there would have been no paint left after enough polishing had been done.

It would seem reasonable to assume that the conditions it has been stored in (at least 20+ years outside) that at least the stringers and transom will need repair, especially if the engine/drive has been out of the boat for 20+ years as well. You could look at the fact that the engine/drive are out as a plus, as they would have to be removed anyway to do the project.

So, is $8,000 a reasonable price for a rare boat, in a condition where the engine is questionable at best after sitting for 10 years without knowing how it was "put to sleep," it will need to be repainted, most likely stringer/transom repair, probably a gas tank replacement (boat left outside with a cover that deteriorated means a good chance of water in the boat), interior questionable, and no trailer?

For comparison, I can think of a pretty nice X18 that sold about a year and a half ago for $7,800 that was turn-key.

Sweet little 16
03-02-2011, 06:41 AM
$8000.00 , always good to start the day with a laugh.

axelkloehn
03-02-2011, 07:10 AM
difficult to say without having seen any pics. I paid 1500$ for my GT-hull with almost no hardware included. Transom was rotted, stringers were ok, gastank was contaminated and many layers of paint over the original gel. Also difficult to estimate the value of the hardware (engine, jet, interior...) with no pics.
8k sounds a bit too enthusiastic if I remember the work you probably have to do to this one as well.

Sweet Cheekz
03-02-2011, 08:00 AM
Gotta start high but its whats the market will bare and I think he's lucky to get 4 imho. I wish him luck

SG With a big enough motor the 21 will give you plenty of thrills

Parnell

Sweet little 16
03-02-2011, 08:52 AM
the value of a boat is not what the seller thinks he has,
the value of a boat is in what the buyer wants and how much he'll pay to satify that want. The rest is noise.

silverghost
03-02-2011, 11:13 AM
Guys:
Every point that you have made above here was going through my mind as he was talking about his boat during the hour conversation.
He did MOST of the talking during that time period !

I agree that the Awlgrip hull paint & interior is most likely shot. He claims to have had the engine running some ten years ago---
He stated at that time that it took two car batteries to turn it over as it was very stiff & "Tight"
He also claims that this engine was buit by famous race engine & Big Block Chevy builder & race mechanic Smokey Yunick !

Come-on ~~~~REALLY ?

~~~~~ OK~~~~~
Might be Possible~~~But highly suspect ?

As it has been sitting outside uncovered for 20+ years, with the engine and drive pulled-out you really have to believe the stringers, transom, and balsa core must have some rot issues.

Having had five seasons of driving an Olds 455 / Berkeley jet powered Donzi X-18 myself I know what to expect from a jet drive; in a much smaller & faster hull.
I also know a jet's limitations & high speed advantages.

At lower engine speeds our old X-18 was a bit sluggish.
Any water-jet drive is ~~~

At lower speed use I will take an I/O or V-Drive over any water-jet .
Only when the boat lifted out of the water & got on plane did the real benefit of the jet drive show itself in the old X-18..

This is why water-jets were mostly installed on small, low profile & light, low draft displacment boats.

With a GT-21 hull it would take a lot more power than our old X-18 needed to get it up on plane with the same Big Block/Jet drive combo !

Jets were almost never usually used on such big hulls like the GT-21. by any boat builder.

Axel's GT-21 & this one are the only two I ever heard of !
Chris~Craft experimented with a few water-jets in their early fiberglass days; but soon dropped this jet drive option.

And let's face it~~~ a water jet in any boat takes a lot of BIG BLOCK horsepower & gasoline usage to power it !
That is why most were in fact powereed by Big Blocks in their day.
Especially the Olds 455 !

Axel~~~ He has no idea as to this jet-boat's performance as it has never actually run during his 20+ years of ownership.
The prior owner also had it sitting for many years outside in the exact same pulled-apart condition prior to his 20+ year ownership.
The prior owner only used it once or twice before pulling the drive & engine package ~~~ WHY ?

Axel ~~~ I was hoping that before you started your fantastic GT-21 restoration you mght have possibly tried-out & tested your old boat in it's jet drive configuration before making your I/O conversion !
As you may remember I tried to coax into trying it this way first .

When I asked John how he arrived at his asking price he stated that it was based on the boat & it's jet drive being a "Very Rare Boat".
He claimed never to have never seen another GT-21 ; and never a jet drive Donzi !

In reality~~~The Market will set the eventually selling price as already stated above by several others here.

What is it really worth ?

Whatever someone will be willing to pay for this rare combination.

I suspect it will go for more than a similar I/O powered GT-21 in this exact same condition.
Just because it's odd & rare.

As for me~~~

I will continue to hold-out for another jet powered 18 or X-18 !

I too am waiting to see some pictures of his project GT-21 .
He has not sent any as of noon Wed !

Sweet little 16
03-02-2011, 12:06 PM
what's more rare a jet combo gt 21 that is not running and in pieces
or someone who'll pay 8,000 for it or someone who'll be happy with the overall performance once they get it running?????

the GT and the Hornet both had some jets put in them all around the same time (the 18 too).Too bad it was around the same time that the I/O started to really run fast.

IMO I don't think a jet gt 21 would make the top 10 list of the most wanted Donzi??????

silverghost
03-02-2011, 12:40 PM
Since I have been boating since the mid-1950s I have personally seen at least two jet powered Donzi 16s and seen photos of a couple more. I drove one years ago~~~once.

I have personally seen about 6-7 Jet Donzi 18 /X18 s ; and drove one owned by my uncle all summer long for five summer seasons in the 1970s.

The only GT-21 Donzi jets I have heard of are Axel's and this one~~~
There were most likely others.
I have never acutally eyeballed one in person.
Only Axel's photos of his former jet's transom mounting hole in his GT-21 restoration project.

I have never heard of, nor seen a jet drive Hornet~~~but I suspect some were also built !

Donzi also sold un-powered hulls without engines or drive systems !
Anything might have ended-up in these boats ?

Are there any photos of a Jet-Powered Donzi Hornet out there ?

Are any known to exist today ?

Has anyone here actually ever seen one in person ?

Rob M
03-02-2011, 12:50 PM
The only GT-21 Donzi jets I have heard of are Axel's and this one~~~
There were most likely others.

Apparently one more in....Nicaragua.
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29910&highlight=nicaragua

silverghost
03-02-2011, 05:59 PM
Here is the one & only photo that I just received from John's wife via Email at 7:00PM Wed. of the above Donzi GT-21 Jet-Boat~~~

Snow~~~Everywhere !

The GT-21 looks good in the snow~~~at 50 feet !

As you can see it is still totally uncovered~~~with the exception of the snow !

I do not understand how the jet-pump is pictured on the transom as I was told that it was removed, taken apart, and was currently not re-installed on the boat ~~~but was now in storage ?

I do not know the actual age of this photo ?

Just gotta like the RED hull !

ENJOY !

axelkloehn
03-03-2011, 01:11 AM
wow, that's a sleeper

how can you leave such a rare boat uncovered like this.... :nilly:

somebody please safe the thing, too far, expansive and too early for me...

Sweet little 16
03-03-2011, 06:39 AM
it's not worth $8000, but it is worth at least a $30 tarp to throw over it .
really?

silverghost
03-03-2011, 01:48 PM
What does everyone here think this boat is worth; or will eventually sell for ?

Do you think the new owner/restorer will keep this GT-21 a Jet Drive ?

OR~~~

Will they do what our friend Axel in Germany has done to his Great GT-21 project and convert the transom to an I/O drive system during the restoration & transom wood re-core ?

I would like to see and hear how a GT-21 or Hornet performs with a single Jet-Drive~~~

Axel & I have both been wondering about this Jet Drive performance issue on a boat larger than the Donzi 18/X-18

I know very well how the Donzi 16 and X-18 Jet Drives perform~~~
They have some advantages over an I/O or tradtional V-Drive;~~~ but many many limitations as well.
A Jet Drive's gasoline consumption is very high also, when compared to the traditional V-Drive & I/O !

axelkloehn
03-04-2011, 01:57 AM
you have to close the intake hole at the bottom too for i/o conversion and that is really something which made me worry- it is exactly there where you jump on waves, so it took me a long time to find out how to do it. That is why the chance is pretty good the new owner might keep the jet-setup

silverghost
03-04-2011, 01:48 PM
Axel:
A jet-drive is not for everyone~~~
And not for every boating location !

With an I/O or V-Drive you can drive your boat amost anywhere ; in almost any sort of water condition .

The Jet-Drive has severe limitations !
You cannot use the jet in any sort of chop or rough water.
You cannot handle boat wakes very well with a jet drive.
A jet is not very good in very shallow water as the big jet pump's intake will suck-in everything; mud, sand, seaweed, plastic bags, stones, shells, fish, crabs etc. EVERYTHING
This often damages the pump impeller and it's thrust collar .
I used to keep a new spare impeller & thrust collar on hand !
And I was prepared to go under the boat to clear the pump's intake.
Often I would have to remove the pump intake's inside inspection port plate while out on the water to complete the job !

You need to know a jet drive's limitations~~~and there are many !
You need to accept the fact that the jet needs a high horsepower engine 350-450 HP~~~the more power the better !
And this engine will spend most of it's life in the higher RPM ranges.

A jet drive is not good at all at lower speeds~~~
It just wallows about.

The fuel usage will be much higher in any jet drive boat than that a conventional V-Drive or I/O.
Much Much hgher !

You cannot let the big water pump's intake leave the water , suck in air, cavitate, and un-load your engine~~~
If you do~~~you might be looking for a new engine !
Thrown rods~~~and complete engine destruction failures were common among the new untrained jet users.
We had a spare engine~~~Just in case~~~but never used it.
I still have the Olds 455 today !

All these reasons are why we see so few jets in boats today.
Most jet-boats met a sad & early end !
Others are just sitting today & rotting away.

All that said~~~In the right calm & flat water conditions, with the right boat, and a properly trained jet-boat driver,~~~ a jet drive Donzi will handle at speed like no other drive system !

It's not a boat drive system for everyone~~~
And it's not for everyday performance boating~~~
on every body of water.

BUT ~~~

It is literally a BLAST to drive a Jet Donzi !
It's like a thrill ride~~~

I know~~~First Hand !
I drove a Jet Drive Donzi X-18 for five seasons, and have around 800 hours of seat time in the 1970s !

I spent ALL my Summer Job money made in the evenings as a kid working on the Ocean City NJ Boardwalk making & throwing Pizza in the air at Mack & Manco's Pizza.
I was their TOP paid summer employee~~~
I was once their biggest entertainment attraction !

Ever try to throw a pizza pie ?
Like the saying goes~~~
"That's why they paid me the BIG BUCKS" $$$ ! ;-)

ALL that hard earned summer money went into the Donzi X-18's
gas tank !

I loved that Donzi X-18 Berkeley/ Olds 455 Jet-boat.

And I loved every second of driving it !

I NEED to find another Jet-Drive Donzi 18/X18 for myself today !

Call it my late "Midlife Crisis" Donzi Dream !

I hope to make this Donzi Jet dream a reality~~~SOON !

Sadly~~~
This Donzi GT-21 is just too big a boat for how I want to use it !