silverghost
05-02-2011, 06:01 PM
One of the biggest issues we have with our 35+ year old Donzi 18s & 16s is old rusted corroded, and dangerous fuel tanks with pin-holes.
Gasoline fumes in your boat's bilge can be very dangerous, if not deadly.
It seems to be standard practice in restoring these older boats to remove the deck and replace the old dangerous fuel tanks.
I am thinking of contacting several high quality builders of the newer injection roto-cast molded cross-linked Polyethylene plastic fuel tanks used on many new high-cost/quality boats & RVs to see IF they will build custom Donzi tanks for us..
These tanks meet all new Coast Guard safety reguations.
As a side note I have a 1988 skiboat that has had such a 47 gallon "Poly" gas tank since it was new.
I have had NO issues with this plastic tank.
All these years later it is just like new. It is 3/8" thick.
It sits in the stern of my boat and often sits in bilge & salt water after a heavy rain with no issues.
It does NOT leak gas fumes as some have often stated...
With the new ethanol blended fuels that we are now forced to use in our boats traditional Aluminum & tin-coated Steel tanks now will have a corrosion & rust issue in the future.
Thesenew fuel blends attract water & condenstion.
These new fuel blends are also very corrosive as we all have found out latey.
The cross-linked polyethylene tanks are 100% immune to water & ethanol based fuels. It will NOT attack them.
They meet all NEWER Coast Guard safety regulations in all new boats.
The tank-builder's mold tooling & set-up costs might be quite high indeed to build such a tank for our older Donzi 16s &18s .
I would be willing to pay for these mold & tooling costs IF there is enough interest in these "Poly" plastic tanks.
My questions to the Donzi forum members here are as follows.
1) Would you be willing to use a new "Poly" plastic tank in your next older Donzi 16 & 18 rstoration ?
Would you actually BUY "Poly" plastic over the Aluminum fabricated tanks most owners buy & use today for their restoration ?
2) What size tank would you like to see manufactured ?
Original size & capacity ?
OR~~~ A Larger size ?
3) Where should the inlets & outlets & fuel gauge level sender be located ?
What type of sender ?
4) Do you want a "Poly" tank with internal baffles ?
Where should these baffles be located ~~~Fore & aft ?
How many baffles?
It would cost more to add these baffles.
5) Should an additional fuel line inlet be added for a [possible fuel return line for use with the newer fuel injected engines ?
It will also cost more for this feature ?
6) Should any new mounting brackets or "Ears" be added o these new plastic tanks ?
If-so~~
Where shoud these be located?
7) What price range would you be willing to pay for a new coss-linked polyethylene gas/fuel tank?
8) Can ONE custom tank be built that will meet BOTH the needs of most 16 & 18 Boat owners ?
Can ONE tank work on both size Donzi boats ?
Let me know your thoughts & opinion on this new "Poly" plastic proposed tank building project .
Would YOU buy & install one yourself in your Donzi 16 or 18 restoration project ?
Grizz (Randy) talked Solas into building the Titan Propeller for old Volvo 270-280 outdrives~~~
Maybe we can get a "poly" plastic tank manufacturer into building us some new Donzi 16 & 18 fuel tanks ?
After I get enough feeback on our Donzi forum here I MAY look into this project~~~
IF, and only IF there is enough interest.
There seems to be a need out there?
We shall see ?
I would then sell these tanks myself IF the builder will not build them on their own cost for speculation because of the mold & tooling costs.
Perhapps they may choose to market the tanks themselves ?
That would be much better !
Let's hear your feedback & opinions !
Gasoline fumes in your boat's bilge can be very dangerous, if not deadly.
It seems to be standard practice in restoring these older boats to remove the deck and replace the old dangerous fuel tanks.
I am thinking of contacting several high quality builders of the newer injection roto-cast molded cross-linked Polyethylene plastic fuel tanks used on many new high-cost/quality boats & RVs to see IF they will build custom Donzi tanks for us..
These tanks meet all new Coast Guard safety reguations.
As a side note I have a 1988 skiboat that has had such a 47 gallon "Poly" gas tank since it was new.
I have had NO issues with this plastic tank.
All these years later it is just like new. It is 3/8" thick.
It sits in the stern of my boat and often sits in bilge & salt water after a heavy rain with no issues.
It does NOT leak gas fumes as some have often stated...
With the new ethanol blended fuels that we are now forced to use in our boats traditional Aluminum & tin-coated Steel tanks now will have a corrosion & rust issue in the future.
Thesenew fuel blends attract water & condenstion.
These new fuel blends are also very corrosive as we all have found out latey.
The cross-linked polyethylene tanks are 100% immune to water & ethanol based fuels. It will NOT attack them.
They meet all NEWER Coast Guard safety regulations in all new boats.
The tank-builder's mold tooling & set-up costs might be quite high indeed to build such a tank for our older Donzi 16s &18s .
I would be willing to pay for these mold & tooling costs IF there is enough interest in these "Poly" plastic tanks.
My questions to the Donzi forum members here are as follows.
1) Would you be willing to use a new "Poly" plastic tank in your next older Donzi 16 & 18 rstoration ?
Would you actually BUY "Poly" plastic over the Aluminum fabricated tanks most owners buy & use today for their restoration ?
2) What size tank would you like to see manufactured ?
Original size & capacity ?
OR~~~ A Larger size ?
3) Where should the inlets & outlets & fuel gauge level sender be located ?
What type of sender ?
4) Do you want a "Poly" tank with internal baffles ?
Where should these baffles be located ~~~Fore & aft ?
How many baffles?
It would cost more to add these baffles.
5) Should an additional fuel line inlet be added for a [possible fuel return line for use with the newer fuel injected engines ?
It will also cost more for this feature ?
6) Should any new mounting brackets or "Ears" be added o these new plastic tanks ?
If-so~~
Where shoud these be located?
7) What price range would you be willing to pay for a new coss-linked polyethylene gas/fuel tank?
8) Can ONE custom tank be built that will meet BOTH the needs of most 16 & 18 Boat owners ?
Can ONE tank work on both size Donzi boats ?
Let me know your thoughts & opinion on this new "Poly" plastic proposed tank building project .
Would YOU buy & install one yourself in your Donzi 16 or 18 restoration project ?
Grizz (Randy) talked Solas into building the Titan Propeller for old Volvo 270-280 outdrives~~~
Maybe we can get a "poly" plastic tank manufacturer into building us some new Donzi 16 & 18 fuel tanks ?
After I get enough feeback on our Donzi forum here I MAY look into this project~~~
IF, and only IF there is enough interest.
There seems to be a need out there?
We shall see ?
I would then sell these tanks myself IF the builder will not build them on their own cost for speculation because of the mold & tooling costs.
Perhapps they may choose to market the tanks themselves ?
That would be much better !
Let's hear your feedback & opinions !