Torn between old and new

[Buddyc]

As you may or may not know im restoring a 66 Barrelback. Im starting to make progress but in my quest to get er done Im seeing way too many cool things. Gauges, Controls, Interior and so on.... There is still a part of me that longs for a late 90s 22 that I can make my way.
I am staying true to the Barrelback and trying to make her look as origional as possible. I piicked up a Morse Control, Going with all white interior and Origional Gauge cluster, Hinges, Latches, ect... and also got a new 350 with 325 hp for her.
Also some people mentioned how the Barrelback ride and handeling wasnt great compained to other Classics
In the back of my twisted head alot of the time im thinking how cool it would be to have a 22 and going with a big block, Paint it black and have the tan ( Camel colored interior) Saw one before and loved it...
I feel like im cheating on my little Mistress...lol
What to do...:bonk:

[MOP]

It is some easy to get carried away! All it takes is $$$$$$$$$$$$!

[Marlin275]

In the back of my twisted head alot of the time im thinking how cool it would be to have a 22 and going with a big block, Paint it black and have the tan ( Camel colored interior) Saw one before and loved it...
I feel like im cheating on my little Mistress...lol
What to do...:bonk:

Love the one you're with . . .

[Sweet Cheekz]

Glass 4 feet of foam to the bow and make a 22 barrelback :)

Parnell

[Greg Guimond]

It's always easy to get sidetracked from one project. I lost a little focus on my project and ended up converting this one from BBC to OB power :nilly::hyper::nilly:

[Buddyc]

Love the one you're with . . .
Great song! And I do... maybe its just lusting after a bigger girl...lol

[LKSD]

Focus grasshopper.. ;) You'll get there.. :) The journey along the way is part of the fun & ownership experience.. :) Jamie / Lakeside

[Greg Guimond]

Agree, you can always make a move later. Stay the course, and if it takes longer then you had hoped, who cares?

[Buddyc]

Focus grasshopper.. ;) You'll get there.. :) The journey along the way is part of the fun & ownership experience.. :) Jamie / Lakeside
Ok Master Poe, Im happy with my progress so far. I have my motor, Fiberglass work is almost complete. Bought a new compressor and rebuilt my gravity primer gun, Hope to have it in Primer soon ( Soon as I get the money).
Its the cool stuff I see while looking for what I need that screws me up... im a weak man when it comes to the tricked out stuff. Im going with basic chrome bezel, White face gauges on the 18. In the back of my head im thinking WOW Look at those... Look at that.
I really dont have an addictive personality but it appears im Hooked.
I am confident that I will be in the water next summer with my little hot rod

[hmcboat]

ya know, a 18 2+3 66 is something special!especially whenyou bring it back your way.do it as you planned...90 models can always be found later.you are on the right track' stay focused!!!

[silverghost]

Buddy~

I guess you now regret not keeping Forrest's old X-18 ?

[mattyboy]

i wish I could agree with the journey is part of the fun of ownership expierence. stritcly for people who do their own projects the journey sux, you'll have times of great joy,frustration,despair,anger,humor, self doubt , and indecision . basically every emotion or feeling you'll have in life crammed into a project that will take twice as long cost twice as much as planned.

the payoff is well worth it, and if your truely addicted you'll do it again. you'll need understanding family and friends too that helps.

BEER HELPS TOO!!! LOTS OF IT

HABITUAL REPEAT OFFENDER

[Buddyc]

Buddy~

I guess you now regret not keeping Forrest's old X-18 ?
Hell no!!! Your way off! Reread the thread, not one mentioned that,

[Buddyc]

i wish I could agree with the journey is part of the fun of ownership expierence. stritcly for people who do their own projects the journey sux, you'll have times of great joy,frustration,despair,anger,humor, self doubt , and indecision . basically every emotion or feeling you'll have in life crammed into a project that will take twice as long cost twice as much as planned.

the payoff is well worth it, and if your truely addicted you'll do it again. you'll need understanding family and friends too that helps.

BEER HELPS TOO!!! LOTS OF IT

HABITUAL REPEAT OFFENDER
Give Matt a cold one, that pretty much sums it up, if I didnt care too much about the work I'm doing I could just fly thru it and move on. I don't have to tell most of you how bad fiberglass inches especially in the summer heat. Today is my day off and I can't wait to get into the shop and get back to work on her.
When she is complete , it will be done right and make all of her previous keepers proud...
BTW Matt, I put my old college fridge under the workbench... perfect for a 30 pack! Grind a little, drink a little....

[RudeBuoy]

Stay with her. My 66 BB gets soooo much attention. (mostly from me) A beautiful boat, mine wasn't restored to original config. The previous owner did a great job and I believe got caught up in the "newer is better" gig and drifted from orig. I don't mind at all, really it helped me get the boat at a better price as many aficionados poo-pood the changes. I don't even know the hull number as the balsa was replaced during restore and the numbers are gone. I notice Donzi owners glance to the stern and nod as they see the sexy curve and triple hatch. As for handling she's... um, special. Raised X and 420hp make it a handful. It was never intended to travel in the 70's. I've never owned a Donzi before and I swear the thing has a personality and temperament. One day she'll cooperate and set up easily, glad to skip along at 70+, after lunch you go out again and she'll have a hissy fit at 45?!? jumping up on the free board coming off waves. Never boring, never happier.

[Buddyc]

Stay with her. My 66 BB gets soooo much attention. (mostly from me) A beautiful boat, mine wasn't restored to original config. The previous owner did a great job and I believe got caught up in the "newer is better" gig and drifted from orig. I don't mind at all, really it helped me get the boat at a better price as many aficionados poo-pood the changes. I don't even know the hull number as the balsa was replaced during restore and the numbers are gone. I notice Donzi owners glance to the stern and nod as they see the sexy curve and triple hatch. As for handling she's... um, special. Raised X and 420hp make it a handful. It was never intended to travel in the 70's. I've never owned a Donzi before and I swear the thing has a personality and temperament. One day she'll cooperate and set up easily, glad to skip along at 70+, after lunch you go out again and she'll have a hissy fit at 45?!? jumping up on the free board coming off waves. Never boring, never happier.

WOw 420 hp? Im looking at 325. I really appriciate your reply. I will think of it when im head to toe in red dust tomorrow..lol
Seriously though, Its great to hear that we can appriciate these little
b itches and like most, thay have a mind and personality of thier own

[RudeBuoy]

The keel of my 66 looks different than yours and others for that matter. Mine appears very steep with no rounding. Maybe someone can explain?

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5920426581_cb1f976dfa.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15633793@N05/5920426581/

[maddad]

Rude bouy, your's and Buddy's are like most other BBs, they have a sharp vee keel. They rounded the bottom about the same time they made the hull joint go straight across the back. I recall hearing about a BB with a round keel, or was that a sharp vee on a later 2+3?
http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=65415&stc=1&d=1310296422
http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=65416&stc=1&d=1310296427

[mattyboy]

Buddy look up Pearson's and CDMA's project they modernized and updated their barrelbacks but still kept alot of the old school feel to the boats. they kept LH helm so some of their handling traits might not apply as yours is RH helm.

[INNERRAGE70]

maddad were can i get a plate like you have on your drive for external hydraulic steering and,what kind of prop are you running.

[Buddyc]

Buddy look up Pearson's and CDMA's project they modernized and updated their barrelbacks but still kept alot of the old school feel to the boats. they kept LH helm so some of their handling traits might not apply as yours is RH helm.
I tried to find it but had no luck... Ill keep looking. What would keep me from taking the sharp V out of the hull and reglassing it? Im thinking it would have to help the ride... Im going to flip the hull over in the next 2 weeks, So now is the time. Is something like that being a bit too ambitious?

[mattyboy]

take the V out?????? your bettter off slamming your johnson in a car door . that bottom is pretty much where it is and what it is. I think rootsy thought about removing some of the inner strakes but then opted not to cause back in the old days they put the stringers right over the strakes. so removing the strakes would lead to support issues.

I wouldn't worry about the bottom , the ride is a little different not worth the effort to turn it into an 18 . build the boat and take little steps always take the middle ground especially when the unknown is around.

I have some unkowns on my project the CoG has been changed when the replacement tank went in.. I didn't have a chance to test ride it , and wasn't going to give the previous owner any chance to change his mind.

so my thoughts were rebuild it as it is , I could have easily ripped into it more and put it back the way it left the factory. I'll see how it rides and then figure to put the tank back or leave it where it is. I can always put sand bags up front to test.


what I mean by the middle ground is have the availablity to go left or right

you've been given a pretty solid palate, where you go with it now is your vision. the big holes have been cut, maybe just get a decent motor for now get used to her then sell and buy a beast motor. If a 50 mph volvo 18 can be turned into a tripple digit day in and day out boat anything is possible, just remember that joursney is not done in one step or overnight.

[Buddyc]

Ouch... Point well taken. Rootsy tole me about things he was going to do. I bought a 350 for her already with 325 hp. Going Bravo1... I know I have a long road in front of me and im stoked about the direction I am headed.

[silverghost]

I agree that trying to change your boat's original sharp keel to the later round style keel is not a very good idea.
It could be done~
But what an ambitious fiberglass project it would be.
You might as well buy a later round keel hull .

With that aready said by others~

Since you will be flipping your hull to blueprint it's hull anyway~

Have you ever considered adding a rear keel hull plannimg "PAD" to improve higher speed performance ?

Others have successfully done this mod to the 18 hulls in the past.

Greg has done this to his outboard baby 16 project, & test mule also.
Lenny ~ put a similar keel "Pad" on his new benchseat 18 project hull he built from scratch in his own mold .

What do others here think of adding an aft keel planning "Pad" to the older sharp keel "Barrel Back" or later round keel Donzi "Classic" stye 18 hulls ?
Who here has tried adding Planning "Pad" successfully ?
How did it improve the ride, or speed of your 18's hull ?

[Greg Guimond]

I'm not sure that I would mess with the bottom of a fairly unique boat. Then again, I've never been good at following my own advice.............

[silverghost]

The photo of Greg's project above shows the type of keel "Pad" that I was talking about.

It should be a straightforeward fiberglass lay-up project to build-up such a stern planning pad on an early sharp keel Donzi 18.

[Buddyc]

Im sure it helps the rideability but a bit ambitious for me... I have way too much on my plate already. Great work Greg!

[Greg Guimond]

Smart to stay away Buddy. It's one thing to mess with a 16 OB but I really would not change your hull, as it is pretty unique. The other thing to note is that it will not improve the ride quality over either the V or the round bottom. The pad is specifically focused on performance, and you pay a price in comfort. And a proper installation is not a walk in the park. It has to be perfect in every respect or you can find yourself with a big ration of "oh ****" up at the higher speeds.