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that guy1
12-14-2011, 02:00 AM
Are there any antique boat shows for the old fiberglass boats like the old donzis, formulas, chris crafts, etc? If so where and when...I would really like to see these older boats.

jl1962
12-14-2011, 06:33 AM
Nothing for Classic 'Glas per se, but the boats are slowly gaining traction at the traditional Antique and Classic Boat Society Shows. Several of us have brought our boats to ACBS shows and have been very well received.

Here is the 2012 Show Calendar: http://www.acbs.org/eventcalendar.html

and here is a very cool classic fibreglass website: http://www.fiberglassics.com/

JimG
12-14-2011, 06:42 AM
Keels and Wheels in Seabrook, Texas will have a certain old yellow Donzi in attendance this year...

I'm usually the only Donzi in "Classic Glass", but there are a smattering of 'glass Chris Crafts that show some time...

mike o
12-14-2011, 07:39 AM
Jim, you might enjoy looking at the pic's on this thread, lots of pic's of old glass. They are trying to get these water ski races going again on Winni in NH.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12969

jl1962
12-14-2011, 07:54 AM
Waterski races - I sure wouldn't want to fall. Cool thread Mike. :yes:

Um.....interesting avatar too!

mattyboy
12-14-2011, 08:45 AM
Not sure where you are located, but Father's day weekend every year the Lake George Donzi Classic Club has it's spring dustoff. it is a boat show for donzi classics only. we usually get a few older classics as well as newer classics. We always get that rare an unusual classic there.

This year it is June 15th thru June 17th in Lake George NY keep and eye on the event section here for details.

check the gallery for some pics from past shows http://www.lgdonziclassic.com/gallery/main.php

as Jay has posted it might help if you contacted your local chapter of the ACBS they have more shows than they list

olredalert
12-14-2011, 09:22 AM
----Fiberglass boats are slowly gaining a foothold in ACBS. Kind of depends on what show you get to. Here in the eastern Michigan area theres more than a few of us that show up. Next summer around here you will see several debuts. My Fino will be among them, but I have shown the El Pescador with great success in the past couple of years. It was even well recieved at the national ACBS meet over on the west coast of Michigan two years ago! With ACBS, though, be prepared to see way more wood than glass when you arrive at the show.....Bill S

that guy1
12-14-2011, 09:45 PM
Thanks for the advice guys. I looked on the ACBS event site and I didn't notice any shows close to where I live (Southeast Louisiana- GO TIGERS:) What is ACBS and how do I join? Is there a membership fee? Also, what are the chances of me seeing a Formula Jr.? I have a 65 and would love to see another one.

CHACHI
12-15-2011, 05:59 AM
[ QUOTE=$originalposter]{$pagetext}[/QUOTE]

A "race" with a 45 MPH speed limit?

What did I miss?

Ken

olredalert
12-15-2011, 08:34 AM
-----Antique and Classic Boat Society,,,Google ACBS and Im sure you will come up with something. There is a big meet in Mt.Dora, Florida in March (I think) that wouldnt be terribly far from you. There were several fiberglass boats in attendance last year and the Florida DONZI guys are always somewhere in the area the same weekend. Its a great show and right outside Orlando if you have to haul a couple of ankle-biters with you......Bill S

-----Just took a look at the calender. Tavares, Fl. March 23-25, 2012

silverghost
12-15-2011, 11:12 AM
The ACBS *Antique & Classic Boat Society is a group of old boat collectors & restorers that put on boat shows all around the country.
There are many local chapters around the USA & Canada.

If your interested in Formula Jr. boats do a search above on this website's search function for "Formula Jr" as there are about a half dozen threads with photos of at least six boats here~possibly more.

Lets see a few photos of your Formula jr. & your Donzi.

mattyboy
12-15-2011, 03:47 PM
one thing that I will say about the ACBS they stick to their guns. I was welcomed and they made me feel very at home. They thought my 16 was one of the finest examples of an Italian sports boat they had ever seen. They also spent alot of time with me as they went over their judges form as they really don't know alot about glass boats. My 16 was nice but the 1972 cig my friend has is awesome and it even has mahogany accents but he was not welcomed to the show as the boat was produced after their deadline for membership. So they will need to come up to speed on glass boats and find a criteria that fits for them as well. Again this was my local chapter a small one the larger ones involved with larger shows might be more in-tune so to speak.

that guy1
12-16-2011, 12:35 AM
This ACBS sounds like something I would like to get involved in.

Silverghost, I will try to take some pictures of the Formula Jr. tomorrow depending if the weather is nice.

Craig S
12-16-2011, 11:44 AM
I believe their cut off is 1974, and that isn't hard and fast at every show...depends on the boat. They picked '74 because that was the year the Sea Ray look came into effect...the Sundancer look as I believe, which has carried over to current.

that guy1
12-16-2011, 01:29 PM
.69250692516925269253692546925569256 These are some of the pictures I took of the boat. It was raining today, so I had to take the pictures inside the shop which didn't leave me with much room to get a good shot, but nevertheless, here she is. A 1965 Formula Jr.

jl1962
12-16-2011, 01:41 PM
Very nice.
I've always liked that color.

that guy1
12-16-2011, 07:24 PM
Thanks man, I like this color too. I thought that these were suppose to be a rare boat, but after doing some research, they don't seem that rare...like it seems like they've been popping up all over the place lol. At any rate, I still enjoy it lol

silverghost
12-16-2011, 08:42 PM
Great Formula Jr. !

On some classic boat websites it was claimed that only some approx 50+ Formula Jr's were ever bult.
From the sheer numbers & photos that have popped-up on the web lately I suspect many more were originally built.
They were built for some period of time.
The early units had Eaton/Interceptor outdrives and Ford inlne sixes. Later the Interceptor Ford 289 V8 was added to the available power lineup.
At one time early on you could buy home-built plywood plans in the back of Popuar Science & Popular Mechanics magazines from the boat's designer.
Few of the home-built plywood boats seem to have survived toady.
I know of a half rotted home-built sitting & rotting away in under a shed South Jersey.
It is now only good as a "Pattern Boat".

This fiberglass Formula Jr., & hme-built plywood plans boats were based on the famous Win-Mill plywood race boat design .
Many of the fiberglass Formula Jr. boats still surviving around today are now in very rough shape.

Your's looks very nice indeed.

that guy1
12-16-2011, 10:23 PM
Thanks Silverghost (or Brad if you prefer). I'm in college at LSU (GO TIGERS!) and this is my grandfather's boat, I'm just the one that takes care of it and uses it lol. He told me it had a Buick engine in it before a belt broke and he ran it hot. Now it has a 350 chevy crate engine in it and it will definitely get up and go.

If you google "Formula Jr Boat" odds are there will be a pretty blue one that pops up and it'l say it's for sale, which I believe it sold last year. At any rate, the previous owner of that boat, before the seller had possession of it, actually owned my boat as well. In fact he actually had a few Formula Jrs and lived right down the road from me (Baton Rouge); not sure how many he has now though. Small world huh lol.

This boat though isn't far from being all original.
The Buick engine is sitting in a protected crate, the outdrive has obviously been replaced, the deck could have possibly been repainted years ago, different steering wheel, and I think the gauges were added. The reason why I say that about the gauges is because if you look at one of the pictures, you'l notice an old speedometer (or Aquameter if you will) is placed right in front of the steering wheel....I would imagine that's the only instrument gauge it came with..though I could be very wrong.

mattyboy
12-17-2011, 08:48 AM
Very nice boat. The Buick motor found its way into a few early donzi
As well during the same time frame

seabuddy
01-27-2012, 10:06 PM
The Father's Day Boat Festival at St. Michaels, MD. is giving a trophy to the best judged Donzi if there is at least 5 Donzi judged at the show. Per the Judging rules, only 1974 and older Donzi can be judged. The Festival runs June 15, June 16, and June 17, 2012. This is the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the ACBS event and is judged on their rules.
The Boat Show of classics Boats fills up early most years.
This is the first time that the Club is offering a Donzi Judging Trophy with the only request that five boats register to be judged. The Best of Show Donzi trophy would only mean something if there are at least five boats judged.

woobs
01-27-2012, 10:40 PM
I don't know who owns this Donzi but it was at the ACBS in Gravenhurst, Ontario.

jl1962
01-29-2012, 06:52 AM
The St. Michaels event conflicts w/ the Lake George Dust-Off which might make it harder for them to get 5 pre '74 boats. But very cool that they are trying to spotlight old Donzis.

I found a YouTube video of the the red Ski Sporter. The video is from Muskoka in 2009 and identifies the boat as a Sheppard Donzi. I don't know anything more about it - wish I did!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-yFXQegDQ



69855

thatgirl
01-29-2012, 11:25 AM
HI WHAT YEAR AND MODEL IS YOUR DONZI I AM RESTORING A 1980 2+3 TOTALY[ QUOTE=$originalposter]{$pagetext}[/QUOTE]

seabuddy
02-03-2012, 12:02 PM
I would think that most Boat Festivals and Shows will have date conflicts. Sorry.

seabuddy
02-07-2012, 08:43 AM
I find many Classic Boat Shows and Festivals having one or two Donzi boats. That has not changed in 3-4 years. No progress. I am trying to change that and this Best Donzi of the Show trophy is a good idea I think. What do you think?

But if this show is never going to get the boats because of a conflicting date, then maybe some one should get another show to give a trophy to get the boats to it.

This St. Michaels, MD Show has around 100-125 classic boats each year of all kinds, but many of those are wood, not Fiberglass.

seabuddy
02-16-2012, 12:54 PM
I find the classic Donzi boats interesting and want to get a copy of a book about them. Any ideas?

jl1962
02-17-2012, 06:13 AM
No real book exists on just Donzis.

Best bet would be Don Aronow: King of Thunderboat Row by his son, Michael.

There are currently three on fleaBay for big $$$.

For an excellent archive of original Donzi ads, check out: www.allardmarine.com (http://www.allardmarine.com) - click on Donzi Literature

seabuddy
02-19-2012, 06:58 AM
Thanks for the lead on my question.

olredalert
02-19-2012, 11:18 AM
-----Seabuddy,,,That you Verne?......Bill S

seabuddy
02-29-2012, 04:57 PM
I thought Vern, the off screen role model referred to by Jim Varney on TV, passed away with Jim's passing.

seabuddy
03-04-2012, 05:34 PM
Where is Vern?

seabuddy
03-15-2012, 04:42 AM
What kind of prices are the Donzi books by Michael selling for?

mattyboy
03-15-2012, 08:28 AM
400-500
shows one with a starting bid of 229
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=king+of+thunderboat+row&_sacat=See-All-Categories

gcarter
03-15-2012, 10:05 AM
This is nothing against Michael, after all, he is his father's son and an attorney, but from a "boat" perspective, the book is disappointing.
There's almost no technical information in it at all. It's sort of about growing up w/his father.
After reading and keeping my copy for about a year, I sold mine.

mattyboy
03-15-2012, 05:27 PM
This will be the dustoff's 17th year making it the worlds longest running Donzi classic event, an event dedicated to the donzi classic. the event has a judged boat show and has some of the most knowledgeble people when it comes to the donzi classics . there are always very old and very rare classics in attendance. I have attended an acbs show and won an award with my 16 they as a whole have little to no knowledge of donzi or glass boats in general. They will need help to gain that info the LGDCC is trying to help them with that.
Seabuddy if you have any questions I would be happy to help , our re vamped website will also be a place to gain some info and history on the models.

here is a pic from an early dustoff this is only half of the docks and there are some very unique and rare boats there half in the pic are 1960's vintage classics and also a rare benchseat hornet, criterion, OB baby 16, a barrelback 18. our members are happy to help out and have a ton of know how on the boats. we're not all that far away from you.

you should think about making it up to us it will be well worth it and we'd love to have you.

mattyboy
04-02-2012, 06:34 AM
I just contacted the ACBS hudson river chapter seems i am still a member and will enter the 1968 benchseat in their show in july on my lake I am also thinking about going down to Lake Hopatcong for their show as well the weekend after the dustoff.

bertsboat
04-08-2012, 08:31 PM
Why don't you try to come up to the Clayton show this year. The Baby Donzi/Cig will be there among some of the boats we will have there this year. Trying to figure out how to get three boats there.

seabuddy
04-09-2012, 06:50 PM
Thanks for the invite to the Lake George event. What are the dates? I think that I have a conflict, but want to check to make sure. Again, thanks.

mattyboy
04-10-2012, 06:49 AM
Father's day weekend this year june 15th to 17th, love to have ya there if you can make it


http://www.lgdonziclassic.com/invite.html

http://www.lgdonziclassic.com/registration12.html

http://www.acbs.org/calendar/?d=2012-06-01

The Lake George Donzi Classic Club is pleased to announce we have been named a Marque Club by the ACBS, We are honored and looking forward to that relationship.