two Donzi 16s?? Barnfind

[axelkloehn]

Hi guys,

last weekend a fellow from Berlin, about 3 hrs drive from my home, contacted me if I would be interested in buying two 16s- very cheap. He told me he started restoring one and bought another one and gave up now because of health, space and time problems. Seems the guy is about 65 years old. I told him I might be interested and asked him to send pics and to look for HINs. Old 16s are pretty rare over here.

I got pics today from him and both seem to be full restoring projects with a lot of missing parts, the teal one originally had a BMW engine and drive and he told me this was the boat of a well known german Donzi dealer a long time ago. The other one has some kind of a windscreen which surely is not original.
I did not get any information about HINs, but he wants to sell the white one for 700$ and at the moment no price for the teal one, but I bet this one will also be very cheap cause he wants to get rid of them.

Hmmm...What do you guess? Real or clones? The white one looks pretty low in the rear... Well, you've got more experience than I have? I really feel like picking up both or at least one but they look like much tinkered...

Worth the trip? All opinions are welcome

..

[Greg Guimond]

That is a pretty interesting find to say the least. I wonder if the white one looks low because of the waterline. This should be interesting.

[axelkloehn]

Greg, this is exactly what I think, the waterline makes it look low. I think they are real, but it is hard to find one over here and this guy has got two? Amazing...

[jl1962]

Hard to tell from the pictures, but I don't think the green one is real.

No L-seat, ski locker, strange hardware, starboard helm etc....

Even harder to tell w/ the white one - more photos w/out tarp would help.

[johnnywhale]

Too bad the teal one has "Australian" not "Austrian" exhaust manifolds...

[MOP]

The white one does not look like a Donzi, profile is off plus no bow lifting ring. That Chevy block had HiTech headers on it they are worth a buck, there is quite a bit of car stuff on it. Also the Volvo throttle cable is hooked up wrong not a biggy just hard on the drive.

[mattyboy]

green one looks like a Vance and the white one is hard to tell the inner strake looks long for a 16 but hard to tell with the pic and the dirt.

[axelkloehn]

Hmm, Vance might be the answer. As far as i know the Vance was 17", that is why the white one looks somehow stretched. Also the Green One has a Lot of Strange Things, and I have never heard of BMW Engine and Drive Layout for a 16"

[jl1962]

Vance may have called it a 17', but from what I've read, they were a splash. Hence 16' 7".

The dirt makes the dimensions/proportions on the white boat harder to see.

[Moody Blu']

id buy the boat just for the headers, they cost like $1500-2k

[axelkloehn]

Headers are one-piece stainless steel he said, no friends over there to take a look, unfortunately. Makes me wonder he has got no HINs for me. A real 16 should have a HIN

[Just Say N20]

I don't know what the "rules" are in Germany for hull numbers, but prior to 1973, US boat manufacturers weren't required to issue them.

The pre-1973 classics have a Donzi hull ID written in marker on the back of the dash, and on the wood block backer at the bow eye (for the trailer). Mine said C16-409, and was built in April 1967.

The Teal one looks more like a Vance than a Donzi.

[woobs]

They're cool...and the price is right, so if you have time on your hands to fix'em up...what could it hurt? (famous last words) :nilly:

[Conquistador_del_mar]

They both look like worthwhile projects at the kind of money you mentioned. I don't see the correct lifting eyes or bow stripes on either one, but anything can be changed over the years. Go for it in my book - :yes: You could have alot of fun restoring them and end with with some cool boats. Bill

[axelkloehn]

Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I adjusted the pic of the white one in photoshop and it does not look Donzi for me, too long for a 16, strange strakes... but I think I pick that one up- offer him something like 500$ for the hull- to have a little project beside. The green one is too much money for stuff I don't want or need. I just want a 16ish hull to play around a bit.

[mattyboy]

Axel

ask for a picture of the white one's transom especially the keel, the 18 barrelback had full length inner strakes and a sharp keel. the stern deck at the transom as some what of an arch but it still looks OFF. pics taken a certain angle make things look different

[mattyboy]

the hand rail would be off too but that could have been added

here is what the azz end of a barrelback looks like sharp keel 24 degree dead-rise innerstrake goes all the way to the transom with the tell tale arched back and it is 18 feet on the nose

[BUIZILLA]

the white one looks like an 18 something..

[axelkloehn]

I also thought it is 18" but he swears it is 16", think it is a splash and something inbetween, but could be a funboat for little $

Thanks for the pic, Matty. Will ask the guy to take pics from the back and interior with the cover off before I go there

The funny thing is that he has bought a 22C with a 502 last year, so he knows something about Donzis and boats

[mattyboy]

Axel,

if it is a splash and 16 feet long with a sharp keel and full inner strakes it might be an interesting project.

[MOP]

Also the white hull does not appear to have the 16's turned down lifting section at the transom.

[zelatore]

Matty, stop posting pictures of the Pumpkin. Every time I see it I cry a little thinking of how much I wish it had been mine...

My all-time favorite 18!

[Ghost]

LOL Z, exactly what I was thinking...did he sell it and if so, do we know where it went?

(Sorry for the brief hijack)
.

[mattyboy]

Sorry but that's the only pics of a barrelback I have that's not in the water. Kind of hard to show the keel when it's in the water.

[Ed Donnelly]

Axel; Its not that far away in a cool car..Go just for the drive...Ed

[axelkloehn]

Axel; Its not that far away in a cool car..Go just for the drive...Ed

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:-)

[jl1962]

That'll do nicely!

[Michi Besler]

I join you on the ride

[Ed Donnelly]

I knew that was the only way to get you to post a pick of your new ride....Ed

[axelkloehn]

Ed, you got me on this one ;-)