What may I have here? Early Ski Sporter?

[sspeed33317]

Hello,

Trying to ID a Ski Sport I picked up last week, total basket case.

No luck finding production numbers, bow eye chock had no number on it.
Will have to flip the deck and peel some non-original glass work from
behind the instrument panel. Also has about 3 paint jobs on it.

So here is what I have found so far,

Rear transom vent, it is cut out, I don't have the original plate.

Front deck is cored, can see thru black areas "rot" , soft in places.

Stringers have no gussets. Fuel tank is missing, has the sight glass in the floor.

I have a Eaton drive and the transom is cut for it, water pick up under engine.
The engine cover is Interceptor, has a serial id GT90L 526 66 2
Could this engine be a 260 Ford?

Transom core shape compares to a very early model I found pictures of.

Engine Hatch has a finger latch, to bad it is broken.

Instrument panel is cut out for the inline gauge panel.

Helm bezel seems to be original.
Shifter is missing but I just found a brand new NOS Morse.

I'll attach photos in next post.

[sspeed33317]

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120731_210008.jpghttp://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120731_210237.jpghttp://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120731_205819.jpghttp://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_153822.jpghttp://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_154237.jpghttp://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_154224.jpghttp://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_153822.jpghttp://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120801_182130.jpg

[sspeed33317]

It may have been right in front of me the whole time

I think it may be 16 147 , the number is stamped on the drive housing.

What year would that make the boat?

[mattyboy]

most likely a 1965 if it is hull 147 , hull 145 was delivered in july of 65 , first time I ever heard of the hull number being stamped in the drive . would make sense why the real early boats appear to have no numbers very few still have the old spin up eaton drives left on them when they are found. maybe bob in carrington can see if his boat has numbers on his there.

[sspeed33317]

picture of the transom

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120801_181737.jpg

numbers stamped on the drive housing, part the drive rotates in.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_154224.jpg

the drive itself

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_154343.jpg

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_154237.jpg

and the engine numbers, i believe the G is there but its filled with paint.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n603/sspeed33317/19%20Sixty%20%20Donzi%20Ski%20Sporter/IMG_20120729_153822.jpg

Would be prety cool if it is a 1965, it was registered as a 1969.

[sspeed33317]

my posts are still being moderated, so my pictures arent showing up yet.

[mattyboy]

if you'd like send them to my email and i can post for ya m n m veth at optonline dot net

eliminate spaces and use the . for dot

[mattyboy]

looking at your pics it is probably not the hull number stamped in the drive plate looks like a serial number and rotation marker for the drive. a spin up eaton and an eaton cutout for sure there are some things that don't look "original donzi" but may have been altered over it lifetime. the rear vent the support under the hatch. I would say you have a 1965 hull there. the deadrise looks a little shallow but that could just be the angle of the pic

[sspeed33317]

Yea is definitely been hacked a bit.

Well I dont want to put too much more into it just yet, I have to work
out some title issues first and no sense doing anything until then.

But I plan on getting the boat soda blasted and filling every hole
and making it like a brand new hull ready to rig.

The drive is stuck , and so is the engine, I have a LS-x engine
that I may put in instead and get a new drive.... at least that will make it more reliable being there are no parts "easily" available for that drive..

So its looking like it will be a resto-mod project.

[mattyboy]

something to keep in mind , the layup on the very early boats (pre 1966) was not as strong as the boats that followed.As newer more powerful motors came out in the late 60 and early 70's when the early boats were repowered they had problems holding up to the higher speeds,increased torque , and the bottoms failed. you are going to want to beef up the bottom.

[sspeed33317]

Also under all the paint i belive it is a all white hull. There wad a spot that had a test spot with a soda blastet and it is pure white.

[mattyboy]

That would fit the bill most of the early boats were wonder white some were all white then some had colored stripes . in 66 the colored hulls became more of the norm

[mattyboy]

did the boat come with a motor? if it did look for the ford casting numbers on the block

that might give you a time frame providing the block is original