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Gerk
03-25-2015, 10:29 PM
Well now that I know what I will be doing with engine etc... the restoration begins.

Lots of work today and i am exhausted. tomorrow will be another one.

It is beginning to look like a Donzi again.

Some before and after pics here.

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Gerk
03-26-2015, 09:56 AM
So from a distance, she looks great.
I will be repainting the boat, but how would you suggest I fix this?
Its only bad on the front of the bow

81755

Gerk
03-29-2015, 10:36 PM
I just wanted to share some progress.
Doesn't look like much since the first set of pics, but the PO painted the whole deck and interior with some silver metallic paint. Lots of sanding and stripping to get down to the gelcoat. Plus the transom was sanded down as well.
The deck comes off next to remove the tank and clean and paint the bilge.

81828

Gerk
03-30-2015, 11:58 PM
I keep reading through threads where folks are saying to preserve and not restore.

The deck stripe has to be repainted-No question. The red has fades throughout the stripe.

It looks as though I can wet sand the sides and bottom back to original (fingers crossed)

Ugh more stripping silver metallic paint.

The transom will have to be painted as well. (due to the exhaust relocation fix)

My goal is to paint the transom and deck stripe so here's my question.

Of today's paint, which one will match up to the original red of a 66 barrelback 18? I will need to blend the transom with the sides

Looking into awlgrip, Alexseal, any other two part poly.

smokediver
03-31-2015, 05:12 AM
I would imagine you could get the paint code and use any system you prefer. As far as paint is concerned , ppg concept is a terrific single stage paint with excellent durability and it is easy to repair. There are several manufactures who offer quality single stage products. The crows feet you posted in the photo is a pita. I hate to say it but the only way to fix it is to take it all the way down to the bare substrate. If you don't they will come back over time.

MOP
04-02-2015, 01:02 PM
Can you rent a nut shell blaster? My local glass guy uses his on Baddy's!

If you are going to leave for any length of time don't pain the bottom.

Gerk
04-03-2015, 06:03 PM
I plan to strip the bottom to the red fiberglass. If that does not work, I will deal with it at that point.


SO I have removed all the hull side paint. Lots of wet sanding.
There are lots of little tiny dots, almost like a metallic flake, but I highly doubt that is what it was originally.

Is it the primer that was used and it got into the pores, or....
I don't want to sand in too far and get through the gel coat.

I did a test panel in the rear stbd corner. 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, compound, perfect-it, finesse-it, teflon wax. It came out amazing, but those white specs are there.
You can only see them at about 10 feet, but I will always know it.

What should I do??? Keep them and forget it, or keep wet sanding them out?

81886

Morgan's Cloud
04-04-2015, 06:19 AM
I believe that what you're seeing is proof of exactly how badly burnt the original gel coat was before it was decided to repaint .

I remember that when I got mine back in '87 it was already 21-22 years old and had lived a hard life in Florida.
It would have been more effective to try and buff blue denim than that gel coat.
The pores of the blue gel were actually visible and open , so much so that after the first coat of primer went on I had to putty almost the entire hull.

To sand back the entire thing now to the point that you've done yours , I believe would reveal the exact same thing.

I think you might have to leave it as is , or repaint again .

Ralph Savarese
04-04-2015, 08:09 AM
Best of luck been there done that I uses Detco Sterling polyurethane it is amazing my resto is now 13 years old I replaced all core wood in mine. My dad bought the boat new
66 triple hatch way to go!
Ralph

Gerk
04-04-2015, 11:49 AM
OK so I just want to make sure I am understanding.

The tiny specs you see are not the texture, of say, coral reef or something similar of a rough porous make up. They are smooth as can be. I do have a couple very minor areas that do have that rough texture, but I can live with a spot that is the size of a tylenol.
This was not a salt water boat that I know of. I don't see anything that leads me believe that at least.

At this point, I would really not like to repaint the sides. The transom has to be done because of the relocation of the exhaust, the repair is white and painting it is the only way to hide it. I am going to pick a 10" x 10" area of the transom and go nuts and see if they come out without burning through the gel coat.

I know painting is the easy way out, but I am trying to keep it as original as possible. Biggest thing will be matching up the reds from sides to transom

Gerk
04-09-2015, 11:14 PM
OK, so I am getting close to when I will be pulling the deck off.

Anything I need to know?
I read something about tabs holding it??

mattyboy
04-10-2015, 10:57 AM
usually the tabs are around the floor locker and by the ski locker there may be some by the foot wells.

remove the floor locker tub and crawl up front to take a look

Gerk
04-10-2015, 12:05 PM
Thanks Matt, I will see what I can find.
Will it be pretty obvious when I see them?

mattyboy
04-10-2015, 01:09 PM
yes you should be able to see them, mine were like 5X5 square roven glass tabs slapped in between the bottom of the floor and the stringers and the ski locker to the stringer

Gerk
04-11-2015, 08:05 PM
She is in the shop and the deck is off.
There were more "tabs" than I expected, but good thing I had a buddy help me today.
1 in the ski locker, one on each side on the end of the kick panels to the side of the hull, and one on each side in the center(those were long).
She is off.
Pulled the engine as well.
Next will be cleaning the hull and ready to reinforce the stringers. To me, they were way too thin. Just going to wrap a few more layers of glass and bolt in some plates on the outside for extra support.
Pulling the fuel tank will be fun I am sure. I am guessing I will need to replace, but fingers, legs, and arms crossed
81964819658196681967

mattyboy
04-12-2015, 06:52 AM
She is in the shop and the deck is off.
There were more "tabs" than I expected, but good thing I had a buddy help me today.
1 in the ski locker, one on each side on the end of the kick panels to the side of the hull, and one on each side in the center(those were long).
She is off.
Pulled the engine as well.
Next will be cleaning the hull and ready to reinforce the stringers. To me, they were way too thin. Just going to wrap a few more layers of glass and bolt in some plates on the outside for extra support.
Pulling the fuel tank will be fun I am sure. I am guessing I will need to replace, but fingers, legs, and arms crossed
81964819658196681967

Nice progress you have come this far a new tank is a must

Gerk
04-12-2015, 05:25 PM
Pulled the tank, gutted the hull and degreased and pressure washed inside.

Tank is a mess. Please help. What can I replace it with if I dont want to spend an absolute fortune to rebuild one from scratch?


8196881969

Gerk
04-12-2015, 06:02 PM
Nice view (and I mean the boat)

8197081971

mattyboy
04-12-2015, 06:45 PM
call florida marine tanks they make a fmt 23 dz 23 or 25 gallon tank they made the originals alum is not cheap but should be around 500 bucks give or take

http://www.floridamarinetanks.com/



thats the way all the steel tanks in older donzi look anyone who thinks a pre 70 donzi classic doesn't need a new fuel system needs to look at those pics the tops always look fine but the tops don't hold the fuel

Morgan's Cloud
04-13-2015, 06:29 AM
Now comes the discussion of what to do to the new tank before installing !

Greg Guimond
04-13-2015, 07:58 AM
Pulled the tank, gutted the hull and degreased and pressure washed inside.

Tank is a mess. Please help. What can I replace it with if I dont want to spend an absolute fortune to rebuild one from scratch?



A new tank is a must and they are not that expensive. Send a quick email to Ray rveal@rdsaluminum.com at RDS and get a price to compare.

Gerk
04-13-2015, 09:31 AM
Thank you guys for the tank info. I will be getting hold of both places as well as hopefully some in my area.

mattyboy
04-13-2015, 10:55 AM
yes people have used rds as well they are a good company, Florida marine tanks also builds tanks in Ohio that's where my tank came from


regardless of how it is installed you want to have ears put on the tank that can be bolted to the stringers makes thing easier foamed or not foamed

a local fabricator can build a tank but may not be able to certify and put a USCG label on it , which means if you have a survey done after the resto for insurance and replacement value you may have an issue

Gerk
04-13-2015, 08:38 PM
Matt you are right. My guy said that exact thing.
He is having some tanks made in SoCal and we can measure something out for me.
Never heard back from the other tank companies.

Gerk
04-13-2015, 08:45 PM
I have been looking all over under the deck for some writing from the factory. Trying to find hull numbers etc...

I finally found it, but it was under a fiberglass sheet about 10" x 12" on the port bow of the hull. Not under the deck at all. I was prepping for bilge paint and I just happened to see it. I totally missed it when I pressure washed it. Not sure how.
Pretty cool. I love that old stuff. I can't make out what is written on the bottom.
Looks like
18-57
5-10-66
?????
81977

mattyboy
04-14-2015, 06:11 AM
very cool to find that

sometimes the builders name is there or the color scheme when I first looked at it I saw very faint C on the left and thought it might be the dealer name there was a dealer Couzens but that is a stretch the date and the hull are the biggies. Not a lot of historical records on the boats before the Chisholm's started to document inventory when Teleflex owned Donzi for their eventually takeover to full Chisholm ownership. before 67 most records are from the owners who have their bill of sale and original paperwork.

mattyboy
04-15-2015, 06:31 AM
Can you tell what the original color scheme was?

hull sides

hull bottom

deck

stripe

Gerk
04-15-2015, 10:16 AM
Yes,

They went as follows

Deck- White with red stripe

Sides- Red

Waterline - White

Bottom - Red

mattyboy
04-15-2015, 10:58 AM
That might also be a possibility for the faint C
the abbv. for the red was CaR
Candy apple Red

that would be CaR CaR W CaR on the build sheet

f_inscreenname
04-15-2015, 10:59 AM
Pulled the tank, gutted the hull and degreased and pressure washed inside.

Tank is a mess. Please help. What can I replace it with if I dont want to spend an absolute fortune to rebuild one from scratch?


8196881969

Sunshine marine tank company out of Miami. Just did one for me last summer. Cheapest I could find but still cost a small fortune. There is no premade tanks for the boat unless you make mod's. They still should have my plans for the tank if needed.

Gerk
04-15-2015, 11:17 AM
Matt - It could be. I still can't really tell. When I first saw it, I saw "Caesar" but it could be the color code as well.
Not sure.

Gerk
04-15-2015, 11:20 AM
f_inscreename - Thank you. I suppose I can try another company.
Out of curiosity, how much was your tank?

Also, what is the fuel capacity of the stock tank? Did you make up the exact same tank or modify slightly?

mattyboy
04-15-2015, 12:42 PM
25 gallons from FMT

from Kirby on another tank thread

http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=81872&d=1427982215