Choosing between rocks

[Boatnuts]

Yours would have been originally a twin engine like mine. Mine never had the bow rail and I chopped the windshield. In terms of speed for the power you have, did you check your bottom on the strake line? Mine had a built in hook to help get the nose down with the heavy twin V-8's in the rear. I had my bottom blue printed to correct this a year after converting to the single and it made a huge difference. When the boat is light on fuel and equipment, propped right and there is an 18" chop, it can climb over the 70 mark. Normal set up and equipment with a 4 blade and it crawls to the mid 60's.

[Morgan's Cloud]

Yours would have been originally a twin engine like mine. Mine never had the bow rail and I chopped the windshield. In terms of speed for the power you have, did you check your bottom on the strake line? Mine had a built in hook to help get the nose down with the heavy twin V-8's in the rear. I had my bottom blue printed to correct this a year after converting to the single and it made a huge difference. When the boat is light on fuel and equipment, propped right and there is an 18" chop, it can climb over the 70 mark. Normal set up and equipment with a 4 blade and it crawls to the mid 60's.

Mine was set up originally with the single 350GM marinized by Chris Craft and a Volvo 270 (no trim).
It arrived here in the Early spring of 1973 and was bought in by a guy with the same family name as mine but no relative. His daughter was in my class at school and his son was in my brother's class.
It originally had the 'jump seat' setup over the engine .. you know .. the one that you can half walk around and has a little seat up against the transom on either side . ... As you can see , we changed all of that . (Along with a few other things ..)
Seeing that the boat was upside down when we got it , we did a real number on the bottom making sure it was ok ... No .. there was'nt any hooks in the bottom , but there was a deflection on either side where there shouldn't have been , confirmed by Magnum .. probably incorrect bunking for a long time .

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Mine was set up originally with the single 350GM marinized by Chris Craft and a Volvo 270 (no trim).
It arrived here in the Early spring of 1973 ...

My 1971 Donzi 18' 2+3 that I am presently restoring had the same engine/drive package. The engine was an LT1 with Corvette flags on the valve covers and was a 350CID/350HP with mechanical lifters. It lasted for around 1600+ hours of hard use! Was your engine the same? Bill

[Morgan's Cloud]

Steve, very nice looking 25! What is your floor - gelcoat or paint? It just hit me this morning about your comment on your custom windshield not being a greenhouse - too funny! Who did you find to custom build it? Who did the restoration on your Magnum? What lakes do you boat? So many questions. Bill

Thanks for the compliment Bill , this was a solid 2 year restoration and in the end , most folks seem to think it came out OK !

When I found it , it was essentially one step away from the dump ... It was gutted but very fortunately had the original deck hatch , gas tank/floor hatch and console .... NOTHING else ... nothing !

The entire boat has been Awlgripped ... including the non skid on the cockpit floor .. The cabin gelcoat just needed a wax up ...

If you ever want to have your nerves tested , design a windscreen for a boat and have it built off site somewhere else .. pay about 5G for it and then hope it fits !
Magnum warned us that there is a huge danger in having it done this way but we had no other choice.

A friend who I had spoken to some years before about new glass work he had had done on his Hatteras did the design layout ... VERY precise work you have to go over numerous times before pressing the print button , I can assure you. We utilised some really high tech materials too ... Masking tape , twine and a bunch of different length sticks ! ! lol

We utilised a company in Pa. that does custom windscreen and other glass work for boats. When it was done , it was sea freighted back to us ..
They were very good to work with also .

How I wish I was on some sweet fresh water lake somewhere ....
I know my 'where you are' is a bit cryptic , but I'm out in the middle of the Atlantic .... Bermuda ~

Oh , I pretty much did the resto myself ...... Proving many things my father used to say about me completely untrue

Steve

[Morgan's Cloud]

My 1971 Donzi 18' 2+3 that I am presently restoring had the same engine/drive package. The engine was an LT1 with Corvette flags on the valve covers and was a 350CID/350HP with mechanical lifters. It lasted for around 1600+ hours of hard use! Was your engine the same? Bill

Bear in mind Bill , I never owned this boat from new and it was gutted and ready for the dump when I found it.

I do know that at the time it was the 2nd largest SINGLE engine option available for this boat. It was rated at 310 HP back then .

The original owner only ever had one dislike about this boat , and that was how it had a tendency to like blowing up outdrives .... I think that the 270 wasn't too fond of the HP to weight ratio on this setup ....

[smidgen too]

Apparently, the race version single engine Magnum 27s were rigged with the 4 fuel tanks since I have heard of at least 3 rigged that way. It is hard to tell though if they were different boats since the names changed fairly frequently. You must have a record of the race Magnums to be able to come up with so much information on them as well as pictures of so many. My logic would be that if you used a 4 tank Magnum for pleasure, you would want the fuel in the front tanks to take some load off the already heavy aft end and make the bow stay down for a better ride - correct? I can see installing twins in an ocean going boat for the security of getting back if one engine package died. What engine/drive packages did you install in Dean's race Magnum? Thanks again.

I bought my first boat a 16' Donzi in 1972, so I had a real interest in offshore boats back then. On lake St Clair back in 1972 Emerald City Harbor was a Magnum dealer and I would hang around there and talk to Magnum racers like Ken Black, Wally Harper, Jack Mathes. Over the years I have become friends with the Mathes family who own Emerald City. When ever I needed info they would tell what I needed. Most of the pic's that I have posted here & on OSO are from the Mathes family collection.
The 2 single eng Mag's [Zonker & Broad Jumper] came with 4 fuel tanks. On my Twin eng Magnum [a race boat from day one] it also had 4 tanks, with the rear ones under the cockpit floor. I would always use the rears, & leave the bow tanks empty for better balance. In a long race 80+ miles I would run the bow tanks first. From what I have been told thats how they ran the singles too.
Dean traded the speed III for two complete Volvo speed master E drives assembles. Then we powered her with two 402 big block chevys [60 over 396] at around 420hp. This Mag would run 70mph and never broke a drive. Around 1986 Dean sold her to the Baker boys from Port Huron Mi. They turned her back into a single with one big 454 Chevy & Volvo speed master drive, she ran about 62mph. The Bakers raced her in APBA A class for two years, and I believe they did not have drive issues. I lost track of this Mag around 1995, today ???? The pic I'm posting is my Mag that I wish I never sold.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Thanks for the compliment Bill , this was a solid 2 year restoration and in the end , most folks seem to think it came out OK !

When I found it , it was essentially one step away from the dump ... It was gutted but very fortunately had the original deck hatch , gas tank/floor hatch and console .... NOTHING else ... nothing !

The entire boat has been Awlgripped ... including the non skid on the cockpit floor .. The cabin gelcoat just needed a wax up ...

If you ever want to have your nerves tested , design a windscreen for a boat and have it built off site somewhere else .. pay about 5G for it and then hope it fits !
Magnum warned us that there is a huge danger in having it done this way but we had no other choice.

A friend who I had spoken to some years before about new glass work he had had done on his Hatteras did the design layout ... VERY precise work you have to go over numerous times before pressing the print button , I can assure you. We utilised some really high tech materials too ... Masking tape , twine and a bunch of different length sticks ! ! lol

We utilised a company in Pa. that does custom windscreen and other glass work for boats. When it was done , it was sea freighted back to us ..
They were very good to work with also .

How I wish I was on some sweet fresh water lake somewhere ....
I know my 'where you are' is a bit cryptic , but I'm out in the middle of the Atlantic .... Bermuda ~

Oh , I pretty much did the resto myself ...... Proving many things my father used to say about me completely untrue

Steve

Too funny about your father. My father was not much of a handy man as much as he would tell you he was - lol. All I can say is that it turned out wonderful by the pictures. I can certainly see being on edge as you awaited the windshield - 5K is a lot of green! There is no feeling like driving an older boat that you completely restored. Whenever I first take one out and all the bugs are worked out, it is fun to cruise along thinking about all the work that went into it. I'm sure you got those thoughts with yours.

Bear in mind Bill , I never owned this boat from new and it was gutted and ready for the dump when I found it.

I do know that at the time it was the 2nd largest SINGLE engine option available for this boat. It was rated at 310 HP back then .

The original owner only ever had one dislike about this boat , and that was how it had a tendency to like blowing up outdrives .... I think that the 270 wasn't too fond of the HP to weight ratio on this setup ....

I was thinking that it was probably the 310HP - that is the package a friend had in his 1973 Chris Craft XK19. As heavy as your boat is, I don't guess it is surprising that the incredible load the outdrive had to endure took its toll. Volvo Penta 270s are normally very reliable, but they also are usually on much lighter boats or set up with twins on the heavier boats. I guess it was asking a lot on your hull. Bill

[Conquistador_del_mar]

I bought my first boat a 16' Donzi in 1972, so I had a real interest in offshore boats back then. On lake St Clair back in 1972 Emerald City Harbor was a Magnum dealer and I would hang around there and talk to Magnum racers like Ken Black, Wally Harper, Jack Mathes. Over the years I have become friends with the Mathes family who own Emerald City. When ever I needed info they would tell what I needed. Most of the pic's that I have posted here & on OSO are from the Mathes family collection.
The 2 single eng Mag's [Zonker & Broad Jumper] came with 4 fuel tanks. On my Twin eng Magnum [a race boat from day one] it also had 4 tanks, with the rear ones under the cockpit floor. I would always use the rears, & leave the bow tanks empty for better balance. In a long race 80+ miles I would run the bow tanks first. From what I have been told thats how they ran the singles too.
Dean traded the speed III for two complete Volvo speed master E drives assembles. Then we powered her with two 402 big block chevys [60 over 396] at around 420hp. This Mag would run 70mph and never broke a drive. Around 1986 Dean sold her to the Baker boys from Port Huron Mi. They turned her back into a single with one big 454 Chevy & Volvo speed master drive, she ran about 62mph. The Bakers raced her in APBA A class for two years, and I believe they did not have drive issues. I lost track of this Mag around 1995, today ???? The pic I'm posting is my Mag that I wish I never sold.

No wonder you know so much about them. The speedmaster E drive must have great endurance until over 450HP or so. After turning my good friend on to them, he would break them with his 600HP engine in the Eliminator that I now own, but he would get at least 20 hours running time on them - sometimes more. They increased his speed doing nothing else from 76MPH to 92MPH!! What a great looking race Magnum picture - which of the 3 is you? I guess we have all sold things that we wish we still had - I have. Thanks, Bill

[Morgan's Cloud]

Small world huh Bill ? My brother had a CC XK19 for a few years too . I helped him do a partial resto on that also , although it was more of a cosmetic one .
It too had the 'Corvette' 350 in it with those decals and a 270 drive.
The engine had some strange untraceable problem and he eventually repowered with a new 300hp 350 ... Funny thing , it still wasn't as quick as my St Tropez with a (maybe) 225hp 351 ...
He sold it when we finished the Mag project. It's still kicking around though.
I always tell people (at least those who are interested) that one of the interesting things that happens after a complete resto/rebuild on an old boat is the special relationship that the owner has with his now 'new' toy.. *wipes tears out of eyes*
They have NO secrets to keep from you .. No matter where you look you know exactly what's behind everything and how it's been done.
(Unlike a brand new boat which is a complete mystery).
I have made one observation over the years though , no matter how extensive the restoration the only thing the general public seems to notice is the paint job
Steve

[smidgen too]

No wonder you know so much about them. The speedmaster E drive must have great endurance until over 450HP or so. After turning my good friend on to them, he would break them with his 600HP engine in the Eliminator that I now own, but he would get at least 20 hours running time on them - sometimes more. They increased his speed doing nothing else from 76MPH to 92MPH!! What a great looking race Magnum picture - which of the 3 is you? I guess we have all sold things that we wish we still had - I have. Thanks, Bill

I'm in the center on the throttles, Dean on the port side navigating with Hank driving. the next year I change her to a center steer, with the throttles on the port side. This was the sister Mag to [Li'l Smidgen, and later called SPIRIT] that ran in APBA sport class. Back in the day many of the Detroit area racers had machine shops, Ken Black [Li'l Rhino], Pete Smith [Wolverine] that made heavy duty parts for the E drive, these drives had those parts.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Small world huh Bill ? My brother had a CC XK19 for a few years too . I helped him do a partial resto on that also , although it was more of a cosmetic one .
It too had the 'Corvette' 350 in it with those decals and a 270 drive.
The engine had some strange untraceable problem and he eventually repowered with a new 300hp 350 ... Funny thing , it still wasn't as quick as my St Tropez with a (maybe) 225hp 351 ...
He sold it when we finished the Mag project. It's still kicking around though.
I always tell people (at least those who are interested) that one of the interesting things that happens after a complete resto/rebuild on an old boat is the special relationship that the owner has with his now 'new' toy.. *wipes tears out of eyes*
They have NO secrets to keep from you .. No matter where you look you know exactly what's behind everything and how it's been done.
(Unlike a brand new boat which is a complete mystery).
I have made one observation over the years though , no matter how extensive the restoration the only thing the general public seems to notice is the paint job
Steve

I wonder how many Chris Craft marinized high performance SBC packages were made in the late 60s and early 70s mated to the Volvo drives. My 1971 is the only 18' Donzi I have ever seen with the engine scoop that it has from the factory. The hole had to be cut for the high rise intake manifold and carburetor setup of the LT1.
Yep, when you drive your restored boat, you know it all - even the little flaws that no one else ever notices - lol.
Speaking of the public only really noticing the paint job, we (me and a couple other restore guys) used to joke about selling used boats that we would fix up and sell for the profit - "float and shine" were the key attributes. Potential buyers were "prop knockers". Brings back memories. Bill

[Conquistador_del_mar]

I'm in the center on the throttles, Dean on the port side navigating with Hank driving. the next year I change her to a center steer, with the throttles on the port side. This was the sister Mag to [Li'l Smidgen, and later called SPIRIT] that ran in APBA sport class. Back in the day many of the Detroit area racers had machine shops, Ken Black [Li'l Rhino], Pete Smith [Wolverine] that made heavy duty parts for the E drive, these drives had those parts.

Those must have been fun or at least exciting days! Any broken arms or elbows like I used to read? I wonder if the machine shops or any of those racers still have some heavy duty replacement E drive parts. Do you know anyone who can still work on them or has any parts? I have a few of them. Bill

[smidgen too]

Those must have been fun or at least exciting days! Any broken arms or elbows like I used to read? I wonder if the machine shops or any of those racers still have some heavy duty replacement E drive parts. Do you know anyone who can still work on them or has any parts? I have a few of them. Bill

Had a great time all through the 70's 80's 90's racing Magnums, Mirages, and the Motor City Magic Image Cat, & as a crew chief For the Easter Express Skater cat. Than if that wasn't enuff abuse I was a offshore referee till 2006. But no broken bones ! Ken Black and Pete have passed on years ago, so the parts would be scares. But I'm sure someone could up here could work on them.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Had a great time all through the 70's 80's 90's racing Magnums, Mirages, and the Motor City Magic Image Cat, & as a crew chief For the Easter Express Skater cat. Than if that wasn't enuff abuse I was a offshore referee till 2006. But no broken bones ! Ken Black and Pete have passed on years ago, so the parts would be scares. But I'm sure someone could up here could work on them.

You lived one of my dreams. Back when I was in my 20s and early 30s, I wanted to race, but I had no opportunities. The new cat boats around here are routinely doing 120MPH+ with at least one doing 185MPH. I have a man in my rental stalls with one doing 150MPH with twin 1100HP Sterling engines - and these are all sport class individually owned boats. Back in the early 70s, my little 18 Donzi was about as fast as they came around here doing 60MPH - what a world!! Bill

[smidgen too]

You lived one of my dreams. Back when I was in my 20s and early 30s, I wanted to race, but I had no opportunities. The new cat boats around here are routinely doing 120MPH+ with at least one doing 185MPH. I have a man in my rental stalls with one doing 150MPH with twin 1100HP Sterling engines - and these are all sport class individually owned boats. Back in the early 70s, my little 18 Donzi was about as fast as they came around here doing 60MPH - what a world!! Bill

My 1970 16' Donzi did 53mph, I thought I was living on the edge, the 32' Skater did 120mph at Lake X back in 1992 with two 700hp smallblocks. Thats when I was Glade that I was the crew chife and not racing. Today it's all about $$$$$$$ = Speed. I have one friend that has a 47' Apache with 3 1000+hp motors, runs 130+. And my other friend has the old Reliable 40' race Skater, it runs 160+, and these are pleasure boats ??????