Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !
they did a few versions of a 24 the one carl posted with the angled windshield, then the firefox, the early teak deck the firefox is the best looking boat ever Ghost would know more on it
When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
When the waves are high and the light is dying,
well raise a glass and think of me...
When I'm home again,
boys, I'll be buying!
My Ride
Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes
Contact Us
www.lgdonziclassic.com
cigs are the most copied boat in all sizes the 24 deep v style was made by many Excalibur python pantera then Don had the squardron 24
When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
When the waves are high and the light is dying,
well raise a glass and think of me...
When I'm home again,
boys, I'll be buying!
My Ride
Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes
Contact Us
www.lgdonziclassic.com
....................
1972 16 OB - C16B-63 - "Surface Tension" Resto Project
1974 16 OB - DMR16106017-B - "The Mule"
Thanks. BTW, the teak deck boat shown (red on the red trailer) is actually mine, before I owned it and before the re-do, but largely as I bought it. I think that pic was taken by the owner in FL, just before it went to LOTO. Or by the owner in LOTO, from whom I bought it.
The Firefox is a bit of a mystery to me, for a couple reasons.
Beam: I've heard some people say the Firefox was a 7' beam boat but I don't think so. iBoats says 7'5 but I don't think that's right either. I don't know for sure. I've only seen one in person: the black Lip-Ship Firefox that was at AOTH a few years back, fresh off resto-modding and living in TX I think. It seemed to run with the same natural bow angle that mine does. Gun to my head, I'd say the hulls were the same from the rubrail down on all three: the early 70s teak deck "24" with twin sixes or small blocks, the late '70s? to early '80s? "24" with the single BBC, and the Firefox, also a single BBC I think. Both the original teak-deck ad and the Banana Boat ad show the same 23'11" length and 7'10" beam.
Molds: I believe Don sold the 24 molds to Charlie McCarthy for Banana boat, with an agreement that he needed to use a different top deck from the Cigs. The Banana deck is definitely different from the early teak boat, seems pretty similar to the late '70s single but with a different dash and cabin I think, and totally different from the Firefox. I wonder if there were a couple molds of the bottom and maybe Cig kept something that was used for the Firefox and/or the late-'70s 24. The Banana boat ad I've seen lists a Merc 188 as standard power, which would be circa 1977-1983 maybe? That's where I particularly wonder about how many molds there were, where they went, and when.
Weight: also a bit of a fuzzy mystery. The original '72 ad appears to say the twin-6 boat was approximately 4000lbs. Charlie McCarthy's ad says 3800, which could be close, given no teak inlay. But, it was a single engine boat, where the Cig had the twins. Hmmm. iBoats lists the Firefox at something like 6250 lbs with a single engine but feels like they have to be smoking crack. I converted mine from inline sixes to a single 496HO. I believe that saved 400-600 lbs, based on the waterline change and other math. I'd guess mine was currently between 4000 and 4400. I suspect the original "4000 (approximate)" in the 1972 ad was very approximate, and a bit low.
Dates: the teak decked boat with twins appears to have been announced in '72 and I've seen ads showing it until '75 I think. Looking at the prices, it was way above the 19/20 but just a smidge below the 28, perhaps contributing to few sales. That and caring for the wood. It was definitely called the "24." The next, with a single and no teak, I've heard said started in the late '70s and went to the early '80s, but I don't know for sure. Pretty sure it was called the "24" as well. The only ad I have on it shows the motor options as a Merc 370HP and a Merc Cyclone 400, if that helps with dates. I looked up the Cyclone 400 and someone said it was offered from '80 to '86, which falls in the time range. The Firefox was made from '88-''92 according to iBoats. That could be right, but given the world of marketing, I'd have thought it would have started closer to the release of the film (1982). I'm very fuzzy on facts there however, just speculating that it would have come out in '83 or '84. The fin-style deck rear and such feel like it had to have inspired by the plane/film.
(In hindsight, I guess this'd be easier to discuss with some better names. Perhaps, the teak 24 twin, the 24 single and of course the Firefox. )
Speed: the 1972 ad said the teak 24 twin would do 55. No way. Mine did 44 with upgraded inline six 292s. Some old Lake St Clair speed regatta records show one at about 47 I think. That makes sense to me. The 24 single ad said 45 cruise and 60 top end for the 370HP, 62 for the Cyclone 400. This seems dead on to me. Converted to the 496HO, mine will top out in the low to mid 60s. With all the stars lined up, she's been over 66 GPS. No idea about the Firefox. iBoats seems to think it was available with factory singles from 365HP to 511HP. 511? More crack?
"I don't have time to get into it, but he went through a lot." -Pulp Fiction
Thank you, Patrick
1994 18' Classic 350Mag Alpha
Previously owned Donzis -
1996 22' Classic, 502Mag Bravo
1987 20' Minx, 350Mag Alpha
1975 18' Classic, 350Chevy Volvo 280
Thank you, Patrick
1994 18' Classic 350Mag Alpha
Previously owned Donzis -
1996 22' Classic, 502Mag Bravo
1987 20' Minx, 350Mag Alpha
1975 18' Classic, 350Chevy Volvo 280
....................
1972 16 OB - C16B-63 - "Surface Tension" Resto Project
1974 16 OB - DMR16106017-B - "The Mule"
...............................
1972 16 OB - C16B-63 - "Surface Tension" Resto Project
1974 16 OB - DMR16106017-B - "The Mule"
I sure like the 1973 price better than the 1995...
Thank you, Patrick
1994 18' Classic 350Mag Alpha
Previously owned Donzis -
1996 22' Classic, 502Mag Bravo
1987 20' Minx, 350Mag Alpha
1975 18' Classic, 350Chevy Volvo 280
yes all are a tad different probably part of the 10% rule
here are a few more pics of the black cig and a cig i was looking at buying guy wante da ton of cash for it and it was not worth it especially after it was washed off it's lift during Irene and had the mahwah river running thru it
When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
When the waves are high and the light is dying,
well raise a glass and think of me...
When I'm home again,
boys, I'll be buying!
My Ride
Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes
Contact Us
www.lgdonziclassic.com
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