1996 22' Donzi Classic Front Buckets

[Pat McPherson]

Hi Guys,
I'm considering recovering or replacing my front seats. There or no rips / tears but they are 20years old, and...
I've contacted Donzi direct and a local shop to discuss my options.

The new seats from Donzi direct are shorter, 20" tall, vs. my original 24" tall.
I also recall my 87 Minx had/has higher backs than the 16 & 18 Classics.
I'm told that all classics, 16, 18, and 22ft delivered within the past 15 years, have the 20" high bucket.


Question/Opinions on a 20" high bucket vs 24" ?
If the new ones were 24" high I would not hesitate. Now I'm thinking recovering the original is the way I should proceed...

[chip w]

I talked to Missy at PPI this week about seats for my 18C and she told me that their seats are a little higher than the original. My 18 is the same year as yours. They also gave me two prices, one for new seats and one to recover the original seats. Their number is 941-752-6271. It might be an option worth looking into.

[Capevettes]

The seats on my 2000 18 Classic are showing some patina, especially near the tops of the seats both front and back where the color has faded. Is there a dye available for these seats that would restore the original color? Mine are white.

[Pat McPherson]

Hi Chip,
I had also sent e-mail request to PPI for a quote...
Sounds like the same products as Donzi direct...
I called but Missy at a boat show...
We'll see what they come back with...

[yeller]

The seats on my 2000 18 Classic are showing some patina, especially near the tops of the seats both front and back where the color has faded. Is there a dye available for these seats that would restore the original color? Mine are white.

Years ago, when I was an upholsterer, I use to use a vinyl dye made by Mar Hyde. It worked extremely well. I did a search and it doesn't look like it is made anymore. The other dye of choice in the industry was made by Siemens. Not sure if its still around. (Fyi: it's refered to as a dye, but it looks and applies just like paint)
I don't know if I'd trust anything in a rattlecan. There may be some really good ones. That's just my personal feeling.
I'd go to an autobody supply store to see what they have.

If you do decide to dye the seats, they have to be clean, clean, clean, clean, clean. Soap and water won't cut it. You have to get right down into the pores of the vinyl. Use a vinyl prep after cleaning.

Caution: If you're not at the point of re-upholstering your seats, I don't recommend dying them. If done correctly, the dye will last several years before it wears off. If done incorrectly, it will start to flake off almost immediately and there will be no way to fix it and make it look good. So before you start, you have to be prepared to re-upholster, in case it doesn't work out. 99.9% of the time, the reason it flakes, is poor cleaning and prep.

Hope that helps.

[Capevettes]

Yeller, Thank you for your detailed reply. I appreciate it. My seats are fine except for the tops where the color has worn away from the sun beating down on it and moisture. I had researched some prep products to get them clean before I dye them. I will check and see if either of those products you mentioned still exist, if not I have some friends in the car resto industry that may be good resources.

Thanks, Paul

[Pat McPherson]

The quotes I'm getting to recover my original 24" high back seats are nearly the same as purchasing the new Donzi Classic standard 20" high bucket.

Can any of the owners of new boats comment on the comfort and support of the 20" seat?
When running hard in the rough, do they give good support for your back?

Thank you

[Carl C]

The quotes I'm getting to recover my original 24" high back seats are nearly the same as purchasing the new Donzi Classic standard 20" high bucket.

Can any of the owners of new boats comment on the comfort and support of the 20" seat?
When running hard in the rough, do they give good support for your back?

Thank you

In the rough I always lean forward and move fore and aft with the waves. That takes much of the impact off my back. I suggest my passenger do the same. If just cruising along then my 20" seats are plenty comfortable to lean back into.

[Greg Guimond]

Pat, clear your PM box

[Pat McPherson]

Pat, clear your PM box

I deleted 5 messages. Thanks

[Pat McPherson]

In the rough I always lean forward and move fore and aft with the waves. That takes much of the impact off my back. I suggest my passenger do the same. If just cruising along then my 20" seats are plenty comfortable to lean back into.

I sat in my seats last night and really thought about it. If its simply the top 3-4" that is the difference, it probably doesn't matter all that much. If we were talk about having a head rest then...

[yeller]

Pat, I didn't respond sooner because I didn't know what height my seats were, and I kept forgetting to measure them. I missed the part where you stated that the last 15yrs are 20".

I don't think you'll miss the top 4". It's the lower to mid back that needs the support and the 20" seats provide that.

Visually though, it'll probably take you some time to get use to the shorter seats and they'll probably look a bit odd to you for the first while.

[Pat McPherson]

IMG_1500.JPGIMG_1502.JPGIMG_1503.JPG

The swivels / mounts are shot - I ordered new last night.
The wood is moldy but not rotten - If I plan to reuse, I'll clean and paint.
There are no rips or tears so I'm going to give a good cleaning and decide if I just go with them for another year and spend my $ on steering instead...

[Carl C]

[QUOTE=Pat McPherson;666
The wood is moldy but not rotten [/QUOTE]

Mine have no wood!

[Pat McPherson]

Mine have no wood!

Your boat is also free of wood construction too, right?