Four Winns Donzi ?

[Craig]

This was funny. At "iboats.com" there's a Four Winns Unlimited 17 (U-boat) listed as a Donzi 16. Even says "donzi" under the manufacturer.

Here's the link.

http://boats.iboats.com/donzi/perfor.../39896-ad.html

Okay, I got a classic '65 Mustang for sale that's really a '73 Comet...

...

[Rootsy]

75 knots at full tilt? holy wha and why the hell am i wasting my time with the REAL donzi 16???

JR - slowpoke

[Tony]

From the same site, here are lots of pictures of a decent looking (although underpowered) Minx.

http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/marine...&img=0&count=4

[Rootsy]

hey.. that minx is sporting an Alpha SS... and appears to have a 320 efi... with new bearings for preventative reasons 74 knots? man i really am slow.... where i am i wasting all of this HP???

[mattyboy]

LET ME BE BRIEF SHORT AND ON TOPIC
75 NOT
the minx is listed on boattrader for 22K just down from 24k NOT


Matty

[Barry Phillips]

That U17 and 19 for that matter ain't no Donzi. U is a good name for it, since Four Winns killed it after only a few years. Sails took a dive.

[Tony]

Actually, from my understanding, it was a well built copy of the Donzi hull. Sales were marginal due, in part, to a test report in which the driver did not know how to handle the deep vee hull. Four Winns stopped production because Donzi threatened litigation.

[MattM]

The knowledge of that program that was common several years ago was those two boats were developed at Donzi, while under ownership of OMC, to replace the classic series. When OMC sold off donzi, the molds went to four winns, who at the time, and maybe still is owned by OMC.

[Brad Lyon]

Wow, people from Portland like the Red Wings, be it from Michigan or Oregon!

[Craig]

Tony - I remember conversing with you several years ago about these. You mailed be a bunch of info. on them that I still have.

The only thing that I don't think is right in your post is the part about OMC still owning them as I'm pretty sure OMC is completely gone now.

Johnson and Evinrude OB's (previously by OMC) are still around because Bombadiere bought them and kept them going.

Still, I thought the U-boats were pretty neat. Don't like the deck styling as much as the Donzi.

[travesty]

Four Winns is now part of the really boss Genmar family. I don't think CEO Irwin Jacobs has any intention of building a high quality product anytime soon so they should stay far away from any more Donzi copies.

[FISHIN SUCKS]

At least, the U boat shares some similar characteristics of the classic Donzi. We have this nut here in Fort Wayne that has been trying to pawn off a Donzi wannabe (not even close to a look-alike) Arriva for the last 2 years. He has peeled off the Arriva graphics and replaced with Donzi ZX graphics. To top it off, still has the original swim platform with Arriva molded into it. Although while flattering, most people around here agree that this has got to be the ugliest Donzi around!

[Craig]

I don't know, I saw a post that mentioned that even the old Silverline Boat company copied (sort of) Donzi's 16'.

Did some surfing and found THIS (see pics below).

Looks pretty wierd. Built in 1970 and 1971.

I know my Cobalt "IS" a copy, but at least it looks like what it copied; this thing is ugly! (my opinion).

Mostly the windshield and dash ruin it (to me).

[Greg Corey]

Here is another Donzi copy that is made by a company in Canada.

http://www.grewmfg.com/classy16.html

Remember, you get what you pay for, and don't settle for imitations!

[boxy]

I wonder if the Grew is a splash of the old Donzi/Shepard boat that was built in Canada under licence ?

Greg, give me a call at 613-223-8808 and I'll fill you in on the 1000 Islands Donzi Weekend we have planned.