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looking to buy a classic 16
- Thread starter Jalpa24
- Start date
the very early boats had 110 hp 4 cyl volvo and 165 hp 8 cyl interceptors with eaton drives. the drives were weak and then they put the eaton name on the volvo aq200 which could take more power . then Holman moody got involved . the late 60's saw a boom in muscle motors and that trickled down into the marine world. HM started to put the 289 hi po motor in boats at 271 hp, then the 302 235 hpand then the 351w 290 hp. the owners back then were no different from todays owners bigger is better. My 67 16 was repowered 2 years down the road in 69 from a 210 hp 289 and aq 200 to a 290 hp 351 and aq 250. When i say early boats i mean 64-65 ish. My 67 took a good beating with me and the new owner has shown it no mercy even running it up on the dock and the hull has not failed. in the early 70's they were powered by sbc lt1 motors up to 350 hp. a 16 with 300 + hp is a fun boat that everyonce in a while will jump up and scare you, but for a 16 foot boat handles snotty water really well once you're used to how it handles. My 16 never failed to get me and my family home even in 5 foot wakes on a busy day in 1000 islands.
good luck on the search ratickle has listed a few candidates
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Offshore Ginger
New member
I,forgot to mention that the gentlemen selling the 20 Cig also has a 24 Cig ,for sale also .
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
Must be a suburb
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
Cool. Love oldtime offshore boats. The more that are saved and rebuilt, the better....
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
I'm getting the impression you're a die-hard Donzi fan. Did you read the Aronow blip I put in the one story about how Donzi got its name??? I actually did not know that until doing some looking for Charlie and the #1 nomination I put up for Don.
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
So true, we do not want to turn into one of those sites....
I'll keep watching the Donzi's out there. Looks like we have one of the experts on the thread now who is really familiar with the 16's and 18's.
Jalpa24
New member
I just love the looks of the Donzi classic. I do like the cigarettes alot but I think the Donzi classic will be easier to restore.
No I didn't see the story about how Donzi got its name but ill go look it up
Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
There are actually two stories out there. The first one is the one I think is accurate, from 1965 SI. I have it on here somewhere.
"Donzi Marine is not, as many might suppose, the name of a firm of Italian speed merchants like Ferrari. It represents the combined talents of two American marine enthusiasts from Miami: Designer Jim Wynne, one of the boat world's newest geniuses of the slide rule, and Boatbuilder Don Aronow. Their joint venture got its name when the two launched their first delicately sculptured, deep-V-bottomed boat, and Aronow mourned in mock despair: "Well, I suppose everybody will recognize it as a Wynne design." "But that's not fair, Donsy, baby," cooed a sympathetic secretary who had suffered through the construction with both of them. "Your name should be on it, too." So Donsy Baby became Donzi Marine, and Donzi Marine, from its first near win in the Miami- Key West race last November with bearded Jim Wynne at the helm, became the talk of the powerboat world."
The second is one that gets around, but I've heard no first hand, old-time, documentation....
The name Donzi came from Morris Levy, who was head of roulette records in NYC, a close friend of Don's. Morris had kidded with Don about being cited from esquire magazine for having a "classy interior design", since esquire was a fancy magazine, being cited for a classy interior from the magazine wasn't the most macho of honors.
Morris said to Don one night in a fairy type voice, " geez Donnie, I guess we'll have to start calling you 'Donsey.'
Maybe someone else has some firsthand info about that, but the first one is the most reported from way back in the day when Don was still out actively racing.
Jalpa24
New member
Well im feeline better about the 16 classic now. now ill just have to wait tell a 16 or 18 comes up for sale this summer on the East Cost, Thanks again for all the info
Jalpa24
New member
hmm im not shore where norwalk is ill look it up
Ratickle
the second version is what I believe to be correct and is stated in the king of thunderboat row by Don's son Michael who was around at the time ( story was confirmed by Brownie some time back). Morris Levy was also part of getting the beatles out on a formula 233 with Don before Donzi.
Also involved and the real designer of the 16 was Walt Walters. Walters also stayed with Don thru Magnum and Cigarette. Wynne went out on his own after Donzi.
Jalpa,
We have a member of the lake george donzi classic club with a pristine 67 16 that's for sale not a project but an awesome example of a 16 If your interested I could get you in touch with them.
the second version is what I believe to be correct and is stated in the king of thunderboat row by Don's son Michael who was around at the time ( story was confirmed by Brownie some time back). Morris Levy was also part of getting the beatles out on a formula 233 with Don before Donzi.
Also involved and the real designer of the 16 was Walt Walters. Walters also stayed with Don thru Magnum and Cigarette. Wynne went out on his own after Donzi.
Jalpa,
We have a member of the lake george donzi classic club with a pristine 67 16 that's for sale not a project but an awesome example of a 16 If your interested I could get you in touch with them.
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here is a little more reading on the early years, if it is ok to post a link to another site. the main coversation here is between Don's son Michael and Allan Brown ( Brownie)
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?28703-Donzi-Marine-63-65&highlight=
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?28703-Donzi-Marine-63-65&highlight=
Offshore Ginger
New member
Jalpa 24 , hey guy there are a few things here on this forum that have not yet been addresed like mentioned on www.donzi.net previously ...which are all about something .....as simple as using a fillet in there layup ................... ( Donzi ) which in the past because of a lack of has caused cracks along the base of the stringers which in the end will cause rot ........ to entire stringer systems if not addresed ,and to tell you the truth i can almost bet there will be a few people on this forum offering there opinions concering this issue .
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