Don Aronow's Banana Boat?
 

I have a 1967 Magnum with hull ID MMX01. Its 27' 6" long with approximately a 6.5' beam. It is a twin engine inboard boat. As you can see in the pictures, the boat is in need of a restoration. From what I've been told, there were 5 of these boats built. Mine is said to be the fourth found. The previous owner of the boat modified the dash and the area around the cockpit, as can be seen it the photos. He also filled in a few of the original fixture mounting holes (original holes marked with black paint) and added the lights in the front. The boat is missing the engines, one transmission and the engine hatches. Other than that it is very complete. A lot of the parts, like the rudders and props look to have very little use, and show no signs of corrosion. Both (Edelbrock) bellhousings are still there and appear to be for Chevy 409s. If you scrape the white paint off the hull , the gelcoat underneath is yellow. Don Arownow's #4 Banana boat is not one of the three that have been found. I'd like to know if anyone is familiar with that boat and can help me trace mine to see if it was his. Also, there are a few boats like this from 1966 that are titled as Donzis. With mine being titled as a Magnum, is it possible mine is the first true Magnum titled boat? Does anyone know of an earlier boat titled as a Magnum? If anyone has any information on Don Aronow's #4 boat or early Magnums, please let me know. Also, if you have one of the other boats, please post pictures so I can reference them during the restoration. Pictures of the cockpit and engine compartment are very important as the most work has to be done in these areas. I have a thread under the Magnum section, so feel free to add information there. Thanks David

Here are more pictures and a picture of Don Aronows #4 boat.

There is more info on this boat on the HORBA site

www.historicraceboats.com

I've been to HORBA's website looking for information on it and can't find anything that can help me link mine to it or help me restore it. The only picture of Don Aronow's boat I can find is the one that I posted. I also sent Horba an email a few weeks ago and received no reply.

We have been having e-mail problems with the site, I have been telling people to send me the photos are info via
[email protected]

Thx
Charlie

4d- Guy -
Just read thru the "Banana" boat section in King of Thunderboat Row for your answers.

Found on page 67 like 1967 weird...The fast and dangerous 6-1/2' beam experimental Magnum 27 called the "Banana Boat" Don ran the boat only twice, once in 1967 in the Around Long Island Marathon and in the 1967 Hennessy Cup in Calif. Some place I read who got these Banana Boats, but I can't remember??? Seams to me one was sold or given to a friend of Don's? Keep the info coming guy's this looks like a nice historic find....

Are here two Magnum 27' with high deck to be restored or
that in HORBA and that of 4d_guy are the same boat?

Here are some shots from the site:

www.historicraceboats.com

Aronow's first Banana had a 427 Turbo Daytona on V-drive. It was ten miles an hour faster than anything else in the day, and wilder than a March hare. The one he raced had black power on a #2 drive. The white one in the pictures was a twin inboard, rigged by Russ Burke for Chuck Lopez of Miami. It handled so well that I have a pic somewhere of it after it went clean across the Macarthur causeway while running the measured mile in Government Cut. Satan's Chariot belong to Eddie Kendall, who ran the prestress plant across the street.