Classic Donzi Question
 

Did Donzi ever make a 24 footer?? If so, did it have a 7' beam? The 24's and 27's seem to be the topic of great conversation here. I am trying to find out for sure when the very first 24'/7' beam offshore boat came out and who built it. I think it had to be the man, Mr. Aronow...

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Yes Donzi made the
Doral 24,
Spitfire 24,
El Pescador 24 open fishing boat,
and Spirit 24
1974-77
All share the same Harry Schell hull with different deck config.
LOA 24'2"
Beam 8'
Draft to keel 20"
To bottom of outdrive 33"
Weight, single 3950 lbs

From the Donzi.net website search
To quote Olered, "This is one of the driest 24' hulls ever made". Bill's got a beautiful fishing boat version of the Doral- the El Pesc. Here's some info from one of Bill's posts:
------Roy Farmer, General manager of DONZI for years,loved fishing down in the Keys. In the early 70s there really wasnt a hull conducive to conversion to a center console that DONZI was building. Roy felt that the St.Tropez was too small for what he wanted and anyone could see the trend to longer boats. Im sure that over a few lunches with the boss, John Chisholm, a plan was hatched to do a whole line of 24s, with the El Pescador as the starting point. I was around for some of those early lunches when Roy would tell us he wanted a bigger center console boat for his excursions.
------Im not sure when Harry Schell, the designer, got drawn into the plans but he designed the the 4-boat package that became the 24ft. line.
--------1.El Pescador
--------2.Spitfire
--------3.Doral
--------4.Spirit
------It really was an inspired plan. Harry designed an absolutely killer hull, but the deck design was truly revolutionary. All 24s were built with the El Pescador inner hull. There was an indented lip all the way around the circumference of the inner deck. That indented lip accepted the other three design deck caps.
------Had production really got cranked up it would have allowed the factory to build spec hulls to a more finished degree. Ordered boats could have been built faster.
------I dont know why the sales plans didnt work out. DONZI may have priced them selves too high. I cant remember, but maybe there was a market downturn around then. Maybe Brownie would have some input on this subject. His knowledge of this stuff is so deep. In any event the 24 line was sold to Sonic sometime in the late 70s. I have a friend from Ft.Lauderdale who bought the first 24 Sonic SS (Spitfire) out of the (now) Sonic molds. It unfortunatly got destroyed. I dont know how many other SSs were built. I also dont know if Sonic ever built any of the other deck plans. In any event,the 24 is no longer built by anybody and it is truly a shame. I havent talked to anyone from Sonic but was told by my friend that the hull mold(at least)exists. Who knows what shape its in though.


http://www.donzi.net/photos/osaffell621.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/osaffell526.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/osaffell517.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/osaffell564.jpg

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Is the second pic a Spitfire or a Spirit. Great looking boat imho.

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Second pic is the Spitfire 24

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

THANKS for the pics and info. In the early-mid 80s there was a 24' Sonic around here called "SMUGGLER"...I believe it had twin big blocks and ran somewhere in the 80s. It must have been one of the early Sonic 24s...I never knew this was actually a Donzi boat originally!! It had the same windscreen and overall design of the Spitfire 24. Didn't have the raised/rounded/"bubble" deck of the later Sonic 24s.

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Sonic had the4 El Pescador molds and the Spitfire deck molds. They left them outside their plant for years and years. I tried to buy them a few years ago, they wanted stupid stupid stupid money for them, we parted ways. When they did the Doller whatever merger/move the molds were sent to the dump I heard... what a bunch of freaking maroons.... :mad: :blaster:

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Ok, I Know where they went. In the mid 80s Allen Piche & his brother, who owend " Fed Co" otherwise known as Performer got the molds for the 24. Sold them to a Virginia Buisnessman who bought the molds and the performer name. Made a couple different versions of it, one was a center console. the other a cuddy. Totally awesome boat, NO WOOD, other than the transom. Built one to race the Rudee Run 200 mile race. Had twin staggered big blocks & #4 drives. 114 on radar with the tabs all the way down. It porpoised really bad with all that weight. I Know the speed cause I Held the Gun. If you can find one of these Performers, Buy It! It is a Hell of a Boat....

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Err, no.....

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

"WE" At Performer in Richmond, VA. Built "That Same Harry Schoell 24' Hull" Up till 1995. Performers where sold mostly on the east coast. are they the one's(molds) from Sonic?Who Knows? But it's the same hull. We Made two different decks. One a center console. The other a cuddy. As I said in a earlier post the only wood in the boat was in the transom. All the hulls where cored, some balsa, some synthetic. They are Very well built boats. Rock Solid But Reasonably Light. 55 MPH with a 225 outboard. Mid to upper 60's with a big block.You can look in the "Blue Book" for the Prices. If I can Find a Brochure laying around I'll try to post a pic in the next couple days.

So, Uh, Yeah!
Brownies Son-Fastdonzi! (Really) :)

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

The hull and deck molds were at Sonic as of three years ago.. And had been for some time. Did they get them from Performer? Maybe that is the quesion here...

And yes, I know Performer...

BTW, Brownie keeps telling me about your 18.. When is it coming to a Donzi meet??? :D :drink: :D

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

The Hull Molds May Have Come from Performer. We Had 3 Hull Molds, When Buisness tapered Down They Got Rid of 2. The Last was Cut up & Thrown in the Dumpster. The 32 footer we built was sold to a guy in texas. When Is the next Donzi Meet? Cause if I Don't use it , I should sell it. The wife doesn't like it at all. But she doesn't understand How that "Floating/Wiggling feeling" When running 70+ In a 18' boat just soothes the soul. I Have used it 2 times this year. The Carburator has spent more time on other Friends race cars than on the boat. If I sell it I'll get a small O/B Cat that can't chine walk. We'll see how she likes the real floating feeling:) My 18 is the older(66) True V style hull, It really kicks a$$ when the going gets rough. Thats when I Like it most. But others don't understand. I Guess they don't know these boats have been in my blood since birth, And here in TN They can't even say DONZI:)

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Sarasota in October.....

Come on Down!!!

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

My 18 is the older(66) True V style hull, It really kicks a$$ when the going gets rough.


There was an earlier true V, before the rounded ones??
That would be worth having

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

The earlier 18's had a sharp keel. Around late 68 or so I think they went to the rounded bottom...

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

The round bottom makes it a bit "floppy" in turns and on landings

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

Trade off for the brutal landings the sharp keels suffer from.. IMO they need a bit more power to push em also...

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

The Newer Rounded bottom is a little faster, also may chine walk a little more. but when All the bass boats and 24' cruisers are at the dock cause they think it's too rough I'm Smilin and wavin as I Go by:) (Making small steering corrections everytime it hits the water)Its a Ball. :)

Re: Classic Donzi Question
 

anyone out their know where i can find a 24 el pescador to buy a sonic with same hull or maybe a preformer i need one for xmass for a freinds father i have a 24 with jack shafted dou prop does anyone know how many of those were maid

Anybody out there have any interest in this ?? ( Sorry pics. in next post )

I was told it is a 1978 24' Sonic but I am doing a bit of research as we speak , on whether it is a Sonic or a Spitfire... The boat currently has twin BBC's in it & Stern Powr MX-107's on it... The boat will be sold minus the motors but everything else pictured goes.. incl. the Borg Warner Velvet drives..... Probably the same boat that (DelawareRiverRunner) was talking about ?? I know there can't be to many , if any other 24's around rigged for twin BBC's

Anybody interested in this can can get into a really cool project boat really cheap..

Send me a PM......... Thanks , Scott

Sorry I am having trouble loading these pics. from my computor here at home... Take a look at the thread I posted in the Boat Swap section of the forum.

Thanks , Scott

Donzi Doral 24 - twin outboard model
 

http://cards.webshots.com/invite/pic...62769473aqTioo

http://cards.webshots.com/invite/pic...62769473aqTioo

Donzi Doral 24 - twin outboard model
 

I just purchased a 1978 Donzi Doral 24 that was setup with twin outboards. It looks like it was in really good condition with low hours of use due to lack of scratches and generall wear on the boat. It appears to have been stripped. When I got it, it was almost a bare hull. The dashboard and all guages are gone, No rear seat, No controls, no motor mounts....It had a knee brace bolted to the keel which attached to the inboard side of transom to support the outboard motor mounts. About 20 holes in the keel, and then another 40 holes (20 each) for the two missing motor mounts.

I just bought twin Yamaha 250's including a Stainless Steel marine double outboard engine mount, all the guages, wiring, top mount controls, and oil tanks. I'm hoping to see a respectable speed with 500 horses, 2 stroke style. I've already started a savings account to pay this summer's fuel bills. The boat is brown and white.

good luck on the project, the 24 Donzi was made in 4 versions
the doral, the spitfire , the spirit and the el pescador same hull different deck treatments, the boat has the option up grade with the fiberglass moulded bucket seats

the 24 hull was a great riding hull very heavy and would handle and ride rough water very well but that works against speed as an example a twin sbc with volvos with say 600 hp 300 each side would be a low 50's mph boat I am not a guru on OB's but I would think loosing some of that weight of motors and drives will help , also the boat likes trim the older volvos didn't have that so another plus for the OB

if you go to donzi.net try to get a hold of ol' red alert he has a beautiful restored el pescador ( cc fishing model) and a spitfire the more Classic style 2+3 he just picked up
he can tell you alot about that hull
do you have a hull number?

here is a sales flyer

Does anybody have any pics of the Spirit 24?

I have a stripped hull and deck available for free and was considering grabbing it for a future project. thx.

O/B vs. sterndrive
 

Pogyhouse, I put a pair of Merc 300 Pro Max's on a 27' MAGNUM Sedan, got 71gps. Good luck with your project. HIGH LIFE

Donzi Doral 24 Project
 

Hi all,
Just un update on my 1978 Donzi Doral 24. Recap, this boat was originally built with twin outboards. I don't know what size or brand, and I have never heard of another one with outboards. The boat had been striped when I got it last year. No engine mounts, no dash, no floor. It has the Doral style seat "pods". I came accross a pair of 95 Yamaha Saltwater Series 250's with a custom mount, hydraulic steering, digital tachs & controls. They had been on a boat where they neglected to reinforce the mount and the top part of the transom broke away. So I got a good deal. The previous motor installation on the Donzi had a bracket of some sort from the transom to the bottom of the boat to reinforce it. So....I had an aluminum backing plate made out of 1/4" plate to put on the inside of the boat, and then took heavy 3" steel angle iron and made a "shelf bracket" of sorts to tie the transom to the motor mount stringers and on down to the bottom of the boat. It has 16 bolts through the keel and 12 bolts into the stringers, plus at least 10 1/2" bolts through the transom and into the motor mount. Plus another 10 or so that sandwich the aluminum backing plate and the transom to the new motor mount. After it was built I had it powdercoated. (pictures to follow). The exciting news is that I did a shake down cruise yesterday on the motors. The trim tabs aren't hooked up yet, but the motor trim works. Jumps out of the water and really flys. I've got 17" wheels (propellers) on it right now and I think when I'm done I'll probably need 21" or 23"'s to get the full potential out of the motors. The boat is rock solid and handles great. I'll update with pictures and progress soon. Now that the motors are up and running I have to install the floor, and then go to work on upholstry and top. $$$$.

Sounds like the project is coming along nicely...

Have you found a hull # on it yet?

Easy now, Donzi's are catching on in Tn! But you are right, most here can't pronounce it:ernaehrung004:

hey pogy house

any relation to Knocky???

http://home.comcast.net/~jnee01/pictures/Spirit1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~jnee01/pictures/Spirit2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~jnee01/pictures/Spirit3.jpg

very nice :)

Oh my....

I know this is an old thread but I need some help .
I have a 78 Sonic 24' based on the Donzi hull Spirit. It has no power but came with twin olds 403s and Berkeley jets. Going to repower with 350 strikers and predator carbs. Need info on front motor mount type/ layout type.

You keeping the jet drives? Would love to see pics of that setup, never seen twin jets.

Won't allow me to post attachments. I'll keep the Berkeleys they are the top cable control type. They are mounted in angled Berkeley suction housings. Nice neat install package. Boat looks so like blue Donzi Spirit in thread.

Man, that ought to throw a serious rooster when its done!

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