I looked the hull over when I bought it but didn't see any stress cracks but I didn't get on my back and slide up under the boat . I will need to do it for sure thanks for all this info I'm happy o found you on hear . as far as the tank in the floor your saying I'd have to pull the lid off to change it ? . your right I'm not up to that one yet but who knows I've done a few other boats like that ( other brands ) lots of work lol . and thanks I had no idea they changed hands 5 times . I'll look for the hin but your right I think even if it had one it would be faded out . I was just so happy to get the boat so cheap 2k that I figured I'd have to do some work on it . but all in all it seems to be a good condition boat , but I'll pull it up on the slab and slide up under it . can I fix the stress cracks by glassing over them or do I resin fill them ? Thanks

If your bottom is unpainted (antifouled) the cracks will be very obvious. Mine looked like simple gelcoat cracks along part of the length of the strake and I didn't worry about them too much . It became more obvious as time went on that one of them was slowly weeping water .
Another member around here found one a few years ago and when I saw the bottom of his I was pretty concerned . His were way worse than mine and he didn't even recognize them as a serious problem area. The area falls about a foot outside of the full length stringers and seeing that it's only a lightly built single skin construction in a high water pressure area it's not really surprising .I've seen the same thing on a similar year 16 as well.
When I had the thing gutted I repaired them properly with plenty of grinding and glass work . Actually puttied the strakes and put another layer or two of glass on the entire bottom .
That forward tank is put in in such a place that it's impossible to cut it out without doing major damage to the deck mold and floor . The glass work that would be needed to be done to make it all invisible again would cost more than removing the deck and floor tub .
Oh , what was it you said about having bronze trim tabs ? Never heard of them before .

Ya the bronze trim tabs were a cool suprise probably a aftermarket part that some one put on early in its life . funny the boat is almost as old as I am lol. I'll probably take them off of there not a stock item because one is intact and the other is missing parts . neither one works any way . as far as the forward tank I think I'll leave it alone for now . the bottom doesnt have antifouling paint on it and is white so the cracks should be easy to spot . funny thing tho the guys who painted it brought the blue down to the foul line passed the 2 top strakes on the bow and one of the pics I saw the white came up on the bow over the those top strakes which is correct ?

Still having problems visualizing bronze trim tabs. They must originally be off of a really old Chris Craft or something similar. The electrolysis problems that stainless steel can pose is bad enough , can't imagine what bronze would do now with all that aluminum alloy right next door !
If you have those cracks , and I can't imagine that you don't , you'll see them easily enough . Like I said , I didn't pay much attention to mine until I figured out that at least one of them was weeping water . Even the Benchseat Hornet I mention had them .
The early Donzis weren't necessarily fast because of monster HP for their time , light construction had a lot to do with it was well . If you end up removing that old transducer , as I did with mine , you might be surprised at the thickness of the hull bottom .
When all of the Donzis had only a colored hullside but white bottom they put a contrasting or white bootstripe on them at the chine . From the chine down was white so yes, those strakes and all parts of the fwd hull above the waterline would have been white as well .
As an alternative example there was a red brochure boat a long time back that had an entirely red hull with white deck . The entire hull below and above the waterline was red but they put a black bootstripe on it .
In terms of our boat comparative age , I've got mine beat by a few years. I wouldn't mind having been able to buy it the year that it was built but that would have been a bit of an improbability. haha
Am I correct in assuming that you haven't actually run the boat yet ?

Yup correct I havent run it yet I need to change out the steering and throttle cable . but she starts up on one bump happy about that but scared what I'll find when I to shift her into gear but the I bougjt it from rebuilt the lower unit and he was a marine mech . so well see lol
mine has a gold boot stripe on it is that some thing donzi would have done orig. ? Hey as soon as I can take some pics I'll post them up especially those trim tabs . can I buy the cables any were or is there a special brand like donzi reg. I should buy them from ? One of the guys sent me a # for getting some parts for my gauges . I did look at another site and they were 300$ and up .

Very unlikely for that time frame a gold bootstripe would have been factory even though throughout the 70's and part of the 80's Donzi did some really creative color combinations.
You say it's been painted below the chine so whoever did that probably got a bit creative with their color scheme.
Check your throttle/shifter binnacle . If it's a Morse then you should stay with a Morse (red jacket ?) cable . If it's a Merc unit then Merc cables.
If it's the original HM package it's more than likely a Morse unit . Mine had a Merc in it when I got it but I've long since reverted back to the Morse control .
I would guess that you probably have the old classic Stewart Warner gauges in that thing . Can't get them any more I think . And you know that replacing one mismatched gauge at a time doesn't cut it ! !
And don't worry about that old 270 drive. It'll still be going long after you with normal oil changes. They're almost indestructible .
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that if everything is good with your 302 H/M and the boat is propped correctly you're probably looking at a top speed of 45mph on a good day .
Every post gets you closer to 10 and then it's picture time .

Yup the last owner said that it ran arround 48 so your right on the money . and yes I do have the Morse control but it can't be the original one looks like 90's version . the gauges are vxo I believe probably out of a later model boat so I'll have to see what I can do there replacing all of them seems like a lot of money . I did that on my dusky and even buying the stuff at the marine left over store it was expensive . but I guess they don't call it a hole in the water for nothing lol . there's also holes in the cc like some one had a wind shield on it but I don't see that reflected in any of the brochures that ive seen

The holes in the console might have been from a previous contoured grab rail . I certainly haven't ever seen any with a windscreen on them . Mind you , a custom short 60/40 green tinted one might look sweet . The Bertram 20 Sportsman pulls it off very nicely .
Those gauges must have come somewhere down the line after the boat was built as I think ones of that vintage had the classic S/W ones with the H/M engines.
Things do add up in a hurry though , but if you've got something you like and plan to keep it then treat yourself !
My estimation on speed was based on the difference between what mine did with the 351W/Merc Alpha one that was in it when I got it and my friend's BenchSeat Hornet with the original 298 H/M and 270 non trimmable drive (set to the midle pin hole) As good as they are the old Volvo units just aren't quite as hydrodynamic as the old Merc ones .
I could easily outrun him but I topped out at 50 back then . It's an entirely new ballgame now with an MPI 350 Volvo and DPS/A drive.
Two more posts and pictures can come ! ! !

I'll have to look at the out drive again it maybe a 170 because it has power trim ,unless the 270 had it as an option or some one changed it out . ya can't wait to let you see some pics and get your feed back on the boat ( a pic is worth 1000 words ) lol . I am going to repaint it so maybe I'll patch the holes up although I will look at the Bertram and see if it'll work thanks . from the looks of it I thought the motor was a 302 Is that correct or is it what you were saying a 289 ? Is that what they came with ? I'll be heading up to my other place Friday or saterday and I'll put all this incredible information you gave me work
also be asking more I'm sure . as far as the gauges your right about keeping it forever so the 2 that are broke I'll replace and I'll get a bezel for the other on because there in good shape but who knows a lot of times I just go full bore lol. I did on an old elcamino and the hasn't stopped giving me greif about for years haha ooh by the way I traded that one for a dolphin boat that I still have .

Do those bronze trim tabs have a WB or Wolverine Bronze cast into them?