2007 Donzi 27 Zr
 

I am about to order a 27 zr donzi over the next few days-----My question is ------do I man up and cop the 525 for the extra 25 grand or will the 496 HO cut the mustard just fine??????
Also any feedback I get will be greatly appreciated. Thanks from the great south bay in NY.

How fast will it run with each engine package?
What's the total price for each boat?

525. You'll never look back. You get the XR drive as well. I thought about one with a 496 HO, sell that engine as a zero hour take out for good $$, buy a Chief 575 or 650 put that in for about the same total $$ as the 525 package. The only problem is the XR drive upgrade then raises the price to somewhat above the 525 package price. Lots of work too, and it would probably hurt resale. Stock 525 with the XR seems the way to go. High 70s, maybe 80 with dialing. Enjoy, its a cool boat. Great size, low profile, flat deck, good cabin and cockpit space, nice dash. Only minor things I dont like are the rear seat headrests and the flimsy roll up cabin door thing.

That pretty much sums it right up!
Although I like the headrests.:D

You should not be paying 25K for a 525EFI upgrade over a 496HO. It is about 16K!

On the 27 ZR MSRP is: 496 Mag/HO is $97,831 On the 525 th MSRP Is:$130,134 thats a little more the $16,000 there is a little more involved then just changing the engine on a single boat. Instead of trim tabs the 525 comes with K-Planes, full hydraulic steering, headers, my thought on this is how fast do you want to go and can you run the speed in the water.
The 525 package on the ZR will run 10mph faster then the 496/HO thats runs 72-74 mph. Kevin it all comes down is it worth the extra speed.

Remember that the 525 only has a 1 year warranty. I've read you can buy an extended warranty for some big$$$. The 496 can be warranteed longer for less and all the new Merc engines run off of 87 octane now (I was at their website recently). The 525 will have a whole lot more fun factor though once it's out of warranty, it's expensive. I know. I ended up buying a boat with a messed up engine to begin with(unbeknownst to me) and 8000 dollars later, it's still not running. (almost done) Also, valve springs should be replaced every 100 hrs, it's the one weak link. That is usually a 2k+ bill as well. Just do the research on how much it costs to own vs the 496 and see if your yearly budget fits the bill. That's my recommendation. Keep us updated with the boat!!!

George the dog sez!!! 525!!!:D

I was just talking about what Mercury would sell the 525EFI package vs 496HO.

I think the answer is simply money. If you got the bucks for the initial outlay and additional maintainence, go blue. I mean, who wouldn't want a 525/XR/CMIs? HOT!!!!

Having said this, I've read everything I can find on this site regarding blue motors and the 496 HO. Most threads have indicated that the 496 HO will go twice as many hours before a refresh is neccessary. The new Blue EFI motors have improved value train vs the older blue.

For me, hours before refresh is important.

what will the difference be in acceleration and cruise speeds????

I would also ck Ins.difference. Is the 10mph really worth the cost over time? 130k?? is that with or without trailer? Seems high to me. I would also ck out 28 A.T. alot more boat for that money with about the same speeds, but then I am just alittle bias on that.

10 MPH now and a blue motor, or a longer warranty and 10 MPH later. Either way not a bad choice to have. :D

You can get it for less than $130. I was quoted $117k with no negotiating and I hear that is still high. $110k is doable.

Proud owners, proud past owners, and some tight ties to the company.
28AT is a great boat.

How about this question pertaining to the engines... what will each give as far as cruise speed and range(or mpg).
Plus, after a few yrs w/ the 496 you can up it w/ a raylar kit. :cool:

But, then again... i would still get the 496 w/ ext steering and better trim tabs(ie, kplanes or tricks.)

This is an MSRP price we are not allowed to post sale price on web sites on 2007 models. Kevin the 525 has more punch out of the whole, mid range and top end. remember she is built by Mercury Racing division.

Either way the 27zr is an awesome piece! :D

The 525EFI Extended is about 5K. Loan Ranger on OSO is a dealer. He would be good to talk to about that.

How does the 27 Donzi handle with a 525 EFI vs 496HO?

Yeah, if you do go the 496 route, just make sure you get the XR drive and ext hyd steering, then you will only have to do engine mods later...

You should be able to buy the 5 year extended warranty (transferable) for $3-4K. (I paid $6k for (2) 525's 11 months ago) I also included the wear upgrade.

They all have ext full hydraulic steering, but getting an XR with the 496HO, if you go that route, would be a great idea.

I think Donzi has only built one 27 with a 525 but I heard it ran very well.

Is that Brunswick Mercury Passport? Who did you go through?

The Donzi 27 ZR runs 82-84mph with the 525 and runs 72-74 with the 496/HO all depends on water. In Florida were the boats are tested they run a little faster in the heavy saltwater and run slower the more north you go. A boat that runs 74 in Florida will run 2mph slower in NY/NJ and if its fresh water shave 4mph off.

would they build one w/ an ilmor? :drool:

Kyle actually did the loan on the boat, and since I put so much down on it, I'm in the process of a refi (taking cash out) to pay the now horrendous bill. Reminds me I need to get him repair receipts....On the surface, the extended warranty is a no brainer. But I've blown my wad!!!! me nutz is MT!!!! I'm givin 'er all I got Keptin!!!!:evilb:

Extended warranties are almost always a losing game, thats why they exist. If a warranty costs $5000 then there is a 99% chance the total repair bills will be under $5000 over the life of the warranty. Its like insurance or gambling, the house always wins in the long run. If not, they wouldn't be for sale.

If you get wear and tear you can maintain the engine and drives through the warranty process. Drives, electrical, and gages are covered. Trust me, the way I boat, 100 hours a year, I will use 5K a side over the next 5 years just is drives and maintenance!!!! Plus, boats that have the extended have better days on market than boats without warranty. The resale is also between 2-5% higher. Someone is more willing to buy a used boat when their AZZ is covered on mechanical than not. Thats real value my friend...

72-74 with a 496HO is pretty decent for a 27 single :cool: That's nearly as fast as a 22 classic with the same package

It is ALL factored into the price of the warranty, if they didnt make money on it , it wouldnt be for sale. Regardless, its a great boat and would be fantastic with a 525 or a Chief 575/650.

I was in Xtreme Marine's showroom at Lake Lewisville (Dallas)yesterday and they just received their new 27 ZR, Red and
White. Its a BEAUTY!

496HO with Sport Tubes from the factory.
Have the best of both worlds.
Texas Sportfish (Dealer) building them now at factory.

I have sold (3) 27 ZRs they run excelent, I own a 26 ZX and the ride is no comparison the 27 ZR tracks real well she is not as bulky as the 26ZX and runs rough water real well, I delivered a boat last summer in the worst conditions possible, my wife came along with the Customer and myself we had to go 70 miles by water through some of the worst conditions you can think of, rain on and off fog, N/E wind and the bay had 2ft- chop we ran the boat on top at 70mph, my wife was in the back and she even said this boat rides better then ours. when we got further south with the fog so bad we figured lets go out in the Ocean before the fog rolled back so we headed out the inlet (This water wasn't good for a 43ft boat) we started with 10ft rollers that turned into 15 real quick, we had fun going out the inlet but turned around once we got out. going into head seas we had as much air as we could stand under the boat and I didn't want to run side ways with these big waves but really never felt uneasy the boat flew straight, so we headed back in felt more like we were coming in for a landing a couple of times. I run a lot of bigger ZRs and let me tell you the 27ZR is a great riding boat.

Frank, is the 27 a sitdown boat? always thought it was, but then after looking at pics, it seems to have standup bolsters.

Yes she is a stand up sit down bolster seat, the boat is actually great to drive sitting down or standing up she has great view either way.

so whats the verdict---Do i MAN UP for the 525??????

k... how fast you wanna go?
I think mid 70s is pretty good for a 27ft boat.
But a 525 would command more on resale than a 496 that has had mods done to it.

YES!!

38Roars wrote:
"I was in Xtreme Marine's showroom at Lake Lewisville (Dallas)yesterday and they just received their new 27 ZR, Red and
White. Its a BEAUTY!"

Thanks, that's my new baby! Actually bought it in February but let Mike keep it in the showroom 'til I needed it. Took it to PK last weekend for the first real trip. Great boat! Also, Frank is dead on re: speed. Mike & I saw 72 out of the box in some chop. She's running against the rev limiter w/the 26p prop so that's the first project. I really think with some exhaust & the right prop you could see 75-76. Not 80-82 but, a heck of lot cheaper then $ 30k too. Either way, you will love the boat!

PS: Here's a quick pic:

I would get the h.o. Wait until the warranty is up and put a Raylar 525 kit on it for 5K... save yourself about 15K. If the money isn't an issue get the 525..