Mario,what is the Hin # from the transom starboard side,if there is none then look on your title or hand written under the dash.Call if you want to discuss.#12-607-3115. Bud

Mario,

Mine ('76 27 sport V deck) was partially glassed. Apparently all 27 sport's are not equal.........wonder if your '68 was race quality?

A question to sport owners?.......What would be the period correct clamshells for a '76 sport?...........size approx. would help & pictures would be even better.

My original 1967 Magnum 28 inboard race boat, Don`s old No4 was fully bonded, panel braced and constructed like a brick outhouse.
My September 1971 27 sport hull No 159, had a part bonded deck and except for the bulkheads has no panel or cross hull bracing.
First step of my restoration was to remove all deck to hull screws and bolts, drive in wedges, clean out the space between the apply a good healthy filling of Sikkaflex and fit new screws whilst the bonding agent was still wet.
On completion of the fit out the new rub rail will be bolted on
through both the hull and deck.
I think the point here is in 1971 when my boat and several other left the factory they were fitted with a basic egine package with a declared speed of 55 MPH. Today some of these boat have been re- engined and claim speeds of 80 plus Hi Life for one.
Having spent most of my life in Aerospace, F1, Indy car and performance boat manufacturing, just fitting bigger engines to increase overal performance is not the answer. Stuctual improvement are just as important but for those who still only want to do 55 MPH on a flat day fully bonded or not is still an option if you keep up the maintance.

You don't have to go all out to enjoy your Magnum...crusing speed is just great.Racing is a whole different ball game.My two cents. Bud

Spot on Bud, I agree

I don't think mine was glassed together.

Bud,

my 1968 boat was built for a George Butler, of founder Butler Aviation and the owner of several car dealerships around Boston, Butler Chevrolet if I recall. He was from Marblehead, MA. As it has been a NH boat for many years there is only a bill of sale from G Butler and the second owner to me.

There is nothing written under the deck or instruments, nothing on the transom. I've inspected the bow area and the bow lifting ring anchor point, as some old Donzi's were labeled with hull numbers in those spots.

Presently I'm rebuilding the transom and in the process I'll finally strip off the imron and see what the original hull color was.

Mario L.

Mario,my guess is it is hull # 41 which was sold to Boston Boat Sales on 3/28/69. It probably is a 68 because the keel might have been layed in 68. Have no color or anything else on the build sheet. It was the only boat sold to anyone in Boston in 68 or 69. When you strip the imron off you might be able to find the Hin #. Bud

My 1973 sedan was a production boat. As you can see from the pic's the screws in the beak missed the deck. These Mags ran around 55 mph back then with out to many issues. I dont plan to run faster than that when this one is done, but I will glass the hull to the deck. With todays big power better make sure everything is right.

After alot of you weighed in now, the one thing that seems to be more apparent than any other issue concerning the High Life tradegy is the in-adequate bonding of hull & deck.... No one can truly say what happened that day, but the question of "what might be learned" is more clear today.