Donzi 18 Outboard from the factory?????

**FUJIMO** · 10-13-2013, 03:45 PM

Man, did this thread get off track.

**goodride** · 10-13-2013, 04:16 PM

Fujimo I'm off track also but had to let you guys know I'm 1/2 way thru transom ,stringers and deck repair on a DON ARANOW made 16 footer. its a MALTESE MAGNUM MARAUDER V BOTTOM no not the missle tunnel. I read some articles On DON ARANOW and one of them said he lived in coral gables and would run up the intercoastal to his factory in a MARAUDERI have a 175 omc intruder, but my dream is to hang 2 two sport e 75 hp 15 inch motors on it.sorry to go off track, but a brotherhood hull to the DONZI 16. I realize that top end in the 60,s is about it. Back in the mid 70's I worked at BOB HEWES boat and ski shop. a customer had a donzi outboard and had a shop make the keel into a pad we put a 235 on it, but it did not see any big speeds... crazy thing on the donzi keel he had a pad made from aluminum and screwed it on, the screws were totally flush like an airplane wing !

**71V153** · 10-13-2013, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by FUJIMO

Man, did this thread get off track.

Ain't that the truth ...

I seen alotta Donzi's but ain't never seen a 18 footer with a outboard.

Pics?

**Fish** · 10-13-2013, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by goodride

Fujimo I'm off track also but had to let you guys know I'm 1/2 way thru transom ,stringers and deck repair on a DON ARANOW made 16 footer. its a MALTESE MAGNUM MARAUDER V BOTTOM no not the missle tunnel. I read some articles On DON ARANOW and one of them said he lived in coral gables and would run up the intercoastal to his factory in a MARAUDERI have a 175 omc intruder, but my dream is to hang 2 two sport e 75 hp 15 inch motors on it.sorry to go off track, but a brotherhood hull to the DONZI 16. I realize that top end in the 60,s is about it. Back in the mid 70's I worked at BOB HEWES boat and ski shop. a customer had a donzi outboard and had a shop make the keel into a pad we put a 235 on it, but it did not see any big speeds... crazy thing on the donzi keel he had a pad made from aluminum and screwed it on, the screws were totally flush like an airplane wing !

that is really cool goodride. anything from Don is donzi family IMHO. I read somewhere about a 16 with a pad and big power. the guy who had it was claiming 90's but bs meter was running on high. there was also one up this way back in the 80's with a pad. the boat supposedly went pretty good until t hurt the owner pretty bad.

of course nothing comes close to george desmond's X18 that was not even converted to center steer running in the 120's with a arneson drive and a procharged small block. boat was called mighty mouse and is well documented.

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now i really got this thread off track.

**Greg G** · 10-13-2013, 08:10 PM

There have evidently been a few pretty unique Donzi's one offs built over the years. There even was talk that the very first Donzi 16 experimental Outboard was constructed in 1965 as a center steer by Don and powered by either a Super Strangler or Stinger OMC V4 back when the Strang gang was handing Mr. K a handful. The exhaust was a 4 pipe stacker built by Jack Leek and supposedly the 16 was capable of 80 back in the late 60's early 70's which I suspect would have meant it was a light layup. Normal 16 Baby production did not start until late 1971 and ran until 1976.

**challenger 77** · 10-13-2013, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by fish

that is really cool goodride. Anything from don is donzi family imho. I read somewhere about a 16 with a pad and big power. The guy who had it was claiming 90's but bs meter was running on high. There was also one up this way back in the 80's with a pad. The boat supposedly went pretty good until t hurt the owner pretty bad.

Of course nothing comes close to george desmond's x18 that was not even converted to center steer running in the 120's with a arneson drive and a procharged small block. Boat was called mighty mouse and is well documented.

now i really got this thread off track. :d

that is sick !!!!!!!!

**Madpoodle** · 11-26-2013, 11:59 AM

There was an 18 OB running around Aventura several yeas ago. Had the same style gil bracket the 22 had. Saw it once, never saw it again.

Cool Marauder BTW. There were stories of Don using a Missile for the same commute BTW..

**Greg G** · 11-26-2013, 12:40 PM

I suspect if it had a Gil Bracket and was an 18 it was a closed transom 18 I/O that someone just converted to OB. There were evidently (2) true factory Donzi 18 OB hulls built with splashwell's in the mid 70's. Probably around 1976 or so. They could have been built to help OMC highlight the new 200hp V6 Strang had intorduced.

**FUJIMO** · 03-27-2018, 10:27 AM

**FUJIMO** · 03-27-2018, 10:28 AM

**blacktruck** · 03-27-2018, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by FUJIMO

Fujimo, you brought this thread off life support twice now? Lol. I would love to see a Donzi 18 or 22 conversion. There are quite a few good candidates out there in need of a full resto. I would seriously consider addressing the hull before, ie make a flat pad from the rounded keel and run the inner strakes to the transom.