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s022mag
02-11-2014, 07:52 PM
I have seen some 99 43 SC's with and without a set of windows above the bed, was that a option or are they actually different years? How much does the 43 SC weight dry? What kind of speeds can I expect with 502 MAG's 26p Bravos, cruising and top end? Last but not least, what can I do to wake up the 502's without breaking the bank.

Been going back in forth between a Donzi 38 ZX and the 43 BT. The safer bet for me is the 38ZX but there's just something about the BT.

Ratickle
02-12-2014, 03:44 PM
I have never seen one with windows but my Black Thunder build contact says the windows were cut in after. Boats are otherwise identical. The three models were the EC the SC and the Gt (flat deck). Boats weighed between 11500 and 12500 depending on options like generator, flush toilet, etc.

rschap1
02-13-2014, 03:23 PM
I think he is looking at one in particular for sale too.
Maybe you guys recognize it if he shares that with you all.

torrent
02-13-2014, 03:38 PM
What is it you like on the ZX over the BT and vice vesa?

offshoreexcursion
02-14-2014, 01:08 AM
The Donzi is lame and the Black thunder is awesome!

Ratickle
02-15-2014, 12:09 AM
You're gonna be on the short list for the Donzi guys.

Buoy
02-15-2014, 12:13 AM
Personally, I like the ZX.

rschap1
02-15-2014, 03:44 PM
No firsthand experience with either, but personally I favor the BT myself.
That is why I was hoping there would be some "persuasion" in that direction

BDARCHER
02-16-2014, 11:38 AM
I like the 70 mph condos on the water.

Ratickle
02-17-2014, 10:37 AM
I guess it depends on what you want to accomplish boating. Is your first goal condo amenities or is it Euro type styling.

endeavor1
02-20-2014, 04:42 AM
My 43 tall decks and 46 all had windows. I don't think No-Comp does though or monoploy

s022mag
02-20-2014, 04:22 PM
I just like the overall fit and finish of the ZX, that and it seems like it will be easier to tow and maintain around the docks. Plus the one I'm looking at has 500EFIs and I'm not sure I will be happy with the 502MAGs on a bigger hull. There's a bunch of other little things but it all adds up in the end. There's a good chance that my boating this summer will be the type where I'm in and out in the same day and the ZX just seems easier to deal with.

Here's the link to the one I was looking at.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/1999-Black-Thunder-43-SC-101946690

Bobcat
02-20-2014, 06:01 PM
If you want to get laid...get the Donzi!!!!:leaving::leaving::leaving:

torrent
02-20-2014, 06:13 PM
If you don't want to get laid...get the Donzi!!!!:leaving::leaving::leaving:

I fixed it for you!

Ratickle
02-20-2014, 10:03 PM
That is as cheap as you will ever see a 43 stepped BT in good running condition. There is a 38ZX in Michigan for sale that is also a good deal and the guy seems to be looking for offers. http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/24179

My opinion on any boat, make a list of the pros and cons of each and all else being equal, pick the one that fits the most bullet points of what you want to do with the boat. There is no perfect boat, (that's why I ended up with 4 and still looking). You are looking for your best possible compromise on all of your bullet points for what you want to do with the boat.

I'll shoot a email out to get the Donzi gurus to review what you're looking for. The Black Thunder guys, (me too), can help you with the BT's. There is no overall better water condo available period......

BUIZILLA
02-20-2014, 10:42 PM
a Bahaha owner calling anything lame?

now there's an oxymoron.....

38zx with 500efi's will get r done

phragle
02-20-2014, 11:12 PM
I have spent some time in a friends 38 zx with 525sc's and I have also had a few rides on a BT. My sisters ex also has a 43 BT. In my nonprofessional opinion it really comes down to what you want. They are both great boats with lots of room. The BT is bigger and rides better but will be a little slower, The Donzi will be a little faster, it has a variable deadrise and will not be as nice a ride when it gets bumpy. Not that its a bad ride but there is defenitly a difference. The bilge in the Donzi is tight I have seen a full grown man in the bilge of a BT with room to work. On the Donzi, I hope you have a mechanically inclined 5 year old son you can hold upside down by his ankles to do anything. Modern style points go to the donzi, My friends had the power foot platforms whch are nice. Depending on the balance/acrobatic ability, line handeling while dock, the BT has the advatange. They both have nice deep secure feeling cockpits.


The BT is comfort

The Donzi (while the bt is no slouch) is speed.

The BT is easier to handle on the water

The Donzi is easier to handle on land.

torrent
02-21-2014, 12:33 PM
I've loaded and trailered bot, they both suck not one is better than the other. They both have good and bad points but not one is overall better. They are both large boats.

s022mag
02-22-2014, 07:15 PM
I have spent some time in a friends 38 zx with 525sc's and I have also had a few rides on a BT. My sisters ex also has a 43 BT. In my nonprofessional opinion it really comes down to what you want. They are both great boats with lots of room. The BT is bigger and rides better but will be a little slower, The Donzi will be a little faster, it has a variable deadrise and will not be as nice a ride when it gets bumpy. Not that its a bad ride but there is defenitly a difference. The bilge in the Donzi is tight I have seen a full grown man in the bilge of a BT with room to work. On the Donzi, I hope you have a mechanically inclined 5 year old son you can hold upside down by his ankles to do anything. Modern style points go to the donzi, My friends had the power foot platforms whch are nice. Depending on the balance/acrobatic ability, line handeling while dock, the BT has the advatange. They both have nice deep secure feeling cockpits.


The BT is comfort

The Donzi (while the bt is no slouch) is speed.

The BT is easier to handle on the water

The Donzi is easier to handle on land.

The bilge area in the BT is impressive and coming from a 311 with TRS drives I've became accustomed to tight bilge area. One good thing with the ZX is there's no tranny fluid to check and that was a p.i.t.a leaning over the motors to check it.

My biggest concerns with the BT are the speeds I'll get out of the motors compared to the ZX. I think the cabin in the Donzi is enough for what we do. It's obvious that it will take a little extra to get into bed but if I was worried about that I'd go cruiser. Another big concern is how much I'll get to over night in it. I have split days off so some of my boating will be same day and that means more trailering. Docking was a concern but if you say it's easier ill take your word. I just beg to differ when the when kicks up.

I think both boats will make me happy just got to decide what I want more, speed, comfort, ride quality.

Just for clarification, I'm moving up from a Formula SR1 311. Both boats are going to ride better because of length and the stepped hulls, right?

phragle
02-22-2014, 08:56 PM
by easier docking etc... being on the bow of the donz can be interesting.

Serious News
02-23-2014, 03:38 PM
2001 Donzi ZX Test

Donzi’s enticingly beautiful 38 ZX is both wide and deep, boasting over six feet of headroom in the cabin. But size alone does not luxury high performance make. This beamy offshore boat is fast!
Tied to the pier, the 38 ZX looks like a performance yacht. Make no mistake about it, Donzi is proud of this ma-chine��”and their logo is
well-pronounced.
With a 9 '3" beam, the 38 ZX is approximately 9 inches wider than most boats in its class. I consider it to be a performance boat that makes sense��”you can eat, sleep, entertain and walk around in the cabin. Try doing that with other 38-foot offshore boats.
Luxuries include white upholstery, large storage compartments located below the seats and pads, a hanging clothes locker, stand-up private salon/dining area and a seven-foot-long V-berth. The galley comes with stove, microwave, sink and refrigerator. It’s bright too, with two translucent deck hatches that let light in whether open or closed. Too hot? The air conditioner will cool you down fast.
The cockpit also benefits by the extra girth. The aft bench seats four, rather than the usual three, passengers. Operator and companion are treated to adjustable electric bolster seats and power footrests. Aft standing passengers have stainless steel grab-bars securely fastened to the bolsters, and the aft bench has headrests for upper-back support.
Coolers have been installed under the bench and port-
side console, but functional stowage is limited in the cockpit. The dash, however, is very well-engineered, with Gaffrig instrumentation grouped by engine, spanning the tachometers and speedometer.
Under the soft yet supportive sun-padded hatch lie twin HP 500 EFI’s with Bravo performance drives from Mercury Racing, considered the standard these days for reliable offshore power. Gusty winds had whipped up the waves on Lake Simcoe, ideal conditions for this 11,500-pound boat, so I estimated speeds in the high 60s.
In fact, the Donzi 38 ZX pulled out a top-end speed
of 75.3 mph at 5,100 rpm. The twin step, aft-ventilated Z-Tech hull has a 22-degree deadrise at the transom. Wide chines, strakes and eight-inch running pad help balance the boat when trimmed high, and helps it track with accuracy through the turns.
Accelerating to plane in 5.8 seconds with tabs level, not completely down, the boat keeps its bow low, yet the depth of the cockpit and height of the deck requires one to maintain good posture for optimum visibility. The 500 EFI’s have great mid-range power and the Donzi would pull from 0 to 50 mph in 12 seconds, approximately the same time it took to accelerate from 40 to 70 mph.
Running 60 mph at 4,300 rpm seemed effortless. With tab adjustments, the hull ran straight as a die.
The 38 ZX slaloms nicely at cruising speeds and completes wide-radius turns without difficulty, strimmed level or slightly negative.
Construction highlights include Plexus bonded hull and deck joints, vacuum-bagged balsa core in the hullsides, a cockpit liner and Divinycell closed-cell foam coring of bulkheads, stringers and the transom. Donzi’s 38 ZX is built tough��”to be driven hard.

http://www.usboattest.com/boat-tests/performance-boat/2001/donzi/38-zx/64/2001-donzi-38-zx.html