TOPIC: Glasspar, wood stringers?

Does anyone know what year Glasspar (NOT Larson) stopped (or started) using wood stringers in the SeaFair sedan? Hoping this will help narrow my search for what year my boat is! Also, here is a link to look at pics...

www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30391695&id=1400743926

This is the spot where I had posted pics.

In one of your other strings, someone already identified the boat as a 1969 Seafair Sedan made at Olympia, Washington. This was based upon the serail number/VIN that you provided.

thompsonboat wrote:

In one of your other strings, someone already identified the boat as a 1969 Seafair Sedan made at Olympia, Washington. This was based upon the serail number/VIN that you provided.

Yes, this post to be exact:

...1965-glasspar-seafair-sedan--really-confused....

Might be a good idea if the forum mods were to merge these threads together, as there seems to be quite a few of them.

Sorry to irritate y'all. There have been some discoveries about the boat that would indicate it COULD NOT be a Larson made Sefair. I will post my questions elsewhere I suppose. Like I said, sorry if I irritated y'all.

Chris
Your best bet would be to ask your question over on the Classic Glasspar Assn's forum. They might have a better idea when Glasspar started using fiberglass stringers. I once saw a similar thread over on the G-3 sight.
I believe all of the 59-61 centerdeck model's stringers were wood.
Sometime after that the open decks were made that way.
Unfortunately, my memory isn't connecting with the associated data base.
And, the G-3 forum has been down so, can't look for you.

regards
lar

chrisogg wrote:

Sorry to irritate y'all. There have been some discoveries about the boat that would indicate it COULD NOT be a Larson made Sefair. I will post my questions elsewhere I suppose. Like I said, sorry if I irritated y'all.

No irritation Chris. Don't worry about it, not a big deal at all. Like boatgeek said, www.classicglasspars.com might be a good place to check as some of those guys are very knowledgable about anything Glasspar. Nice looking rig. I don't know a think about them myself, but wouldn't mind a nice SeaFair Phaeton.

chrisogg wrote:

Sorry to irritate y'all. There have been some discoveries about the boat that would indicate it COULD NOT be a Larson made Sefair. I will post my questions elsewhere I suppose. Like I said, sorry if I irritated y'all.

Nobody's irritated. Just trying to help.

By the tag serial number the year is 1959 not 1969. By 1969 they had changed the style of the serial numbers to an all numeric format. 17 for length...X for Sedan model...W for Olympia, WA plant...9 is last digit of the year built...0053 for build order.
Stringers...I've seen very few factory I/O Sefairs but all of them have had a different stringer arrangement than the outboard models had. 2 wide wood stringers running the length of the floored area slightly off center to each side that did not exist in the outboard models. Glasspar started moving to fiberglass stringers in 1963...but don't really know which models made the change by year...sorry.
Can't get anything out of your link because I don't have a facebook account so can't comment on the pictures except for the one's that were posted in the forum. Not the later Larson design because the cabin side window design and upper windshield are the original style.
Too make things even more confusing, I don't know that an I/O model was built in 1959. Pretty sure the earliest I/O's in the Seafair line were Volvo power plants, not Mercruiser. Several options in later years.

Since the 1st MerCruisers came out as 1962 units, obviously the boat isn't a 1959 or the engine isn't original.

In his original thread I asked for the engine &/or drive serial number & he posted some off the wall serial number. It had nothing to do with MerCruiser.

While I am not irritated about more than 1 thread relating to this subject, I am irritated that I have offered to try to identify your engine by serial number & instead you provide something totally not related. If you are going to create 3 threads asking for help, then answer the questions asked by us. Also, the Facebook stuff has got to stop. Learn to use this forum.

I also do not have Facebook account and never will.

Jim

I am REALLY truly sorry if I have irritated/ aggrivated people on here. I am just trying to refurbish a boat I know NOTHING about and trying to learn a bit. My efforts otherwise have been fruitless (on other sites). There are so many confusing elements of this boat, and much of the paperwork I have has been conflicting as well. Hence the wacko serial numbers. Unfortunately, my father has already remachined my engine, hot tanked it and sanded nuch of the exterior, so any original markings have been virtually stripped. As far as the photos, thanks to those who helped me post what I have to send. I even had my computer geek friend try to send from my computer, and they would not post. I will NOT send any more links. I have recieved alot of helpful tid bits from members on here. I think for the most part this forum is great! Again, thanks everyone. And you don't have to worry about me "annoying" you anymore, as I did recieve a helpful link to an actual Glasspar association. Happy boating all, just make sure yo know your stuff before you post here!

I was not trying to be arrogant with my last post, only helpful. If you find a serial number, I can identify the approx vintage of that engine & drive. Yes, I will take the time to look it up for you. I am not a Glaspar expert here, but I am a Mercury dealer & have worked on MerCruisers for over 30 years.

Your last response was the 1st time you made mention of the engine being blasted & painted. OK, maybe the Mercury Marine serial number is gone from the engine, I don't know. It would have been on a plate approx 1 inch square located above the starter. This next bit of advice goes to anyone working on any serialized item - RECORD THE SERIAL NUMBER BEFORE YOU DESTROY IT!!!! That number is a must for replacement parts and sometimes even repair procedures.

The drive has its own serial number located on the placard on either the left or right side. It is also stamped into the aluminum under the placard in case the placard becomes destroyed. This number will be different from the engine's but in a similar numerical range.

As I stated earlier, the 120 came out about 1965. If your engine is a 120 (and the original from the factory) then the boat must be mid '60s. If you have a 110, then 1962 thru 1964 or maybe 1965.

There were visible differences in the early 4 cylinder engines. The manifold changed 2 or 3 times before 1967.

Early drives had "backwards" mounted TILT cylinders. Some had shock absorbers too. Early drives were painted white & changed to black for 1966. Early units were known as #1 drives, then #1 A,B, or C then #1 A,B, or C with EZ shift and finally the 120/160 for 1967. There were low power TILT pumps, high power TILT pumps and finally power TRIM as an option in 1967 and standard in 1968.

So, even without serial numbers, good pictures could get me into a timeframe of a year or 2. This is all assuming the engine & drive are original.

Jim

Geez guys...remember when you knew NOTHING...remember the first time you posted on a forum. Remember when YOU didn't know how to post a pic???!!!

Ease up on people guys. If you're going to help, HELP,,don't berate someone because they don't post the way you want them too.

Well said Sandi, thank you.

Rod
This thread has spiked my curiosity.
Were inboards installed on the Sea Fairs and similar Glasspar hulls at the factory?
Or, were the inboard motors a dealer option?

Factory installed I/O's were built by Glasspar and, at least on the Seafair series, the stringer design was different from the outboard models. Doesn't mean that some outboard models weren't later modified for an I/O and from the serial number and existing power on this particular boat I'd think this was a modification done at least a few years after it left the factory. Some factory inboards from Glasspar, too. Ventura (inboard single option) and Meridian (standard single with twins as an option)....not sure about the Newporter.