TOPIC: I HAVE A 1957 WIZARD AND, I'M LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.

I have a 1957 Wizard, but all the title says is 1957 Wizard, and it doesn't look like THE OTHER '57 Wizards I've seen. It has McCulloch written on a metal plate across the dash. I have tried and tried to find any information about what I have without success. I've even been able to track down the history of Wizard Boats and what actually happened to them. I can't find any pics of what I have, not even in vintage broshures for 1957 Wizards. Is there anything you can tell me? Is it possible I have a 1 of a kind? I've even cross referenced a 1957 Wizard with McCulloch and came up empty.Any information would be appriciated. Thank you.

Welcome, and Nice looking boat skarekr0w! (I checked out the pics in your profile.) Good luck with your search, looks like there isn't a lot of info out there on those. How long is your boat?

It's 15' I beleive. The paint job was done by the last guy (2nd owner) who pulled it out of bushes. It's getting an overhaul this summer. what your seeing is house paint. Although it looks nice, it needs to be stripped down and restored. It has spiderweb cracks in the fiberglass. I'm looking for pics so I know what it's suppose to look like. It looks incomplete.

I looked at your profile pics too. It looks a lot like this one pictured in this 1956 ad. It reminds me of what some would call a Utility model. Plain, bare bones interior and used mainly for fishing. Nice looking boat.

www.fiberglassics.com/wiki/images/thumb/7/7d/Wizardb56001.jpg/582px-Wizardb56001.jpg

And here's an ad for the bankruptcy auction in '62.
www.fiberglassics.com/library/File:Wizardarticle62001.jpg

BTW, the McCulloch plate on the dash means at one time there was a McCulloch/Scott motor on the boat. That is the ignition/choke plate and they were used on just about all of McCulloch's motor setups, but had no connection with the boat.

Ok
so I reads the title of the post
and
my first thought was...
HELP ME MRrrrr WIZ aaarrrrrrd!

I know, no help

lar
slinkin back to lurkin

My family bought a new Wizard in 1955. It was a barebones model with bench seats, Zolatone front deck. But the hull looks the same as your '57 model, only shorter. Yours looks nice in the picture. The brochure makes no note of colors available, but as I remember, most, if not all, were a color other than white. My brochure is the same as the one listed on this site. I have a price list from 1955 that does not appear with the brochure.

McCulloch was an outboard motor manufacturer. It has nothing to do with the boat.

There are some Wizard Boats, Inc. brochures in the Classic Library section of this website. Also look under Winner because of the buy out of Winner Mfg. Co. boat divsion by Wizard Boats of Tennessee, Inc.

Andreas

Ya, thanks for the response. I'm aware that Wizard and Winner merged in the beginning of the 60's, so I've read, and I've also read that Wizard-Winner merged with Thompson in the early 80's, however I've run across a chapter 13 which contradicts that. Any ideas on what really happened? Any ideas on what my Wizard really is? It's not a wasp, and I can't say it's a Marlin. All the title says is "1957 Wizard '14".

Hi, Ya I already saw the chapter 13 paperwork for Wizard Boats,however it contradicts what I read about them (Wizard-Winner) merging with Thompson Boats in the early 80's which was said to be fact. What's the real story? Do you have any idea what mine is? It's not a Wasp and I don't think it's a Marlin either. The title just says "1957 Wizard '14".

The McCulloch plate looks good there. I was hoping it was like an Eddie Bauer Special Edition. I wish I had the outboard to go with it.

Wizard Boats, Inc. of Costa Mesa, CA closed and had a banktrupcy auction circa 1962.

Wizard Boats of Tennessee, Inc. of Dickson, TN was a separate corporation. This entity bought Winner's boat division in 1959. This entity became Winner Boats, Inc. in 1960. It went thru ownership changes and name changes in the early-mid 1970s. Thompson Boat of Peshtigo, WI purchased assets of this Tennessee "Winner" boat firm from a bank in 1977 or '78.

There was NEVER any connection between Wizard boats and Wizard outboard motors. In fact, one of the principal reasons for Wizard Boats of Tennessee, Inc. buying the boat divison of Winner was to get the name.

Andreas