TOPIC: MYSTERY SOLVED ..1956 PIPESTONE w/ a 1956 JAVELIN

Hi All-

New to the forum - check out my find. The boat is ALL aqua underneath the repaint. I am not sure what went on with bow raised design.

www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-gallery/category/354-1956-pipestone.html

Pay close attention to the rib rail stamping - there is no other ID tags, other than the stern plate with hp rating and capacity weight, and the pipestone old school logo.

I decipher the rib rail stamping as follows:

14 1234 11 6 DA

14 - it is a 14' boat.

1234 - the hull ID number - this would be the 1234th boat made.

11 6 - eleventh month (NOV) and the six would be the last digit of the year. (1956)

D A - could have been a workers initials.

this is a theory......

ANY info is welcome. I have been to the fiberglassics library, and ty I do believe handyandy for the info put there. Obviously I am here because google came with about 2 hits for Pipestone - It is a combo wood / glass boat. It has a mahogany stern,(blended in with glass) mahogany top side rails, and mahogany outer rail trims - as well as seating arrangements. It has a '56 Javelin that is now tore apart.....more later on that.. I am most positive I will need some help for Johnson parts or info...

Let me know what you think-

Mark

Looks like a neat old boat- And it's got a great motor

I've always loved the 'transition' era boats that were part woodie, part 'glass. It's a snapshot of an era, for sure, when a major change was coming to an industry.

The Golden Javelin is a cool motor! I've always loved 'em. I just sold mine a few months ago, since I've got WAY too many projects and not nearly enough time. Luckily, most parts are interchangeable with the various "johhnyrude" 35 hp twins of the era, so they're easy to fix... You can get the service manual (free, of course) from my as yet incomplete web page-

agott.com/glassboat/manuals.html

-Andrew

Welcome aboard from sunny tropical Kittanning Pennsylvania where the grass is brown from lack of rain.

In 1956 Pipestone had their Boats made in a town in Minnisota, Called Slayton. This company burned down in 1959 and never rebuilt or made boats again. They were the first company to produce the fiberglass boats for The PipeStone Sales Company. In about 1956 -57 or as late as 1958 Pipestone did start to make their own in Pipestone. I have an original 1958 with a 35 Horse Evinrude Lark made in 1957. At this time I have a lot of info about this company and I'm attempting to write a Book on just the Pipestone Boats,commemerating a lost and forgotten unknown boat manufacture of boating history. I would like to see a picture of the rear of the Boat. They changed designs in the sixy's and they had various model out after they became more productive. your description of these number seem to somewhat be in line of the system used at that time but what system they really used has been unclear due to the lack of information and lost documents. after beeing sold to the mariner corp.

Hello - thanks to all for the replies - here is a pic of the rear....



I have uploaded a pile of full-res pics at flickr - here is a link to those...

www.flickr.com/photos/79481505@N08/

thanks kjonn for the reply and info - I am very interested in learning more. Does your boat have the similar number set on the inside rib rail? My boat looks similar to yours but not really - with the wood trim on the side rails and the exposed wood in the splashwell, it makes me believe this is a pretty early version. Is it possibly a scout or warrior? Looking at the image of the '56 chieftain this side profile looks very similar to mine.







I have found various pics of '58 - mid sixtys pipestones and mine looks like none of them.

An interesting read -

1956 Sports Illustrated article about the onslaught of glass boats.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1131816/index.htm

here is the actual issue - scroll to page 63 cool pics.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/edb/reader.html?magID=SI&issueDate=19560820&mode=reader_vault

MYSTERY SOLVED....

I got confirmation from the DNR that it is a 1957. I still think the boat was finished in '56 according to the rib rail stamping. But sold in '57. YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are focused in the wrong spot - that Johnson Javelin is the trophy. If you don't want that old Gold motor let me know and I'll take it off your hands so you don't have to mess with it. It's easier to work on the boat with out that old thing hanging on >

It actually is a '56 javelin. making it holiday bronze... I am missing the front face plate, and unfortunately the side stainless pieces are fairly banged up. And it now needs an entire lower unit as water froze inside of it and busted out pieces of the casting below where the impeller is. The drive shaft is scored beyond being usable and I pulled about 30 acorns and a lb of nesting garbage out from inside the exhaust housing. Other than all of that, it hasn't run in 11 yrs and until I get parts for it, I have no idea if it'll run or not, or what other issues have yet to arise.......

still want it? l o l

Pipestone-Glass,

I realize that I am replying to an 8-1/2 year old thread and that you may not log onto the site anymore. If you do, however, have you finished restoring your Pipestone? If so, have you posted any photos of the completed project? I ask because I came across a Pipestone Princess last summer. I have reason to believe it is a 1955 model as it has some very uncommon characteristics. Characteristics which no other Pipestone I have seen possesses. Yours looks very similar to mine with a couple of differences. I will be posting photos of my find in another thread.