Model and Year???

[mdforme75]

Hey All,

I recently purchased what is advertised as a 1975 16ft MFG with a 50hp Mercury motor off Ebay for $250.00. I am picking the boat up Saturday and have been trying to match up the picture with the 1975 brochures and I dont see anything that looks like what I bought. I do notice that the high rails around the bow are only pictured with boats made prior to 1970. Also, there are pedestal seats that I only see pictured with center consoles boats, this one is a dual console. Can someone look at the attached pictures and verify about what year and model the boat is?

Thanks

http://forums.iboats.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=75034&stc=1&d=1292385979

http://forums.iboats.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=75035&stc=1&d=1292386026

http://forums.iboats.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=75036&stc=1&d=1292386085

http://forums.iboats.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=75037&stc=1&d=1292386117

 

[woosterken]

Re: Model and Year???

check this out , its the brochure for '69 page #8
http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/MFG
its called a beachcommer.
the emblems on the side of yours are the '60s style, they changed to the checker board style in '70 or '71.

woosterken

 

[mdforme75]

Re: Model and Year???

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I don't know if that's good or bad. I purchased the boat under the premise that it was a 1975. Either way I think $250.00 is pretty reasonable.

Thanks again. I'm sure I will get good use out of this board as I begin my restoration.

 

[Fisherball]

Re: Model and Year???

I have a 16' '75 MFG. The title & serial number both say it's a 1975. Here's a link to pics. Check it out.

http://s789.photobucket.com/albums/yy173/Fisherball1/1975 MFG Gypsy 16/?start=all

 

[mfgniagara]

Re: Model and Year???

Something to keep in mind is that boats build before 1972 weren't required to have a hull ID number. This meant that many states just assigned them a number. Most states made the year of the boat the year that number was assigned. 1975 may well have been the first year is was titled?
I've got a 1964 Duratech, it was titled here as home made in 1980, which is the year on the title. There was no Duratech brand in business and markings on the boat so they called it home made and just gave it a new number and title.
The boat came from a non title state prior to coming to NJ, so there was also no past history or title to transfer. I've also got a 1965 MFG Niagara which had no title when I got it, after several marine police inspections they determined it was a 1963 and issued me a title for it and a new set of numbers. Even though I argued it had to be a 1965, they called it a 1963.

Of course, that boat like many other older boats may just be using another boats original title and paperwork. For instance, they had a title and state issued number for a 1975, and didn't want to go through all the leg work to get a new title for an unknown 1969 boat and just used the title they had.
It's not the right way to do it, but I'd just let go unless you want a long drawn out procedure to fix it. Basically your most likely looking at getting a title for a boat with no paperwork if you wish to get a title that says 1969, which is a long drawn out procedure in NJ.
I don't think an older or pre 1972 boat I've ever owned in NJ had a title that really matched it's year. Most were off by at least a year, some far more than that. I did go the route of getting one title fixed once, I'll never do that again. It took months and more time than it was ever worth. I've more than once asked why so many titles were so wrong and I was just told that I should be glad I got a title at all. Even they know the system is a mess.

There are also thousands of boats made pre 1972 sitting all over that have no titles simply because they've not been used or went out of service while still grandfathered in on their old registrations which were just renewed over and over. After they sat for years and now someone wants to revive that boat, it's a nightmare in paperwork to get a title to a boat that may or may not have ever had one. Many just find a junk boat with a similar title and use that. Until the fix the system and come up with an easy way to get a title for an abandoned or forgotten boat, the practice will continue. It's not like these boats are stolen, they're just abandoned.
Try telling someone that gives away an old boat that they need to jump through hoops and pay $60 or so bucks to just give away the boat. It won't happen, they'll haul it to a dump first. I'm not sure the state realizes this yet.

 

[mdforme75]

Re: Model and Year???

Thanks everyone for the usefully information. I picked the boat up and the NJ title does indicate 1975. I live in MD so I'll register it there as a 1975 to minimize the hassle. Next is to try and revive a motor that hasn't been started in 8 years. Its a 50 HP Mercury.

 

[mr 88]

Re: Model and Year???

Congrats,,The serial number on the motor will tell you what year the motor and probably correct year of MFG. You may want to go the Repair and Maintance heading then the Engine section.. first heading Awakening a sleeping outboard, should be right up your alley.I also have a 1973 Merc 50hp that had been sitting for a long time. The boat had brush growing it and the outer part of the control cables were virtually rusted away, but the wiring and compression is all there.Lower unit and prop look new and the rest cosmetically is solid. I will also follow that advice as well.