TOPIC: New member, need a hand identifying my MFG!

New member here from WV! I bought my MFG last year, I think it’s a Niagara but I’m not sure, I’ve not seen any info on one that has the same type of transom and dash. Also the floor in mine was plywood… I just bought a low hour 40HP Evinrude with tilt / trim, I’d love to get the boat on the water this summer! I need a hand identifying what model it is and could use some input on how to put a floor in it. The floor was plywood that was supported with some wood wedges and had a layer of nasty old foam under it. Im thinking about getting some marine grade plywood, and trying to split some heavy rubber hose to put around the edges of the wood where it meets the fiberglass then carpet over it all but have no idea how to properly put a floor in this thing! Open to suggestions and any help with identifying the year and model would be great! Thanks again for having me! Matt

boat floor

transom

old engine and transom

MFG tag

I thought it was a mid 60s Niagara Custom but none of the ads Ive seen for them have the same transom and since my boat does not have the built in fiberglass floor Im second guessing myself. That said, the boat did have a 1959 West Bend golden shark 40 on it, so it very well could be older than I thought as the steering wheel looks like the ones Ive seen on early MFG boats in pictures. Any ideas?

It's a 1961 or 1962 Corry Carefree Deluxe. Check out the Library for more details. 1961 brochure is missing, but 1961 was first year glove box was added to center of helm area. If I had to pick, I'd say 1961 due to white rub rail, but MFG was sometimes inconsistent. It's 12' 6" long.

It was the last MFG made (up to 1963) that had a painted wood floor with exposed aluminum stringers and the little fiberglass ribs.

My dad had a 1960 Corry Carefree for a time growing up. Love to find another sometime.

It will fly with 40 hp. Rated for 30 hp. My dad's flew after he upgraded the original 18 hp Evinrude and put on a 28 hp Johnson.

Forgot to mention that while there are no wood stringers to rot, there is wood between the fiberglass layers in the transom to check, plus normally a plywood floor and seats with aluminum supports for both. The Carefree Delluxe seats were upholstered as the boat came from the factory. Earlier models were just varnished wood.

Do you still have the seats?

Matt, welcome to the forum. That is a sweet looking little boat. Sounds like Dave already told you that it is a Corry Carefree Deluxe. I remember see a couple of these as a kid up on Erie near Willoughby on the Lake. Dolled up these are a Beautiful Boat. And at 12.5' fast!! Welcome to the site
Al.

Correction - it's 12'8", not 12'6".

My mistake.

This was my 58 Corry Suburban. A Pre-runner of what you have. You can see the linage here. It's 12 1/2 foot. It also was a great performing hull. This was when I had the deck out for cleaning and inspection.

Thanks for the info! It makes sense that it may be a 61 since it had that 59 West Bend on it… Sorry I’m just replying, I never got a notice that there were any replies to my first thread! I really thought it was a Niagara till I couldn’t find one with the same type of floor, I’m glad I only bought a 40HP as I almost bought a 70! I’d love to know how to properly put a floor in it, I want to make it 100% safe since I’ll be taking my wife and son out on the Potomac & Shenandoah rivers “ we live 1 mile from Harpers Ferry WV where they collide” Lake Anna and Raystown Lake possibly more but these are all more or less local...

It has to be safe as we plan on using it, and Id really like to open the 40HP up! I know the transom needs redone, there is a slight hairline crack where it meets the inside floor and I’m sure it wicked water up in and rotted it, I was honestly going to dremel the top of the transom off, clean out the rotten wood and use Sea Cast, now that I know it’s a little older, and probably a rarer boat I’m not sure that’s the way to go because to do so I was going to cut through the gel coat and transoms alloy top. Any suggestions?

I’m not yet a boat guy, this is my first, though I’ve been restoring and rebuilding 70s import motorcycles and air cooled VWs for years so I’m confident I can handle it! I need to figure out a proper floor, rebuild the transom and install a new single cable steering kit. Id like to update it as I go, I have a 14 gallon marine fuel cell that I’d like to mount in the front with a filler through the top, it’s been done on a Niagara so why not!

The original seats may have been in it when I bought it but I doubt it, the floor had blue carpet on it and 4 seats, 2 of which I think may have come out of an old Mustang, unfortunately the seats and floor were pretty rotten and full of ants so I scrapped them into a fire. The floor had some wedge shaped pieces of wood and foam under it, they were all 100% water logged, rotten and full of ants too.

Id really rather do a proper “resto-mod” meaning to update it with modern steering, motor, wiring etc etc unless because of what it is, it’s better to sell it to a proper collector and find a newer Niagara or other small runabout to put my 40HP on and run around the rivers and local lakes with the family! Let me know what you all think, and thanks again for the input and info on it! Any idea as to what the trailer might be? I think it’s a Gator, the title does say GATO, might be a Tee Nee? It needs a 100% restoration too, every bushing on it is rotten, the shocks are crap and I need to be able to tow it 200 miles at modern highway speeds!

Sorry for the long reply and thanks again for having me! Matt

Here's a shot of the interior from the 1962 sales brochure that should help. I'd definitely use foam floatation again under the floor.

One more thought - you might be on the right track considering a Niagara. It was MFG's most popular boat in the 60's and thousands were made. For a family it's a little more practical, particularly if you can find one with the Sun-N-Fun seats still in good condition. Up to about 1970 or so they used fiberglass floors and stringers - no wood, as did the larger Westfield and Edinboro models. Only used wood in the transom and with Seacast or Nidacore, if it's shot, it's a DIY fix.

My brother did our family's Edinboro with a little help from his father-in-law with Seacast 10 years ago and it's still good.

Dave, I have a lead on a barn kept Niagara! What do you feel my boat is worth with the trailer? I have titles to both but the boats title says it's a 1966! My wife is ok with one or the other but not both!

Dave, I have a lead on a barn kept Niagara! What do you feel my boat is worth with the trailer? I have titles to both but the boats title says it's a 1966! My wife is ok with one or the other but not both!

Pictures would help to determine that. Niagaras can range from a couple hundred dollars for a very rough one needing everything to what I paid for mine, which I think would be about the very top end. Mine was $2600 for boat, motor and trailer and complete canvas (top, side curtains,and aft curtain) that's like brand new. In my mind, it's worth every penny since it was in such good shape, but like I said, I feel that's also the absolute top end for a Niagara today. Just my opinion. Others may think I paid too much or maybe too little.

Key thing is it needs to have been stored indoors, because if stored outside, eventually water gets into the transom and rots it. Also under the floor via deteriorated well nuts, water can leak in, thus waterlogging the foam flotation under the floor. Then you've go a real mess to deal with. Open the second drain plug to the right of the one in the middle on the transom, and see if any water runs out while the bow is raised. If dry, then that's a good sign, but not totally definitive. I passed on scores of Niagaras in rough shape before I settled on the one I have.

My rule is also one boat at a time. For me, it's just easier that way, and keeps me from getting in too crazy deep with this hobby.

Post pix if you can.