TOPIC: Help me identify my barn find

Hi,

I need some help trying to identify the boat I am about to acquire. It currently belongs to my grandfather, but it's been sitting in his barn for 25+ years and he's finally ready to let it go. My father thinks it's a MFG, but I can't find any identifying markings besides the center of the steering wheel. I was hoping someone could help me try and figure out exactly what it is. Here are a few pictures as it sits, and one of the steering wheel logo. I won't be able to get my hands on it for a few weeks, so better pictures will have to wait until then.





Thanks!

Welcome to the site Redseven. I myself know little about MFG runabouts but there are guy's here that do. Welcome aboard. It's always good to get a family treasure.

Al

I'm just happy that I get a chance to restore it and put it back into use.

Looks like the 1955-61 14' 8" hull. Hard to tell from the one picture - does it have a wood deck? Also, need clear shot of interior.

Hull will last forever. Used aluminum stringers with plywood floor. 40hp tops.

Yes, it has a wood deck, wood top, and solid wood transom. Seats are wood back to back 2 facing front and 2 rear.

I'm pretty sure it 's an MFG with that hull. For better identification of the exact model, we'll need more and better pix.

MFG made a half-dozen models with that hull. If you look very closely, you will see that the middle of the transom is fiberglass, sandwiched between two mahogany pieces of wood. The center of the transom never rots on these! If the deck and interior are not rotted, it's not too bad to restore compared to other late 50's boats.

Nope, no rot. It's been covered in a dry barn for 25-30 years and before that, got a sanding and a coat of varnish pretty much yearly. It has a Super Seahorse 40 that needs attention, but other than that I think the hull just needs some elbow grease.

I'll get some better pics and try to find some sort of serial number when I pull it out.

Great. Those 40hp Johnson/Evinrudes are pretty bulletproof.

Lots of folks here can help with it.

Love to see some Pics. with the tarp off. I will keep looking. The different styles of these runabouts are really cool.

A couple more not so great pics...better ones will have to wait until I actually pull it out.

Can't beat the fact it was your grandpas boat. You are very lucky to have that piece of family history. It'll clean up really nice!

Since I started this thread, I almost had to end it before I even got the boat in the water. About a month ago or so the barn that the boat was stored in was struck by lightning and caught on fire. The fire departments that responded did an amazing job and were able to limit the damage to the roof structure and mostly saved the contents. It was close though, the windshield has a bit of heat damage, the cover melted in a few places, and I found a burn mark on one of the seats where an ember landed. The boat was half full of charcoal soup and the sawdust that was used for insulation in the roof. Other than that, it was intact. It's put a small hitch in my plans in that I've had to clean out the interior pretty extensively, but I'll take it over what could have easily been the alternative.

At any rate, some pictures taken more recently - maybe they'll help in the identification process?









Also, I'm trying to locate a hull identification number of some sort to help in the registration process, but I haven't been able to find anything - where should it be?

Thanks!

Hull ID or (Mfg. Ident. Code) numbers weren't "required" until around 1973, so most earlier models did not have one. Some did affix a serial number tag to the hull, not sure where you would look on your boat, sorry.

That was a close call, very glad to hear your treasure escaped the disaster basically unharmed! Have you got another building you can park her inside to keep the weather off her?

at the top of the page check out the glassic library,click on MFG
scroll down to mid to late 60s
hope this helps
ken

Looks like a 1957-1959 MFG Cambridge. There was one just like yours docked next to me at the Portage Lakes Show this past weekend. It was a 1958 and had that same steering wheel. There was a 1957 at the show for sale and its wheel hub was an Atwood of a little different style.

redseven,

WELCOME ABOARD.

yours, satx

I do not know how I missed this thread. Yes it is MFG and yes it is late 50's due to the wooden internal keel. And I'm happy it survived the fire and you are saving the boat. I loved the way my MFG handled. I had it for about 15 years and used it just for fishing. It was far from factory. You have a nice boat there. You also have a great motor. I would not change a thing.

Really Cool Looking Boat. looks much better out of the Barn. I hope to get mine WET for the first time this weekend. I hope it Floats Ha-ha

Maybe you guys can help me, I'm an outboard newb. There are 3 separate intakes and or exhausts on the motor- there's a small plate with a screen on the side of the LU, there's a large open port on the bottom of the LU, and a small port on the back of the motor that's just below where the actual engine is. I'm assuming that the screened plate is the water intake, the large port on the bottom is the exhaust, and the port on the back of the motor is the water exit, but I'm not entirely sure. I just want to make sure that I have the water at the correct level before I go running it for any length of time.

Sounds like you have the basics down pretty well, and yes you definitely want water supplied to the cooling system even if you're just going to run it for a minute!

Highly recommend getting a repair manual for your motor, they make life so much easier - even doing just minor "tune-ups"! It's the best money you can spend IMHO, but the gang here is always glad to help when needed.