TOPIC: Span America Owners Where Are You

I'm new to Fiberglassics and am hoping to connect with Span America owners--or at least someone who knows more than I do! I've got a 1960 18' INBOARD. It has a 327 with V-drive transmission. The sales brochures in the Fiberglassics library don't list anything similar to this. Does anyone have a similar model?

C500pilot,

I know ZILCH about Span America boats BUT nonetheless I want to say: WELCOME ABOARD.

yours, satx

pics are cool

Cowboy were are you?He has a few Spans and knows a lot more.

welcome aboard!

Here is a link to the Span America and Span Boats library section. These are all the KNOWN brochures:

www.fiberglassics.com/library/Span_America

My guess is your boat is more like mid 1960s. What company made the boat: Span America Boat Co. (at what location?) OR Span Boats, Inc. (at what location?). This may help narrow down the year.

Span America Boat Co. was formed in late 1957 at Fort Dodge, Iowa and incorporated on 15 March 1958. Founders were brothers Oral and Willard Musick, Don and Bob Shafar, Bill and Bob Wafful, and James Tucker. By mid 1961 they were in deep financial trouble and the assets were purchased by McCollum Industries of NYC. McCollum also purchased troubled Red Wing Fiberglass Products (maker of "Mariner" boat brand) about the same time. Span America Boat Co. is moved to Red Wing, MN in early 1962. Product lines are merged but they went bankrupt almost before they start up.

Circa 1963 a former Span America dealer buys some of the molds and tooling and moved it to Rice Lake, WI where the boats are then made by Rice Lake Boat Co. under contract. In November 1964 the former dealer and outside investors purchase Rice Lake Boat Co. and change name to Span Boats, Inc. In February 1966 they move entire boat operation to a brand new factory at Cameron, WI. In 1969 Span Boats, Inc. closes and they have a liquidation auction on 12 May 1970. Boat molds were purchased for a dollar or two by local farmers who use them for watering troughs for their cattle!

The first time an inboard/outboard models appear is circa 1964.

Hope this helps.

Andreas

Thanks so much for your quick responses. Here are a few more facts. I have the sales receipt from the boat dealership (in Southern California) when the second owner purchased the boat. It shows the boat as a 1960 model. I'm attaching (hopefully) a few pictures that may be of interest. Again, thanks for your input.

The pix wouldn't upload. This is another attempt.