TOPIC: span america boat id

Hello all!
First off i have actually been a member for a long time, just haven’t posted much. Long story short i received a span america boat from some family probably 10 years ago. It had been in storage since 1987. It was stored indoors and under a tarp but does have some fiberglass damage and needs to be repainted. The seats were all rotten so i started redoing that and the small stuff i could handle. Well life happened, (got married, moved, to many hobbies) so the boat sat once again. 3 years ago i started rebuilding the motor (johnson 35hp sea horse). I am almost done with the motor project and finally cut back on my other hobbies so i can focus on this boat.
From my research and countless hours googling span america boats i think i narrowed down the year and model of my boat. I think its a 1958 vip. The motor is a 1958 sea horse. The registration card says its from 1971 which i know is inaccurate. There is no title for the boat just that card. Also i can not find a hull id number or anything anywhere on the boat.
A couple questions if anyone would have any information or insight! I know there is very limited out there about these boats.
1. from the brochures on fiberglassics here, the picture shows the steering wheel/console on the opposite side. did they switch things around for different boats? Or could you order different options?
2. Has anyone ever seen this “span america” boat decal? Its on the rear on both sides.
3. I haven’t found many pictures of span boats with the glove compartments behind the front seats like are on my boat. Was there certain years they only had those?

I know these seem like maybe dumb questions or just silly stuff but im really curious about it all. I would like to know everything i can about this/these boats as i work to fix it up.
Once again any help or information is appreciated!!!
Thanks again!

the steering was normally installed by the dealer, not the factory, and could be on either side. All the boats I've owned have had the steering on the right.

The brochures here in the Glassic Library are your best resource.

1. steering wheels were most often installed at the dealership, not at the factory
2. I have seen that Span America logo but not necessarily on an actual boat
3. I cannot answer your question about glove box in rear seats

Andreas

Yeah those brochures are really great! I have looked them over probably 10 times apiece!
Also thanks for your answers! I greatly appreciate it!
I was just kind if curious about the logos because I have never seen ones like those.
Thanks again to all!
Joe

I will try to answer your questions. I have been collecting Spans for 20yrs so know a great deal about them. The boat you have is in fact a 1958 VIP and was the top of the line ski boat that year for the company. It was also the first year for the Span America company so its cool to own. I had a boat like that with a mark 75 on it and man it flew. I currently have a turquoise one with a 75hp McCulloch that is getting a mark 75 put on it this year. You will note that the mark 75 is right hand steer and the mcculloch is left hand. THE mcculloch boat was rigged with a mark 75 originally. Now the reason for the for the left hand steering was to counteract the prop thrust on left hand rotation DR motors so the boat would not lean with a single person in the boat. My first one was really bad for that so we needed a heavier person on the left to make the boat go straight. Your rig will be fine but be under powered with the motor you have. It will still be ok but I have found it takes 50hp to push them nice. Mine runs about 45mph so that is scootin. At one time I made all the decals the span boats had from 58 to 68 but don't have any of those left. Andreas is right in this time line of the company the dealers put the steering in but later on in 61 they were rigged and ready to be powered by dealers. Left hand steering was a thing of the past with the fgs mercs so they was all right hand steering after 61. The glove box or compartment was standard in 58 59 and 60 however they added one in the middle of the dash in 59 and 60. In 61 the style of the boat was changed to a lapstrike design so this hull was only made 3yrs. Never really liked the compartment there cuz all the stuff would fly out when you hit the throttle. Good for ski ropes though. I have lots had lots of these boats and think I still have about 10 one is actually a hard top version which is super rare. IF you want to know more feel free to ask. As for the history of the company I have all the dirt lol. Andreas and I dug deep one year and were so shocked at what we found out that we decided it would make a great thriller movie. They sure had a lot of drama going on in the 10yrs they were alive. Also they were made in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin so thats what hooked me to start but its the performance I love. Great hull design for the time.

Fun factory picks from Rice Lake WI in 63 also a original 59 vip

Thank you so much for all the information! Its great to finally know what style my boat is after 10 years of searching. As you can tell from my pictures it will be a long process repairing it to its former glory, but i think once its done it will look fantastic! I love the bright red and white paint scheme. I think it really stands out! As to the motor, i figured it was a little small, but to the best of my knowledge its the motor that came with the boat. So i will try to just keep it original.
Again i greatly appreciate the help and information and might take you up on your offer if i have more questions! The old seats were all rotten so im in the process of redoing the wood bases and fiberglassing them in. Seems like it will be a pain but theres so much good information on this forum! Slowly but surely it will get done! The safety at home order has been a blessing in disguise with giving me more time to work on it!
Thanks again to all!
Joe