TOPIC: Info on this boat, 64 Larson?

Says Larson on the plate in the back inside but says Southern California Aircraft Corp. on the dash tag with the serial number..SOOO, also the ''tail lights'' say 64 cant believe its that new, trying to find history on it, like nothing says engine size , its sat under a tree sence 90,so very little small cracks in the top...seems to be in realy good shape...like to restore it but not totally stock, use a newer 4cyl. outboard whatever it can handle, but for now a 7.5 horse fishing eng. is all it gets

any info will help

looks like a '57 Thunderhawk with a few modifications
We'll need more pics to point them out.
The taillights may not be the original housings- thus the '64 on the lenses.
The "swoop" on the side is definitely Larson...

Take a look at the Glassic Library on this site..

It's a late 1958 or 1959 Larson Thunderhawk Jr. Southern California Aircraft Corporation was a licensee of Larson Boat Works of Little Falls, MN. The serial number would tell the year by the alpha in the number. A "J" prefix or suffix would be a 1959 model. It was rated for a maximum 60hp.

Lee Wangstad

i'll have a look at the code closer, just looked like 756 to me , have to check, thanks for the help

I was thinking of putting my Stingerized Yamaha 90 on mine!

hi folks, my first post to this board and the new owner of this boat. i took delivery today (11/6/10). i spent the day with two other guys completely cleaning it. i used comet cleanser then ultimately went to wet sanding it with 600 and 800 grit paper. the hull is in very good condition. the deck is sunbaked with multiple crazing cracks. if it isn't raining tomorrow, i hope to wax it. i will research more before deciding what to do with the crazing cracks. the boat sat with fresh water sitting in it so i worry about what might be hidden. is there wood within the perpendicular cross pieces on the hull? i'm new to this so pardon my ignorance.

this is new territory for me as i am actually an old hand at restoring old BMW 2002 autos. i want to keep this as stock as possible.

i'd like to know what was original to the dash and what kind of engine control was used? is the steering wheel original?

thanks in advance

jerry in Tiburon, California (San Francisco Bay)

welcome to the forum ,and a great boat too.
if i were you i wouldnt wax it yet,because if you decide you cant live with the crazing in your boat,then if you decide to fix them they will be full of wax and not accept primer properly.
you have already sanded it,if it were me,i would use a high build primer sanding between coats to fill in the crazing,then paint it.
but thats just my opinion.
she sure is a very cool boat,john

Welcome abord.

Before going further with any cosmetics, make sure the boat is structurally sound and sea worthy. Investigate the wood in the transom (where you mount the motor) and in the floor. If rotten, it needs to be replaced.

Outboard boats typically did not come from the factory with motors or motor controls. Those items would be rigged at the dealer. So any motor brand and corresponding motor control could have been installed on the boat, whatever the particular dealer carried.

I don't know Larson particulars, but the same may apply about the seteering wheel. It may not have been a factory item and may have been installed by the dealer.

Andreas

Welcome

This is what I know

1- The tail lense is different than anyone I have seen to this point. I own a SR. and it's lights are from a 1950 Pontiac or at least I could use it as a replacement if needed.

2- Windshield is not correct.

3-The rear tie down and chain are not stock

4-the rear navigation light is wrong but the good thing is you have the bases, it is supose to be 2 lucite poles like mine. ( Thanks again Lee)

john-gibson wrote:

if i were you i wouldnt wax it yet,because if you decide you cant live with the crazing in your boat,then if you decide to fix them they will be full of wax and not accept primer properly.
you have already sanded it,if it were me,i would use a high build primer sanding between coats to fill in the crazing,then paint it.

OK, i'll hold off on the wax. what you are describing sounds similar to painting a car. i was under the impression that the color is actually in a 'gel-coat'. i know car paints but as i've stated, this is new territory for me.

am i correct in thinking the outer skin is a 'gel-coat'???

if so, can i restore it or recoat it?

i've included a couple detail shots of the transom area and surface condition. overall the transom *appears* intact. what do i need to do to more accurately assess it?

i can see that the light stalks are not original, but what are the chances of finding the correct ones? alternatively, what are the chances of finding my missing one? they are wired for a bulb and the stalk twists off.

it looks like i'm missing a couple trim rings where the steering cables enter the 'engine bay'.

additionally, if the two metal loops on the stern are not original, i'm tempted to remove them. they are being used to secure the boat to what appears to be a homemade trailer. i suppose i could use hooks on straps to accomplish the same thing.

sorry for the long post. i hope i didn't kill many kitties by not doing a forum search first. bear with me. it is after all, all about keeping these boats for the next generation.
cheers,
jerry

Hi Jerry, and welcome to the forum. You and rsp63 have some pretty cool Glassics there! While I don't have anywhere near enough knowledge to advise you on GelCoat and refinishing, I can tell you where to look:
www.fiberglassics.com/restoration/page-2
An excellent tutorial (book) written by one of the members here, and a some great articles on various projects involved in the restoration or rejuvenation process.

You can also use the "search" box in the upper right hand corner to find related threads on any particular subject.

I'll let the experts help you out with your questions, but I WOULD suggest further inspection of the transom. I believe the nav lights you are seeking were called "Glow Poles", and the 'engine bay' is referred to as the splashwell.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

hi jerry ,yes it is gel coat,and can be redone,but thats for a guy like jamil medhi,or brian lawson to tell you how to do it,jamil has some great articles on fiberglass restoration,look at the top left corner of the page ,put your mouse on "research"then click on"restoration" they are very helpful.
as for me i cant afford gelcoat restorations,i paint my boats and the reason i said to use primer to fill slight crazing ,is because spot putty will shrink over time,for bigger cracks (after you have found why it cracked in the 1st place and fixed it)i use resin jelly,it works just like bondo,sands like it too,but it sands finer,i love the stuff.

jerry im on dial up,and i posted before your pics came up,boy those are some bad crazing cracks,you are going to have to do some grinding on them,it looks like they are delaminating ,i would use a dremel tool to widen them,like small valleys,then use fiberglass filler with the finer hair in them,then use the resin jelly.
as for the transom ,if you still have the motor on it ,grab the motor down towards the prop and lift it up and down,to see if the tansom flexes,then knock on it with your fist or lightly with a hammer it should sound solid,if it thuds its probably wet or rotten.
if you can see the wood from the inside take an awl and poke around with it.
since you are going to restore the whole boat anyhow,you can also drill a very small hole towards the bottom of the transom,and see if the shavings that come out are wet and dark.
even if it is bad thats a boat thats very desireable,it probably worth restoring,again look at jamil's articles,they are alot better at telling you how to go about it ,then i can ever tell you how.john
p.s. boy i hate dial up,i just saw you dont have a motor on it,lol,sorry.john

The pictures are what I took off my SR. and as time goes on you will see that there are several differences between models and years other than just the length of them.
There is also more polished aluminum depending on where and when it was made even if it was built in the same year and is the same model.

Gow poles- herters59 is a forum member that makes and sells them for $50 a pair.

The eyelets hold the rub rail down and works as a tie down.
The rings you know where they go but this is what mine look like.

As for the fiberglass and gel work, there are others that will chime in that have forgotten more than I could hope to know and they own/restored a Thunderhawk.

I believe a long post is one that doesnt have pictures.

You have a very good looking boat there. It is a great boat on the water and a real crowd pleaser.
From the pictures I would say you will need a new transom. As for the crazing. The only way to make sure that they do not reappear in your new paint or gell coat finish is to sand them out. Nothing can be worse than to do all your restoration work only to find out hey the transom is bad or six months after you have finished painting her the cracks reappear.
I am herters59 and I do have the glow poles for that boat. However thers is a slight type-o. They are fifty dollars each. But hey thanks for the plug.

D

herters59 wrote:

I am herters59 and I do have the glow poles for that boat. However thers is a slight type-o. They are fifty dollars each. But hey thanks for the plug.

i'd like to buy a pair of your glow poles, but want to wait until next year, unless i'm able to find a mate for my existing lightpole. (email me jerryallsmanATyahooDOTcom).

i am in the middle of a BMW 2002 refurbishment and i do not want to be in a position where my attention is split between two unfinished projects.

i plan to remove the piece of plywood off the transom and see how it looks underneath. i'm just dumb enough to be willing to take the gel-coat down if that's what it takes to eliminate the cracks. the boat deserves no less and i don't charge myself much for labor...

if the transom appears to be strong enough as is, i will probably use the boat as-is while i acquire the knowledge and missing parts. thanks for all the good advice. it's time to dig into the archives and how-to's this sight has to offer.

great forum folks.
cheers,
jerry