TOPIC: Gator Trailer Brochure

I recently added a 1961 or 1962 Gator Trailer brochure to my 'collection'. I scanned and posted it to be added to the Library... There are a lot of trailer pics and specs, of course, but also a lot of neat boat pics showing various models, most of which are fiberglass.

This one was of particular interest to me, since it has MY particular trailer model (Well, without the cool SUPER GATOR fenders, anyways)


The other reason it was very interesting to me is the boat- That's MY boat, too! At least the same model. And, it's even in the same color scheme I repainted in, red & white. That's a funny coincidence,when you consider how many different 16' runabouts were around at the time.

I wonder if Glasspar paid them to use their boats in the ad?

-Andrew

andrew,very cool combo,do you have pics of yours,i would love to see pics of your boat and trailer together,john

Not the best angle- But it's the best I've got at the moment...



I haven't even gotten the boat 'unpacked' yet since getting home- I've got to get all the 'stuff' the wife broke around the house fixed first. I've got a broken or loose neutral somewhere in my electrical system, and no power to a couple of rooms. It's going to be a FUN day trying to trace it

-Andrew

Boat, motor, and trailer manufacturers swapped products all the time for photos shoots. It was mutually beneficial to do so. I don't think money ever traded hands.

Gordy Millar was chief engineer at McCollough (Scott Atwater outboard motors) in the late 1950s and 1960s. He told me that their firm swaped motors with Thompson and Chetek and other boat builders all the time for photo shoots for ads and brochures.

Thompson Boat at Peshtigo, WI and Balko, Inc. (trailer manufacturer) of Ladysmith, WI used the same photos in 1961 brochures. A Thompson boat on a Balko trailer.

Pete Thompson told me that Thompson Boat would give boats to Kiekhaefer (Mercury) for use by Mercury in testing motors at Lake X in Florida. He personally delivered boats to secret Lake X on several occasions. He had to keep the delivery destination secret! But I bet everyone in the industry knew the location.

Andreas

Andreas

andrew that is a beauty,i like it.
as for the electric,you probably already know this,but i would start at the breaker to see if its still good,since it involves 2 rooms,maybe they are all on the same circut,i had the same problem the last place we lived,and come to find out the breakers were not made anymore because they were dangerous,if i remember right i just checked the continuity,john