Tailfins
and Two-Tones
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Reinell
built several incarnations of its Jet Flight, including this
edition of its most remembered creation, a runabout with the
1959 Chevrolet fi ns and taillights interpreted in the stern.
This 1960 model was bought new with a trailer for $792 in 1962
by Mel and Shirley Rose who passed it on to their son Rich
in 1992. The boat is in excellent original condition. It is
powered by a 1969 Merc 650. (Neda Atash photo) |
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At
15’ 10", Glasspar’s 1963
Tacoma 200 offered boaters a station wagon’s worth of room
aft of the basic front seating. No doubt the cargo space could
quickly accommodate everything from water skis and fi shing
tackle to folding lounge chairs and family-size picnic coolers. |
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In
catalog store parlance, low price beats sophistication. Few
boat buyers expected Glasspar or Glastron quality at Montgomery-Ward
prices, and consequently were reluctant to buy “bigger” (than a rowboat) craft from
mail order establishments. Of course, there’s a chance that the likes of this
1962 Sea King Sea Venture II was fabricated for Wards by a big name
boat builder. |
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When
you see a nicely equipped, beautifully preserved — or lovingly restored — classic
runabout and proper period motor offered for sale, don’t
be afraid to ask for a demonstrable proof that all is shipshape.
And if the price is fair, neither should you lowball the seller
or agonize to the point where someone else swoops in and closes
a deal. Instead, calculate what it might cost — fi scally
and time wise — to buy, revitalize, and outfi t a similar
boat into such a condition. Often, it’s a package like
this shiny Feather Craft and Johnson Sea Horse 25 that is the
actual bargain. |
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