thompsondockside.com

Hello Everyone,
I am looking to find some accessories for my 1963 Cruisers, Inc 302 Commander.

I purchased a single trumpet horn on ebay that said it was vintage...(looked very similar to the picture I have of the horns used back then) got the product shipped to me from Wisconsin... It came stuffed in a box that was too small to hold packing around it... consequently it is cracked, dented and damaged!! Unbelievable.... anyway...

The name on the horn is GEM and it is also stamped made in japan on the plate. Is this a true vintage horn? I am going to return the item and hopefully get a full refund... but this made me wonder if it is a real vintage horn. Can anyone shed light on who the manufacturers were for the Thompson, Cruisers, Inc. boats of the '50s and '60s?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Roberta

In the 1963 Cruisers, Inc. Vinyl Clad brochure not a single boat is pictured with a horn. Horns were not standard on any of the models. They could be purchased by the dealer as an added accessory. I bet most dealers didn't do this and that they installed their own horn if the customer desired one.

In the Bobtail and Inboard-Outboard brochures for '63 some boats are shown with horns; dual trumpet type.

I can see that the bow and stern lights on the '63 boats were made by Kainer.

Sparton was a maker of horns for boats during the 1950s and 1960s.

Andreas

Hi Andreas,
Thank you for your reply. My literature for the '62 Cruiser shows horns on the 302. if you look at the brochure pictures I have on my website the boats show a double trumpet horn as well as a bell horn. The accessories sheet shows what options were available and a single or double horn was available. Ours would have been the blue model on the cover. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them. Unfortunately there is no information on the manufacturers.

http://gallery.me.com/robertabolt#100104

I have seen the name Sparton in my research but have not seen any horns that look the same as those in my original literature.

What struck me was the one I purchased had "Made in Japan" on the underside of the mounting plate. I didn't expect to see that for a vintage piece so I question whether the horn is vintage.

Roberta

Use of the term"vintage" especially on sites like E-bay can mean many things.
That horn could be over 25 years old which would make it vintage but also date it to 1986.
You might have better luck on some other sites on the internet. Many of them have sections with parts for sale.
The Glassics web site comes to mind as does the Lyman owners web site. Many of the boats from the 50's and 60's shared common parts especially when it came to dealer installed add ons.
Karl.

Hi Karl,
I should clarify that the seller listed it as a '60's horn because of the boat it came off of which I realize now does not mean anything. I looked at the pieces of our Cruiser that are dismantled while we are refinishing it and there are no marks on anything except the stern light which has Perko marked on it. Whether or not it is an original piece is anyones guess!

I am not going to purchase anything further unless I know the manufacturers mark and some kind of verification.... it is not an easy task. I am having no luck finding any reference to the horn I purchased anywhere!!

As a good note... the seller has agreed to credit me the full amount and keep the horn... whether I use it or not is still in question.

Thanks for your help!
Roberta

Roberta,

Have you checked out "Jamestown Distributors" for horns?
Yes, they are not vintage but they hve some that are by AFI that are very close to the horns from the 50's and 60's.

The other possibilities is "Ken-Dor Marine" they speacilize in old boat parts and accessories. www.kendormarine.com

Good Luck,

Phill

Roberta,

One thing I forgot to mention is to give them a call as they have a lot of old obsolete boat hardware which is not shown in their online catalog.
I have purchases some items there which are no longer available from current manufacturers. They specialize in purchasing items from marine businesses that are either going out of business or marine dealers that want to get rid of old obsolete stock.

Good Luck,

Phill

Hi Roberta,

Here is a horn I am selling that came off of a 61 Cruisers Inc. Seafarer Model Boat.
It has these identifying numbers on the bottom and appears to have the same style Bell Trumpet Horn on top that was pictured in your copy of the catalog.
IC D65058-1
The Base Measures 8-3/16" Long and 3" Wide