chrysler aluminum boat

S

SPK

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I need the expertise of Chrysler enthusiasts in identifying any info possible from the metal identification plate on the transom of an old aluminum boat. I have two sets of number:6900204 Chrysler,
and,
D.O.T. 11413920 and then the number 875
Maybe some of you people know what these numbers indicate in the way of a date of manufacture etc.
There are pictures of my boat under my iboats identification, SPK
The model is a Chrysler "Commander". Any help would be really appreciated.
Thanks,
Sean.
 
jerryjerry05

jerryjerry05

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

Pics would be helpfull.
Usually the older boats,the stickers didn't have the year anywhere on them.
Newer boat must have it in 2 (I think)places.The outside of the rear usually on the right.
The 6900204 might mean 1969 maybe not.
Someone else might try to help.J
 
S

SPK

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

Thanks jerryjerry05. I appreciate your input. I posted some pics of the boat under an earlier thread if you wish to take a look. I figure the boat is somewhere in the early to mid 60s. Thanks,
Sean.
 
S

SPK

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

Thank you very much for your reply. I did post some pics under an earlier thread if you haven't seen them. I figure the boat is somewhere in the mid to late 60s. Do you know when Chrysler purchased Lonestar and what the first year of the "Commander" model was manufactured.
Thanks again.
Sean
 
M

Mel Taylor

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

I looked at the earlier pictures and that boat is an almost exact replica of the 14 or 15 foot, Lonestar Commander from the late '50s/early '60s that my uncle owned. My dad had a '57 King Commander of the same size. The King Commander had a "closed bow" with a storage compartment in it. It was set up to mount a steering wheel and a windshield, although my dad never bothered with either. He preferred the simplicity of tiller steering. My son is still using that boat.

Because of the closed bow the King Commander handles rough water somewhat better than the Commander. When waves or spray hits the bow the water tends to roll off the side of the bow rather than coming into the boat.

I love those old Lonestars. AFAIAC, there's not a better boat made anywhere.
 
S

SPK

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

Thanks very much Mel. You have helped me a lot in identifying this boat. It does have a fairly high freeboard and cuts through the water nicely. When I bought it a couple of years ago it came with a 1958 Johnson 7.5. I can only assume that the boat and motor are near the same year, probably purchased together when new or near new. Do you know when Chrysler purchased Lonestar?
Thanks again.
Sean.
 
M

Mel Taylor

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

64osby said:
http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/Lone_Star

Here is a link to Fiberglassics, it shows a lot of information on Lone Star boats up to when Chrysler bought them in 1965.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/File:Lonestarb63009.jpg

This link shows the 1963 Lone Star Commander in the lower left.

I have a Lone Star Big Fisherman 14' that I'm working on.
Click to expand...

The one on the right is either an exact replica of the '57 King Commander or at least very, very similar.

BTW, Dad's boat came with an 18 horse Johnson which was replaced later with a 25 horse Evinrude. I don't know if it would handle anything bigger than that safely or not.
 
64osby

64osby

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

I didn't look for hp max on your boat, I would think 25 would be the very biggest you would want. Small tinny's can get pretty squirrely with too much hp and too heavy of a motor hanging off the back.

I find it interesting that the max hp for the Big Fisherman by Lone Star is 18, 1963. On the info that Maclin posted for Chrysler it shows the Big Fisherman max hp at 12, 1965 if I remember.
 
M

Mel Taylor

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Re: chrysler aluminum boat

64osby said:
I didn't look for hp max on your boat, I would think 25 would be the very biggest you would want. Small tinny's can get pretty squirrely with too much hp and too heavy of a motor hanging off the back.

I find it interesting that the max hp for the Big Fisherman by Lone Star is 18, 1963. On the info that Maclin posted for Chrysler it shows the Big Fisherman max hp at 12, 1965 if I remember.
Click to expand...

Both my uncle with his Commander and my dad with the King Commander ended up with 25 horse motors on their boats and ran them that way with no problems for over 20 years before they passed away. The King Commander now has an '84, 25 horse Evinrude on it which it handles very well. I don't think I would want to go much, if any, over that horsepower, although years ago I knew someone who ran a 33 horse Johnson on a Commander. However, he usually stayed close enough to the bank that he could have stepped ashore at the first sign of trouble.

The Commander was at Lake Novillo in Sonora, Mexico the last time I saw it about ten years ago. It had developed a few leaks but was still in use by one of the locals with some ancient outboard of unknown horsepower on it.
 
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