1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

[andgott]

My 1960 Glasspar Citation, which is about midway through a total restoration (detailed here), came on it's original 1960 Gator Trailer-

Complete with a "Uni-Lever" tilt system... Yes, Pop- Only one hand! It's actually a pretty neat setup- designed to allow the boat to be launched easily on beaches, river banks, etc, in the days before there were boat ramps all over the place.

The trailer is in good shape, given that it's 50 years old, and probably about 90% complete- It even has the original chrome hubcaps! I have started to restore it-

It probably doesn't look like much to most people- But to vintage boat fanatics, it's a find! When I took the fender off, I found some of the original "gator yellow" paint-

The plan is to strip it down, repaint it the original yellow color, put all the decals back on (I found what what left of them under the black paint in a few spots!), re-chrome the hubcaps- and she'll be as good as new.

-Andrew

 

[woosterken]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

great looking project !!
check your PM box sent you some info

woosterken

 

[andgott]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

Well, the trailer is complete, and once I get some spring bushings, I'll be reassembling it. It's all primed, painted, and ready to go. It all looks brand new!

I stripped it down to bare metal, primed it, then painted it gator yellow.

The wheels are back in their original red color, and have nice new WHITEWALLS on them, just like when they came from the dealer. Hopefully she'll be put back together this weekend

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

How did you do the white walls?

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

How did you do the white walls?

I used to assemble the Gator trailers at the Gator dealership in Miami in the mid-60's. They arrived with everything boxed, and strapped, to the basic frame...even the wiring was done by us.

I never saw the first 'white wall' tire!

But it looks good...!

Happy boating!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

How did you do the white walls?

White Wall tire paint- Yes- They DO make it

I never saw the first 'white wall' tire!

It's probably a year/model thing. I'm not 100% sure this one had whitewalls on it- But in 59 & 60 SOME did- at least the 'deluxe' models... Perhaps it was an option. Also, might have been discontinued by the mid 60's ?

At any rate- it LOOKS cool

-Andrew

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

White Wall tire paint- Yes- They DO make it


It's probably a year/model thing. I'm not 100% sure this one had whitewalls on it- But in 59 & 60 SOME did- at least the 'deluxe' models... Perhaps it was an option. Also, might have been discontinued by the mid 60's ?

At any rate- it LOOKS cool

-Andrew

Geez...I didn't realize just how old I was, until you posted that Gator ad!

Oh well...for what it's worth, I was in high school in 1965.

Happy Gator boating!

 

[woosterken]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

andgott,
check this out , click on the heading "decals" they have the original design decals for your trailer

http://vintageboatsupply.com/Decals_Home.html

hope this helps


woosterken

 

[andgott]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

andgott,
check this out , click on the heading "decals" they have the original design decals for your trailer

http://vintageboatsupply.com/Decals_Home.html

Thanks, Ken...

Luckily, I'm an artist- And I made up my own stickers to match the ones I found under the paint on the fenders. They looked a lot like the ones that they sell, but not QUITE. I had them printed onto permanent outdoor sticker stock(think bumper sticker).

 

[bonz_d]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

Nice!

I also have an old Gator that came under my Lund. When I got it there were about 4 different colors of paint on it with still some yellow under it all. Mine is a bit different than yours in that it has a rod that goes back to a piviot shaft that when it's tilted it changes the angle of the bunks. Also the release for the piviot looks different but I can't really tell by the pictures. If you could post a close-up that would be neat!

Also at some point someone changed axles on this trailer and they don't fit it very well and from what I can tell the mounting points were changed as well.

Nice thing about these trailers is that I can launch my boat in about 10" of water on uninproved ramps and recover it as well. Let's see ya do that on a flat bunk trailer! I've been able to launch at places were the axles weren't even under water.

 

[andgott]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

The trailer is pretty much done! I've still got a few things here and there, like carpeting the bunks, electrical wiring, and a few other small things like that, but I am VERY happy with how it turned out-

Check out those Chrome hubcaps-

Some may think I am a little nuts (ok, they are right...), but you have to love a relic from an era when people cared as much about how good their trailers looked as their boats- STYLE all the way

 

[andgott]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

Mine is a bit different than yours in that it has a rod that goes back to a piviot shaft that when it's tilted it changes the angle of the bunks. Also the release for the piviot looks different but I can't really tell by the pictures. If you could post a close-up that would be neat!

Mine does that too- I don't know if its the exact same system, but it's a pretty cool setup. I can EASILY take the boat on and off the trailer in my driveway to work on it- A real help!

I've got a couple of photos from before I took things apart- I took them so I could get it all back together again! Hopefully they'll show what you need-

The mechanism, looking from above

Release Pin, on trailer tonuge

The 'tilt' mechanism on the back of trailer.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

Very nice and thanks for the added pictures.

Mine is very simular yet quite different. 1st mine has brakets on the round tube support that the bunks also connect to then run to the back support. Next the tilt rod goes from the center piviot all the way to the front of the trailer so that when the bed raises it piviots the shaft and changes the angle of the bunks. Lastly the piviot release is in the front of the trailer and goes through the bracket that the tilt safty chain uses.

I'll try to get some pictures today and post them for ya!
Any idea what year yours is? I found what looks like a vin# on the tongue of mine.

 

[andgott]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

Any idea what year yours is? I found what looks like a vin# on the tongue of mine.

It's a 1960- It still has the builders tag with serial & model #'s on it, it's a stamped aluminum plate on the front of the trailer

 

[bonz_d]

Re: 1960 Gator Trailer Restoration

Sorry for the untimely delay but here are a couple of pictures of my Gator with the tilt release and the rod connection to the bunks. As you can see mine is quit different than yours. The rod to the bunks actually comes all the way up to where the bed tilts.