Mike Carrigan

Bob, Your correct. We went from the 115 to the 135. Good memory Buddy. Sorry about mine.

Bob, Better said, having to do with my reply, a correction: BAYLINER bought CHRYSLER, renamed them FORCE, then BRUNSWICK bought BAYLINER, and FORCE. Thus my "FORCELER" terminology. I think this is making my brain hurt, and there's not all that much to work with in that department anymore.

Bob, I'm only aware of using the "ELPTO". The "Classic" is maybe something I'm missing. BAYLINER bought FORCE, then BRUNSWICK bought BAYLINER. I remember some FORCE outboards then being called MERCURY. That could be the "Classic" question here. I dont think the 125 ELPTO that we used was a FORCELER with a MERCURY hat on it. If I missed that, well, shame on me. But, I spun wrenches on CHRYSLERS, and FORCELERS and do not think we're talking about the same outboard motors here. I've missed, for whatever reason, the "Classic" terminology here. Perhaps the "Classic" is a FORCELER? But, I dont recall any "Classic" being used by us.

I'm not aware of the MERC once being a FORCELER. You have a 125 carb MERC I assume. I dont recall that motor ever being a FORCE.

You devoted a lot of time and trouble taking and posting the pictures. A great service to those you could not attend. A great service to we that did. THANK YOU!

GB'S not unsuspecting. I've been wanting to do bad things to that grinning , old, S.O.B. for years!

YOUR KILLIN ME!

Hour meters are often not to be trusted anyway. A certified MERC tech with his computer should answer the question. WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR BEING A PRO-LINE OWNER!

Actually, the other way around. It was a PRO-LINE first. At that time we had a difficult time with people associating the PRO-LINE name with high performance, so sales on the hull were disapointing. Sent it over to DONZI, put a step'd bottom under it, renamed it a 35, with some pretty stuff being done to it and WOW-OFF THE CHARTS! LOA 34'10" Beam 9'2" Fuel 300 gals weight, full fuel and motors 11,000 pounds Cockpit area 112 SF Max HP 675 Livewell cap 154 qts Fishbox (2) 157 Qt ea Freshwater 30 gals Deadrise at transom 22 degree With twin 250 EFI'S it was 50-52 Cruise speed with the EFI'S was 35.1 @ 4000 RPM's No four strokes then, so I have no info to offer there. GOOD LUCK WITH IT! THE HULL IS A GREAT HULL AS A 34 PRO-LINE or a 35 DONZI

Denny, "List price"? Come on....stop. Who has paid list price for years? Yes, business is a little tough. Not immune as to boats. Regretably a salesperson perhaps let some frustration show. We are all human, yes? No? Not a mortal sin, huh?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Mike

Well, a compnay is well beyond a sign out front, some concrete, and so on. A company is made up of people. Destroy the people, then the company is also destroyed. A terrible reality that we have had to face, is some of our people falling prey to the world we're living in. Not exclusive to our small world in Crystal River, regretably, a sign of our times. We think that PRO-LINE will be a survivor. The shame is, however, at what cost as to people. Not a nice thought. Mike

Your lips to Gods ear. The pain is beyond description. We know our people, the families. The hurt is beyond anything that a "business decision" comes into play. I understand your post more than you might imagine, and appreciate it. THANKS! Mike

Doug is no longer with them. I HATE THAT! A longtime friend, a great PRO-LINE guy. Business, as it is, well, Ok, thats what happens. Doug is, I think, selling cars, wholesale and retail. I miss him alot. A very good friend, but WOW, can he drive a perfectly sane person over the cliff. Bob and his brother Greg, are still our largest unit volume dealer anywhere. Yes, we sure miss Doug though. Mike

You and I are going to make a deal that cant be refused. Bob, our head of security is a retired Philly cop, and also a very good friend of mine. Often, I'll go to a PHILLY CHEESE STEAK place on 44, buy Bob a Cheese steak. So, here's what we're going to do. While Bob is chowing down, I'll hook you up, you haul tail over to Melborne to CASTAWAYS, our dealer there, they'll give us cash for the boat, we split, Ok? If it works, lets do it again. Believe me, most of us are old guys. At lunch time, lots of guys taking naps. Mike

Forgive me for jumping in. I dont frequent Wiley's forum as much as I should. For that I apologize. It's a real good site, I like Wiley, and I'd like to visit more. Yes, it's been going on for months and the deal was closed several weeks ago. All management except for the operating stockholder was kept in place. Lee has left and will be missed. He brought alot to our party, was a very good C.E.O., and a very good friend. Overall, we're quite pleased with all that has occured. We've seen better times in our industry. Had to make some very tough choices over the last year or so. Very difficult and heartfelt decisions. But, the fact of life as we're living it in these times demand such choices in order to stay in business, not go out. We,ve taken a very lean and mean posture for almost a year now. We fully intend to stay the course. We also fully intend to stay around. We're a privately held company. The release that was issued is as far as it's going unless we recieve other instructions. The very imporatnt thing is the fact that all management is in place, except for Lee, same happy faces that have been around our company for a long time. At the risk of being a little self horn blowing, our management team is the best that there is. There is no better. We're quite pleased with all that has ocurred. Wiley, I promise you I'll stop by every once in a while and bore some folks, Ok? THANKS FOR THE GREAT FORUM, BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL! Mike Carrigan PRO-LINE BOATS

Hope I'm not being too boring, it's just a great subject that alot of people are enjoying, including me. Very scientific determining if a CHRYSLER power pack went bad. Computers? What were they? You simply turned the ignition switch on, put your ear next to the CD box, if it made a slight, very low ringing/humming sound, it was ok. If not, replace it. Yes, you pulled the plug from the inside of the boat, got on plane, and drained any water from it. During the sixties and into the seventies, Chrysler would host a stretch jet filled with those of us who met the volume requirement, fly us all over the world. No kidding, true story. I went on alot of those trips. Sold them as West Bend, then Crrysler, then Force (Forcelers). Your 70 H.P. was actually a real good outboard. In line three cyl, pretty bullitproof actually. "Big Motor" was the 105, all of four cylinders. Great post, THANKS! Mike

Powerpacks, CD Boxes, whatever they were called from brand name to brand name, yeah, you bet, they'd go out all the time. The early oil injection systems were also alot of fun. THANK GOD FOR TODAYS OUTBOARDS! Mike

Johnson was "ELECTROMATIC". Evinrude was "SELECTRIC" This thread is making my brain hurt! Mike

"Push button" was an "ELECTROMATIC". Mike

Mr. "Palsy" Renken purchased Halsey for his sons. I think maybe for his son Walter primarily, but I dont remember. Yes, built in Charleston. A truly "old south" very fine family. Very good friends. Mike

I've really enjoyed this post. A friend talking about his time on Tampa Bay, maybe about the same time I was running around Cearwater Bay, we're talking about the fifties here. To me, thats some fun. Now and then, a contributer on another site, ABOATER, who falls into our "old guys" catagory, contributes. My guess would be that the time we're talking about in Florida might run a pretty good parallel on the Pacific Coast. The time I've spent there is quite different, also pretty exciting. We dont have alot of Seals in Florida. I think it would be welcomed for him to jump in. It's a nice post. Mike Carrigan

As a follow up, if I may: An E-Tec service rep, with no personal gain what so ever, went out of his way to help with a problem just a few days ago. "Norm", a darn good service rep who went out of his way, way out of his way, to help a couple guys with a problem. I've seen it many times before. With these guys we've grown to expect that. They always come thru. Again, I sell four brand names, all excellent products, all excellant people, however the question went specifically to EVINRUDE. As an owner, and also who's livelihood depends on customer service, I cant say enough good about these guys. Maybe some day they'll become fat and lazy, who knows, but all I see is real good. Mike Carrigan

Bad site for me to be on. I'M AN OLD GUY! Frank Caccatori, CACCI CRAFT, built in Tampa. Terrific guy! Great sence of humor, alot of fun. Never did any business with him, we were, during the sixties, competitors, but hung out togeather at boat shows and the like. Drank a beer or three togeather. Mike Carrigan

Yes, SEA KING, GALE, were "JOHNRUDES" in the 50's. I spun wrenches on them in the early sixties. GALE was actually the parent company of JOHNSON/EVINRUDE. It was the GALE CORPORATION. Also, yes. About 1955 or so, Clearwater Beach. What is now Island Estates were mangroves. My first was wood, have no idea the brand name, 15 H.P. EVINRUDE, in and out of all those mangroves. Cleaned bottoms, painted bottoms, and what ever else at Clearwater Yacht Club for gas $$$. Would hitchhike across the causeway to where the SEA FEVER tied up at the city docks and pick up a few bucks from Captain Devlin when he returned from fishing. Could never get the MISS BUCKEYE to give me any work. So, here I am, sixty four years old, still in the boat business? Why didn't I listen to my mother?!? Mike Carrigan