Couple old boards, questions on brand, fin, repair.

General Discussion
1

I could have done these as separate threads, but what the heck...

 

So, I picked up a couple of old boards from a guy on craigslist today.  Paid $60 each, so as expected they're  in less than mint condition, but nothing I can't fix up with relative ease (I hope!).  I took a few pics in the back of my truck with my cell camera, but I'll save the full outline "money shots" until they're cleaned up to my satisfaction

My first question is historical, I have one which has the mark, "Sunshine surfboards".  It's about 5'10 or so, and fat and stubby as hell.  I love it already.  Weird fin system I've never seen before (see next question).   I'm just curious what folks know about the brand, what history might be available.    The other board is an Aipa, around 6'8", maybe more.  Gorgeous roundpin single, I lusted for it instantly.  It has a serial number 6126.  Anyone know Aipa's serial info?   Just curious what year/era it would have been made more than anything else.

Sunshine:

 

 

Next is this fin system.  Anyone recognize it?   It looks similar to what I know of the waveset fins, but I've never seen one in person.  Add to that the funky filler blocks, which I've DEFINITELY never seen before, and it's a full-on mystery to me.   What is it?  How do I remove it if I want to play around with different positions?  Do I run the risk of destroying the whole thing if I try to get it out?  I had a twin with star-system fins before, and I broke one trying to get it out, so I'm definitely leery about that.

Fin:

 

Lastly the question of repairs.   The Sunshine seems to be in pretty good shape overall.  What dings it does have were "patched" with big horrible brown globs of resin and cloth which appear to have never been sanded flush.  One is visible behind the fin at the tail.  I'm actually quite hopefull that once I sand those blobs out and maybe dremel out any deep fills, I should be able to have a pretty clean board.    The Aipa, on the other hand, is in impeccable condition everywhere forward of the finbox.  Only one ugly ding repair on the entire board, and the deck is virtually dent-free.   But the tail, man oh man, the tail.   Definitely looking for as much input as possible on this repair.  

 I'm assuming I want to use the original glass to the degree I'm able in order to keep it all looking stock and matched up, but how to save it?  Do I bend it back out of the way while working on the foam?  Cut it away and replace it later?   If this was just a board I wanted fixed, I would just chop out the bad stuff, replace the dirty/wet foam, reshape and reglass....   But I want this to look GOOD when I'm done!

Aipa's tail:

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If Im not mistaken, the Sunshine label had some sort of connection with Claude Codgen.  As far as the fin systen, I had one like that on a board in '69/'70.  The caps were called cavation caps and were suppose to stop humming or slowing you down by eliminating water build up in the box.  The caps should just pop out with a screw driver, then you can tap the fin out of the dovetails.  We use to use a towel to protect our hands.  Sometimes the fin would jam and we would really slam them with a stick or other blunt instrument.  I wouldn’t recommend that method in this case.  As a precaution,I would lubricate the box and fin to ease removal.

3

Cool, I wondered if the "sunshine" that's in business now is the same as the "sunshine" way back then.  Kind of cool for someone to hang onto their label that long.

 

By the way, this guy I got the boards from....    He had a Lopez 'Bolt in there too, in just absolutely deplorable condition.  Like, so bad I had to walk away from it because I knew I'd never get it into anything resembling "good" shape again.  That was beyond heartbreaking.

4

I have a Sunshine in the garage that is very similar, same fin box, 6’0".  I don’t have the fin though, and only one of the tabs so i’ve made due jamming one in for now (have a standard one that fits pretty tight).  Might have to mold a base for one by taping off the box and filling it with mold release, someone was throwing it out because it had a little delamination so I filled the void with some spray foam (this was before I found sways). Now that I think about it maybe I’ll throw it in the car for a go tommorrow.

5

Sunshine is Claude Codgen’s brand . Always was. He used the services of a few shapers, including Mike Eaton for a while. Date would be around late '69 to 71, because you have a Guidance Systems fin and box. That fin system was very short-lived.

Can’t help you on dating the Aipa. He shaped under two labels in the 70s, as I recall. His own “Aipa” label, and Surfings New Image. The tail is pretty well fvcked. I wouldn’t get my hopes up in trying to make it look original. Lots of damage, loose glass, and black rot/dirt from what the picture tells. Your best bet is stripping away all loose glass, and cutting out the black parts. Then, start over.

Was either board used recently? I don’t understand why you think there’s water in them?

6

That looks like a very early Sunshine. As the shortboard revolution took down most of the major labels a lot of flower-child companies sprang up. Claudie had been with Con since he was about 15 (someone like balsabill or SammyA will know more about this), and he started Sunshine somewhere in there.

When I started working with Jim Phillips in 1980, Claude was doing the Sunshines out of Jim's factory.

7

Ya, I thought Jim had done something with Claude, at some point .
And, it probably is a very early Sunshine given the fin, and the fact that Claude still had a model with Con as late as 1970. Might be from his first year. Any serial # on that one?

Another thing about the Aipa is the fact it has an FU box. That means it’s no older than 72, if I have my FU history straight.

 

Of course, more pictures would be a big help.

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Damn you guys are a fount of info!

I think there's water in the tail of the Aipa because it was sitting upright on the busted tail in wet dirt.  Yuck.

Someone suggested a tailblock to make up for the really crushed part of the tail.  I'm seriously considering that right now, I think it might be a nice way to fix it up, along with a matching nose block

The logo is just the word "Aipa" with, "surfing's new image" in smaller print underneath.   I'm at work now, but I'll try for a photo later. 

Cool info on the fin system.  On the one hand, it's great to be able to so narrowly define the era of a board based upon one component.   On the other hand, it means I better NEVER screw that fin up, or I've got a pretty wall-hanger!    So, how exactly does the fin come out?   Just tap it upwards?  Maybe some penetrating oil? 

 

No serial number or any other info I could find on the sunshine, I'll look closer when I get home.   Sounds like it's worth sending a photo to Claude to see if I could jog his memory.

 

9

Your Sunshine looks ''stubby as hell'' because that's the way most of the transition boards looked - high rail/rolled bottom nose, toilet seat low rail tail. Downrailers were coming... 

Change happened fast back then.

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After 40 years I can’t remember if you need to tap the fin foward or backward.  Pop the caps and see which way the dovetails are pointing, then tap in the opposite direction.

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Ok, pics:

 

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On my sunshine the wide part of the dovetails is forward, seems to be same era as yours  when I look at it, I hadn’t taken it down in a while, same label, looks very close on the planform, orange pinlines on the laps, no pinlines or anything on the stringer, and in pretty ugly shape, but watertight at least.  I couldn’t find any serial or anything written anywhere on it.  Supposed to be shoulder high in Jax tomorrow so I think I’ll take it instead of the log.

13

Judging from the plan shape and the fin box, I’d say the Sunshine is a '71, probably just before the first twin fin era.

14

To remove the fin, tap forward near the base. Use a rubber mallet or put a block of wood against it and hit the block with a hammer. Any channel caps in front of the fin have to be removed first.

The Aipa is most likely mid 70s vintage. I say this based on the outline and the fact the deck is airbrushed. Airbrush color became common around 73 or 74.

Here’s a scan of a Guidance ad, to illustrate what the system looked like when new.

 

 

15

I’ve got a Guidance fin box on a vintage board of mine. Except mine is a home shape with a label no one has ever heard of. I think '69 might have been the last year they were manufactured? I posted a thread a couple years ago and I think that’s what everyone came up with. Great Craigslist find!

16

All the first Sunshine surfboards were made in our factory in Hermosa Beach, Ca.  It would have been around 1970. Claude moved the production to Florida in 73 or 74.  Mike Eaton would have been the shaper of your board.  The Guidance fin should be knocked forward about a half inch to remove or move it.  You’re lucky to have all the filler caps since there are not  many left out there.  

17

shwuz,

On the Sunshine a lot of those gobbed on repairs sometimes will just peel off.  Seems like those doing the repairs like that with "boat resin" weren't too keen on sanding the area before applying their "Globs".

Dave_D

18

Yeah, I already picked at the edges of a couple of them, I'm thinking they should come off the gloss coat pretty easily.   I'm actually really excited to see how well the sunshine cleans up. 

 

Checked again last night, there's no serial numbers or any other markings on the sunshine, just the logo.

19

[quote="$1"]

All the first Sunshine surfboards were made in our factory in Hermosa Beach, Ca.  It would have been around 1970. Claude moved the production to Florida in 73 or 74.  Mike Eaton would have been the shaper of your board.  The Guidance fin should be knocked forward about a half inch to remove or move it.  You're lucky to have all the filler caps since there are not  many left out there.  

[/quote]

 

Whoa, that's some killer info there!  That's why I freakin' love this place!  Who would have thought in just a day I'd be able to nail it down to within a couple of years and a specific shaper without even any markings on the foam? 

 

I'm thinking I'll have to ride it with the fin where it is for now...  I don't want to risk anything by trying to move it, and who knows it might just work well as-is.

20

 

Incorrect. I bought a Weber Pig in July '71 and it came with a Guidance fin. Like I already said, Guidance was in business from roughly '69 to '71