Hi Marty,
Your friend's board was made in mid-August 1964. The fiberglass skeg on the board is probably gigantic, compared to the ones that came out later. This was the period when fiberglass skegs began to replace wood skegs. By any chance, does the board have a reverse t-band center stringer - three strips of wood laminated together in the middle with the light colored wood on the outside of the redwood center strip?
If you can send me some photos of the board, I'd be happy to give you my thoughts on what oughta be done to it to clean it up. Most of the guys in S. California who do quality restoration repairs are sensitive to not destroying the board's historic value. That's what a "restoration" is truly all about.
In reply to a similar question, a few questions/responses below yours, I provided the name and phone number for a guy in Costa Mesa that was recommended to me for his excellent repair work. Also, Joe Roper in San Diego has a large repair business, and you can check him out at his website (google him). I also heard that the Hobie shop in Dana Point has someone that does great work, though I can't remember his name right now.
In addition to restoring your friend's board, you guys should give him a "Birth Certificate" for his board. Bing kept a record of each board his company made during the 1960s and early 1970s. After he sees this message, he'll look up your friend's board in his original order book and email you a B/C for it. Print it on photo paper and have it professionally framed. Maybe also nstall a set of display racks on the living room wall, place the restored board in them, hang its B/C next to it... Now that would be a great birthday present for a guy with a vintage Bing surfboard.
Tom |
