53MY, lower helm material

[PascalG]

what is the material used to cover the lower helm on the 53my, mine is developping some greyish stains and I can't figure out what it is?

pascal

[dshuman]

Pascal,

My 1978 53MY looks like a laminate called "formica" or "melamine". Formica was a kitchen countertop laminate commonly used in the 1970s and 1980s, and is still in use today.

Call Sam's Marine and I'll bet they know the source. Mine has a few lighter color spots where water used to drip from the windshield frames. I can't find anything to get that out, but it's perfect everywhere else, so I'm leaving it as is.

Doug

[PascalG]

Formica? I don't know... mine looks original like the other 53 I saw but I wouldn't have guessef formica. I look close again today and it looks like it's been vanished or sme clear coat...

pascal
70 53MY

[dshuman]

Pascal,

Mine it a light tan color with a light speckled finish. From a distance it kind of looks like very smooth cork board. Up close it looks like a kitchen countertop. No varnish or coating, no shine or glare to the surface, just the original surface of the material. It's the same stuff that was on a 1972 58yf I have spent a lot of time on.
Maybe if yours is finished somehow, it can be refinished? I'd call Steve McPherson (Sam's Marine). He's a genius on this stuff. Since it's all flat surface, it'd be relatively easy to put a new surface on top of the old one, but if you want it to look original, you may need to get the original pattern material.

Doug