| DISCOUNT MARINE PARTS |
|---|
If you are interested in the history of the Hartford, Wisconsin Manufacturing plant. The progression of production starts in 1908 with the old Kissel Auto Company. (See Kissel in outboard drop-down box on home page of this Website)In January of 1965 Chrysler bought the entire plant and outboard operation from West Bend. In 1965 the outboard hoods said "West Bend by Chrysler". In the following year West Bend was phased out and the outboard carried the "Chrysler" name.
Chrysler was no stranger to the marine industry. They were the leading manufacturer of marine inboard motors for years, starting in 1927, but thats another story.
After Chrysler's purchase of West Bend, you could see a major change in the former West Bend. The new Chrysler was bright and streamlined. The new engine was all white, coincidentally the same basic color as the McCulloch engine. It was roomered that Chrysler was in negotiation to purchase McCulloch, but it never happen.
When McCulloch decided to exit the outboard business, a number of McCulloch personel and engineers left and were hired by Chrysler Marine. You can see some of McCulloch innovations of the late 60's, that show up on some early Chrysler outboards.
In Chrysler's bid to take a larger share of the marine industry, they not only purchased West Bend in 1965, but also purchased the Lone Star Boat Company of Plano, Texas. This put Chrysler in a unique position to be able to offer a complete Boat, Motor package with Trailer. Some say this was the "beginning of the end" of Chrysler Marine as a power-house in the marine industry.
Through the next 19 years, Chrysler Marine enjoyed moderate success. Outboards were manufactured in two locations, Hartford, Wisconsin with later models marked with "H" in model number. Second location was in Barrie, Ontario Canada with later models marked with "B" in model number. Their engines were marketed through a large dealer network and were sold under 2 private brands. They were sold by Montgomery Wards (Sea King) and J.C.Penny (Foremost).
Discount Marine Parts was a Chrysler dealer for most of these years. We found the engine line to be reasonably price, easy to sell and very easy to service. With hard times in the Auto Industry, Chrysler sold off their Marine Division in 3 pieces. Employees bought the Boat portion, the Inboard portion was sold to "Marine Power" and in 1984 the Chrysler outboard division was sold to "US Marine" a division of the Bayliner Corporation. The new brand name was Force. Both the Chrysler and the Force brands appeared in 1984.
In 1986 Bayliner was bought by the Brunswick Corporation, adding the line to a long list of marine acquisitions. This ends the Chrysler brand name in 1984. The history of the Hartford, Wisconsin outboard production picks up with Force by "US Marine".
Hard core parts for these outboards are getting more difficult to find as time goes on. Many older outboards used common Ignition and Carburetor venders for that period. Discount Marine Parts has Ignition and Carburetor repair kits for most all of these older outboards. If we don't have what your looking for, we have many sources to locate your part. Obviously some parts are just not available. We can sometimes find it used and often we have the part made if there is enough demand. Discount Marine Parts has a large inventory of parts for most brands of American made Outboards, Inboards and Sterndrives. We also have most parts and service manuals available.
Thank you for stopping by and please come back!
| Brand Name | Years Sold | Sales Outlet |
| Foremost | 1965 - 1966 | JC Penny |
| Sea King | 1964 - 1984 | Montgomery Wards |
| Discount Marine Parts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 4524 D Road • PO Box 98 | Fax |
| 906-466-2180 | Bark River, MI 49807 | 906-466-0217 |