Glastron V-143 Jetflite restoration.

ThumbPkr

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This is the post that I made on the CGOA board documenting the rebuild of my Jetflite after some mild encouragement by some of the members of the board with a link to the Photobucket page containing a slideshow with 900+ pics of the process.There was a brief commentary in the thread but basically I did the work within a self imposed budget because I have a very limited income and in some cases I regretted it later but I don't think the integrity of the final outcome suffered any.If you have a few hours to kill this might be enlightening to some of you who may be on the fence about tackling your own repair.I myself got the courage from those who had gone before me.Ron G
http://www.classicglastron.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10481&sid=7e70f625d726167e2a2b83d4dc1ac10e
 

ThumbPkr

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Thanks,this is my old handle and you can merge the accounts or just migrate the new account into the old cox email account if you like.This board is tough to communicate with lately.I linked to the other site so that the readers could get a feel for what was to follow.Thanks,Ron G
 

GA_Boater

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Check your PM's. I'll be sending you a message in a minute or two so we get all the info to merge the accounts. Admin will need the info. You will get a red light in the Messages box beside your username when i sen the PM.

No problem with the link to CGOA. I just thought adding the picture link might help if anyone wanted to look at them.
 

ThumbPkr

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Thanks,I could have added the link here too if I had wanted to do it that way but it potentially saved me some typing in the future if the viewers had some info upfront which had already been published such as the timeline for some of my pics having been juggled when I posted them so that the series made more sense.I was not trying to hijack your reader base.Ron G
 

ThumbPkr

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Ahhhhhhhhhh,back again.Thank you administrators.I was not offended but wanted to make it possible to find my older posts for reference if it might have helped somebody........heck,just being here at all is a blessing,I was supposed to be dead.Ron G
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,.... Cool little barge,...

I've still got 2 of 'em in the backyard, the 1st, a 1961 I got 'bout 1980 or so, 'n a 1967 I bought 'bout '89 or so,...

The 1st one was given to me, had an ole V4 Johnny-rude, which I pulled, 'n dropped on an I4 Merc 80hp,...
f3551-2.jpg

After burnin' through a few I4, 80hp Merc's,....
I found the 1967 on my local lake, in better shape than the '61, so I bought it,...
Soon after, that 80hp Merc blew up, so I bought an I6, 135hp tower of power for it,...
A few years later, I threw a rod through the block, 'n it's sat since,...

I gave away the '61, back when I bought the '67, 'n the guy then later traded it to another fella, who eventually traded it back to me, to pay an ole debt,...
I didn't want it back, but figured it was all I was gonna get, so took it,...

Now I have both of 'em in the backyard, 'n a Merc Tower of Power, 150hp, on a stand in the garage, just waitin' for me to put it all together again,...
 

ThumbPkr

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You must have some hours on those old Mercs to be toasting them like that,of course we all get old I suppose.The 650 on the boat now is the engine that was fitted when it was new and still runs like a clock.I have always used Quicksilver oil and for as much as I use the boat the extra cost is minimal and the peace of mind is priceless.I hope that I can finish the boat and get it back in the water before my days are done.I put power trim on it and would really love to see how it likes it.I could get a little chine walk with it with a light fuel load and me alone in the boat indicating about 44 mph.I thought it would be nice to put a 115 on it and with maybe a Doelfin or something to help control the handling and see how it runs.I just like the look of that stack on the back although the hull was only rated for a 65 as you know.I am missing some trim pieces,the aluminum wrap around the 4 side panels which were never there since I owned the boat in the event that you might be willing to part one out.The 650 is pretty good on gas and you could get a pretty good day out of two tanks but that 115 or whatever I can find would sure look good on there.Some of the restorations of these Jetflites put mine to shame I know and I don't see mine ever looking that good but I want to keep mine original....yeah,I know,the 6 cylinder wasn't original but wait.the old 60 hp was a six wasn't it?But not on a '69 hull.I can't remember,maybe the first 6 was a 75hp.It's good to be back,Ron G
 

Bondo

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You must have some hours on those old Mercs to be toasting them like that,of course we all get old I suppose.The 650 on the boat now is the engine that was fitted when it was new and still runs like a clock.I have always used Quicksilver oil and for as much as I use the boat the extra cost is minimal and the peace of mind is priceless.I hope that I can finish the boat and get it back in the water before my days are done.I put power trim on it and would really love to see how it likes it.I could get a little chine walk with it with a light fuel load and me alone in the boat indicating about 44 mph.I thought it would be nice to put a 115 on it and with maybe a Doelfin or something to help control the handling and see how it runs.I just like the look of that stack on the back although the hull was only rated for a 65 as you know.I am missing some trim pieces,the aluminum wrap around the 4 side panels which were never there since I owned the boat in the event that you might be willing to part one out.The 650 is pretty good on gas and you could get a pretty good day out of two tanks but that 115 or whatever I can find would sure look good on there.Some of the restorations of these Jetflites put mine to shame I know and I don't see mine ever looking that good but I want to keep mine original....yeah,I know,the 6 cylinder wasn't original but wait.the old 60 hp was a six wasn't it?But not on a '69 hull.I can't remember,maybe the first 6 was a 75hp.It's good to be back,Ron G

Ayuh,.... I was young, 'n foolish then, the hulls were at the attitude in the picture, more often than planed out, 'n Flyin',....
Money enough to find another ole used motor, but not enough for a "Real" prop for it,...

'n yer Right, the chine walk is a handful,...

I'm hopin' to find the time to put atleast 1 of mine back together, probably "Race Boat" style, minimalist interior, as my hulls are missin' most all the trim, liners, 'n what-nots,...
Stringers, transom, 'n enough deckin' to sit on,...
That Tower of Power, on a small jack-plate, 'n a set of trim tabs,....
It had 'bout 2" free board at the transom with the I6, definitely a Flat water boat, 4" chop was Perfect,...

Bein' an ADD sufferer for nearly 60 years, I've got alota Projects goin',....
Hopefully, this one will get in my way soon enough, 'n I'll throw it together for one more adrenalin Buzz,...

I've also got a Berkely Jet-pump, I'd love to cut into the 2nd one,...... :rolleyes: :D
 

ThumbPkr

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One of these boards,probably CGOA has a pic of a Jetflite with a V8 in it,can't remember if it was a jet now or an outdrive,come to think of it it a Vdrive with the stuffing box in it and a shaft out the back....somebody had it in England I think and he bought it that way,not sure if he posted after he ran it or not but it should have been a hoot on the water.
Those Mercs,actually any outboard probably were pretty sensitive to over propping and that was one reason that I bought a tach for mine.If they suffer from pre detonation they can self destruct before too long.I am running a 19" two blade bronze prop on mine and it seems to be the right pitch for the boat but running the trim at the pinhole I was running it just took forever to get up on top so I think the power trim will help those embarrassing moments when the old girl just hangs there with a load in the boat.I hear you on the ADD.Mechanical things,music,flying and electronics among other bad habits like work have just about ruled my life but I would not have done anything different if I had to do it all again.I am 73 now and I have so much to do that I will never live long enough to complete everything.I have a partner of 25 years that saved my life,she said that I died 30 times in the rehab but she visited and cared for me for three years to bring me back to function again.I have a lot to be thankful for and the lord has other plans for me I am sure.Ron G
 

Bondo

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I found the link to that Jetflite with a 350 in it,they are saying it is a 'vette engine but I don't think that chevy used a 350 in a corvette,It does have the aluminum valve covers though.Here is the link in case anybody is interested.Ron G
http://www.classicglastron.com/phpbb...hilit=Jetflite

Ayuh,.... That's Cool,.... Odd how it's driven off the front snout of the motor, most V-drives I've seen, the motor is just turned 'round,......

I went out, 'n looked mine over today,...
Gotta put a set of hubs back on the wagons, hada steal 'em awhile ago, to get another boat wagon on the road,...
Got the new hubs, Maybe I'll get that far, sometime soon,.... ;)
.I put power trim on it and would really love to see how it likes it.

Ayuh,.... That was the single Best thing I ever did to mine,...

Before the power trim, the 80hp would point to the sky, 'n launch, clear the water, 'n fall back down to plane, because the pin trim was set for flat out Flyin',.....
Kinda like in that picture,...

With the 135hp, it would launch, Clean outa the water, 3 times,...(as in the prop blows out, 'n the motor screams)
The 3rd time the prop hooked up, you were On-Plane, Gettin' it,....

I always wanted to paint a picture of the Rollin' Stone's mouth logo on the bottom of the hull, as at that tiny pond, the bottom of the hull was seen by others, W aa yyy more than the topsides,...

After addin' the power trim, I could slam the throttle to Wot, 'n hit the up button on the trim, 'bout the same time,....
The hull would just Pop outa the water, 'n you were Flyin' once again,....

Trim it Toooo High, 'n ya had a pretty good chance of seein' God,...
Chime walk is Crazy,...

When I do it again, it'll be with a quality ssteel prop, insteada ole merc factory aluminum props,....
 
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ThumbPkr

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I like your style...you might notice scrolling through my pics where I put the control switch for the trim,I think that I can trim it with my hand on the throttle so that I can still steer with the other hand,we'll see how it works.I took the trim cylinders off of my parts motor which I bought for the power trim and the bushings need to be replaced....not a big job but they say that it can be a factor in controlling chine walk so I expect to be replacing those before long.I bought that galvanized EZ Loader trailer right after I bought my boat back in '78 and put bearing buddies on it before I ever put it in the water.I used to change the bearings every year in my old Tee-ne trailer but after checking the bearings for two or three years in this one I have not changed them yet.I always give them a squirt before I back it in the water.The downside is that they sling grease on the wheels but you can't have everything.Ron G
 

Bondo

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I like your style...you might notice scrolling through my pics where I put the control switch for the trim,I think that I can trim it with my hand on the throttle so that I can still steer with the other hand,we'll see how it works.I took the trim cylinders off of my parts motor which I bought for the power trim and the bushings need to be replaced....not a big job but they say that it can be a factor in controlling chine walk so I expect to be replacing those before long.I bought that galvanized EZ Loader trailer right after I bought my boat back in '78 and put bearing buddies on it before I ever put it in the water.I used to change the bearings every year in my old Tee-ne trailer but after checking the bearings for two or three years in this one I have not changed them yet.I always give them a squirt before I back it in the water.The downside is that they sling grease on the wheels but you can't have everything.Ron G

Ayuh,... A good point I'd nearly forgotten 'bout,...

Back when I bought the 150hp, I pulled it off the hull it was on, 'n My ole lady cleaned up the hull, then resold the hull/ wagon for over 1/2 what I'd paid for the whole thing,....
Which was dirt Cheap, after I beat the guy up on his price,....

Before I mothballed the motor, I tore into it, 'n replaced the swivel bushin's/ bearin's, 'n installed solid motor mounts I built outa aluminum stock,....
Obviously, I ain't tried it yet, but hopin' it handles Better,....
 
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ThumbPkr

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Pure porn if you put it on the Jetflite........yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I got a woman like that,she will do anything to help me.Ron G
 

ThumbPkr

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I finally learned that PhotoBucket is not very user friendly so I moved my pics to the Google server.The only problem is I cannot figure out how to change the timeline from old to new like I built it but aside from that it seems okay.Hope these pics stay awhile.....there are a lot of pics here.Have fun.Ron G
https://photos.google.com/search/_tra_?referrer=GPU
 
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