2007 Glastron GT 205?

bunger

Cadet
Joined
Jun 22, 2017
Messages
20
I have an opportunity to buy a 2007 GT 205. It is about 300 miles from me, so there will be some driving involved to pick it up.

I have seen current pictures and video and it appears to be in excellent shape - the vinyl looks nearly new ( no fading, tears, mold, etc ), the engine runs smooth and solid, new tires on the trailer, and the the engine has 298 hours on it.... so not bad at all.

I think I can pick it up for about $13,000.

In trying to see some independent videos of the boat, some dealer was showing one ( it was a youtube video ) and the dash on passenger's and driver's side was all cracked. The dealer's video said it was a design flaw in the 2007 models.

So my questions:
- what are the thoughts about this boat? Glastron are historically pretty solid boats, but I've never owned one.

- has anyone ever heard of this "cracked dashboard" design issue?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
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Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,620
:welcome:

Welcome to iBoats . . .

I would based my decision more on a first hand look and inspection of the boat, versus what may show in a video on hearsay information. After 10 years each boat gains a uniqueness in terms of how it has been maintained and operated.

If the dash on the boat that you are considering is still in one piece after 10 years, then it probably does not suffer from any deficiency. Glastron is a decent mid-tier brand, best suited for lakes, etc. vs. the ocean.

The price seems to be in the ballpark. You may want to have the boat surveyed, based on the amount of money involved and the age of the boat.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
You didn't say which engine it has in it. Is it a 4.3 carb or mpi or 5.0 carb or MPI. Glastron is somwhere in the bottom of the midlevel tier of boats. They are VEC at that size which was touted as a good thing but is a cheaper way to mass produce their boats. I suppose there are positives and negatives with that. My take on Glastron as I live on a large lake in the summer and know people with just about every lake boat you can imagine is that they 'look' nice. They are underweight for their size and have a narrow beam or at least in the case of the subject boat. They have all the hallmarks of an entry level boat which is fine if you are paying the correct price and are not under any false impressions that shiny speaker grill equals anything other than a shiny speaker grill. One of my good friends just bought a 2017 225 with all of the options and it is clear where they still cut corners in their boats but darn if it isn't a 'nice' looking boat. They do a good design with the decor. The reason that particular Glastron of my friend's is 20 grand cheaper than the equivalent sized brand A boat shows itself in about one minute. That is all well and good but the bottom line for me is if I was in the market for a nice looking cheaper boat, I would be ok with a Glastron but only if the engine was an MPI. Only certain brands treat their smaller boats like their larger boats with regard to materials and quality so the expectations on a 20 foot boat are different than a 28 foot boat. Glastron doesn't really build large cruisers.
 

bunger

Cadet
Joined
Jun 22, 2017
Messages
20
You didn't say which engine it has in it. Is it a 4.3 carb or mpi or 5.0 carb or MPI. Glastron is somwhere in the bottom of the midlevel tier of boats. They are VEC at that size which was touted as a good thing but is a cheaper way to mass produce their boats. I suppose there are positives and negatives with that. My take on Glastron as I live on a large lake in the summer and know people with just about every lake boat you can imagine is that they 'look' nice. They are underweight for their size and have a narrow beam or at least in the case of the subject boat. They have all the hallmarks of an entry level boat which is fine if you are paying the correct price and are not under any false impressions that shiny speaker grill equals anything other than a shiny speaker grill. One of my good friends just bought a 2017 225 with all of the options and it is clear where they still cut corners in their boats but darn if it isn't a 'nice' looking boat. They do a good design with the decor. The reason that particular Glastron of my friend's is 20 grand cheaper than the equivalent sized brand A boat shows itself in about one minute. That is all well and good but the bottom line for me is if I was in the market for a nice looking cheaper boat, I would be ok with a Glastron but only if the engine was an MPI. Only certain brands treat their smaller boats like their larger boats with regard to materials and quality so the expectations on a 20 foot boat are different than a 28 foot boat. Glastron doesn't really build large cruisers.

It is the Volvo Penta 5.0 GL, so it is the 220hp carbureted model....
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
It is the Volvo Penta 5.0 GL, so it is the 220hp carbureted model....

People will disagree with me but that is a non-starter. It's 2017 and there is no reason to settle for a carb when MPI is so vastly superior for the same money if you negotiate. I've had both and MPI is a better mousetrap even for a first boat. That said....it's a bit harder to find the MPI in the Glastron's because it's all about cost and MPI was an expensive upgrade compared to the new price of a cheaper boat.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
People will disagree with me but that is a non-starter. It's 2017 and there is no reason to settle for a carb when MPI is so vastly superior for the same money if you negotiate. I've had both and MPI is a better mousetrap even for a first boat. That said....it's a bit harder to find the MPI in the Glastron's because it's all about cost and MPI was an expensive upgrade compared to the new price of a cheaper boat.

I'm inclined to agree. My fuel injected Yamaha has been life changing.
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,089
13k for a carb'd Volvo? I'd be running, forget the walking part!

Volvo is going to be expensive to maintain - I know, I've owned one. And that's provided you can find a marina willing to work on it as Volvo's dealer network is shrinking in my neck of the woods. Main reason I have a Merc now.
 

bunger

Cadet
Joined
Jun 22, 2017
Messages
20
I am not super worried about service availability: there are at least 3 marine dealers within 15 miles that all service Volvo Pentas.

While MPI may be better than carbureted, I am not sure it all fits in my budget. Carbureted is definitely not "bad" per say, it just isn't "the best." And at a $13 budget for a 20' open bow that isn't much more than 10 or so years old, I'm not sure adding MPI onto the checklist is feasible...
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
My buddy just scored a GORGEOUS 20' Bryant with an EFI 5.0 Volvo in it. So it is possible.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
I am not super worried about service availability: there are at least 3 marine dealers within 15 miles that all service Volvo Pentas.

While MPI may be better than carbureted, I am not sure it all fits in my budget. Carbureted is definitely not "bad" per say, it just isn't "the best." And at a $13 budget for a 20' open bow that isn't much more than 10 or so years old, I'm not sure adding MPI onto the checklist is feasible...

OK refresh my memory....isn't the 205 just a 185 with a swim platform? They were playing games with the models for a few years back then if I recall. In other words is it 20 feet of hull? The Glastron are sort of in the dime a dozen category...the McDonald's of boats. Not great but not bad. What are you seeing price wise with mpi in your shopping. I went from carbed mercruiser to MPI so I'm bias now after living with carb on my previous boat since it was new in the mid 2000's. It seems fine until the initial excitement wears off and you realize it or that's how it was for me. Carb is cheaper and that's about the only upside.
 

Maclin

Admiral
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
NADA lists them as 21' and 2,750 lbs. Shows 220 as the HP, that usually means any engine less than that subtracts from the value.
 
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