GW Invader lookalike

[JakeEddie]

Re: GW Invader lookalike

Not sure if this was the company somebody was looking for but they do make the GW Invader lookalike.

http://www.wranglerboats.com/

 

[carbineone]

Re: GW Invader lookalike

I know this is a old post that has been going on for around two years now but I have a little knowledge about these little 10 footers as I own one and have for about close to 20 years..Anyone has any questions I may be able to help...

 

[roger harmon]

Re: GW Invader lookalike

Brichter, i cant believe this boat is still around i built this boat for the bi centinial. i helped build the pattern and molds for this boat. your boat was the first one out of the new molds. i started bulding this on a friday night and finished it on a sunday. it was gelcoated white with red stars going done the deck and the cockpit was blue flake with silver stars. i rigged it with a 150 merc inline and it ran in the mid 80s. it is a good rough water boat and turns great with the angled sides. i sold it to a friend and he blew it over and then sold it to another friend of mine who ran it for 4 or 5 years. he sold it and i lost track of it. be carefull it will blow if you dont know what you are doing. roger

Roger, I am glad to have found your post on this site. I have a boat that you apparently built in april of 1975. It is a 15 foot single seat competition style tunnel. It is in rough condition and I am starting work on the restoration and exhibition of the boat. I would love to know any history about this hull as to who designed it, how many were made, who raced them and what class etc.

 

[roger harmon]

Re: GW Invader lookalike

FootinFool, sorry for the delay, i lost track of this site. Arne and George did not build any race boats until after forming gw. they were actually sponsored by Mercury in the late 60s. They sold the company in the early 70s to a chemical company out of new your called Todd Chemical. They renamed the company GX Invader. i believe that is when Arne and George went their seperate ways. Arne went on to form his hatch business and later sold out to Bomar. George ended up getting the old GW plant back around 1972 or 73. Todd Chemical did not last long. they were out of New York and did not fit into the Sharpsville crowd. i met Geoge during the time George was trying to get the company back. I worked for him in a small barn closed to the old plant. he was working on a race boat he was going to make a mold off of. i was 15. by the time i was 16 Geoge got the plant back and i was helping him set up a new company called Delta Marine, making bass boats. I worked there all through high school and weekends in college. Geoge was like a father to me. i helped do alot of design,pattern work, mold building and boat building. i went to work for GM in a near by town and still helped out at GW when i could. I bought land off of Geoge and lived across the street from him. he died suddenly at the plant and i rode with his wife to the hospital when we found out he died. i bought the remains of the boat factory several years later. I quit my job at GM and sold my house and made a small apartment in the factory. this all took place in 1985. I reincorportated under the name GW Invader and introduced my first boat in 1986 the Bravo 20'. the next hing i new i had a monster on my hands i could not build enough boats. the company grew crazy even through the fuel crunch and recessions. i moved to a larger plant in Tipton in 1993. i sold in 1995 to a group similar to the Todd Chemical company back in the early 70s. it was like gw had made a big circle. they liquidated it in 1998. i hope this helps i will try to keep an eye on this site. thanks roger

Roger, If you wouldn't mind, please help us Invader fans understand the history. As I understand it, the GW Invader Boat Company was founded in 1964 by Arne Gray and George Wooldridge (who I also understand built some pretty slick hydroplanes before starting the Invader company). The company was located in Sharpsville, Indiana. Arne sold his half of the business to George (when?). George sold the business to you (in 1985?). You said you built the last 10 footer from the George era. Did you work for Arne and George as a teenager? (pretty cool summer job). And what's the deal with Keys Boats? I've seen them mentioned by others as well. There are many GW Invader fans out there. From all of us, thank you for your part in the history. I'd thank Arne and George too, if I could.

 

[Marlee]

Re: GW Invader lookalike

Hi there folks, I just nought a 68 gw invader off craigslist for 1200 bucks with a 70 hp merc and trailer,( I think I did good!!!!!) I love this boat but would like it a lot better if the motor had trim, any options available? I just got the tele flex rotary steering system and am installing it now I'm glad I found this thread

 

[FootinFool]

Re: GW Invader lookalike

FootinFool, sorry for the delay, i lost track of this site. Arne and George did not build any race boats until after forming gw. they were actually sponsored by Mercury in the late 60s. They sold the company in the early 70s to a chemical company out of new your called Todd Chemical. They renamed the company GX Invader. i believe that is when Arne and George went their seperate ways. Arne went on to form his hatch business and later sold out to Bomar. George ended up getting the old GW plant back around 1972 or 73. Todd Chemical did not last long. they were out of New York and did not fit into the Sharpsville crowd. i met Geoge during the time George was trying to get the company back. I worked for him in a small barn closed to the old plant. he was working on a race boat he was going to make a mold off of. i was 15. by the time i was 16 Geoge got the plant back and i was helping him set up a new company called Delta Marine, making bass boats. I worked there all through high school and weekends in college. Geoge was like a father to me. i helped do alot of design,pattern work, mold building and boat building. i went to work for GM in a near by town and still helped out at GW when i could. I bought land off of Geoge and lived across the street from him. he died suddenly at the plant and i rode with his wife to the hospital when we found out he died. i bought the remains of the boat factory several years later. I quit my job at GM and sold my house and made a small apartment in the factory. this all took place in 1985. I reincorportated under the name GW Invader and introduced my first boat in 1986 the Bravo 20'. the next hing i new i had a monster on my hands i could not build enough boats. the company grew crazy even through the fuel crunch and recessions. i moved to a larger plant in Tipton in 1993. i sold in 1995 to a group similar to the Todd Chemical company back in the early 70s. it was like gw had made a big circle. they liquidated it in 1998. i hope this helps i will try to keep an eye on this site. thanks roger

Roger - I too haven't been back to this site for some time. I checked back a few times to see if you answered my post but stopped checking a while ago. I just happend to end up back here by chance while searching on line for a 14' GW Invader, of course. Love that boat! In any case. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions and filling us all in on the history. Very much appreciated. Take care friend.