1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

[69starcraft]

I picked up this boat for $400.

It's a 1968 Glaspar. The floor is good and solid and as far as I can tell I do not have wood stringers (I'll get to that below)
Came with the bimini top in good shape, the seats are like new, the carpet is like new and all the gauges etc work. <br>

It didn't have a motor but I picked up a 1988 Johnson 48 special with controls for $600. From the johnson forum (and per tashasdaddy) this is a good motor worth hanging on to and simple to work on.

So the other day we hung the motor on the back to see and take photos.
The mount holes were different than the original Merc 65 monster than was on before.

However on closer inspection of the transom this is what I found...or lack of.
Ya Know it's like picking a scab...once you start you can't seem to stop.
With just my fingers and an old knife this is what I ended up with.

OOPS

So I have 3 questions:

I need to obviously rebuild the transom. After removing all the wood I can feel the stringers with my hand but can't see them. They appear to be "hollow" and made out of fiberglass only. Again, my floor is ROCK SOLID everywhere. So can I just cut a new transom and reglass to the floor and sides if I do it well.

2nd question. Can I avoid having to "split" the top and bottom. I am leery about doing this. I can get to all the transom except the very tippytop corners and that last 4 inch chunk of wood seems solid. Here are photos of the top corners I am referring to

Passenger Corner

Drivers Corner

There is also a fiberglass "splash well" that lifts right out you can sort of see in this photo and it is in good shape. The side rails that this attaches to are all in good shape and apparently per this boats design this take out splash well is an integral part of "shoring up" the Transom and I hope to help Overkill strength when I re-do it. I do NOT want to lose a motor in the lake.

Lastly, can anyone Identify this boat? Previous owner says it is a 1968 Glaspar but Thats all I know. Of course it has no paperwork. I think it is worth re-doing, but I am on a budget of course. If it wasn't for the transom this boat would be in the water now. I have never seen one soold in such good shape, and with a bimini top to boot...

We are hoping to start work on the transom this afternoon or tomorrow. After much reading I think I am going to just use Pressure treated plywood as it's all I can afford.

Any advice/tips much appreciated. I have searched the forum and read as many transom repair threads as I can. Mostly just concerned with how to cut mount the new plywood and the very tip endcap issue.

learning to do fiberglass probably won't be much fun either

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

One other thing I forgot. It needs a new steering cable. The old one is bent where it hooked to the motor

problem is when I looked under the dash it looks like a Rack system, but it only says "mercurey" on it. There are no numbers or identifying symbols on it.

So what would be the best and cheapest way to replace it. i wish it had the old pulley cable system like my 54 feathercraft does. I am familiar with that, but not this push pull thing

I imagine I will have to replace the entire thing...is this difficult/expensive?

thanks

 

[BWR1953]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

The FIRST thing I would do is get the legalities straightened out. No sense in putting a lot of time or money into a boat you can't get titled and registered in your name. Imagine if you found that out AFTER all the work was done!

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

The legalities are not a problem

The Transom is the issue

Thanks for the advice though
already got that part covered

 

[danond]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

For your steering issues - just get a new system from Teleflex. It's not expensive and they're AWESOME. I put one in an old Invader O/B I had and it turned like it had power steering.

As far as the transom - if you're using wood as a replacement, you'll be using 2 pieces, or maybe 3, of plywood. You could just split the first piece at an angle and cover it with fiberglass mat and epoxy as they go in, then split the second at a different location, cover with epoxy and 1708 or something similar as a finish step.

The other alternative is to create a space to pour in Nidabond or Seacast, and forego the wood solution.

Lastly - the brand/make/model/year of your boat really isn't important to purchasing parts or finding replacement pieces. Everything you need is determined by your motor, including steering and gauges. The rest is just an old, classic, good looking hull

 

[danond]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

I think this is the steering system you need. Teleflex Marine Rack system.

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

Yeesh

I just re-read that

I didn't mean to sound so rude at all

Paperwork is not an issue thank goodness


Dave

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

(Not sure what happened here, got a double post after editing a line, see post below).

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

Your boat somewhat resembles the 1962 Glaspar Tacoma I had, also 16' Yours could be a Glaspar Avalon?
The curved transom is another Glaspar trait of that era as is the removable splashwell.
The hard part is getting the wood to conform the curve. Mine had 4 layers of 3/8" ply which formed the 1 1/2" transom panel. The upper corners on mine were all that were really bad and were separate pieces. When I redid mine, I did the transom 'wings' in overlapping pieces and assembled it all in layers. The hardest thing was keeping the overall curve. What I ended up doing was cutting several 2x12 boards to match the outside curve, and then making up a jig to clamp in place to screw the panels too right through the outer skin as I layed up each panel, I then removed the screws and filled the holes after each panel set up. It came out rock solid, but I ended up selling the boat soon after in favor of something I liked better. Mine too had the fiberglass tube stringer system, no wood, I redid my deck, I raised the deck on mine 1 1/4" to level the footwell area and bilge area to all one level. It originally had a step in the floor just behind the seats, and the floor had a step on the outer edge where it met the sides. I also formed two 'gutters' down each side which continued all the way to the back to facilitate quicker draining.
Their great boats, mine came with a 100 hp Evinrude on it, I actually bought the boat for it's motor. I used the motor on my 18' boat and hung a 40 hp Merc on it which did just fine. Mine would have been fine with even less motor, it was super light.

As for a steering system, I converted mine to a rotary system, I had a good used set up here, so I used that. It worked great. Mine came with pulleys and cable.

I also added a knee brace to the transom under the splashwell, but it probably wasn't needed, All I did was laminate three layers of 3/4" ACX ply and glassed them in place for additional support in the event I decided to hang a larger motor but never did. The guy that bought it, sans a motor, hung a Mercury 800 inline 6 which moves that boat like a rocket.
Also, I did mine with epoxy and fiberglass mat, so it was probably serious overkill, it would have been more than fine just using poly resin and far less mat.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

Sure looks like the Avalon model to me. My Dad owned a 1960 model that originally had a Johnson 75hp V4. I later cut the transom down to 15 inches to handle a short-shaft Mercury Mark 75A. The transom was solid as a rock. It served our family well for many years. Good luck with yours!

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

You are right. I did some more research on the laptop when I took my son to Karate practice. It is an Avalon.

Lucky for me it seems it was made with Fiberglass stringers. They are in excellent shape too. Seems this boat has a unique design. There is no way for water from splash activities/rain to get under the floor to the stringers. The boat has two drain plugs in the back. One for under the floor drainage, and all the water that makes it in the boat from swimming etc is contained topside of the sealed upper floor and you drain it out the other hole.

So last night I finished pulling all the wood out

I still have to find a way to do this without pulling the cap, and I think I can slip the wings in from inside and under the side. I am going to go to Lowes and get a piece of that styrofoam panel (house insulation) and eperiment with the patterns

Yes I noticed this boat does have a bit of a curve to the transom (you bastards#@%$#) Well thats going to make things a bit more difficult.

Here is a backshot of the transom shape

My friend is coming by today to look at it and he knows about woodworking so I will see what he says.

Thought about seacast, but I have no "inner" glass to fill between. can you make your own mold and then fiberglass over the inner side? Plus there is the cost.

This is what I ended up with after the mulch removal

We're going to see what the local box store has for wood...I can't afford the marine ply anyway I'll just overkill with sealant (s) or something. He suggested pressure treated or a laminate I think. I have and am still searching and reading the Marine vs plywood threads

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

Another Update

My friend and I finished the Transom yesterday. It's Drying now.
We ended up using 4 layers of a good grade of Exterior Plywood ( I forget the width, he's the expert in wood) and cutting it into staggered layers that we could slip under the wings. We put it together in 8 pieces (4 long, 4 shorter, and staggered them opposites)


We glued each sheet together with a heavy duty Waterproof wood glue. Strongest we could find at Lowes. We put it on each piece with a paint roller and used at least 1/2 gallon.

The end result was an original thickness Transom that is solid as a rock and fits exactly where the old one was. Using the slightly thinner sheets allowed us to compensate for the curve.
It looks good and feels really strong already. I can't budge it with all my strength.

Once I glass it all in I think it will be fine. I realize I'm not going to get 20+ years out of this transom, but if I seal it well and keep it dry I expect to get at least 7 - 10 years if not more. For the $69 in materials it cost me for a $400 boat that will see light use and no skiers It should do the trick.

Once I get it all tied back together and the remove able spashwell back in (that made it so easy) it shouldn't move or flex at all.

I plan to use Epoxy and Mat cloth to tie the transom to the floor/sides I think but I am still reading the forums and google about how to do fiberglass correctly. I dread this part and fear screwing it up

Here's a couple of pics. I can't touch it until at least tomorrow since the glue says 24 hours+ to cure.

 

[BIGcarpy50]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

looks like things are going good. it's always nice when a friend can help out..

 

[S. Toth]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

I just hope when I get our project out, theres nothing serious, 57 fireflite last used 83.

 

[ups420]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

these are some of my pics of my 1962 16' Glasspar Avalon with 80hp Evinrude in the process of finding some original lounge seats

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

An Update:

I've found the easiest way to do the fiberglass!!

Get someone else to do it

A local shop is going to glass in the Transom with the "good stuff". When he came to pick the boat up this morning I showed him the "good stuff" I thought I bought from West marine. He said take it back, what he uses is better and stronger. I forget what he called it now though unfortunately. I will ask when he emails me with a progress report

Says it will be ready by next weekend. The shop originally was his grandfathers, and he is now running it. They build custom Sailing catamarans (the little ones, for racing) so they know about boats and he has repaired quite a few transoms on powerboats.

Going to cost only $500 and he says he has some leftover Gelcoat from the last project and will Gelcoat the Transom interior when he is finished to seal any pinholes.

I'm very excited and can't wait to see it finished and I will post pics.

Next will be to paint it, re-install the seats and the new motor and controls.

I am pretty sure the wife and I are going to Use the Rustoleum Method and roll the paint on. I've seen cars and some boats done this way and it looks pretty good.


I still Have to tackle the steering issue to. I'm pretty sure I have the teleflex Rack mentioned above. But I think it is missing some pieces to hook the cable to the motor. There is just a nut on the end. The current Cable is bent at the motor end.

Can you replace just the cable and is it difficult? How do I get the right one since it just says mercury on the unit under the dash. There are no numbers?
Or do I just buy a Whole complete end to end unit?

Anyone got a photo of what the connection to the motor looks like on this system??

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

Here's a link to an instruction sheet from the Teleflex online library:

http://www.downloadingfiles.co.uk/teleflexfiles/library/instructionmanuals/IS-7426.PDF

This may not be exactly what you have but it's a starting point and provides a table of data for various models and sizes of outboard motors. If this is not it, search through the other files and try to match up your steering system.

I could not tell very much about your steering system from the pictures but the Johnson 48HP SPL has a tilt tube and all the mechanical cable steering systems are compatible with that design. Other than a new cable, all you may need is the "link arm" to connect the cable end to the motor bracket.

Here's a link to the Teleflex instruction sheet for that part:

http://www.downloadingfiles.co.uk/teleflexfiles/library/instructionmanuals/IS-7804.PDF

Good luck!

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

Another Update:

The Boats back. Got it back last Friday
He also sent the following pics for my thread of the actual Fiberglass work

I asked him to build it strong, didn't care about the looks as the entire thing is hidden by the spashwell, just make it strong.

I got what I asked for

He used CSM and then some kinda super cloth pictured below

Got it home and tried to put the splashwell back in but had two problems

a. When Doug and I put in the wood we didn't get the curve quite right. It's so close you can't tell and won't affect performance, but the splashwell had issues fitting in

b. The thickness of the Glass overlap on top changed the geometry and what not a bit too

I got it in though. It's solid and not a problem, but created a new problem now pictured below.

Where/What can I use to cover the seam between splashwell and transom. It's a hideous looking thing. Looked at box stores for some kind of angled trim piece but they had nothing. I want to seal it with 5200, then cap it with some kind of trim.

The splashwell is resting against the transom on the inside but it is now a little thicker than it used to be oops

However it feels stronger than a mack truck I am not going to have any transom worries for a long time even if the wood did rot out I think

 

[69starcraft]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

Here is a pic of the steering Mechanism

I still have to get the cable out of this end of it. Not sure if it's easy or hard to do yet


Also as you can see my wife started to roll it with the rustoleum red. It's quite shiny so far and looks pretty good. I did this to another old nightmare of a fiberglass boat 10 -11 years ago and it came out good. I learned about stringers and transoms the hard way on that boat and although it looked great I ended up scrapping it after all that interior and paint work

Here's the "workshop"

Original Devices and add on stuff but it all works

First Coat of Red paint

Supposed to rain in NC so I doubt I will get any painting done today

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1968 16 ft glaspar restore and transom woes

The boat is looking good . My favorite picture so far was the one with the welding groun ding clamp helping hold the new wood in . I would say the cheapest way to make a cover piece for the transom would be to get a piece of aluminum angle from Home depot or Lowes if they carry it and grab a shrinker stretcher fom Harbor freight and shrink or stretch one side of the aluminum angle until it mathes th curve of the transom. The paint is looking good as well. I am torn between Red and Caribbean Turquoise for my 1960 Cutter.


Rick