76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

[santo101979]

Hello everyone, I'd like to get your thoughts, experience on the following project boat. I'll be trailering her from Las Vegas to Phoenix to Chicago at the end of the year. I plan on storing/restoring her in a barn outside of Chicago. The boat was purchased new in 76 by my wifes grandfather. When he passed they wanted to keep the boat in the family and I've always wanted a boat so I volunteered for the "free boat". The boat is a 1976 Glasstron Trihull T-158/156? with a Mercury 850 Thunderbolt o/b. It was trailered from Phoenix to Vegas last year and on water once. Im told that it needs a starter but can be pull started. Its all original as far as I know and per my wifes inspection it seems solid. I havent seen it yet but she checked out the floors and transom and didnt notice any squish. First thing I expect to have to do is get the trailer up to traveling cross country. A few of you have advised against the "Turbo Lube" hubs, telling me to stick with the greasers. I plan on using commercial shrink wrap, the stuff used to wrap pallets, to trailer her home. Then invest in a basic cover come sping.

The plan is to get her home, clean her up, poli glow the hull, tune up the engine, and be ready to get her wet come spring. If all goes well I'll be posting my resto pics and experience by January. And I'll likely be asking lots of questions and spending lots more time reading through this excellent site.


I'm pretty handy and have a good mechanicl abilty but truthfully the only thing I know about boats is what I've read on here and the research I've done. I'd appreciate any advice on getting it cross country safely and in one piece. Any thoughts on what to look out for. And any general info/advice from your experience.

I'll add some pics tonight so everyone can see what I'm in for.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Hello Santo101979,
Welcome to Iboats.
I know that the folks here will get you all the help you need to get it looking ans working great.
One thing I wanted to caution you on, is if you are moving it to the north in the winter months, make sure you drain all the water out of her. I would hate to see it freeze and break something,
Again, welcome and good luck.
Bob

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Here are the pictures. Let me know what you think.

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

More Pics

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Thanks for the tips! I took a look at your Glasstream and it looks like quite the project. I'm hoping that with my boat living in the desert for 30 some years that I dont run into stringer/foam rot. I guess I'll find out soon though.

 

[eaglejim]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Welcome to the Tri-hull club that looks like a nice boat,drive safe

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Thanks for looking at mine.
Yours doesn't look all that bad, but you never know.
I hope you are right about yours living in the desert.
Mine will be long and slow, but I'll get it done.
Don't be afraid to ask questions here either, everyone here will help all they can.
There are a lot of great threads, with great info.
Good luck getting her home,
Bob

 

[redfury]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Sweet! Another Glastron guy! We need all we can to beat down those pesky Starcraft guys! If the floor is solid and the transom sounds solid, it should be solid. Glastron built good boats, even if they were slapped together somewhat...the big problem with them was water getting under the deck and rotting out the stringers because they are exposed in many places. If the boat kept dry in the heat, then the only thing that could be a problem is persistent moisture under the deck ( pooling water ) that wouldn't let it dry out enough and the heat and moisture caused rot. I'd say the chances of this with the boat are slim, but you never know!

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

YEA ANOTHER GLASTRON !!! lol Welcome !!!

Man she look familiar !! I have a 1977 I just finished mine this last summer !! well all most finished . got to do a Little work this winter on mine !!

Redfury right , glastron didn't glass all the stringers back then , so water got to them petty easy !! they only made them to last 10 years someone told me !!

So again welcome !! keep them pics coming !! John

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Thanks for looking at mine.
Yours doesn't look all that bad, but you never know.
I hope you are right about yours living in the desert.
Mine will be long and slow, but I'll get it done.
Don't be afraid to ask questions here either, everyone here will help all they can.
There are a lot of great threads, with great info.
Good luck getting her home,
Bob

so how long and how bad was it acutally tear out the cap and re sting, glass the boat? I havent actually seen mine yet but I am so terrified that I'll have to tear off the cap and restring/floor/glass mine. Whats that total procect look like?

 

[woosterken]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

welcome to iboats!!
first take the wheels off clean the bearings real good and repack them.
check the tires over real good,make sure they are NOT cracked from the sun
replace if they are,make sure you check the presure every time you stop for a break ,also check the lites,coupler and safty chains.
especially when you come out of a resturant,lowlifes have been known to muck with that when no body is around.
i would also get a transom saver to take the presure off the hydro.rams for the tilt and trim.
take that battery off the seat and make sure that it and the fuel tanks are tied down so they cant bounce around, since it will be in storage i would drain the tanks.
take you time and don't get in a hurry on the road.

woosterken

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Hello santo101979,
Can't give you all the answers yet, I'm still in the process.
To pull the cap less then a day, just a few hours.
Cutting the floor wasn't to bad either, a couple more hours.
I just don't get a lot of time on my boat.
I just grab any time I can and keep plugging along.
Good luck
Bob
Keep us posted and keep the photo's coming.

 

[toocanshan]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

i just got a 1978 glastron cvx16, not a trihull but i am going to have to replace the floor and was wondering what the chances were on needing the center supports?? sorry its not a trihull but i do agree with the starcraft comment. thanks TOOCAN

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Hey guy,
Thanks again for all the information. I have yet to put hands on this boat and am going off of the pictures until I pick her up at the end of the year. Sooo, I was looking into whether or not the Merc 850 on this boat has power tilt/trim. Can you tell from this picture? I see what looks like hydraulic rams but can not tell if that is powered or not. What should I look for to tell? Take a look at this pic and let me know what ya think.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Hello santo,
Not 100% sure but that cylinder does look like a tilt and trim cylinder.
Have a great day.
Bob

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Yeo it sure does look like it has hoses coming off that hydraulic cylinder ! I would say yes there is !! John

 

[toocanshan]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

that looks just like my 140 merc tower of power and mine does have t/t. TOOCAN

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

I've been reading through a lot of your guys repaint/resto projects and am inspired to do the same. From what I've seen you guys talk a lot about Imron from DuPont, but I can't find a distributor and a professional job looks to run about $2k. So I am putting together a plan to repaint the boat myself. I was thinking of using the following HVLP System and various Paints, Primers, Sealants, etc... I have no experience painting boats but I figure with all the great information on Iboats and what the manufacturers put out for information that I should be able to pull this off. Take a look at all this stuff and let me know whatcha think.

Wagner HVLP Spray System
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200308481_200308481


System Three
Process
http://www.systemthree.com/members/literature/Paint_Literature.pdf

1st apply the Fairing Compound as needed
http://www.systemthree.com/p_st_quikfair.asp

2nd apply the Epoxy Sealer
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2091

3rd apply the Primer Coats
http://www.systemthree.com/p_st_yacht_primer.asp

4th apply the Decatur Black Base Coat
5th apply Clear Gloss Top Coat
http://www.systemthree.com/p_wr_lpu.asp


6th apply the Clear Gloss Top Coat Mixed with Fire Red Metal Flake
http://www.paintwithpearl.com/flakestore.htm

7th finish off with Collinite
http://www.collinitemarine.com/products.htm#925
Fiberglass Boat Cleaner (No. 920)
Paste Fleetwax (No. 885)

 

[eaglejim]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

On the Wagner you can do better,if I was going to spend money on a HVLP system I would go to paint stores and see what they have or the way I go is an air compressor and a cup gun,also check out craigslist and pawn shops you can get a good set up for very little cash

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

So it's been a long time coming but I finally headed out from Chicago Christmas morning to Las Vegas through the snowpocalypse to finally meet the boat to be named Mr. Bill. We?re naming it in honor of Elly?s Grandfather who ordered it from the factory in 1975. The fiberglass is badly oxidized and the interior is in pretty bad shape but the Motor/Transom/Decking all feel very solid. The trailer was totally jerry rigged with wiring splices everywhere, burnt up bearings, no tongue wheel jack, the coupler hardware was trashed but luckily it had brand new tires. Since I was on vacation I ended up towing it into Las Vegas Trailer Supply who replaced both sets of bearings, rewired w/ all new lights, installed new tongue jack, rebuilt the coupler, aligned the axel, and supplied spare tire on rim, safety chains, and misc. pieces and parts for $650. I've also secured a 2 1/2 car garage to use for storage and restoration. My fianc?e' and I left Las Vegas with absolutely zero experience towing any trailers and boat in tow. We towed it from Las Vegas to and over the Hoover Dam, Quite an experience towing for the first time through mountains! Then on to the Grand Canyon where Elly got us pinned into a dead end loading area at the hotel, took about a 100 point turn with hotel manager stopping traffic on New Years Eve for me to get it out!!! Then onward to Tucson AZ where we lost the license plate some where on the road. Then back to Chicago through New Mexico, another casualty as the license plate/tail lamp bracket weld broke allowing the whole piece with light attached to jettison off the trailer. We stopped at a road side beef jerky shop and a stray cat apparently thought the boat made a great place to hide in(turns out it?s not). Upon getting back on the highway Elly shrieks that a Cat was climbing up and out of our boat and immediately pulls over. Welllll that cat just simply disappeared; I looked all over in and out of the boat and never did see anything. So I hope it had a few lives left because that kitty was going to use a few of them up diving out at 70MPH. We drove onward home through Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and into Missouri. We hit another huge snow/ice blizzard while Elly was driving, I said it was getting to nasty out and wanted to stop for the night. She wanted to push on for a while until the trailer started to let loose in the gusty winds, slipping on the icy roads in a monster snow/ice blizzard having zero visibility, about then it was agreed to pull off for the night. Next day, late at night we finally got it back to Chicago and headed over to the "Boatpartment" (a rented 2 car garage). The garage is in a tight alley which had about 2 foot of snow on top of a few inches of ice which made unhitching and manually pushing the boat into the garage a rather exciting experience. But all in all we made it home with only a few mishaps and some interesting stories. That "free" boat has cost about $1,000 thus far and I just got it into the garage.....So much for a free boat. But I finally got my project and now the fun begins!