My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

[Corjen1]

Hello All, new here. After reading archbuilders entire "miss morgan" thread, decided to join. Seems like a great group of folks here. Almost as if I already know some of you guys.

I am married with 3 kids, this rebuild will take some time. I found the old girl cruising around on craigslist. I wasnt really looking for a project, was just snooping around and found this 1968 GT160. sent the PO a text asking if he still had the boat, the post was over a month old. We txted back and forth for a couple days - didnt hear anything from him for 3 weeks or so. Figured it was gone. Then out of the blue, got a text asking if I was still interested. So I went and got some replacement tire/wheels for the trailer and drove from Wichita KS to Tinkiller OK and back last weekend. 541 mile round trip.



Momma wasnt real thrilled to have another boat in the back yard but she is OK now. Next day, I shop vac'd probably 100 lbs if dirt, twigs, acorns and crap out of it. Ran it thru the car wash and put her in the back yard.



Now, I am trying to plan my way thru a complete redo on it. Floor and stringer are completely gone, Im assuming the transom is shot as well.

Any tips and advise along the way will be greatly appreciated!!! I plan to bring it back to close to original, paint and a different motor. (read here: merc 115)

Thanks all in advance!!!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Welcome to iboats

Nice looking Glastron

Already got the Merc?

Is there a hp rating plate on the boat currently?

Motivation perhaps:

See this 1968 Popular Science special article on the newly introduced Aqua Lift II hull

Good luck w/ your project

 

[chconger]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Very cool boat. Bow rider extreme.

Want to see this one progress. Have fun and go slow.

Chris

 

[Corjen1]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Well today was a surprise.....I wanted to see what kind of shape the motor was in. It hasnt ran since at least 2000 from what the PO said. Its a 1976 Johnson 85.

Pulled the plugs, and I could hand turn the flywheel!!! Not seized!! Hmmm.....I wonder if the wiring and electronics are still in working condition. Hooked a battery up.........clicked the switch......Nothing. Dammit man!

I seafoamed the cylinders let them sit for a while. After some messing around figured something is up in the controls/neutral safety switch (Johnson command center). I could spin the starter motor with jumpers. The controls would not go into reverse. after some fiddling around, finally got it to go in and out of FWD/Neutral/Reverse. Clicked the switch....damn, it might be alive. Starter spun up and motor is spinning away!!!!

Hmmm....I wonder if it has spark???? Are you kidding me.........nice bright blue spark on all cylinders!!!!!

Hmmm.........I wonder if I can get this old girl to fire?????? I took one of the portable tanks and line out of my 1981 Glastron GX-150. Hooked it up and primed the line, hit the switch.......round and round it goes for 5-10 seconds........cough, cough sputter, sputter and it hits!!!!!! Rough but its running!!! SHUT IT DOWN!!! Where the heck are my muffs?!?!?! Scramble around get the hose hooked up.

Hit the primer bulb, twist the switch, round and round it goes for 5-10 seconds........cough, cough sputter, sputter and it hits!!!! I cant believe this!!! It ran rough fro 5-10 minutes, started smoothing out, so I backed the warm up lever down, holy crap, it idles!!!!! I let it idle for a bit, clicked it in fwd. Gave it some fuel and nice response, no hesitation nothing.



I really cant believe it, after 13 years, this thing runs!!!! Amazing!! Something is up with the shift cable/linkage, but damn, it runs!!!

Thats it for today, Hope you all had a good weekend!!

 

[chconger]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

As an aside, your avatar is pleasant; Momma?

 

[archbuilder]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Looking forward to following your progress! Funny how those old motors come to life unexpectedly sometimes!

If it is Momma on his avatar he is lucky . That is quite the popular photo here in the land of Sooner football....Her shirt says "Oklahoma".....google Oklahoma girl

 

[chconger]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

.....That is quite the popular photo here in the land of Sooner football....Her shirt says "Oklahoma".....google Oklahoma girl

Ahhhh. Got it. Could not read what the shirt said as the words were...hyphenated?

 

[Corjen1]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

HAHA, No, not Momma.......

After a bunch of pix, think I will start stripping the GT this weekend.......

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Good luck!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Nice boat. I have a friend doing a similar glastron and I will tell you I was not impressed with what we found below the deck. The stringer work from the factory was very poor at best. I guess I am just trying to prepare you for things to come. We also found the transom board was cut very strange - not symmetrical.

I am interested in what you find

 

[Corjen1]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Thanks all for the encouragement.....

You guys that have done a major rebuild, what was the deciding factor to decapitate you boat? Was it just easier to get at everything? or was it something specific the drove you in that direction? Transom replacement maybe?

In this case, the entire floor is gone already and I have fiberglass pockets of dust (formerly known as stringers)

Ill post some pix tonight of the surveying and disassemble. Now Im off to home depot for some 2x4's to build a engine stand....have a good day all!!!

 

[archbuilder]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

I think I would take the cap off before I cut a big section of the transom off. The top part of my transom cap was cracked, so I had to saw it out regardless. That ended up working really well since I used a composite in stead of wood for the transom (I poured the seacast in through that hole). I did have to put in the inner "skin", and I did that with the boat upside down. I found it was a lot easier to work on the transom with the boat upside down on saw horses. I just set it at a height where I could sit and work comfortably on my rolling stool. Laying on your back sucks! FYI, I had to lay upside down while wiring it (almost wish I had done that when it was upside down), I put two layers of old carpet pad down on the deck.....makes it a lot easier on your knees, elbows etc. I'm guessing the best option for your boat is going to be splitting the hull. I don't seek how you are going to be able to remove / replace all of the stringers and deck without splitting it. Do you have any pics of the current interior? That would be helpful in understanding exactly what is going to need to take place.

 

[Corjen1]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

OK .....ill post some current pix.......Arch, the seats and wood are completely gone. I do have side panels to go from......

What a day, Built the engine stand from the stickygot the motor off, by my self, well and my 5 year old "beans" He was running the jack stand for me.....

Top cap is ready to come off........waiting for a couple of the young bucks that work for me to show up tomorrow.......had to bribe them with beer!!!

I dont know how many this will let me post at a time, but Ill give it a whirl.....

 

[archbuilder]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

looks like you are making great progress. I would say you need to split that hull for sure. Nice work on the engine stand by the way!

 

[Corjen1]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Some More......

 

[Corjen1]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Couple more.....



Nice shot of inter-granular corrosion at it best.......







Top ready to come off.......

Thank for the info so far.... time for an adult beverage and Sportcenter......Good night.

 

[Corjen1]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

@ Archbuilder......Boomer Sooner brother.....!!!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

6pix per post.

Nice progress.

Beer bribery for boat work assistance is sort of a regular occurrence...

 

[archbuilder]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

Looks like you are making good progress! Wow there is a lot of work to be done on it, that looks about as bad as Miss Morgan was.....makes removing the old wood easier, shop vac it out, lol! Boomer Sooner!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: My 1968 Glastron GT160 rebuild......

these are shots of the strings in my friends boat. I was not impressed by the way the fiberglass was not wetted out, the coverage was not 100% and appeared to be a "rush" job on the mas production line. I was surprised and after seeing your photos my opinion of the Glastron (early years) construction has dropped.