HEY TOM (glastron question)

[maddog355]

I need some help from the glastron nuts around here. I looked at a CV23 a while back (big block ford with a jet) and was talking to another guy about it, He claimed that glastron didn't glass in the transom properly on the inside and they had a habbit of rotting out. Is this true? and what do I need to watch out for on this boat?
HEY TOM you ever get done with your boat?

[Tinkerer]

I had a 18CVX that I had to replace the transom on. But I thought it was glassed in properly. Just too many screw holes and other places for water to get into. I thought that they were ahead of the times and fairly well built for the price. Watch out for hook. They dont have full length stringers and can get a nasty hook.

[hoolign]

What year is it,i just did my floor and stringers last summer,with help from this board,I checked the transom while I was doing it and seemed allright,definitley check under the seats for rot!
If you don't mind me asking, what's it going for?
I can't see glastron cheaping out in that area,but stranger things have happened.

[maddog355]

The boat is a 78 or 79 (first year I think) I am not shure what he is asking now, The guy is a car dealer and don't really know alot about boats but bought this one cheap. When I first looked at it back last aug (yep it has been sitting there uncovered sence then) he said 4,500 a friend told me back in feb he was down to 3,500. I am going to try to trade him my old project car (65 Buick Skylark) for it becouse I don't really have time for the car. Acording to blue book the boat is only worth about 2,000 so he should jump on it to unload the boat (was told he would gladly trade it for a car)

[GlastronGuy]

Never heard of that problem before.

[Tom Brown]

I haven't heard of any quality problems either, but I'm sure I don't know any more about the CV23 than these guys.
I'm with Tinkerboater in that I think they were built extremely well for such a mass production hull. The 23 has a lot of chopper gun action in the build but I think that's fairly standard in a mass production boat in that size.
I did the transom in my 1977 CVX-16 but it turned out to be unnecessary. Once I got it opened up, it turned out to be solid with no rot. I think that's pretty amazing for a 25 year old boat with three sets of engine clamp holes.
I'll be starting the transom on a 1973 v-173 in a couple of weeks. It isn't that bad either but it needs a floor.
Hoolign really nailed it on the floor problems. Any boat that age with a wood floor will have soft spots if it's ever sat with water in it. Make sure you take the floor plugs out and make sure it's dry under there. Check it really well. It seems like most of the guys who own them don't realize there are plugs in there and end up not draining under the floor.
Also, there is a demand for the original aluminum Glastron trailers. That boat predates the popular era for those trailers but it could have one. If it does, that will add quite a bit to the value of the boat. They're a decent trailer but for some reason a lot of guys seem to really go crazy for the original Glastron trailers and I think they tend to be over valued a bit. That's just my opinion.
I would check all the normal stuff. The transom is way more likely to be in good shape if it doesn't have any holes in it for depth sounder transducers, pitots, etc. If it's had a bunch of screws into it, it could easily be bad by now. Check the floor really carefully too. Pull the plugs and lift the bow.
The windshields are expensive to replace on the CV23. If they are broken or missing, keep in mind that they cost big money to replace.
Good luck with it,
Tom :)

[Tom Brown]

maddog355:
HEY TOM you ever get done with your boat? I missed this question in my original reply.
No.
I joined the French military and I've been training over there for the last 6 months. We were pretty disappointed to not be deployed in the gulf but such is life. Hopefully we can get in on some Iran ass kicking action that looks to be coming. At least I got to join the coalition in Iraq as a forward observer. Anyway, I haven't even seen my boat in the last 6 months.
I hope to get back to it in the next couple of weeks. The transom and floor are done, the paint is done, the engine/jack are back on, but there still is some rigging to do. It shouldn't take too long.
Here I am. I'm the one second from the right. As you can see, the french army equips it's men a little lighter than the US military does.
http://www.impywheels.com/images/warc.jpg
[ April 27, 2003, 05:00 PM: Message edited by: Tom Brown ]

[hoolign]

You're not kidding about windshields being pricy
I'm hearing 1200.00+tax for both sides eek!

[GlastronGuy]

My Glastron had floor issues but it was because the previous owner let it sit in brackish water, with no cover over the winter. Spring came and they had to bail it out to even get it up the ramp. It was full of water. He towed it to a storage yard, put a blue tarp over it and let it sit for 3 years. So it's to be expected.
http://home.attbi.com/~glastron_carlson/wsb/media/93515/site1006.jpg

[Tinkerer]

OH -- One other thing-- Get rid of that stuff they thought was floatation foam under the floor. Mine weighed about 50 lbs for each piece. You couldnt get a sponge to soak up that much water.

[Tom Brown]

Tinkerboater:
OH -- One other thing-- Get rid of that stuff they thought was floatation foam under the floor. Mine weighed about 50 lbs for each piece. You couldnt get a sponge to soak up that much water. Tru dat. :)

[hoolign]

That's a damn good point.I went to a place that built docks and bought a 6'x2' block and had them cut it into 2"x2"x6' sections and placed them in between the stringers,they don't soak up water!expensive, but will hold up a hell of a lot of weight.

[Tom Brown]

I filled my sub-floor with air. It should float plenty long enough for me to swim to shore and call my adjuster.

[maddog355]

Thanks for all the info guys I figured the guy was just trying to steer me into buying a boat from him.