TOPIC: 1971 Glasspar 15' v hull outboard runabout?

Hi all. I just bought my first boat. Its a 1971 Glasspar. Im not sure of the model because the post 69 glasspar info is scarce. Hoping you folks can help me to identify. Pics coming soon...

Itsa 1971 15 foot closed bow. Outboard, v hull, split wind screen. Fuel tank up front. Has plywood carpeted floor, and 4 seat post holes. regular driver and passenger seat post holes, plus a third center behind, and a fourth on the bow. Theres grip tape in stretegic locations around the top of the hull to get from front to back.

Mines got a merc 800 and she raps out all the way to 5k.

Its also got a 2 horse honda for a kicker and a big foot controlled min kota up front for the bow fisherman to drive.

Pics soon. any ideas what model?

jimmyjack,

WELCOME ABOARD.

yours, satx

Despite its rough appearance, this boat is a real runner. The big merc is hard to start, but runs out well. Ive got trailer lights working, boat lights working, horn works, tachometer works most of the dash lights work.

18 gallon fuel cell is good, no leaks, but not plumbed in. Missing some metal details. Fish finder works! Just got that figured out last night before the mosquitoes came on bad.

Couple of jbweld repairs that dont leak, will get glassed and hopefully repainted (gel coated?) this winter.

Ive got questions regarding the plumbing of the fuel cell, and general diagnostics on the mercury 800. For now, heres picturs.

Click the picture to go to the photobucket page. Any help in id greatly appreciated!


Im currently trying to clean up the boat, and get it simplified. Pretty sure the minkota and the honda were added on to compensate for the sucky low rpm performance of the big merc. It runs best slow at a high idle,, which is still too fast for the no wake zone if the rangers get nit picky.

My plan is to either get a bigger kicker for the back, and take off the minkota completely,, and patch up the holes from it,,,, or rig up an engine mount motor and get rid of both the kicker and the bow mount all together.

Ive also got the canopy frame, and a bunch of material,,, so shade soon too I hope.

Sounds like you have this project on the right track, congrats. The ole' Merc probably needs a tune up and a little love, they'll idle down with the rest of 'em if set up properly.

I would not plumb in the inboard fuel tank without a thorough inspection and clean out! The potential for sucking some nasty stuff into your engine is greater than not. We've seen many folks just add gas and find out there was crud in the tank, or leaks that rendered it useless. Might even be prudent to pull the tank for cleaning and inspection if it hasn't been used in a while.

Just my two cents, hope it helps......

Yeah, the tank had about half a gallon of mostly oil and dirt in it. like oily mud. No leaks though. Im hoping the fuel sender works. Thats really the main reason for messing with the stock fuel tank. That and the nice shiny metal fuel cap on the deck. The big merc will idle down pretty well but gets tired of it shortly.

I just dismantled the tank and wondering if theres a better way to scavenge fuel. Its an 18 gallon long cruise tank. The fuel feed has no check valve of any sort, and its just a bent tube with a screen on the end. The actual feed is far left on the tank. Is it supposed to have a check valve? Does anybody use a clunk type fuel pick up or is the bent tube really good enough?

Apparently its a 69 or 66 glasspar. Avalon, or flying V ?

The big merc is a 1971 according to serial number. Its mid production.

I got the stock fuel tank cleaned and re plumbed. Was going to use an electric fuel pump, but it didnt work, so in went a new bulb near tank up front, and all is great! Now I can start the big merc from the capitains chair without too much fuss. Last night I removed the honda kicker. NO LONGER NEEDED!

Going to leave the trolling setup in front, because the boat is small, and 1 guy on the bow driving the trolling motor makes for easier fishing for everybody.

Yesterday the only thing on the lake faster was a big 3 place jet ski.

Anybody know how big of an engine I can put on this boat? Theres been 2 or 3 6 cyl mercs for sale lately, and Im wondering if my boat can handle a tower of power.

Unless someone has removed it, there should be a red and silver metal tag (about 2" by 3") on the transom somewhere with a horsepower and load limit for the boat. Sounds like it runs out pretty good now, so you probably don't want to put much more on it and tear the boat up. The inline 6's weigh about 300+ pounds plus the added torque would be kind of hard on the old girl.
Just my 2 cents!
Bill

Already with the 800 in back I can see a real bonus to adding tilt trim. On glassy water the boat rids well at full throttle,, but in wakes and chop it wants to fly. This dosent bother me any, but my passengers arent as entertained by it. Seriously, I thought peeps would be a bit more casual about riding in an old slowish boat. Some of my passengers act like anything over half throttle is too fast..... Yet, Im thinking this old tug can handle at least 20 more hp, and some trim.

Is my little glasspar a rough riding boat? I know Im not a bad or risky driver. The lake rangers are pretty much on the ball and I just follow traffic round the circuit.

This boating thing is a real blast! I like it better than dirt biking, super motard, 4 wheeling. Going fast (35ish?) is just spectacular,, and I want MORE!

You've got a nice rig there Jimmy and I can tell how excited you are but...

In all honesty, I'd be looking at a different rig, if you have the need for more speed. The boat you have is a 1971 Chevy Impala and you want a Camaro.

It sounds to me that you probably have it close to trimmed out now and 20 more hp is not going to give you that much more speed. You could try some prop options but I wouldn't on that engine. I blew up an 800 trying to get more out of it that it was made for and know others that have had the same issues with 800's.

What I would do is either enjoy this rig the way it is or look around for a lighter boat, like a Glastron GT-150.

Thanks for the analogy. It makes sense! This little boat rides great at cruise,, but increasing speed tends to quickly approach the wave handling limits of the hull design.

Thats actually good news,, because Ive got my eyes on a glasstron with a tower, or a bigger glasstron with a 140 johnson.

Makes my life easier. I can concentrate on a canopy, and trimmings for this little boat.

Ill get new pictures soon, Its cleaning up well.

Glad you didn't take it the wrong way. It's a great family boat, but if you want a hot rod, I'd be looking at something else.

Glastrons are great boats, and I've owned a few, but they are notorious for floor and transom rot. Nothing that can't be fixed, but it will take time. Just a heads up. If it's something that was kept in the garage or shed all the time, maybe nothing to worry about. If there is a few issues showing, especially with the floor, there will be a lot more that you can't see. Again, nothing that can't be fixed.

The good thing is they really had their styling down and are some of the best looking rigs out there.

I was tearing into the interior trimm to replace the mercontrol box, and have discovered the identy of my boat. Its an avalon. Had to replace the mercury800 with an evinrude 75. It looks more appropriate actually.

Glasspar was bought out by Larson in 1968, thus you do not have a 1971 Glasspar. Larson changed the Glasspar designs, etc In 1969.

That 18 gallons of fuel (roughly 170 lbs.) in the bow will slow you down a bunch! Six gallon tanks (even better 1 tank), pushed to the rear for top end speed. More weight near the transom the faster.

I learned this in 20 years of racing boats!!!

Jim Savage

Well, its definitely a glasspar avalon, but might not be a 71. Badges say glasspar, and some ink on the inside of the wood panels say avalon.

Last summer in some research, I think I also found the last year for this model was either 66, 67 or 68. That makes the speedy four even more appropriate.


Heres another angle though. When I removed the 1971 mercury 800, it became evident that this was the original motor. No signs of previous installations. No replacement transom. This boat was 100% original before I got hold of it. Side panel where the control box was mounted didnt have any extra holes, it was original.

The big merc looked out of place,, looked newer than the boat, even if they might be only 3 or 4 yrs apart. Im no expert on these things. The big merc looks more modern than 1971 in my opinion,, but yes, its for sure a 71 as confirmed by serial number.

So, left over 68 glasspar avalon, outfitted with a 1971 merc? Could be one of the last avalons ever.

You can go here and join the discussion. They will help you decipher the serial number and such

classicglasspars.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&view=category&catid=0&layout=list&Itemid=598

A lot of boats hung around dealers for a long time. Could easily have been at a dealer for a couple of years before it got a powered...

80 HP was typical upper limit for smaller Glasspars. You can beef the transom and add some braces from top bolt to sole and stringers underneath, but 20 HP won't make that much difference.

Doubling the HP will make a difference, but few will want to ride with you