TOPIC: 1962 Glasspar Lido Advice

Hey all,
I have an opportunity to buy a 1962(I believe) Glasspar Lido with 1969 Johnson Super Sea Horse engine and trailer for $400. I know very little about boats let alone boats from this time period. Looks nice and the price is certainly right. Could be fun to fix up. The owner says it runs as is and has been registered for the 2014 season. He put a new transom in this past Spring.
He is getting rid of it because he doesn't have any time to use it anymore.

Looking for input on the following pictures and any and all advice as to what I should look for or be wary of with these boats.
Pics below:

I would consider every piece of wood rotten on that boat until proven otherwise. The best way to check for rot is to drill the wood and check the shavings, if they're dry and light colored the wood is good... dark and/or moist is bad.

It doesn't look like that decking is laidd over with fiberglass like it should be. This usually means problems with wet wood that if not rotten, will be in the near future. There may also be wooden stringers below that decking that may also be rotten.

Just because the owner says he replaced the transom doesn't mean he did it the right way.

All of the above can be fixed with some time and money. If you're looking for a project boat, that would be a good one to start with, small and relatively inexpensive compared to a larger boat.

If you're looking for a water ready boat to get on the water now you may want to pass on that boat.

Enggass,

WELCOME ABOARD. - NICE rig too.

yours,satx

jigngrub wrote:

I would consider every piece of wood rotten on that boat until proven otherwise. The best way to check for rot is to drill the wood and check the shavings, if they're dry and light colored the wood is good... dark and/or moist is bad.

Thanks!
Where on this boat would all of the wood be located? On the inside...?

Nice looking boat. With a running motor, seems like a decent deal to me. Since the transom's been done you could enjoy it on the water and evaluate the work needed as you go. The wood would be mostly the floor and below the floor (stringers).

I'd just like to clarify that I'm in no way trying to discourage from buying this boat, nor am I trying to "bad mouth" it.

The wood rot on an old fiberglass boat is typical to all older fiberglass boats and newbies usually know nothing about it... and only learn about it after they buy the boat and get it home and start using it.

As stated above, the wood will be the decking and the stringers that the stringers lay on below deck. The bad thing about this is that the seller isn't going to let you remove the decking to check the stringers and you won't know for sure until after you buy it and get it home and check... but like I said earlier, I'd consider them rotten. It's typical for a boat that age and you have a better chance winning the lottery than to not have rotten stringers.

Also as stated above, that's not a bad deal for that boat even if it does need structural work. You could do a lot worse with another boat.

What is the metal trim and ornamentation made of and what is best way to restore the tarnish/weathering?

Cast Aluminum for bow and transom/gunwale trim with some stainless across top of transom. Most all Glasspar trim is cast aluminum. If you don't buy that one I have three of them out back.

Welcome aboard

Al

WECOME ABOARD. Yes wood is replaceable. Take your time and have fun. We'll help.

looks like some wax and elbow power will make her look good again

So the guy has put in storage for the Winter and said if I want it next Spring to give him a holler. Which I plan on doing. Can't work on it during the Winter anyhow... What are some good resources or book I could get as reference for restoring one of these old Glasspars? I would like to redo floor/stringers, seats, steering and all cosmetics etc...

There's a book called "Runabout Renovation" by Jim Anderson that is a good read / reference book. You shouldn't take it all as gospel, but has some good info and basic techniques in it. The gang here is always glad to help with pointers and assistance, they've helped myself and many others get much better results than would otherwise be possible!

Just wanted to post a couple of more pics for feedback...
In the first pic, what is happening with the separation on the nose piece(for lack of a better term)
Second pic, the decay around the eye piece where the trailer hooks up...
And last, is this really how the seats should be installed? I will be replacing all seats.
Excuse any really stupid questions, this is all new to me, but I am a fast learner.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Steve