TOPIC: Resurrection of a Lonestar Meteor

** This thread discusses the content article: Resurrection of a Lonestar Meteor **

New Meteor and Glass Slipper article. Must read!

Brad and Mitch did a tremendous job. I was fortunate to be allowed to follow the Slipper project in an email thread.

As for the Meteor - there are way more than 20 circulating around. Thare have been many threads about this - check the archives. One was 51+...another counted many more.

They are beautiful, but from what I've read they're a death trap on the water. Among other faults they tend to swamp over the transom if stopped too quickly.

The Slipper - on the other hand - handles very well on the water. Just ask Del :~)

I got the Meteor and Glass Slipper number transposed in my head. Thanks for pointing that out.

Both beautiful examples of how we'd all like a boat restoration to turn out! (I should probably just speak for myself, sorry.) Hard to believe that was their first couple of resto's, awesome work.

the meteors advertising should of read "run silent...run deep"
but its a beautiful showboat

Those are both amazing restorations. I can't believe one guy and his kids did that - twice! Way to go Brad!

What a great article. I'd love to see more images of both boats [and cars] any chance high res links and additional photos [before restoration / during / as well as after] are around somewhere?

Glass Slipper

The Slipper does, however, raise an interesting question.
Some day down the road there will be judging of classic fiberglassic boats.

The Slipper's hull is not 50 some years old - it was made last year from the original mold that was dragged out of the weeds looking like a flattened soda cup. Kevin Mueller and Dave Moerke restored the mold and produced the boat that is now Brad's.

Brad had to do everything but restore the hull.

That it exists is a real feat and took a tremendous effort...but it's a different effort than if the boat itself had been dragged out of the weeds flattened like a soda cup.

Lonestar Meteor

Dear Lord these are true works of art. Beautiful.

The Slipper does, however, raise an interesting question.
Some day down the road there will be judging of classic fiberglassic boats.

The Slipper's hull is not 50 some years old - it was made last year from the original mold that was dragged out of the weeds looking like a flattened soda cup. Kevin Mueller and Dave Moerke restored the mold and produced the boat that is now Brad's.

Brad had to do everything but restore the hull.

That it exists is a real feat and took a tremendous effort...but it's a different effort than if the boat itself had been dragged out of the weeds flattened like a soda cup.

Brad Lake has done an amazing job regardless of the Glass Slipper's hull, so let's not take anything away from that.

In regard to its authenticity:

If the hull and deck were made from molds pulled off of another glass slipper, then its authenticity would be rightly questioned.

However, this hull was made from the original mold, just 50 years later. While its age may be different than others, I would consider it to be a fabricated repair.

In wooden boat restoration, 100% of a boat can be rebuilt (hulls, frames, decks, planks, etc...) without the boat losing its official designation as a classic. That's the official rule

If you replace the transom on a glassic boat, does it lose its glassic status? What about if a tail fin were broken off and needed to be re-fabricated? The topside of this Glass Slipper is original, so is the hardware, and the steering, and every other element.

If I have a glassic boat that has a hole in it and I repair that hole by fabricating new glass where it no longer exists, is the whole boat new? Or is it a glassic with a repair? Where do you draw the line?

In my opinion, this is an authentic Glass Slipper with an upgraded hull.

(BTW Peter, I'm enjoying the conversation, I'm not arguing. I wasn't sure if that was clear.)

wow,i hate being on dial up,but the pics that did come up shows 2 wonderfuly and beautifully restored boats,my hat is off to the ones that pulled this off,all i can say is wow!!!!!!!!!!,john,by the way that is a great vollrath steering wheel.

I agree that nothing should be taken away from the outstanding work done by Brad to finish the boat - nor do I assert that it's not authentic. I'd also add that Brad's restoration credentials are solidly in place - just look at the Meteor!


But when you look at the Slipper and think - My God what an incredible restoration - it isn't. It's a beautiful job of finishing a new hull. In a way it's a lot like the way some boats were sold back in the day. Bare hull that you outfitted.

Truth is - it's probably a moot conversation in that the Slipper mold seems to be the only original mold in existance and who knows how many more the mold can produce.

It's definitely a different situation from the Repopped Redfish.

Those boats received top notch work, without question.. They are both beautiful, it's no surprise that people went nuts over them at the auto show. For years, veteran "glassic" lovers have known that the "car" people would eventually notice these boats.

For what it worth, I agree with Peter on the repop. I don't say this with any intent of taking anything away from the effort that went into this story, or from the glass slipper. If I could afford to get one made for myself, I surely would. There is, I believe, a very big difference between a reproduction and an original - no matter how correct it is. A '32 Ford Highboy with all original metal is without a doubt, different than '32 Highboy made from exact reproductions. (The reproductions are likely better) This is of course, simply my opinion, and that is all it is.

I first saw the molds for the Glass Slipper about 10 years ago in Kevin's folks back yard. Kevin was all excited about finding the original '59 Slipper molds, I took one look and said to myself "nobody in their right mind would try to pull a new boat from that." Well I might have been right, but I invite you to go to bigfinboats.com and check out "The Glass Slipper Project" These two boats weren't just "popped" like a knock off. There was a tremendous amount of work to make 2 new 59 Glass Slippers from the original mold. Dave did the deck, brad did the hull, then they swapped molds. You can see for yourself what went into Merks. I don't know if Brads was hand laid up or chop-gunned, but it is an absolute stunning boat, and a tremendous amount of work to get it to that point.

THOSE PIX, ARE SIMPLY .."BEYOND WORDS"..say more, but I'm SPEECHLESS!

great job on thowa boats, I could not have done it!!!!!

WOW, those are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peter_Crowl wrote:

They are beautiful, but from what I've read they're a death trap on the water. Among other faults they tend to swamp over the transom if stopped too quickly.

Dear Peter: It doesn't matter what you've read. That is hearsay. Do you have any personal experience with these boats? I would be more interested in that. I have driven one myself and as with many other open transom boats it's true that it is not wise to stop suddenly from high speed. Anyone with boating experience knows that a following wave can come over the transom in this type of maneuver, but this is not likely to be fatal and the open area is much smaller in a Meteor than in something like a 1958 Glastron. What you should do is to plan ahead and slow down less suddenly.

I don't mean to come down on you but I think using the term "Death Trap" is both alarmist and misleading.

I restored my Meteor with a custom made splash well which is a simple fix for any boat. I spent the last week working on a restoration advice page for my own website. It should be up in the next few weeks and I go into detail in it about making splash wells for pre-1959 boats (which seem to usually have open transoms). I also will do something on installing proper floatation.

Speaking of "other faults" the nose on a Meteor is curved down and they can take water over the windshield, but from my experience this was not enough of a problem to be of much concern. There are always steps that can be taken to minimize such occurrences, from a 90 degree curved lip, maybe an inch in width, at the top edge of a windshield (modification), to a good water pump, to a more careful operation of the boat in the first place. I had good results gunning the motor to keep the nose up and I hit waves at a 45 degree angle instead of head on.

No one is ever going to accuse a Meteor of being practical, and they are very uncomfortable in rough water, but many of us are very heavily invested in this hobby and I for one would like to see these boats portrayed for what they are, without the sensationalism of calling them death traps which is something I feel they are not.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Sincerely, KevFin

Dear Kevin,
My point was that it might not be wise to go to the trouble of restoring another Meteor to use as a Daily Driver in that they have a reputation for being less than safe - as opposed to the Slipper which is a more seaworthy boat.

This has been discussed before - ah - here it is - from no less an authority than Brad Best archives.fiberglassics.com/forum818/showmessage.asp?fm=Forum&messageID=22825



Brad writes:

As per my experience “learning” about these headlight boats etc. & for those who may appreciate knowing -

…overall they were built with the least quality and safety in mind with some using very thin layers of chop in the building process that indeed will become very brittle after 50 years of age (Car Aquas/Custom Craft-Sun rays etc.) while others had as much ability to become a submarine/torpedo (Meteors/Glass Slippers) vs. "normal" classic boats (usually known to stay on top the water).

Knowing what I know now after owning 3-Meteors, I simply wouldn’t run one of these death traps with my family inside! Hit the right wave/wake from another larger boat and …"crack-bam-boom-gurgle-gurgle-plop" (or) simply, "gurgle-gurgle-plop" in the case of a Meteor (one I know of is currently sitting on the bottom of a lake nearby). But yes, they do look pretty cute sitting on a trailer at a boat show. However, I prefer to ride in my boats in comfort, without the tight fit and safety issues, that’s why my current classic boat quests are for those glassics that were “better engineered.” For those who can’t afford a Meteor - you’re not missing out so much after all.

Sorry if I’m bursting a few bubbles out there on the rarity debate on the Meteor - as well as safety issues with the boat. However the facts are the facts here & have been gathered from others who are much more knowledgeable of classic boats and their construction etc. than I. All I’m doing is reiterating info gathered from some of the classic boat experts who actually ran these boats in the 1950’s. My user '57 Meteor was one of the first running Meteors back out on the lake in the 1990's. However, I almost lost it twice on the lake with sinking/swamping issues!

So I don't get it. No - I don't own one. You point out that it needs a new splash well - cure for the front dip - flotation...all of which hardly make it sound like the ideal daily driver.

They're beautiful. Their value is not in their ability be the most comfortable safe boat on the lake.

Sincerely,
Peter

I don't know many people that could afford one for "a daily driver" anymore. I fell in love with them when I saw the yellow one Gary Mac Nouris did years ago. They seam to keep getting better. Brad's raises the bar even more. The Lone Star Meteor has my vote for the best looking boat ever built!! EVER

Mine too!

First of all,I don't know of too many people that can fit in a 56 with console that can get under the original wheel,,we know I can't[you too Jerry]you can move the seat back and do away with foot room but it is still way too tight,I remember the article Brad Best posted on here several years back about he had several of them and he said they were not safe. But the bottom line when I run a boat, and i do use them all,people think it is me that is unsafe,so you have to respect any of them,we ran mine once and it will be a trailer queen for life.we are going to do another one soon because they are a good looking boat,But by all meens Brad Lake did a very fine job on anything he does, as the pictures show. Just my thoughts,,Bill
edit,, I see Peter found the thread and added it up on his Message

Our first boat, me and the Fox in 1971, was 1958 Meteor, had a big crack right up the middle of the windshield, No Problem, 30hp Evinrude. the Fox was a beauty, hair and make-up always perfect, just Had to be that way ... first trip out (only trip out) WOT into the wind (too much wind) big wave, stuck the nose of that Metor right through a roller, finished that windshield off, her half slapped her right in the face, drenched her, got her hair wet, ran her make-up, turned her smile up-side down, wasn'y pretty ... it seemed like there was as much water went over that bow as went under it. Few days later, sold the Metor for $350, got my money back and made $50, made the Fox smile again, sure would like to have that Meteor today.
as for the Glass Slipper ... Love It !

some of my Favorite video's

Thanks for the video! Really helps with the "cabin fever"

Pete

Hello fellow boat enthusits, when Jamil asked if I would be interested in putting my boats in an article on Fiberglassics I didn't think it would raise such a stir. Here I am new to the hobby, in Western Canada, the only one I know restoring or building these classic boats up here. I have already met a number of you that I consider to be friends.
I plan on using the Glass Slipper and my second Meteor we are currently working on at our cabin. I believe both boats to be water worthy when used in the right conditions (fishing boat weather), I would never consider taking either of them out on a windy day with big waves, nor do I plan on putting my family at risk. I believe that used with common sense these boats can be allot of fun,after all they were production boats sold to the public. Both my boats have more than adaquate flotation and both have 2 high volume bilge pumps ,I am also considering building a motor well into the second Meteor we plan to use as an additional saftey measure. As for comfort, with good planing during construction the Meteor can be a reasonably comfortable boat. I moved the steering wheel up as much as possible, and moved the front seats back 5 1/2 inches. I kept the backs of the seats thin and made provisions for the rear passengers to put their feet under the front seats, these changes make a huge difference in a Meteors interior. I am 6'1" and the boat is reasonably comfortable for me and my family.
Last year when I was at the Mid West all Classics boat show, I saw a period video of a Meteor with a family using it in action,the video showed the boat roaring around, stopping and starting. The boat looked very stable and safe in good conditions. Again, I believe the whole key is to use common sense when using these old classics....Brad Lake

Beautiful work on your boats Brad, and like you said " I believe the whole key is to use common sense when using these old classics " certainly the best policy, I probably didn't give safety much concideration when I was in my 20's, pretty girl, pretty boat, Go Play ! go figure ... but I have grown up some, a little anyways. Of course, the Meteor is safe when using common sence, I didn't mean to say it wasn't, my first boat was a #4 wash tub, and I never sank it, just wanted to share the Meteor experience.

Well said, Red.

While disagreements are inevitable in the world of beautiful and classic boat restoration, collecting, and use, elements in this particular thread have taken a turn toward the aggressive and the defensive.

It's not my place to censor anyone or otherwise push my personal views in this forum, but I don't want to see an intelligent and knowledgeable debate turn sour.

When posting in these forums, please remember that civility and community are the two most important qualities at fiberglassics.

Say what you want, but please do so respectfully, both to each other and for the rest of us who are on this thread because of the beautiful work done on these boats.

Thank you for your understanding.

Great thread with good points all around.

Safety in using any 50+ year-old antique is paramount for the continuation of your enjoyment of the hobby. Modifications for safety and ease of use are indeed needed. Just as with the initiative in the classic automobile hobby to encourage the addition of brakes/signals/restraints, we need to have a similar discussion in the classic boating hobby.

Tee-Hee-hee!

The last time I posted was in fact a few years ago shortly after some debated and discussed the impact the Lonestar Meteor has had in the hobby. As well as the assumed number counts of them - which I'm not touching again with my ten foot pole despite my own verified estimate a few years ago. I must say the Meteor is both very cute as well as a very awkward boat on the water in some respects.

When I said it was a dangerous craft for a family - well, in my case and observations, I simply would not want to go thru what I did again. I almost lost a valuable boat as well as put a few lives in jeopardy. Was I an experienced boater? Well, at the time I had only owned other boats that did not pose any problematic issues when boating - except when I left the drain plug out. Modern boats today a newbie can for the most part jump in and take off w/o issues. Now, some of our precious classic boats are another thing and I won't go too far into things because I understand the opinions of both sides of the discussion above and do respect both personalities indeed as friends of mine.

Thus, I guess the "best" thing one may conclude with a little bit of Meteor 'torpedo experience' etc. under the wing: just be careful and have lifejackets "strapped on" and stay away from the wakes of large boats etc.

And of course - boating is done at your own risk.

- Brad

I hope no one takes this the wrong way. To me it dooes not matter if it is the Queen Mary or an inner tube, boats are made to go in the water, water is wet. People go in boat in water, All get wet at some point. All boats that float are safe. If they don't float they are not safe. After boating for around 40 some odd yrs From ships to prams I find the only thing unsafe on the water are the people in the boats. So lets try and keep this a safe sport and have fun no matter what we riding in and get alittle wet along the way. Skip.

Hey Brad, this is a beautiful restoration and one to be proud of. As with any custom resto, car or boat, it is the attention to the little details that matter the most but get noticed the least.

I am speaking in regards to the superb job done on the rubrail and the interior metal work.

Would you mind sharing your method and engineering of this clean looking application?

The smaller original grooved rubrail to the 1956 Meteor had a small channel that screwed on the boat first and then the grooved rubrail snap fitted on over that and did not show any screws. How did you use a larger rubrail and attach it to the boat with out showing any screws?

How did you make the curved S bend upward near the windsheild on the larger rubrail?

How did you bend/form the interior grooved aluminum over the console and the side gunwells and attach without showing screws.

The Meteor script on the side of the tailfins is a nice touch.

I have a 1956 Meteor that I hope to restore in the future. I would love to incorporate these ideas into my boat, any
insight on these items, if you would not mind sharing, would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Aqualoco