TOPIC: New to forum w/Glastron '79 GT-150

I happened upon the forum here about a week ago when I was Googling for videos of other Glastron GT-150's. I found the the videos MarkS had posted in his forum post about his GT-150 project. Since I have a '79 GT-150 and had some experience I could share concerning the chine walking that seems to be inherent with GT-150's, I joined the forum.

Since everyone here is proud of their classic boats and likes to show them off, I thought I would too. There is a story behind my GT-150 that I think is rather special.

Flashback 32 years ago to 1980----
I'm in the Air Force. I just got married and had just re-enlisted. Being a B-52 tailgunner, I got a $12,000 re-enlistment bonus because it cost less to re-enlist a gunner than the $250K or so it cost to train a new one. With $12K in my pocket, I decided to buy a new boat that I saw in the local Glastron dealer.




It was a 1980 Glastron GT-150 like the one in the the James Bond movie "Live & Let Die"


In Oct 82, we moved to ND. The next summer, it disappeared from the parking lot of our apartment building. The smoldering remains sans motor, were later found about 60 miles to west of Grand Forks.

Fast forward to the last week of July 2009

---

Early that week, our son called to say hi and told me my birthday present was coming via UPS. A few days later, on the morning of my birthday, he called again and wished me a happy bd. I asked what he was up to and he said he was working and had to go to the south side of Nashville to work on the company's emergency back-up computer server.

Later that day he calls again and asks me how I liked my present. I replied that nothing had showed up yet. He says, well, heck, the UPS website says it's been delivered. (I begin to think that UPS has delivered our stuff to one of the neighbors again.) My son suggests to maybe go check next door. So I'm walking over to the neighbor's house while still on the phone with my son. Then from around the curve, comes a pickup and a boat. I'm thinking wow, that truck looks just like my son's and that boat is just like the old Glastron we had 30 years before! To my total surprize, the truck slows to a stop in front of me and I see my son's wife in the passenger's seat and then see my son behind the wheel. By now I have totally forgotten about it being my birthday. I am also rather confused since just 6 hours before he told me he was in Nashville. (It's a good 14 to 15 hour drive.) Then I'm thinking "Ok, what the "F" did he buy now?"

He pulls into the driveway, gets out of the truck, comes over and gives his totally confused & surprised dad a big hug, hands me some boat keys and says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!" Needless to say, I was dumbstruck speechless.

It's a 1979 Glastron GT-150, but identical to the boat we had about 30 years before. For being a 30 year old boat, it is in incredibly pristine condition.


I knew our daughter and grandson were coming for the weekend too. But I wasn't expecting them until very late since she had to put in a full day at work. Well, about an hour after our son showed up with the boat to everyone's surprise, she show up MUCH earlier than expected. So for supper that night we had our son & wife, older daughter and grandson here for burgers on the grill. All in all, it was a pretty decent birthday.

That weekend we took the boat to the lake and had a great time!!

Here is the original boat with our son when he was about 2 years old:


Here is the "new" boat with my grandson:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/6129_112991514204_2477228_n.jpg[/img[img] sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/6129_112991514204_2477228_n.jpg[/img

Pretty cool story TG, thank you for sharing it with us! I'd say that's a very considerate son you have there. Obviously he remembers how special that boat was to you. (Or maybe wants another ride!?)

Yep, great story and one damn fine boat! Always liked the GT's!

That's a great story...looks like you got a HP upgrade too! Now seal that transom top good to preserve it if original.
You did not mention much about chine walking but it is more of an issue today than yesteryear because of prop improvements. Modern performance props will hold the bow higher and are more efficient all of which increases speed and reduces wetted area. The shallow V boats will ride on a narrower area of the v as the boat climbs up and out of the water. Because it is balancing on a narrower area it is more suseptible to tipping from side to side, hence chine walk. This is further exagerated with any slop in the steering that allows the motor to wiggle back and forth from the prop blades surfacing and reentering. Modern shallow v's have a flat pad at the bottom rather than coming to a point or slight round. This gives some width to the wetted area helping to tame chinewalk but generally does not completely eliminate it. Dual opposed steering cables help too, holding the motor more ridgid from wagging.
The GT 150's and 160's are classics indeed! Nice rig. Happy Birthday.
Randy

T.G. : WELCOME , CONGRATS. You write a good thread, can post more often.. I was waiting for the part when you went to a movie theater
& saw a James Bond movie. !!! I do have weak knees for metallic Gold, but lucky I have not found any close by For Sale. Son had GT -160 {PURPLE, in Florida, & we also carted him around since 3 yrs old to AOMCI motor meets.. He went on to work for OMC in Fla.

Welcome aboard, and what a great story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great looking boat, I've loved that hull since seeing it in the James Bond flick.

Bob