TOPIC: Should I or shouldn't I? 1968 Glaspar

So I got offered a 1968 (so he SAYS) 14ft fiberglassic. In trade for a rifle. Anyway, it is repainted, OK I guess, has a Wards period (or so it seems) 35 OB on it. He says it runs really well. It is on a period correct trailer, I think.

Here are my concerns

Are these one of the good fiberglass boats? It needs a part in the throttle control he says a gear in there broke last time he used it but says it still runs fine so I guess he was pulling the cable by hand to get it round on the lake. He says the motor runs great all the way from idle to top end but my real question is are these motors hard to find parts for? I guess since Many made the Wards motors that can be a loaded question..?? Funny but the color of the boat and trailer match my truck perfectly.....And a weird thing, looking at pics of the boats made by Glaspar of that vintage, none are exactly like this one. I can post a pic here in a few.

Here it is.

What kind of rifle? Be careful my Grandfathers Model 71 is worth about $3,000. I have a Pump 22 with a value of over $2,000. I have a Becker and Hollander 38 Auto pistol made in 1913 and it is only worth a couple hundred and is a very well made military piece. Not many made either of the original manufacturer. 100% of them went to German officers in WW I. Shoots 100% for a gun 95 years old. Know the value of your firearm before you trade it. I do own a few things handed down from my ancestors that are heirlooms and I will never sell.

I do know what it's worth, and believe me, I am getting a great deal or so I think depending on what the outcome of my questions are! HAHA! But since you are interested, it is a plane jane Remington (modern) 710 in 30-06 with a few extra mags and case. I traded a nice but inexpensive .38spl revolver for it that I bought for $150.00. I have a bunch of 1911s and all of them are worth FAR more than this boat!

68glastron,

NICE BOAT.

WELCOME ABOARD.

Fyi, the NICEST boat that I ever owned "cost" a used SKIL saw. - Passing STRANGE.

yours, satx

710 is valued around $300 in excellent condition. It has mixed reviews. Might be a great deal. I knew a fellow who traded a gem of a rifle for for an engine for his riding lawnmower once. It was a nice well preserved Garand. Mine were seen by two different people who know how to value firearms.He didn't hunt or have any interest in it. He knew I wanted to buy it too.

Mine is brand new save for the three rounds I fired after a bore sighting. It is a nice inexpensive rifle, and since I have 5 mags and the case with it it is all worth (selling outright these days) about $600.00. BTW I also have three boxes of premium grade ammo to go with it. But, the seller wanted around $1200.00 for the boat the way it sits.

BTW I know what firearms are worth, I have been doing firearms training videos (as well as other video and film production) for 35 years. And in doing so have been knowledgeable in firearms trading and selling (and of course purchasing) since the late 1960s. I will also add that your buddy got the raw end of the deal on that M1 Garand! That had to be worth much more than a motor for a lawn mower.

Been into firearms all my life. He traded the Garand for a 10 HP Tecumseh Sears lawnmower engine. Believe me he got screwed. LOL If you never had one of those they are not worth anything. I'd of gave him one out of the junk out back ,back then.

..68 G , WELCOME,: Have been a GlASSPAR member a long time &
would sort of vote NO on this rig.. Seems to be a common 14 ft Marathon. 1968 was the year Larson really took over Glasspar &
the styling went down hill . This is really a basic pond fishing rig
around the $350 mark .

As long as you are happy, that is all that matters. I just brought it up because many people do not know what their guns are worth. I've seen them for $300 and less. That's all. It was built as an inexpensive rifle. Many love it and many do not. You can find that with many firearms. My Model 88 is one. But in this case I paid $75.00 as a kid and have been offered $600.00 in the field. I just had some new parts made for it just about a year and a half ago. Many of the parts wore fast. Mine has had all the classic defects from the factory taken care of. My Gunsmith said it was worth more for parts than whole. But I've shot lord knows how many deer with it and I love to shoot it. It is only a 243. The parts he made for me installed was a whooping $63.60. I have many other rifles in 35 rem., 30-30, 30.06,348, and even 222. I have shotguns from double barrel hammers to my newest Model 1300 Winchester pump. How many, 6 or seven at least. Depends on how many I leave my boys keep that is in their possession. I in no way implied you do not know. By the way I never sold a gun in my life although I have given them to my kids.
I have two old boats. I think the Winner will be my favorite and it cost me nothing , and my MFG cost me $175.00 years ago. I have gotten much more than that's worth out of it. I had it out today in fact for first time this season. God it felt good. Welcome aboard and enjoy. There are many people here and they share all their experience and know how. It is a family and we help each other out.

I have the same gun in .270 win. Yours is probably worth +/- $350. Split says the boat is worth around $350, so looks about an even trade. Although a boat you don't use is a lot more expensive than a gun you don't shoot!

hi 68 glastron,i cant be of much help on the boat,but as for the motor it was made by gale if it is a 1963 or older,gale went out of bussness then,but you can get most parts ,because they are the same as johnson /evinrude.john

Split wrote:

..68 G , WELCOME,: Have been a GlASSPAR member a long time &
would sort of vote NO on this rig.. Seems to be a common 14 ft Marathon. 1968 was the year Larson really took over Glasspar &
the styling went down hill . This is really a basic pond fishing rig
around the $350 mark .

WOW! Around here the best thing you can get for 350 is something old, fiberglass, missing just about everything and sitting on the ground. I guess things are different from localle to localle! I imagine it is the way it is here because there are so few vintage boats since we have basically no lakes. There are only a few lakes in this entire state where one can use a power boat. And none are closer than 3hr away from where I live. I do keep my trailer and use to keep my other boats up at the closest nice lake, and still might consider this one if I can find parts for the motor. It all really hinges on the model of the motor now. I will have all the VIN or serial number information Thursday so we shall see!

john-gibson wrote:

hi 68 glastron,i cant be of much help on the boat,but as for the motor it was made by gale if it is a 1963 or older,gale went out of bussness then,but you can get most parts ,because they are the same as johnson /evinrude.john

Thanks John, I will know more about the motor on Thursday. At least I have all the tools and enough knowledge to work on it myself. I have had 4 vintage fiberglassics, use to be here under a different name and after selling off my last FG, a 1964 Lone Star, I fell away from the site for a long while.

Just to let you guys know what prices for the old boats are like here. There is a super neat looking, but VERY sunbaked hull here for $450.00 firm. It is sitting on the ground, he doesn't know what it is but it is a 1961 14ft Redfish Shark. It is soooo coll looking but needs EVERYTHING! No motor, no trailer, no interior, no electrics, no widnscreen, nothing....And he wants 450. The other dude here has a 60s Owens, also very cool looking, but HE wants 3500 and it needs a complete restoration. Yeah, people here are NUTZ!

with the pic given, i would say its a chrysler built unit, and I dont think that is a glasspar hull, close but no cigar. infact it looks like the keel is rotted out from sitting on the trailer for many many years. I would keep the gun and keep looking. BUT this is just my opinion.

Around here, things are weird. People with wooden boats...sometimes nothing more than half-rotted hulks held together by gravity...think they are sitting on a gold mine and ask prices that make a person laugh out loud. On the other hand, 1950's-60's fiberglass boats seem to turn up now and then for peanuts.

I just bought a 1963 Glasspar Seafair sedan, unmolested, no motor but sitting on a decent original trailer w/good tires. Transom and decking is rock-solid and boat is 100% complete...all the trim and goodies plus full canvas, interior cushions, title for boat and trailer, etc...$350...and the guy bought me a beer!

Shoot Naut, if we had those deals round here, I would have ten projects on my land!

How do you get rotted out hull from that horridly taken cel pic? Man, I can barely see the real body lines in the hull. I looked at all the period pics of the Glaspars, and it does look like a couple but the risers on the gunwales are no on any of the pics I saw. I will say that none of the pics are really clear enough perspective wise to see them clearly on the older Glaspar ads. He did tell me it is indeed a Glaspar, that the VIN or serial number on the title for the boat is correct for the boat and the title says it is a Glaspar. BUT I will find out tomorrow, I am going to look at it in person.....with a discerning eye.

Take a little screwdriver with you that will fit into your hand. Some people don't like pokers. And I'm a poker.

This time I think I even outdid myself! Here's my latest acquisition as of 10:00 this morning. All original classic 1969 Bertram 25, twin Mercruiser 170's, running when parked and winterized three years ago...$2,500. Must be all my clean living.

Wow, Am I wrong but isn't a Bertram a highly sought after boat?

Yes, I've wanted one for years but wasn't able/willing to meet the "going rate." They seem to be selling for somewhere in the high $20's to low $30's. Many consider them to be the ultimate trailerable fishing machines. I guess I'll gussy her up, get her running well, play with her out on the lake for a season and then put her back up for sale. I live in extreme western SC...250 miles from Charleston. There's not much salt water fishing available here and I damned sure can't afford to move!

Looking over you pic again I have to say that your cement block on it's side is not a great idea. The block is much stronger lying the right way. The webbing in a block was never meant to support that much weight. I'd feel better if you turned it the other way. I've seen cars break blocks set that way. I used to tender block layers many years ago.

Being a former general contractor, I totally agree. The photos are of the boat where/how she sits now in Hyannis, MA. When she arrives here, things will be done differently.

I should be going to look at it this week. I do know how to inspect a boat so will be very careful in checking it out completely before I pull the trigger....no pun intended! Anyway, I also will have him start and run it on the hose before believing it runs. Last boat I bought for a restoration was a 70s disco glass boat, with one of the dreaded 75hp three cyl Mercs on it. The guy promised it ran and was pretty fast, and it DID start and rev with no load on it. BUT I was never able to get it to go anywhere when in the water. So a complete inspection is in order.