2004 Glastron SX 195 a good boat?? (Newbie here)

[L10KLMN]

Newbie here. Looking to buy a boat, and admittedly know nothing about boats. Definitely want a deck boat, but that's all I know thus far. We live in Minnesota and boat will only be used on inland fresh water lakes. We're a family of 3, but want room for friends and family as well and want to spend less than $15K. Want to just cruise, tube, fish...

Tonight we're looking at a 2004 Glastron SX 195 with a Volvo Penta 5.0L V8 220hp (listed for $11,500 and he says it has an "estimated" 150 hours) that I found on Craigslist.

So I guess my questions are:

Is this a decent boat given what we're looking for? What questions should I ask? What should I look for?

Thanks!

 

[roffey]

welcome, you will get lots of advice for sure...
have a look here http://forums.iboats.com/forum/gener...er-s-checklist

Personally I think Glastron boats are a good quality boat but some will disagree. With boats it all comes down to condition and how the boat was maintained by the owner. I think the price may be a little high but I bet the seller is setting the price for negotiation but once again condition is everything.

 

[roffey]

I did a little checking around and the sellers price may not be that high...

 

[jkust]

So if you want a deck boat, the sx 195 is not one. The SX series is their pretty basic model...not sure if they made the even lower-end MX series that year which is bare bones. Seems like a good first boat and has the carbed v8 which I realize is more common on this boat than the MPI fuel injected V8 but is a v8 none the less. Without the ability to verify the hours on the engine which can only be done if the engine has the MPI fuel injection system, you won't be in a position to believe or verify the hours on the boat. It doesn't really matter as you will want to have the engine and drive checked out if you are truly unable to make the assessments yourself. Not sure if the 04 models were using the former VEC technology Glastron used to use...I can't recall which year they started but believe it ended in 11 for Glastrons when the manufacturing moved. 150 hours should show virtually no wear and tear on the interior...that is like a new boat still as to how many hours it takes to really beat up a boat especially in low sun Minnesota where you don't get the sun damage they do in the southern states.
Where (which MN lakes) do you plan to boat on?
As for good-quality..I don't think that boat has any Stainless Fittings or rub rails or through hulls nor any of the materials that differentiate a more expensive quality boat from a you-get-what-you-pay-for entry level 19 footer. My neighbor just bought a 2017 Glastron 225 that was 60k and it is about as low quality as is possible for that price as you would expect....they are still just a entry level expectations type boat which is great for entry level boaters as you are learning.

 

[L10KLMN]

Where (which MN lakes) do you plan to boat on?

All the 10,000+ lakes

 

[L10KLMN]

I did a little checking around and the sellers price may not be that high...

I found the same info. Especially since he's offering tubes, kneeboards, towing ropes, etc. Although, I'll still negotiate.

I appreciate the help. It sounds like a good beginner boat, for a beginner-boating family!

 

[roffey]

I've always liked Glastron boats and at 19 and a half feet with a 5.0L 220 hp motor.... she will go.. and likely pull anything you want pulled across the water. My boat is about the same length with a 190hp motor and I can just touch 54mph on the GPS.

 

[oldjeep]

Looks in decent shapes in the CL ad. Price seems fair. Main thing is to give it a good water test and get the maint records if available.

 

[L10KLMN]

Looks in decent shapes in the CL ad. Price seems fair. Main thing is to give it a good water test and get the maint records if available.

Yeah, per the images it looks well maintained. We'll check it out good tonight. For being in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you'd think there'd be more boats for sale here, but gosh - it's been hard to even see one before it sells. Hopefully nab this one after an inspection

 

[jkust]

Yeah, per the images it looks well maintained. We'll check it out good tonight. For being in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you'd think there'd be more boats for sale here, but gosh - it's been hard to even see one before it sells. Hopefully nab this one after an inspection

I asked you which lakes you plan to boat on because I am in MN and certain lakes you may be more comfortable with a heavier boat or maybe a steeper dead rise. Used boats in MN tend to hit the market in the spring en masse and then the leftovers sit around and a few pop on and off the market. I've bought my last three boats from CL including two of my current boats. You tend to have to kiss a few frogs before you find the one you want. I found a combo of people flat out lying to get you out there as if somehow I would suddenly want a beat up piece of junk that you told me was nice, or that people simply have a different idea of what certain adjectives actually mean in practice. Perfect condition can mean that they hit nine out of ten docks they approached and not all ten. Or the vinyl is in excellent shape can mean a few cuts and slices and a hole or two. Or the impeller has recently been replaced can mean it was replaced in 2009 and they don't know enough to know how unacceptable that is. Then you find the one being sold by a normal person who is telling you exactly how it is. Sounds like you found out that competition from buyers is heavy in this state as is why our boats tend to cost more than some other states (as do many things).

 

[444]

Sounds like a good boat in that it will do what you want it to do. Since you are new to boats, definitely pay to have an inspection done before you drop that much coin. Inboard engine boats can have more issues with water penetration because they have a huge underwater hole in the transom where the drive goes through. If someone left this boat sitting in the water all summer, I wouldn't want it. My boat stays dry and garaged when not in use. A lot of guys leave them sitting out in their front yard letting them fill up with rain and snow year round and it doesn't take long for the interior and floors to rot out. Your inspector will be able to pick up on this sort of thing and definitely something to ask him about. I would sooner pay a premium for an older, well cared for boat than a newer one that was neglected.

Also keep in mind i/o engines need to be winterized before it freezes. You need to have antifreeze flushed through the block to blow the sea water out or you will end up with a cracked block next summer. An outboard engine does not require this process, they just get pulled out the water and parked.

Also, in case you are not aware, that boat will be thirsty. After an afternoon of tubing you will be looking to refill that 30 gallon fuel tank.

 

[jkust]

You need to have antifreeze flushed through the block to blow the sea water out or you will end up with a cracked block next summer.
.

Antifreeze isn't required or needed but that is for another discussion. Air doesn't freeze as they say.

 

[L10KLMN]

It was definitely well taken care of. Used about 15 hours per season, and when not in use, stored in a garage all summer and winter. It's an inexpensive boat that we hope to last about 5 years until we can upgrade.

jkust We did debate waiting until spring to buy one as we figured we'd have more options, but we did end up buying this one. Now I need to clean it up real good and it'll be ready for next year right when we want it. We will probably explore lakes close to the Twin Cities a lot as we live in Minneapolis, but we do go up to Gull Lake in Brainerd about 3 times a year as well (that's about as big a lake as we'll go to).

 

[jimmbo]

The SX 195 is actually an 18 1/2 foot boat. I have the 2002 version of it with a 5.7 VP powering it. The hull is the same but the deck/cap have some differences. I can say that in the early 2000s Glastron's quality left a lot to be desired. I had a transom delamination and many gel coat cracks. Glastron did F-all, but my dealer pulled the engine out and redid the transom. The Glastron Rep just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I'm sure the dealer ate the cost of the repair.
If you are serious about the boat, inspect the transom for gelcoat cracks where the cap fits over the transom. Any cracking there is a preview of things to come

 

[oldjeep]

That'll do fine on Gull, just need to pay attention in the wide open water for rollers. Same as you would need to do in Wayzata bay and around big island in Lake Minnetonka. Make it easy on yourself and start out on a lake that has a good ramp. Most miserable things in boating are shallow water and dirt ramps

 

[jkust]

We used to boat Gull back several years ago when we had an 18 footer. It can get dicey on the really windy days but is easy to deal with as long as you go slow.
The main Gull ramp was one of the better ones we used to use when we trailered. The zebras really made us not prefer that lake. I think the whole family got some nasty cuts over the years.

 

[oldjeep]

We used to boat Gull back several years ago when we had an 18 footer. It can get dicey on the really windy days but is easy to deal with as long as you go slow.
The main Gull ramp was one of the better ones we used to use when we trailered. The zebras really made us not prefer that lake. I think the whole family got some nasty cuts over the years.

We always used the ramp over by Zorbaz since it was closest to the place we rented each year.

 

[02Reaper]

I have a 2003 Glastron sx 195 with the vec hull. I think its a great size lake boat. When the water is choppy and theres a lot of wake from other boats I keep it slower because the boat is very light on the water and I don't want to beat the boat up with all the congestion. It still rides pretty good even then and there's hardly any splash at all that makes it into the boat. It rides pretty dang quite too, but I guess these points I listed are because of the hull design.

 

[jkust]

I have a 2003 Glastron sx 195 with the vec hull. I think its a great size lake boat. When the water is choppy and theres a lot of wake from other boats I keep it slower because the boat is very light on the water and I don't want to beat the boat up with all the congestion. It still rides pretty good even then and there's hardly any splash at all that makes it into the boat. It rides pretty dang quite too, but I guess these points I listed are because of the hull design.

Glastron has used the same hull since 1977 if I recall.

 

[Mule Laker]

The SX 195 is actually an 18 1/2 foot boat.

Should be a 19'. The GX185 is 18'.