76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

[daydreamer1252]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Santo

Looks to me like you have the right attitude........too many would be DONE already.....you have the makings of a neat boat and an adventure..... some frustration and exhilaration...

Enjoy the journey....nothing will compare with the first trip to the lake with the completed boat...

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

santo101979,
Well first and foremost congrats on getting the boat home.
It sounds like it is already starting to provide you with memories.
You used two words that rarely go together, Free, and boat.
Nothing is ever really free or at least rarely free.
Good luck on the project and I'll be looking forward to following your progress.
Bob

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

So I've been trying to work on the boat as much as possible but the weather here in Chicago has been really cold. I purchased a 150000 Btuh Kerosene bullet heater which has made it possible to get out to the boatpartment. Last weekend I was able to get the heater fired up and finally do some work. My fiancee and I were able to get the boat seats, bow pads, vinyl side panels, and carpet removed last weekend. Today we spent the day cleaning and vaccuming out the 30 years worth of crap, pine needles and cones, dust dirt and sludge from the bow, stern well and deck. I got the engine dropped down by removing the tilt trim cylinders from the engine. Took the covers off the engine and was attempting to perform a compression check but I'm not sure if I was getting a good reading. I got 60, then 90, then 120 reading on the first cylinder and the same various readings from cylinder 2 and 3 but was not able to get the gauge attached to the 4th, its too tight to get it threaded in. So far after 2 full days of work we've got alot stripped out and the garage(boatpartment) outfitted with shop lights, security items, and a heater.

Its most definitely going to be a lot of work but its a labor of love. I would have like to made more progress but so far no serious problems found.

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

I've got a question for you guys. I've started stripping everything off the boat to prepare for a through cleaning, sanding, and buff polish. However, I am having one heck of a time getting the rails, cleats, and windshield off the boat. Some of the heads on the bolts are stripping out making it tuff to remove. When I get towards the bow of the boat the cleat and rail screws are burried under the bow seats. How are you guys handling the removal of your rails and cleats? Any thoughts on this?

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

It sounds like you had a great memorable trip. I'm surprised that you didn't find any kittie poo when you were doing the cleaning of the boat. LOL. That's funny. You have a great looking boat and the work will be worth it for sure. As far as your screws go, you can drill some of the heads off the ones accessible to do so. Not sure about the others without pics.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Just a little footnote. By the HIN on your boat in the pic you provided your boats info is the following. ..

Free HIN Check Results
HIN: glass444m75e
Model Year: 1975
Certification Year: 1975 (December)
Manufacturer: GLASTRON BOATS
Not your manufacturer? Click here.
Manufacturer City/State: LITTLE FALLS MN

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

It sounds like you had a great memorable trip. I'm surprised that you didn't find any kittie poo when you were doing the cleaning of the boat. LOL. That's funny. You have a great looking boat and the work will be worth it for sure. As far as your screws go, you can drill some of the heads off the ones accessible to do so. Not sure about the others without pics.

You know that funny you mentioned that. Elly (my fiancee) was cleaning out the bow storage today and said it smelled like cat poo! I had to laugh! Those bolts are the devil but I see other people on here with everything tore off so its got to be possible, just have to find the way to get it done. Its a labor of love so all the hard work will really pay off.

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Just a little footnote. By the HIN on your boat in the pic you provided your boats info is the following. ..

Free HIN Check Results
HIN: glass444m75e
Model Year: 1975
Certification Year: 1975 (December)
Manufacturer: GLASTRON BOATS
Not your manufacturer? Click here.
Manufacturer City/State: LITTLE FALLS MN

Your absolutey right. When I started this thread I didnt actually have the boat yet and was going off of the pictures I had, I got pretty close tho. But now that I have her I got the original factory paper work and it is a 1975. I'd like to change the title of my thread if I could but I dont know how and I dont want to start a new one all over. But thanks for the info and you were spot on.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Apparently you can only edit thread titles for a certain amount of time. I just tried to edit it and it only changed the first post. Your signature may look a bit different though

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Here are some pictures of getting her home, our mascot Captain Pedro Guadalupe Swarrow, and the boatpartment.

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Here are some pictures of getting her home, our mascot Captain Pedro Guadalupe Swarrow, and the boatpartment.

I should be getting more pictures soon to show what she looks like now that ive had a few weeks to work on her. P.S. Why do we call our boats her and she, especially when mine is named Mr. Bill?

 

[McGR]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Nice Glastron there. You better get Captain Pedro a coat he looks cold in Chicago.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

How did you make you getting those trim pieces off? Any luck with that? And here is one answer for why are boats call she..

Because a ship carries, protects, and eventually delivers her cargo or passengers as does a mother with her child.
And because most boats up until at least 1970 were owned by men.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Hey santo101979,
I really liked the pic's of the trip back home. That had to be a real shock on that boat. I also agree with McGR, you really need to get Mr. Pedro a coat.
On the screw problem I would recommend screw extractors, The new style work pretty good. The only other ways are to drill or try to get them from the back side with vise grips.
Nice looking boat, and good luck. I would love to more pic's of the trip home, really cool.
Skip the snow.
Bob

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

How did you make you getting those trim pieces off? Any luck with that? And here is one answer for why are boats call she..

Because a ship carries, protects, and eventually delivers her cargo or passengers as does a mother with her child.
And because most boats up until at least 1970 were owned by men.

Didnt make out real well with the pulling the rails, cleats, etc... I brought the screw extractor but even with that I still had to get behind the gunnels with the vice grips. I was able to get up and behind there for the panel removal but for the rails, mounted on top, its a crap shoot trying to blindly get the pliers grasping the tiny nut not grabbing the bolt and if you lock onto the bolt I end up stripping the threads and the nut gets down so far and seizes up, total P.I.T.A. I tried unscrewing the starboard sided rail base but the heads just mushed up so I took the extractor bit to the head, drilling it out then you flip to the threaded end and try to work it in. Once that was done I tried like heck to grab onto the tiny nut on the under side of the bolt with vise grips but in my previous attempts I mucked up the threads and since the boat builder used 2" through bolts I have a ways to spin that nut out and it got stuck after a few spins.

I've been reading all of the guys threads and see pics of boats like mine (see jcersca) who clearly was able to pull the rails from the pics I've seen,am I missing some trick? Im almost thinking of just pulling the rub rail and popping the cap so I can get at these buggers.

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Nice Glastron there. You better get Captain Pedro a coat he looks cold in Chicago.

Thanks! Yah, I got the cactus mascott in Arizona, I just thought it was hillarous and the perfect first addition to a boat that lived in the desert for 35 years and was going to see its first cold, snowy, icy weather ever. I didnt tell him we were going to the great white north cause I'll bet he would've bailed on us, LOL

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

If you were going to pull the cap off anyway, it's best to wait. If not, keep digging. Can you get vice grips at the nuts. Any way of breaking the bolt? What if you drilled down on top of the screw heads, at least the ones exposed. Your going to have to replace them anyway.

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

Hey santo101979,
I really liked the pic's of the trip back home. That had to be a real shock on that boat. I also agree with McGR, you really need to get Mr. Pedro a coat.
On the screw problem I would recommend screw extractors, The new style work pretty good. The only other ways are to drill or try to get them from the back side with vise grips.
Nice looking boat, and good luck. I would love to more pic's of the trip home, really cool.
Skip the snow.
Bob

Some more pics for ya bob, I dont have more of Mr. Bill just yet(I will as soon) but these are a few of my favorite from the trip.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

I agree with tallcanadian, if you are going to pull the cap.
One other way I have used in the past, was a Dremel tool with the small cut off blade.
Bob

 

[santo101979]

Re: 76 Glasstron Tri Hull Resto Project

If you were going to pull the cap off anyway, it's best to wait. If not, keep digging. Can you get vice grips at the nuts. Any way of breaking the bolt? What if you drilled down on top of the screw heads, at least the ones exposed. Your going to have to replace them anyway.

Drilling them out is the next plan of attack. If that doesent work then I'll have to pull the cap. I was thinking it would be easier to sand the interior if I pulled the cap but honestly Im a bit nervous about removing the rub rail and cap. I've read it can be a real chore.

I'll snap some pics once I get back to the boatpartment to show how it looks.