Glastron 195SX

[hammlfam]

Hi everyone. I'm in the process(waiting on the loan) of trading in my 94 F/S for a new Glastron 195SX. What does everyone think of Glastron? Also, I'm still debating on the Volvo 4.3 or the Mercruiser 4.3. Or maybe the 5.0. The probem with the 5.0 is the only one he has is a mercruiser and when I test drove it it sounded real clunky when shifting between nuetral and forward and reverse. He said Volvo does a better job with the clutch system. He said Mercruiser does a better job with the Bravo series but this isn't a bravo series. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[blifsey]

Re: Glastron 195SX

I have a Glastron GX205 w/5.0 Mercruiser Alpha drive. My 5.0L is the carb'ed version at 220HP. We also traded up from a bass boat style fish & ski (an '84 Procraft). For "family enjoyment", there have been no regrets. I miss the fishabilty of the F&S sometimes but not often - I kept a little 14' aluminum boat for foshing and will fish from the Glastron now and then. IMHO, the Glastron is a nice boat for the price. There are several brands with highly priced features (more stainless steel, pop-up cleats vs standard cleats and other features). But, based on our budget, I feel we got a lot of bang for the buck. Some folks recommend going with a higher end brand used boat but we weren't interested in the used route (wife was adament she didn't want to take chances of having problems with boat).<br /><br />The Alpha drive does clunk a little going into gear, but after a little use, I've learned how to best shift to minimize clunk. You need to shift firmly from neutral into gear but not hard enough to apply too much throttle for situation. It really isn't too bad and if you look around, there are LOTS of older Alpha's still providing good service to their owners. Biggest mistake is easing it into gear and letting it "grind".

 

[KCook]

Re: Glastron 195SX

With bargain boats like the Glastron SX series, price means a lot. For haggling purposes shop against other dealer's boats like Caravelle, Tahoe, and VIP.<br /><br />Like HotByte, my friends with the Merc Alpha drive are Ok with it. If the clunk going into gear is bad, may just need adjustment. For a 4.3L the Merc would be my druthers. For a 5L I still like Merc, but if your dealer sells mostly Volvo, that is something to consider. Both Merc and Volvo work, the differences are pretty subtle IMHO.<br /><br />Here are some more threads to consider -<br /><br /> New Boat <br /><br /> Buying First Boat..... <br /><br />Kelly Cook

 

[RatFish]

Re: Glastron 195SX

Either outdrive is fine. Both have been around for years. Engine size is more important. IMHO... Get the 5.0L engine with the Mercruiser. You won't regret your decision.