Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

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karguy

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I found a rare Switzer boat near me recently at anabandoned house. I've been able to track down the owner but he wants $2,500 for it. It is complete, supposedly running SBC engine and the hull is in very good shape and looks like the original gelcoat may actually buff up nice. Sad he let it sit outside like this. It caught my eye because of its sleek design. I've never seen a boat like this.

I restore cars and have the ability to restore this boat. But just like my car restorations... I don't restore 4 door Mavericks or 4 door Dodge valiants because the value is just not there. In searching the web, I can find very little about the GL20-GL21 series and no similar boats running or for sale anywhere. I saw one blurb where a nephew of Bob Switzer claimed there were only 12 of these made.

If anyone can give me any insight as to its value so i can consider restoring it I'd appreciate it. Otherwise it will be doomed to scrap when the house is demolished. Thanks in advance.
 
ezmobee

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

What brand of drive does it have? There are very few truly "collectible" boats that warrant a premium price. Got any pics?
 
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karguy

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

ezmobee said:
What brand of drive does it have? There are very few truly "collectible" boats that warrant a premium price. Got any pics?
Click to expand...

It's got a Mercruiser 260 in it (SBC power)

0108161333_01.jpg


0108161343_01.jpg


0108161543_01.jpg
 
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karguy

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Frank Acampora

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

102_0263.jpg103_6231.jpg103_6229.jpg102_0267.jpg102_0266.jpg

If you are restoring it because you like it, then yes, buy it, or try to get it at a little less money. However, Switzer hulls were high end and pricey to start. The owner may not move on price, especially if he is not motivated to sell.

If you are restoring it to make money, then forget it. Boats are not like cars and even restored to factory original condition, they do not command high prices. In fact, very few are so desireable that they appreciate in price at all: Glastron GT150, Glasspar G3 to name a couple. Switzer is less well known. You would need to find a motivated buyer who knows the value of the hull.

I paid 1000 for this (James Bond Boat) GT150 which I considered too high BUT----I wanted the boat. It needs a full resto and will be worth less than the cost of initial price and restoration when finished. And that's considering that I am doing all the work myself.
 
Philster

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

karguy said:
http://www.hydrostream.org/Literature/SwitzerGL20.pdf

Why won't this site allow me to edit my own posts? When I open "edit" and type in the changed texts it will not post it, it just freezes. Then I have to open a new reply to add.
Click to expand...

Might be because you are new. Get some more posts in and all features should square themselves away (it's about fighting spammers).
 
ezmobee

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

Well that is certainly a unique looking hull. However it looks to be in poor condition and will likely need a complete refit. The price has an extra zero on the end of it.
 
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karguy

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

Frank Acampora said:
View attachment 128020View attachment 128021View attachment 128022View attachment 128023View attachment 128024

If you are restoring it because you like it, then yes, buy it, or try to get it at a little less money. However, Switzer hulls were high end and pricey to start.

If you are restoring it to make money, then forget it. Boats are not like cars and even restored to factory original condition, they do not command high prices. In fact, very few are so desireable that they appreciate in price at all: Glastron GT150, Glasspar G3 to name a couple. Switzer is less well known. You would need to find a motivated buyer who knows the value of the hull.

I paid 1000 for this GT150 which I considered too high BUT----I wanted the boat. It needs a full resto and will be worth less than the cost of initial price and restoration when finished.
Click to expand...

Well I figure the running SBC is worth at least $500 and the trailer looks excellent and around here I can get about $500 for the trailer so all is not lost. I just hate to see a cool piece of machinery bite the dust.

There is another website that states there were only one or two of these made in I/O configuration. I'm hoping to find out if that is true.
 
bonz_d

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

Grew up on the Fox Chain and have seen many a Switzer and had even owned a Plywood Switzer but have never seen one of those models. Good Luck.


Wow! Went to the link and found a picture of an old Day Crusier like the one I used to own. Memories! Would just love to find another one.
 
Summer Fun

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

I found a rare Switzer boat near me recently at an abandoned house.
Click to expand...

Then he has no claim to it. If he wanted to keep it why didn't he take it with him ??.

If it were me I'd back the truck up to it and be on my way home with it. :)
 
5150abf

5150abf

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

So if your car were parked at an abandoned house it is fair game too?

He still owns the boat and if the op ever wants to get paper on it he has to deal with the owner, 2500 is way too much for that boat and as a previous poster said there are very very few "collectable" boats, the really old wooden hulls are about the only collectable boats.

If you want to restore it because you like the boat go for it at a much lower price, tell the own if it runs you want to hear it run, it ran the last time I had it out 15 years ago doesn't count as a running engine.
 
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karguy

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

I would need the title for both the boat and trailer here in Florida. So waiting a bit for him to come to his senses is the plan. house will be demolished in about 90 days.
 
oops!

oops!

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

Hi ......welcome to iboats.

If I understand your thinking....you would like to restore the boat.....and because of its rarity.....you would like to sell it at a profit. Correct?

Wont happen. sorry....
Boats aren't like cars.....as mentioned.....there very few boats that are worth money restored, and fewer fibreglass boats worth money.

Boat restoration is a labour of love....
and boats are a giant hole in the water that you throw money down....

It looks like it would be a great candidate boat for restoration.....really cool lines.....but if you want to fix it to make money like a car.....forget it.
 
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karguy

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

No, it's not all dollar signs. With the cars I do, the values of them dictate the extent of restoration or the restoration budget. If I have no idea what a car is worth I can't inteligently make decisions on how far to go. As an example.... if I am restoring a 1959 Eldorado convertible I know it's worth about $80,000 finished so I can go ahead and put a full correct leather interior back in it and be OK. If I'm restoring a 67 Pontiac Catalina that's only worth about $15000 finished an $8000 leather interior is out of the question. Restored value helps set a budget on the restoration. Without knowing values I'm shooting in the dark and I don't waste my family's money needlessly. With most cars I can do research and get those answers myself. With this boat there is no others to compare it to and I'm finding zero info anywhere on the net about it.
 
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haulnazz15

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

karguy said:
No, it's not all dollar signs. With the cars I do, the values of them dictate the extent of restoration or the restoration budget. If I have no idea what a car is worth I can't inteligently make decisions on how far to go. As an example.... if I am restoring a 1959 Eldorado convertible I know it's worth about $80,000 finished so I can go ahead and put a full correct leather interior back in it and be OK. If I'm restoring a 67 Pontiac Catalina that's only worth about $15000 finished an $8000 leather interior is out of the question. Restored value helps set a budget on the restoration. Without knowing values I'm shooting in the dark and I don't waste my family's money needlessly. With most cars I can do research and get those answers myself. With this boat there is no others to compare it to and I'm finding zero info anywhere on the net about it.
Click to expand...

That boat, in fully restored condition, will likely never fetch more than $7-8K in fully restored condition, and that's if you found a really enthusiastic buyer. You just have to realize that unless someone wants it for purely nostalgiac reasons, it isn't much different from a lot of boats. You would have to drop that much or more into it to get the hull and interior back into good condition, and that doesn't include the stringers/transom that have likely rotted from sitting in the rain/outdoors. Basically, the only think of any dollar-value is the engine, and it may or may-not be any good. If it is siezed or needs major work, you are looking at another $1,500 for a reman'd long block. The outdrive may or may not be serviceable either. Unless you can buy it for less than $500 and just clean it up with the essentials without having to mess with any mechanical aspects, you are likely going to lose money.
 
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karguy

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

Well if that is the case its fate will likely to become a boat car. That's kind of like a dunebuggy with a boat body set down over a VW chassis instead of a dune buggy body. :(
 
Frank Acampora

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Re: Rare Switzer Craft GL20 or GL21 I/O found.... Any info??

You can print out some of these replies and take them to the owner. Tell him the consensus is if he drops the 2 off the front, It might be worth buying. At any rate, I would not ever buy it for 2500. No matter what you do with it, at that price, it is way overpriced.

Yeah, I know: It is a rare boat---yada, yada, yada---so are AMC Pacers. Try to give one of them away! Again, unlike the auto market, rare in a (FIBERGLASS) hull does not necessarily mean much. There just isn't the large market base that, for example, muscle cars have. And, there is no well known auction like Mecum where you can price comparables.
 
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