Glass Craft

[Chucklong]

image.jpgHello, my name is Chuck Long, i'm from Spokane Wa. I recently picked up a 1959 Glass Craft Crown Imperial. It needs a lot of work and I am just getting started. Similar model to fellow member (Karl). Beautiful restoration Karl!! Came with the 70 hp Mercury dockbuster. Got rid of that right away, love the old inline Mercs! Hate the dockbusters though!!! No neutral, Carl K. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! Boat has left hand steering (common with the old Mercs and Scott's as they had counter-clockwise rotating propellers and the driver's weight was supposed to counter the propeller torque so the boat wouldn't list to the right. I picked up a 1967(?) Johnson 100hp and I'm wondering if I need to relocate the steering wheel to the right side. I'm hoping some of you members have some experience or insight.image.jpgimage.jpg

[Steve_Kiesel]

Love those cleats. The whole rig looks pretty good. Great find.

[Karl]

Chuck, congratulations on the glass craft. It is a really fun boat to drive. With the rounded hull, it really leans into the corners but yet it still doesn't bite. I left mine with port side steering and it doesn't affect driving it all. I have a 85 horse 62 Merc on it Please feel free to message or call me if you have any questions on your restore.

[Chucklong]

Hey thanks Karl, saw your Glass Craft on eBay, wondered who owned it. Great cloud white tower of power. These boats seem rare as I had never seen one until I bought mine, love the fins and wrap-around seating. I see your boat is licensed in Washington. What lake or river do you usually use it at. Those Johnson and Evinrude boats are really sought after these days. They manufactured and sold a terrific trailer with those, do you have one of those with your Johnson boat? Chuck

[Chucklong]

Thanks Steve. I see you have one of those Seafair Sedans by Glaspar, those are so cool and popular. Did you have to do much restoration work on it? Chuck

[Karl]

Yes, I do have the original trailer for my 1964 Johnson runabout. I have a 1969 115 Johnson and an 85 hp 1972 evenrude running on it. We have a cabin on Lake Nahwatzel, which is about 15 minutes outside of Shelton.
Actually, I picked my Glass Craft up locally in Aberdeen. It was literally a blackberry find.

[Steve_Kiesel]

Thanks Chuck. I had it repainted plus a few upgrades on the interior. Still more to do, but I never seem to get to it. Also changed the power from a Merc to the 60hp Johnson that's on it now. Here's a picture from when I smuggled it across the border from Walnut Creek Ca.

glasspar 006.jpg

[Kelly]

I suddenly wanted a Glasscraft after seeing Karl's in person! Cool boats for sure!
This pic makes me think of a 60's drag race about to happen...Chuck in his '50 Merc (big, bulky sled but cool) and Karl in his '57 Chev (for obvious reasons)...just missing the girls on the side and one in the middle throwing down the start scarf!
Chuck and Karl.jpg

[Chucklong]

Hey Karl, when I'd said I saw your Glass Craft on eBay I meant youtube. Chuck Long

[Karl]

That's great Chuck, because I was worried that my wife might've put it up for sale

[Kelly]

The ebay post had me take a double take! Glad to hear it was youtube instead

[Wally]

Without a gear box in the lower unit, does the Dockbuster have less resistance in the water? I've never made the comparison. Cheaper to make?

[Chucklong]

I'm sure they have a little less resistance as the lower unit is so much smaller than the lower unit on the full gear shift models. The dock busters were fast but in my opinion they were very impractical for a typical family runabout. My family had one when I was young and I remember having to untie and shove off from the dock before starting. On a windy day, if it did not start you would have to row back, also hard to dock it in a boat slip if it was windy. Chuck long