Glastron Carlson

[Craig]

On the way to the office this a.m. passed an old Glastron Carlson on a trailer (MD 3411 AX). I know "Glastron" may be a bad word here (I recall a post here a long time ago entitled "All Glastrons must die!"), but some of them had some mighty cool lines, especially the Carlsons. This one was like what I think was called a CVX. A pretty small boat, but I just thought they were cool when I was a kid. Recall also the hardtop Glastron Carlson Schimitar. Have seen a couple of those in the past few years. They were definitely ahead of their time. Hey, they ain't Donzi's but they did find their way into a few James Bond movies too. Pretty sure they're in bits of Live and Let Die, as well as Moonraker. I'm pretty sure when 007 pops out of a boat with a hang glider (in Moonraker?), it's a black Glastron Schimitar that he lets plunge over the water fall. I hate when they do that stuff. Its like Pete Townsend smashing collectible geetars!

[oldLenny]

We saw an old (green metallic in good condition) Glastron "Schimitar" at a dock in Gig Harbour while on the "South Puget Sound Fun Run."

It was interesting.

I also think that "all Glastrons must die" was in reference to a boat that Scot Van A bought to get the drive and engine out of for a project he was working on. I don't think it goes beyond that...?

[Digger]

I think the boat jump in "Live and Let Die" (Glastron GT150 I believe, Johnson outboard) is still in the Guinness book of world records-

spent much time in Glastrons as a kid...always thought that cut-out at each side of the transom was cool

[Craig]

Yes - that was it. The post about needing an outdrive from an old Glastron. I remember now.
While reminiscing on cool old boats, one of my favorites (as a wood boat enthusiast) was one not many people seem to know much about. Among the old Chris Crafts, Centurys, Garwoods, Ventors, etc, etc, was a Dunphy made in Oshkosh Wisc. They made a lot of average little runabout wooden outboards BUT they made, for a while in the early-mid 60's, a plywood inboard called an X-55 that they claim would run 55 mph in their literature with only a 215 hp Interceptor! I think it was like a Ford 315 (that's not a typo for 351), maybe it was a 316??. I know they were fast. Knew a guy that had one and we used to barefoot behind it. Last post reply reminded me of it re: Glastron's transom cutouts because these Dunphy X-55's had the rear corners, at and below the waterline, cut out also. It looked neat. Literature discusses the purposes. It was, for some of the production years advertised with the name "The Ski Boat" and claimed to be "The world's fastest inboard runabout!" At 55 mph, it may still be. Don't see too many inboards getting out of the mid 40's even still! Dunphy factory burned down way back when and I guess that was the end of them.

[Gearhead99]

Maybe it was a 312. That was an old "Y" block.

"Y" block engines were 239 ['54 only],272,292,312.

Modern engines 1963 or so forward would be 221,260,289 SBF. 332,352,390,406,410,427,428,430 Big block FE Fords.

[Craig]

Yep! 312 was the number I couldn't remember. Thanks!