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Dyounge:
Hello everyone, just registered. I was searching for a 1968-69 GT 160 bowrider and Google brought me to your GCOTD section. There is a clean looking and well documented one for sale in New Jersey. I've requested more pictures and some video, which he's agreed to provide this weekend. The wife and I love the look of these boats. But the hydro-electric 115hp Johnson has me a little nervous. How reliable are these and if there are issues, how difficult/expensive will the repairs be? Any general experience/advice with this type of boat is appreciated. Go for it or stay away?

http://forum.cgoamn.com/index.php?topic=1077.60
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/boa/d/1969-glastron-gt160-rare-take/6267057455.html

Thanks in advance!

75starflight:
Welcome to the group.
The 68-69 GT160 is a sweet boat. Buddy of mine five blocks from me has a red one.

things to check when you go to see it in person. check the transom, prod it with a flat blade screwdriver. All these old boats we love have some sort of rot 90% of the time. tilt the motor up and wiggle it up and down to see if the transom is solid if soft spots are not found. If the transom has a metal plate of any sort supporting the motor inquire why. (most likely the transom has a problem and the metal is a band-aid not a fix) Also, check the stringers with the screw driver. you should be able to access them through the ski locker in the bow or through the bow storage.

On the motor I would have no clue.

Otherwise, if it looks good overall I would try to get it.

Edit: also when checking the transom check the floor behind the seat back for soft spots also.

dorelse:
First of all...that's a LOT of money for one of those.  Yes, they're cool...$7k cool?  That's a strong ask...

Hopefully you have pictures/proof that the transom, stingers & floor have been replaced?  Not just the hatches...but the hull's been split, new stringers, transom and everything?

Like any tri-hull, they're going to ride rough, and they are stern heavy, so the bow will rise significantly unless you have passengers up front.

idk...I guess it depends how badly you want one.  Replacing the wood in the hull is the hard part...swapping OB's is the easy part in my book.  Lots of used one's if that one dies.

Welcome to the forums!

Plugcheck:
I have owned two of the 69-70 rude with hydraulic shift.  If you are the type of person who will check the fluid, keep and eye on the overall maintenance, then they are fine IMHO.  Never check or maintain them and they can be problematic.  I check and test all my drives in the fall, then in the spring before usage.  According to ad, all the wood is new.  Check anyway.  If truly solid as described, it might be worth his asking price.  If your unsure, get someone to look it over for you, worth the fee to have a pro survey it.   Good luck.

Hyperacme:
Welcome to the forum Dyounge !

Looks like a nice one, poke around for wood rot near motor mount holes, around bilge bowl /hull drain / stringer area, and where speedo pilot tube screws in.  Not an easy task to find rot in a transom, until you rip it apart ...
His ad makes it sound like original unrestored boat.
His price should come down by mid winter, unless it sells ... Kind of a gamble on your part ...
But ... You'll have about that much into restoring one in bad shape.

Old O/B motors are cheap ... kind of ... Find a newer one in great shape and paint / decal it like an older motor.

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