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This Glasspar G3 is For Sale

UPDATE:  7/30/09  This boat has sold!  Even though the boat has sold, I am still a G3 fanatic.  If you are interested in listing your G3 for sale, then please let me know as this site receives massive targeted exposure for this classic boat.  I will list it for a one time payment of $50.  The buyer found me from this site and drove all the way from Philadelphia for this boat!

Old description of the boat that has just sold:  I am selling the Glasspar G3 boat that is on this page.  This boat is in great condition for its age and was actually in a boat show a couple years ago.  The 1963 100 horsepower antique Mercury Kiekhaefer engine pushes the boat at about 35 miles per hour.  I want to sell it to an owner that will appreciate it as it is an extremely fun boat to own.  I cannot take it out on the river without attracting lots of attention!  It is located in Rockford, IL.  I am asking $3,500.  When I purchased the boat, I installed new vinyl seats, a Momo woodgrain steering wheel, a new shiny chrome throttle control, a new bilge pump, and also put new vinyl on the rest of the boat interior.  I have had an antique Mercury expert from Chicago do all of the work on the engine.  The transom has been reinforced in the past, and trim tabs have been installed as well.  The trailer will be included.  This boat is ready to rock.

(Click on any of the pictures on this page to see the enlarged image, and then click the back arrow in your browser to return to the homepage)

Glasspar G3 in Madison Boat Show

Glasspar G3

This is a picture of my Glasspar G3 Skiboat at the fundraiser boat show at Kristi’s Landing in Madison, WI.  This boat show is primarily a wood boat show.  However, the show coordinator did invite fiberglass boats as well.  My G3 Skiboat was one of two fiberglass boats in attendance.

Glasspar Company History

The famous Glasspar boatbuilding company was born in 1949 when Bill Tritt began building small fiberglass boats hulls in his factory in Santa Ana, CA.

Bill Tritt had a passion and very keen interest in boats and cars before World War II, when he studied marine architecture and boat building. He worked for Douglas Aircraft’s Production Planning and Illustration Departments during WW II, and by 1945, he had constructed a number of catamaran sailboats. In 1947, John Green, a yachtsman friend, paid Tritt to design and build a racing sailboat in the twenty foot range. Fiberglass seemed the logical construction material, and Otto Bayer of Wizard Boats was enlisted as laminator. The boat was nicknamed the Green Dolphin, and four were built in various lengths. This was Tritt’s introduction to fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP). By 1947 he was building small fiberglass boats, and built the first ever fiberglass masts and spars for sailboats. He became a pioneer in the industry.  His company became the Glasspar Company and moved to larger quarters from Costa Mesa to Santa Ana, California, in the early 1950s. By the mid 1950s, Glasspar was producing 15 to 20 percent of all fiberglass boats sold in the U.S.

Glasspar built boats in ranges from car toppers to twenty foot models and everything in between. Just prior to 1969, when Glasspar was sold off, there were even twenty-one and twenty-five foot ocean going models that Tritt had produced. Boats were often given Mediterranean sounding names and the boat classes within the model were often indicated by a model type, and then model name with a hyphen in between. For example in the fourteen foot range there was a model called the Lido which came in three configurations. The Sport-Lido, Club-Lido, and Lido (standard). Another line, called the Mariner, might include the Sport-Mariner, Club-Mariner, or Mariner (standard) model. Some boat models were also named for areas in and around Southern California such as Avalon on the island of Catalina.

My Unique Glasspar G3 Skiboat

This website is dedicated to my 1970 Glasspar G3 boat and will discuss some of the enhancements that I have made to it. It definitely did not look like this when I brought it home!

The Glasspar G3 was named after the G3 missile because of its unique fiberglass shape. My G3 in the header picture above came with a 1963 Kiekhaefer Mercury 1000. This antique engine turned out to be in exceptional condition! The only issue that I had was with the choke solonoid, which I was able to fix. You might ask, why did this guy want a Glasspar G3? Well, I have to say that there was something about this particular boat that grabbed my attention. Other boats did not always have this same effect, especially ones that were similar in price.

My 1963 Kiekhaefer Mercury 1000 Pushing My G3

(100 Horsepower)

1974 Glasspar G3 Vintage Ad Picture

Glasspar Vintage Ad

Glasspar G3:  A rakish, sleek, surefooted speedster built for skiing and general hustle.

Quick precise steering, deluxe wrap-around seats and wide beam stability make it a skier’s dreamboat.

Available in stylish two-tone bronze and gold or metallic red with white trim. BIA rated for 95 h.p.

Specifications
Gunwale length:  15’1″
Centerline length:  14’2″
Maximum beam:  78″
Transom beam:  78″
Cockpit depth: 1’10″
Weight O/B:  700 lbs.
B.I.A. Load capacity rating O/B: 1150lbs.
Bottom contour:  Modified-V
B.I.A. horsepower rating O/B: 95

Hello Glasspar G3 Enthusiasts!

My name is John and I live in Machesney Park, IL.  I am a Glasspar G3 Boat enthusiast myself.  Therefore, I have created a place where other G3 boat enthusiasts can gather to hold coversation.  Please be sure to check out the category: My G3 Boat to see the 1970 Glasspar G3 boat that I revamped 2 years ago.  It was a little dull when I purchased it, but I put some work into it and now it glistens!