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TOPIC: Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski
Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 14 years 5 months ago #35596
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Jet, on a boat like this with all that pwr I would realy get a new cable. As you will be seeing spds over 50 mph its a saftey issue. I run alot of small :Hot Rod: boats and you will need all the steering in perfect order. Chine walk will be a probable issue also, loose steering will through ya right outa that lil thing.......Be carfulllllllll
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 14 years 5 months ago #36025
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My local guy charges me $50 to do my little trailers and he does good work.
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 14 years 5 months ago #36026
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Pony is correct, the steering needs to be good or you will get chine walk at 50+ mph. Even good single cable steering can be "loose" enough to give you handling issues.
When I put dual cable on my Carlson Contender it went from a handfull to a dream. My boat now runs nearly 74 mph with a 1500 on it now and I can nearly let go of the wheel at WOT and let it run without fighting it. Conrad |
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 14 years 4 months ago #40373
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well thanks to the "new" G3 and the wife barring the baby from being allowed near the boat... I have put it in the glassifieds. If it doesnt sell Ill put a steering system in it over the winter and maybe ditch the bench for buckets and be water ready first thing in the spring. If it does sell, Ponyboy and I may have to talk.
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 13 years 4 months ago #66420
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Ponyboy, do you still have contact with the guy from Michigan that used to work in the boat factory, who had lots of old literature for the boats? Arnie Gray (the "G" in GW Invader) was my grandpa. Do you still have your Invader?
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 13 years 4 months ago #66422
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Ponyboy, do you still have contact with the guy from Michigan that used to work in the boat factory, who had lots of old literature for the boats? Arnie Gray (the "G" in GW Invader) was my grandpa. Do you still have your Invader?
Please note: although no board code and smiley buttons are shown, they are still usable. |
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 11 months ago #72711
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Hello
I have a similar boat, but don't have any insight on the year of the boat (could be a GW or a GX). I'm very curious about the comment about the Coast Guard killing the molds, which is really sad. There seems to be so little info about these that anything further you could share would be great. Are there any other good sources out there? Mine is 14'1" long (drag and ski or challenger?) blue metalflake top white bottom which I believe indicates earlier in the production run, and my dad has an original '71 Nike XT GX Invader 15'. The 15' has a 125 merc 1969 model on the back, and is scary. -Rand Leclair |
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 10 months ago #73521
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I'm Bob Van Dusen, and I live in northern Michigan. I think my GW Drag and Ski is one of the 12. I found it in the woods by Hubbard Lake. Paid $50 for it, and 12 years later, this is what it looks like now after a complete restoration. Just a little bit over powered...
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 10 months ago #73522
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Wow this post is gettin old! I have lost contact with Mark for now (winter) but Im sure I will see him again, since we started this thread I have sold the torpedo tunnel to a Guy in the Ft Wayne area and he is restoring it. And I bought and sold a 14' drag&ski. Im a little tired of spending all my summers grinding out old hulls!
A pic of what they should look like @ 70+ mph 
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 10 months ago #73540
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Welcome aboard Bob, awesome job on the restoration!
I hear ya Pony, I hear ya! I've made myself a promise NOT to buy another project until I've had a summer enjoying the GT project now that it's almost done. (Are they ever completely finished?) I'm having a tough time with it though, the urge to find and start another one is pretty strong at times. My wife accuses me of enjoying working on them in the garage as much as on the water, she may be on to something there!  |
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Mark
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 10 months ago #73570
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With the Drag and Ski, are the boats labelled as GWs or GXs? Is there a hull ID? Serial number? To find the boat # if the plate is missing, get inside the boat, get your head down by the transom, and then look up. On the wood brace for the well, there will be a five-digit number. 14 and then xxx.
The Drag and Ski looks identical to the Challenger and the unimaginatively named "14' v-hull." I have found no further proof of the coast guard story other than what I've read on forums. I wish there were more info on this as it's a great story, and more info is always good. Here's my 14 footer on the day I picked it up (for free). Still have some work ahead of me! 
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75389
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I remember there used to be a GW Invader collectors site and forum. Not sure what happened to it though. One guy had a 14 w/ a 115 johnson on it and I think that ran in the 70 mph range also.
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75839
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Hi Bob, I'm a new member looking to find some information about my boat...(profile picture) From what I know its' a '69 14' (14'1") invader. Could this also be one of the twelve you mention? Reason I ask is most of the invaders I see have rounded noses except for yours, and mine. I'm also curios what was the original seating in these boats. Bench, buckets, back to backs??
Thanks for any help, or info, Rick |
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75846
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Hi Bob, nice looking boat. The seating for my 14' has 2 buckets for the front ,and a bench that faces the rear of the boat. They are both made from fiberglass.
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75849
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Not one of the 12 mentioned above - boat molds were destroyed in the 1970s, probably to satisfy the lawyers from Sidewinder and NOT the Coast Guard as mentioned above. Sidewinder hit a number of boat builders with cease-and-desist letters, including Glastron (who just laughed) and our own GW (recently purchased by Todd Group). Sidewinder patent was ultimately tossed. The Sidewinder description here on FiberGlassics includes verbiage from this decision, but seems to have edited out the best, juiciest stuff.
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75850
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And, multiple seat options were available, back-to-back bench, two forward-facing benches, back-to-backs with a gap between so you could walk front to back, benches and buckets, and all buckets. The '69 catalog has some of these varieties shown, but doesn't clearly specify how to order them.
Lastly, there's a Yahoo group dedicated to the GWs, which has a lot of pix. Most are of the ubiquitous ten-footer, but there's some of the smaller and larger ones there too. Your 69's nose does not match our 1971 15' model, but does match my 14' model. Are you sure it's a 15'? What's the serial #? |
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75880
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I also have a similar boat. Mine is also 14'1" blue on top with wihte, and white bottom, and is a 1969. If you happen to find more information on Our boats, I'd really like to hear about it. Does seem hard to pull up, and find a whole lot of information on these boats, shame cause they are cool!! Lot's of stuff about the 10' footers, but not nuch on the 14's from what I've gathered.
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75881
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Thank you, I'll check out that Yahoo group. Funny after I wrote post I went out to measure, and it is a 14' (14'1") We are now just getting rid of the snow here in the Tundra of Minnesota so I'll have a chance to check the serial#.
Thanks for your help:)!! |
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #75882
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Thanks Dobber I think. I'm Rick, but Bob does have a nice boat also!!
I think it will look good hanging off the davits on the back of my 1969 Chris Craft AquaHome house boat...same colors!! |
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Re:Saving a '72 GW Invader Drag and Ski 12 years 8 months ago #76060
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Bob,
What will your boat do for speed with that tower on the back? |
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