Glastron Carlson

1980 Glastron-Carlson Scimitar

Life challenges are requiring that I part with my beloved Scimitar. I no longer have time to enjoy her company, and I'm ready to give someone else an opportunity to own and cherish this amazing water vehicle. I haven't had the opportunity to take her out this year, and my last time out was September last year, which is when the attached videos were taken. I am listing her with No Reserve, and an extremely low opening bid. I can only hope that someone sees her who understands what a unique boat she is, and what a low opening bid this is for a Scimitar in this condition. I am trusting that the interest of knowledgable bidders will utlimately reflect a reasonable selling price. To the winner . . . bring your tow vehicle and the cash balance, and a promise to give her a good home! She's in her enclosed storage facility in Boulder City, NV, which is in the greater Las Vegas/Lake Mead area.

About the Scimitar:

If you already know what a Glastron Carlson Scimitar is, you already know how rare, unique, and cool it is! If you arent familiar with this special boat, you are looking at what is arguably one of the coolest and most unusual sport boats ever designed and built. Inspired by a sketch drawn by the son of legendary performance boat builder, Art Carlson, the Scimitar was designed to resemble a water-borne Corvette, complete with its long, curving nose, and transparent tinted T-Tops. When Art saw his sons original sketch, he immediately set out to design and build it, and that was the birth of the Scimitar - an instant classic, noted for its futuristic design. All these years later, theres still nothing on the water like it! Art joined forces with Glastron, and the partnership created some of the most modern and beautiful fiberglass boats ever seen, under the name Glastron Carlson. The Scimitar is considered by many to be the crowning achievement of this collaboration. With moderate production numbers, and worldwide distribution, they are becoming increasingly difficult to find in good condition here in the United States. The Scimitar is the boating equivalent of a '57 T-bird . . . not the fastest boat on the water, but an awesome classic cruiser, with a sleek and sexy profile. Scimitar owners are divided into two groups . . . those who saw it and remember it from the 1980s, and always wanted one . . . and, those who just stumble upon them and fall in love with their beautiful styling and design.

About this Boat:

It took me three years to find this one, after passing on a few that were either total restoration projects with missing key parts, or completely restored versions with astronomically-high price tags. This boat was in, and is still in, very good semi-original condition. Modifications include a more modern color and design scheme, accomplished through the overlay of a vinyl wrap, with the original Emerald Mist metal flake still visible along the centerline of the boat. The interior upholstery also has been changed to coordinate with the color scheme of the vinyl wrap, and additional upholstered panels added to the cockpit. It was converted to thru-hull exhaust, as well.

I know some aspects of the history of this boat, as given to me by the previous owner, which I can share further with serious inquiries. I have owned the boat for three years, and unfortunately, I just dont have enough free time to enjoy it as much as Id like. In fact, I have only put about 6 hours on the boat since I purchased it. I am apparently the fourth owner of this boat, which has always been on the west coast. The previous owner stated that he was told the boat had always been stored inside (and it still is with me). I believe this to be true based on its condition - the floor and transom are solid. The engine (the original Mercruiser 260 / 350 ci small block) had been previously overhauled, and when I acquired the boat, I had the engine checked, the carb replaced, the water pump and seals replaced on the lower unit, and a few other things. I also had a new dual battery system installed. There is a new Bluetooth marine Radio/CD/USB player installed also, but the speakers are due to be replaced. All four tires on the trailer were also replaced, and have only a few hundred miles on them, including the short trip to the Colorado River last September, which was the last time I took her out for a run.

As one would expect with a classic boat of this age, there are some minor blemishes in the vinyl wrap and gel coat which are visible when standing very close, but overall, this is a really nice example of this rare boat model. The Scimitar is an absolute blast to drive, and people literally line up on the dock to take videos and photos when I launch. So, expect some attention if you decide to buy this one! Top speed on a Scimitar with a standard Mercruiser 260/350 ci like this one, can be anywhere between about 50 to 58 mph, depending on prop and water conditions. A modified Scimitar in Oklahoma, with a 383 Stroker, was able to run in the mid-70s, and there was a Scimitar with a blown big block in Tennessee (speed unknown). So, there are a lot of options if you want to run faster. But, if you just wanna cruise, 35mph gives the most economical gas mileage on this one, 40-45 is easy and a little more fun, and it has a top speed of about 53-54 with the current prop. I have video clips of my final outing of the Fall season on the Colorado River, back in September of 2017, which show the boat in action (from the drivers seat), with links below. I realize that this boat is very rare, and it gets lots of attention, but PLEASE, only bid or contact me if you are serious about purchasing. As I mentioned, available time is a challenge for me. It really needs to go to someone who has more time to enjoy than I do. The boat is located in the general Las Vegas area near Lake Mead. It is still in storage, and has not been on the water since last September. Now that Summer has arrived, you can enjoy this fantastic Scimitar for the rest of the 2018 boating season!

Videos from two months ago: (copy and paste link into your web browser if link doesnt work)

https://youtu.be/NkD8uGat9vs

https://youtu.be/LLLIDKVGjh4

https://youtu.be/q-yG00BAgyA

https://youtu.be/iAuIYoUONaY

https://youtu.be/KxATmQ3k2Xw

https://youtu.be/dJ8E3UjlQFY

* I have listed my Scimitar elsewhere, too, so this listing could end early if sold.