Why build the HOT ROD ?

The first time I heard (and saw) a HOT ROD was back in my teens. It left a lasting impression. It was built by one of the locals who powered it with a stout 427 cubic inch big block. He took great pride in his homebuilt craft and enjoyed taking everyone for a ride. Three adults were comfortably seated in the front bench seat, while us kids (3) were relegated to sitting on the sole on either side of the engine. We were instructed to 'hang on' and brought for the ride of our life. I can still hear the distinctive v-drive whine and big block drone some three decades later.

Since this is my first boat project, I was looking for an inboard ski boat that was light, agile, trailerable and not too complex to build. Add enough freeboard to prevent swamping and a retro look and you've got the HOT ROD.

Why build a full-size mockup ?

To reduce layout and cutting time, increase accuracy and speed up the production of more boats in the future, the Glen-L half-plans were expanded to full size 3/8" plywood templates. The templates were used to build a full-size mockup of the boat. This process validated the templates and enabled us to lay out the mechanical and electrical systems without having to completely finish the boat. To save time, the sheer clamps were fitted to the mockup in the 'right side up' position. This made it much easier to cut the notches and check for fairness. Once completed, sheer and chine notch templates were made up from gusset template duplicates and used to mark the 'production' frame notches.

Do you want to build your own boat ?

Boatbuilding is a 'Learn By Doing' process.  If you have general woodworking skills, are mechanically inclined and have lots of time and patience, you should be able to build your own boat.  The links below might help you get started on your boatbuilding project.

A wealth of information is available at Glen-L's website .  Click on the Boat Plans Catalog (under the Online Catalogs tab at the top of the home page) and select a model to suit your needs.  Most first-time builders start with the SQUIRT, a hard chine plywood 10' outboard runabout.

If you need some inspiration, want to see how a specific Glen-L design handles on the water, or wish to visit Glen-L boatbuilder websites, visit our Glen-L Boat Video Directory .

If you've got boatbuilding questions or want to see what other Glen-L builders are up to, point your browser to Glen-L's Boatbuilder Forum  .

Excellent reference books covering all aspects of the boatbuilding process can be ordered at Glen-L's Bookstore.  Look for Boatbuilding with Plywood by Glen-L Witt and Inboard Motor Installation by Ken Hankinson.

Other projects

Don't forget to visit our snowmobile lift, truck restoration, and Viceroy housebuilding website.
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Building the Glen-L Hot Rod : www.kanecustomboats.com      Revised 16-JAN-2013