glassdave

iTrader: (1)

Perfect Mark, thanks. With that and what i was able to se in a shadow left in the boat i was able to nail it i think. So . . . . I guess if anyone else is restoring one of these "gems" I have the logo . . . . somehow i think i may only ever cut the two i need lol.

h2oboater

COOL Dave, I bet you would sell more Magnum sticker though for most of the Klem Gems.

Drake22.250

iTrader: (2)

I wish fake Magnums were as cool as fake tits!!!!

h2oboater

TRUE !! but you can always tell the real thing..

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

They're real . . . . and they're spectacular

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL2PicT9Kng[/YOUTUBE]

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

Speak'in of Klym's . . . . . check out this 'ol creampuff

Had it in for buff out, new stripes and logo. This thing is 100% original gel with zero (and i mean zero) stress cracks. It is in fa-nominal shape and the owner is bringing her back nicely. I believe it was a barn find with very low hours and is a Bravo boat. Had froze/cracked blocks but otherwise complete and in exceptional original shape. I put a transom in it last year when he first got it but the rest of the structure was bone dry and very solid.

Drake22.250

iTrader: (2)

She cleaned up well. Any pictures of your future "The Great Pretender?"

scippy

iTrader: (3)

Can somedody rate the overall quality of these boats?.. I mean, the blue Aero that Dave posted up and did work to and called a cream puff does look as nice as any big mainstream boat Company would turn out....or ....would a boat like that be the exception?
I hear this all the time, but I don't know how to take the phrase "Klym Gem" as either being sarcastic or endearing to the Michigan builder.............were these boats generally poor or worthy splashes?

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

generally the term Klym Gem is sarcastic but its not all bad. I think others could shed more light then me but there really is no rhyme or reason to the quality of these things you either got a good one or a bad one. I think most were solid heavy layups with about the same quality as a lot of boats built then but the real problems came from crappy box store wood and poor rigging. Also heard used junkyard engines and all kinds of interesting business tactics along the way. Kylm has a notorious past in boat building. The one pictured above has had a charmed life I'm sure . . . . except for the whole not winterizing it thing lol. Its actually a nice boat for the money and what the owner will have in it. When he first got it i put a transom in it and it was one of the worst i have ever seen it also had these two sealed glassed in boxed risers for the batterys and trim pumps, i cut the tops off and they were full to the top with at least ten gallons of the skankiest water i have ever seen but even still the stringers were bone dry and all original. There was no quality control or consistency of any kind. Consequently i have also seen original Magnums that werent built as well as some of these to though.

h2oboater

Dave you have summed it up very well. Jim Klems glass work was OK, it's just the little extras that he did not do like using the right kind of fasteners & sealing the cut outs made when rigging. A typical problem was using one 5" bolt with lots of washers when a 2" bolt would have been the right size. In the beginning Jim & I were good friends but in time the business tactics and all the things mentioned before drove myself and many other friends away.