Gladiators- what can you tell me about em.
 

I've gone from a single V to a twin Cat & now am considering a Cig Gladiator possibly for the wrong reasons. I really like the lines of the boat, I like that it's a sit down boat, don't mind the fact that it doesn't have a cabin (since I don't have one now) & last but not least the quality & workmanship of a Cigarette.

With that being said there a lot of them for sale on OSO & in the trader. They don't seem to hold their value as well as the other models.

What do like MOST & LEAST about the Gladiator from a function, handling Performnace aspect.

I've heard the handling / ride can be a handful, the staggareds give good balance but not the greatest docking maneuverability but thats it & even all that was second hand info not from an actual Gladiator owner.

Which Gladiator are you looking at?? I think there are what, less than 10 for sale, and they have made almost 50 of them now. I'd say thats not too bad. There's really nothing not to like on the Gladiator. They ride and handle perfect. I have out about 60hrs on the boat myself and my Dad another 40hrs. We have had no issues what so ever. We have had it in big and small water had it handles great. It doesn't have the best ride around though. But thats what you get with a light bare bones boat that goes over 90mph with 525's. On the staggered docking thing, it not hard. If you cant dock a staggered engine boat I dont see how you can dock any boat. It's not any harder once you get used to the boat. I would go for a staggered boat though. There are quite a few others on here that own and have experience with glads so I guess they'll chime in as well. The person to really talk to is Phil at Lip-Ship. He's the man when it comes to Gladiators. Our's is for sale by the way. It's a great boat!!

Dan

Hot Rod - fast , sit down and will out run anything w/ equal power (v-hull). Love em!

The Gladiator is one of the horniest looking boats out there. You may see alot of Gladiators for sale because they take a little more time to sell because they appeal to a smaller crowd due to the lack of a cabin. The resale, while not as good as a TopGun is still as good if not better than most of its competitors. The Gladiator rides and handles awesome. Some of the earlier side by side Glads were set-up more aggressively , but the later side by side and staggered ones ride incredibly smooth and stable.The staggered versions are a little more work around the dock, but once you get used to them, they are fine. All in all, its a great sit down boat and its a Cig.


P.S. Ask Philly from Lip-Ship what boat he would build for himself, and he will say Gladiator.

Dan,

Thanks for the quick response. I believe I've seen yours listed in the classifieds, T- 525's right. It's a sharp looking boat as is this one http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o14531-en.html I'm just concerned that a 525 boat might not be exciting enough having cruised my Spectre the last year. I like the Zul boats but don't know much about their engines & only know of one Lavecraft locally that had Zuls. I want a 100mph boat minimum.

What I meant by the docking was that the drives being so close on a staggered setup makes it more difficult to dock somewhat like a single. Again that was hearsay & who would know better than someone that actually has owned a staggered Glad.

Why are you selling yours? What's next.

Thought about trying to find an older mileaged out 525 Gladiator & dropping in a set of 625 or 710 Ilmors just to have something different. To be honest I've never seen or read of there being an Ilmor Cig in existence.

Michael

PS- right now having a trade limits me some. I prefer to be a cash buyer.

Forgot to tell you the one thing that sometimes bothers me. The boat will only hold a total of 5 people. That can be a problem sometimes.But, its like driving a Lambo, you can't take everyone with you. :D

Depending on what modifications you may be planning, remember that if you ever want better drives, having a side by side will allow transmissions and/or arnesons. Staggered means no arnesons and transmissions will need to be in a standoff box.

PS, do the Ilmors (if they fit length wise) I have big Fords.

Most of the comments about the Glad are dead on. Having owned two Top Guns prior to the Gladiator I can make the following comments:

Good: Looks, looks, and looks! It has incredible lines. I love the "no rubrail" look. It's small and nimble. Always felt like you were in a sports car on the water.

Bad: No cabin and no space. Did I mention NO SPACE? It's not a very "social" boat. Space is severly limited. With no cabin the ice chest takes up half the floor space! It's meant for a couple of people to go from point A to point B (albeit in style).

The "bad" reasons are exactly why they don't hold their value as well as other Cig models. Whether it's your family, a girlfirend, or your wife - the NO CABIN aspect is a deal breaker for most. No where to go to the bathroom, change clothes, rest, get out of the sun, or put your stuff.

In the end it's almost like a Ferrari - looks incredible, looks like it's going 100mph sitting still on the trailer BUT has no luggage space and is not meant to carry a bunch of people! :)

It's a good boat for the lake.....but then so are most Cig's. They can't handle the big water. :)

You must be lost Nort....They didn't say formula (which I'm sure you were thinking when you made the above comments) and you're not in the Formula section...."C" for Cigarette and "F" for Foamula.

If you were here on purpose it must be because you want to tell us you're looking to move up to a real boat.