Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

[boatwell10]

I just found a sweet little Johnson A 35, 2 cylinder in "as found" condition. Serial # is 711000, I think it is a 1927 1.5 horsepower engine, confirmation of this would be appreciated. I am looking at possible restoration, will this hurt the value to collectors (down the road), or am I better to leave it be? Are parts available, including decals and manuals? Would this have been used on a row-boat style hull or would this have been for some other craft? THere is also a cool feature that looks like you can increase the usage of one cylinder over the other by using a selector lever...like an old magneto lever on early Fords....am I close to the mark or shooting way wide?
boatwell10

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

Welcome to Iboats!

You may want to direct your questions to the Ask-A-Member forum over at AOMCI.org. A surprising amount is available for your outboard from enthusiasts who make parts for them as a side business. A-35 engines were produced '27 and '28, but I don't have a serial number breakdown for that time to identify the year more precisely.

Manuals are available from kencook.com but there's quite a bit here too:
Click here

I hope that helps, I'm sure other members who know the antiques better will be along shortly.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

i'd love to see a picture if you can post. we're picture kinda people. sounds like a fantastic find.

 

[boatwell10]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

I appreciate all this help! I am glad to know that my estimate was correct for the '27 era, and I had seen the AOMCI site while looking for info earlier in my search. This pictures below are just a tease, the real motor is stunning in person. Now you can see why this might just be a project, but I don't want to ruin the value of this for collectors by polishing the daylights out of the thing and putting all new decals on etc. If it is better to leave these things alone then that may just be my course of action. I recently spruiced up a 1950s Sunbeam lawnmower (sort of like restoring a Yugo...why bother?? I don't know, it was there) and have a 1960 snowblower just awaiting me in the garage, and there is that late 50s electric hedge trimmer too...I got a bug about making silk purses outa sows ears, but I had heard that there were collectors for these, (and not so much for snow blowers etc) and thus do not want to screw things up for the next owner. We are, after all, merely caretakers of things for the next owner. Am I the only guy with a boat motor in my living room?
boatwell10
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[tashasdaddy]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

get it running but don't lose the patina. FANTASTIC.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

Decals are available from Decal Headquarters, on the links page at http://www.aomci.org
That's about the only improvement I would make. They're better left in original shape, especially when they're that good to begin with. When you get it running, probably only need to clean/regap the points, don't run it for long in a barrel. They don't have a circulating water pump. They have to be moving forward with the boat to feed water to the old-style cooling pumps. You can burn them up if you run them too long in a tub/barrel. Nice find...you'll probably be joining AOMCI soon...old iron will keep following you home, like a stray cat.

 

[boatwell10]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

So fellas, what kinda boat? Would this have been for a stern ended canoe or with a bigger size like this would it have been for a row boat?
boatwell10

 

[CFronzek]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

Boatwell,
Most small displacement hulls like rowboats and small sailboats move pretty well with a small motor. It's only when you get to planing hulls that you need big horsepower.
A rower can only generate about a quarter horsepower and that only for a short period. So a horse-and-a half should be plenty peppy.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

according to this http://www.maxrules.com/graphics/ej_pdf/EJ_Pages_18_Thru_20.pdf

the A 35 is a 2.5 horse motor.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

"do not want to screw things up for the next owner"

YOU are the next owner.....get out the Semi-chrome. Just leave it original parts wise.You want to make the next owner happy, list it, and send the guy a check for a Thousand bucks instead.....8)

 

[boatwell10]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

Thanks Guys, I am gonna leave it as is. Being savvy in other areas of antiques I think just using it as is would be best. Thanks for the links and all the help.
boatwell10

 

[papasage]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

any antiqe that is in need of restoretion will increase in value if restored . if it is in good condition yess lesve it alone .
the antique road show has people mis informed in restoration . sure if it ie in bad shape paint peeling and stuff it should be repaired . it has a devaluation already . when you see a repair and the appraiser said if it had not ben don it would have ben worth more . but if it was broken and haven`t ben repaired it still wan`t be of a higher value . i think if you put it back to its original new state it will be worth more than it is now .

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Johnson A 35, year? Parts available?

I think automotive/boating antiques are different than furniture antiques. I agree, restore it to its' new condition if possible. I think it will be worth more that way. just my opinion