Re: 1957 javelin's 35hp worth?
Well, that was a mistake...painting it, I mean. Still, the emblems and other bits are in super condition, and add considerable value. That's one of the really sought-after outboards for the 50's boat collector's group.
However, the change in color reduces its value. Most prized are those in original condition that look like new.
It's a limited market, of course, but a growing one. A lot of guys my age and a little older like having a boat that matches their 50's pickup truck or car. They drive the pair to the old car shows.
Similarly, there are boat collectors who specialize in 50's boats, particularly the fin boats. Think 1957 Chevy, for example.
But...you compromise the value by painting it. It can be repainted in the original colors, but it isn't the original paint.
I had a 1958 Johnson RDS-20 35 hp on my boat about five years ago. It was just an old outboard I was using that came with a crummy tri-hull. But, it looked really good, was all original, and ran like a clock, thanks to the help of several people here.
One day, I was at my favorite fishing lake. When I got back to the ramp, there was this guy there. He offered me $900 for the outboard. That was $400 more than I had paid for the entire rig, and the boat was basically junk.
We went to a local bank, where he got the cash, and he and I took the outboard off my boat and put it in the trunk of his Mercedes, complete with the controls, wiring harness, the original Cruise-a-Day tank, and an original little dash panel and key switch.
Last I heard, he had that outboard on a 1958 fin boat that was painted the same colors as the outboard. Turns out that was the motor that was on that boat from the factory. He had magazine ads showing the boat with that outboard. To him, it was worth what he paid for it.
The boat I had went to the landfill. I sold the trailer to someone on Craig's list, and bought the boat I have now, and had cash left over.
With your nice emblems, etc., you should expect to get about $500 for your Javelin. Someone will paint it back to the original colors, until they find a real cherry original one that hasn't been painted. Little things matter to the collectors.
