I am in the market for a new motor and my neighbor has one of these in his garage. He hasn't had it running in at least 6 years and had the lower unit drained and stored in his heated basement.
I picked it up yesterday to try to get it looked at (find out what, if anything, might need to be done to it). The first two 'garage' shops I took it to (I've dealt with each of them before with other motors and they were pretty darn good and I was highly satisfied with their parts and service) told me they wouldn't even touch it. Didn't even want to put it on one of their heavy duty stands so I could see if it kicked over / ran.
I ended up taking it to the local Mercury dealer. One of the techs there (the one I take my Searay to) told me that it wouldn't be worth the scrap value and that parts were next to impossible to get and that those that could be had are expensive.
Each of these service people highlighted the same 'issues': Parts, expense, and that the wires seemed to fall apart in anything (most) model before the 80s and that fixing it was going to cost me upwards of 500-600.
Now, I don't know what they'd have said about my Evinrude Ski Twin 28hp I had last year (LOVED THAT MOTOR but sold the boat to get bigger one), maybe they have something against the old motors. I tend to believe that 3 different shops not wanting to work on the thing (though I'm sure the Mercury shop would have but only because it was good money and there might be something about having to fix them to keep the Mercury 'accreditation' or something).
What do people here think about that motor?
Is it worth 300.00 (the asking price)?
Are the stories overblown and I just have to keep searching for a 'vintage motor' guy to check it out (though the first two loved the older motors I got and serviced with them).
Thanks for your help.
I picked it up yesterday to try to get it looked at (find out what, if anything, might need to be done to it). The first two 'garage' shops I took it to (I've dealt with each of them before with other motors and they were pretty darn good and I was highly satisfied with their parts and service) told me they wouldn't even touch it. Didn't even want to put it on one of their heavy duty stands so I could see if it kicked over / ran.
I ended up taking it to the local Mercury dealer. One of the techs there (the one I take my Searay to) told me that it wouldn't be worth the scrap value and that parts were next to impossible to get and that those that could be had are expensive.
Each of these service people highlighted the same 'issues': Parts, expense, and that the wires seemed to fall apart in anything (most) model before the 80s and that fixing it was going to cost me upwards of 500-600.
Now, I don't know what they'd have said about my Evinrude Ski Twin 28hp I had last year (LOVED THAT MOTOR but sold the boat to get bigger one), maybe they have something against the old motors. I tend to believe that 3 different shops not wanting to work on the thing (though I'm sure the Mercury shop would have but only because it was good money and there might be something about having to fix them to keep the Mercury 'accreditation' or something).
What do people here think about that motor?
Is it worth 300.00 (the asking price)?
Are the stories overblown and I just have to keep searching for a 'vintage motor' guy to check it out (though the first two loved the older motors I got and serviced with them).
Thanks for your help.
