Re: anybody ever hear of a sea bee????
Manufactured by OMC Gale division,the outboard was sold through Goodyear retailers.I'm guessing 1947 thru 1951.Here's some info from the antique motor club website.<br /><br />Back in the mid 1930s, Johnson Motors was looking for a way to survive the low outboard sales. They owed a lot of money and the Bank brought in an outside manager to find a way to save the company.<br />He deceided refredgerator compressors were a lot like outboard motors and since people always had to eat, things to do with food would suffer less during the depression. So johnson bought a company in Galesburg Illinoise, named it Gale Products, and started building refridgerator compressors. Unfortunately, the start up expenses ment they lost more money the first year and Johnson went into bankrupsy.<br /><br />Evinrude/Elto, on the other hand, had been pinching pennies since 1930. The people running Evinrude, Ralph Evinrude and Steve Briggs, pooled there Life savings and for aproximetly $801,000 bought the Johnson stock from the receiver. At that time (If you had money) it was a bargen, Johnson had a net worth of 3 million. Steve remarked to Ralph on the way back from New York to Milwaukee that Johnson would be a perfect little Gold Mine.Steve Bribbs resigned his position at Evinrude and took over reorganizing Johnson. Within two years Johnson was making more money than Evinrude. Gale products then stopped making compressors and got into the outboard business, suplying parts to Evinrude and Johnson. Durring World War two, the Galesburg plant was rebuilt and expanded. There was descussion about what to do with the extra production facilities after the war work ended. Since Evinrude had made Sea Kings for Montgommery Ward before the war, they deceided to transfer this business to Gale Products and expand it. A line of Econimy outboards was planed and letters were sent to all who might be interested.<br /><br />Goodyear Tire and Rubber was one of the companies that responded. Because of the fine work done by the Army Engineers Construction Battalions, Sea Bee was chosen for Goodyear's outboard motor line. The first Sea Bee outboard came off the line at Galesburg a month after Japan surendered. This 5 horsepower model 925-3550 was built through 1946. In 1947 two models were offered, a 2G2 and a 2G3. The 2G3 was continued in'48 and a model 025-3564 was added. The 5 horse power motors were joined by a twelve horse in that year also.<br /><br />Because Gale products built thausands of these littlr kickers for 15 companies and 12 brand names in the US and Canada, the price of used gale outboards has remained low and used parts are relatively plentifull. It is an easy to work on outboard that will give many wears of faithfull service if properly maintained.
