New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

[natetanr]

Looking to join the Starmada, I just purchased a 1976 Starcraft SS but I have yet to purchase a motor.

The boat came with a 1978 Evinrude Outboard OMC drive 85hp motor but its being sold separately and Im debating buying it.

The seller is asking $950. This seems high to me but I have no idea what these old two strokes sale for.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=20395128&cat=&lpid=&search=

Whats your opinion. I want a reliable motor but the budget is kind of limited depending on how much I can talk my wife into.

I could just get by with a 9.9 4 stroke trolling motor and just do some fishing for the season or would you go for a bigger motor first.

Can you pull a tuber with the SS with a motor like this? My wife and 3 kids might enjoy some water sports but its mostly going to be used for fishing.

I have so many questions being a boating newbie and plan on frequenting these boards and looking to see what others have done.

Cant wait to get on the water. My dad built a wooden sailboat and we cruise around Lake Powell for striped bass each year but as soon as the wind picks up he wants to sail but I want to fish.

So, what are your opinions on motors? I'm mechanically inclined but am limited by time and would prefer something reliable as to something I'll always have to tinker with.

Thanks!

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

You stated Evinrude OMC outboard 85 hp. What condition is the boat super clean and no damage?? Solid floor and transom??Top? What condition is the trailer?? The $950.00 is prety high without the Motor, it would be more in line with a complete boat for $ 950.00. Depends on where you live. some areas are more pricey than others. esp here on the West Coast

 

[natetanr]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Sorry for the confusion. I paid $650 for the boat without a motor. I haven't even seen the boat but from the description and pictures it looked to be in ok condition and I knew it would be gone before I could get out to see it. (I know, very risky right) But I figure its nearly worth that in scrap alone (not that I have any intention of scrapping)

Seller wants another $950 for the motor which I believe is too high. I tried buying it originally as a package deal but the seller had no idea on the price on the motor so he wanted to sell the boat separately first.

I know the trailer will need to be rewired. There are no tears in the seats and from the pictures it appeared to be in good condition. I will find out shortly when I pick it up. I've paid for the boat the big question is what to do about a motor.

 

[natetanr]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Sorry for the confusion. I paid $650 for the boat without a motor. I haven't even seen the boat but from the description and pictures it looked to be in ok condition and I knew it would be gone before I could get out to see it. (I know, very risky right) But I figure its nearly worth that in scrap alone (not that I have any intention of scrapping)

Seller wants another $950 for the motor which I believe is too high. I tried buying it originally as a package deal but the seller had no idea on the price on the motor so he wanted to sell the boat separately first.

I know the trailer will need to be rewired. There are no tears in the seats and from the pictures it appeared to be in good condition. I will find out shortly when I pick it up. I've paid for the boat the big question is what to do about a motor.

Notes from the mechanic...

Wheel bearings are noisy-need to be replaced. Transom is separating from boat motor well.

As far as the motor goes steering cable is seized. Carburetors are flooding.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

That motor is a great motor for a 16' Starcraft. I had a Johnson 85 on my Jupiter. Some videos of it performing here http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w200/ezmobee/Boat Project/?mediafilter=videos

$950 is just an OK price for that vintage motor with no power tilt 'n trim.

50HP would be about the minimum for a 16' SS with the 85 being the max. In my opinion the 3 cylinder 70/75s are ideal. You could definitely pull a skier with probably 60+ HP on that boat.

 

[barato2]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

replacing wheel brgs is <$50 and 2 hours, no big deal. but have plenty of nitrile gloves and paper towels cuz it is one messy nasty job

transom separating from the motor well means it's bowing and will need to be replaced. in the meantime, it might work fine with a 9.9hp but i'd take a hard look at transom down under splashwell before you stick big motor on it and take wife n kids out.

EZ is right, that's way too much for that motor unless it has great compression, clean enough to eat off of, never seen salt....and maybe even then. there's a good 115 for sale locally for 500 with controls

and welcome to the Starmada, BTW. don't worry, we were all clueless once. some, like me, uhhhhh.....still are

 

[natetanr]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Thanks Guys! Nice looking/running boat EZ. Is it difficult to get to the carb and rebuild these old outboards? I assume the carb flooding is from a stuck float. Are parts an issue. There are several local used motors available here. Prices on old outboards seem high in my area.

Here are a few motor options.
One guy in my town has his 1977 Mercury 85 hp listed for $1850 Yikes!
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&cat=147&ad=20335834

There is a 75hp Johnson Stinger for $950 that the seller still has on his boat that I could take for a test drive.
Looks clean and is running, sounds promising.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&cat=537&ad=20038264

Mercury 800 Series, 80 hp outboard motor.
Thunderbolt ignition.
Control box & cables.
Remote steering cable, steering wheel, &
mounting bracket for 16 foot boat
$900
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&cat=537&ad=18116934

1988 Johnson OB motor, BJ60ELCCR, motor is in good running condition, still hooked up to boat.
$1000
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&cat=537&ad=20144858

Or the Evinrude 85 that was mentioned in the first post.

I sure wish I was a marine mechanic right now and knew what to look for.

Wheel bearings dont sound too bad, replacing the transom doesnt sound terrible. Unknowns with choosing a reliable or easily repaired motor have me worried.

How important is power tilt and trim?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

I know Johnson/Evinudes more than Mercury.

Some bullet points I know of that pertain to the higher horsepower motors (50HP+)

1973 and newer Johnson/Evinrude motors enjoy excellent parts support. 1972 and prior were usually electric shift which has a number of NLA parts.

1978 and newer are even better as they made some improvements to I believe the lower units and the power tilt 'n trim systems that carried on for many many years following. If you wanted to add Power Trim to a pre-'78 motor it would cost you an arm a leg due to the rarity of the units whereas post '78 they are fairly plentiful.


I know Mercury's parts support can be a little spotty so maybe some Merc guys can chime in.

1981 added the primer as opposed to the choke which in my experience makes cold starts way easier.

1985 (or 6?) motors are prop HP rated as opposed to crank rated so they're stronger for their given HP rating.

Of what you listed above, the Stinger would be my choice. Since it's repainted, I'd check the model numbers to make sure it's actually the year advertised (and is a Stinger).

Power trim is not essential but it does make life easier and really does help improve performance.

 

[barato2]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Nate--pick up a $25 compression gauge set at Harbor Fright. this will let you get a pretty good handle on conditions of piston rings/cylinder wear, which will be the first internal wear area on a 2 stroke outboard, with no more disassembly than pulling spark plugs. if it has good compression, you've eliminated most of the chances of it needing rebuild (major disassembly and $) soon.

if you can run it and confirm that it shifts and sorta pumps water (you'll be replacing the impeller anyway but a motor with working water pump is less likely to have been overheated), then run compression test, you're as home free on the "unknowns" as it's possible to get.

hard starting and weak cold running, esp at part throttle, will 85+% of the time be cruddy carbs. no, they're not hard to remove and rebuild.

EZ pretty much has it nailed as usual. i agree that the 75hp is the best option. being able to actually take it for a lake run will tell you a lot more than just running it in the tank or on muffs, and seller's confidence in motor is inspiring. more than that, it's the perfect motor for your boat. 3 cylinders so it's easy to work on compared to a V4 like the 85hp, and lighter. he's also right on OMCs (Johnson/rude) being much easier to get parts for and work on than mercs, and on the desirability of TnT

EZ, does the "stinger" thing mean anything or iis it just the marketing term of the year?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

EZ, does the "stinger" thing mean anything or iis it just the marketing term of the year?

Not sure. Were the typical ones of that year 70 and the Stinger a 75? Don't remember.

Sucker should be orange though

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Apparently "Stinger" doesn't mean jack http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=540286 Still a great motor though.

 

[natetanr]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

I believe the Stinger has been sold. Scouring the classifieds for motors but not much luck.

I spoke with the Marine Mechanic that looked the boat and Evinrude 85 over. He says it had a small water leak on the #2 cylinder, dirty gear oil (which they replaced). 100psi on all four cylinders. The carburators were flooding so they couldn't keep it running. He told me a carburator rebuild would cost $315 and a new steering system would be $180 with steering wheel.

What would you pay for a 1978 Evinrude 85hp motor in this condition? Its probably far less then the $950 he's asking. Maybe I could low ball and he would except. Im picking up the boat tonight and its almost a 2 hour drive out there so It would be good to pickup the motor at the same time if thats what I decide to do.

 

[barato2]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

that's OK but not great compression. and what does he mean by small water leak on #2? leaking head gasket? no bueno. i'd offer no more than 500 and do the carbs myself. simple job, just doing 4(?) carbs...ie, the same simple job 4 times over. replacing the gear oil should be done at least once a season and takes 10 minutes and a flat blade screwdriver so it;s not like he did something major for you there. you might want to just keep lookin. you've only been on the hunt for what, like 2 weeks? something will turn up. remember that motors sometimes go for less if attached to a rotted glasser <EVIL TINHEAD LEER>

 

[TundraRocks]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

I agree with barato ^^^^. If there is water in #2 could mean major work and more $$$$. (You can check out my SS thread for more info on what happened with my 70 HP) I have seen motors here in the NW, but they do not appear very often. (Unless you travel to Spokane, Portland, or Seattle) I was able to pick up an 1978 85 hp Johnson for $800 without TnT. Perfect running order and good compression. The 85 is more than enough power. I would go with EZ's recommendation if you can find a 3 cyl 70 or 75. Be patient the right one will show up.

 

[BonairII]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but you need a long shaft motor(20"). That stinger was a short shaft.

Make sure to be checking out ads for boats(that come with motors)...you may end up finding a boat/motor combo cheaper than buying just a motor. Just turn around and sell the boat/trailer.

 

[natetanr]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Yeah! I got the boat home in one piece. As I was rolling the trailer onto my truck I noticed one of the trailer tires was ready to explode. Had I driven with it there would have been trouble. The seller helped me jack up the boat and remove the tire but when I called the tire shop it was closed so I ended up having to pickup some junk tires from walmart. I left to pickup the boat at 4:30 and didn't get home until 10:30. There were no lights on the trailer but I managed to pass three police without being pulled over. Yikes.

I was so close to purchasing the motor. The seller got down to $500 I was trying to go for $450 but by this time it was getting dark fast and I just wanted to get the boat home. Also I didnt think the two of us could lift the motor into my truck. Had there been 3 people there I would have bought it. Im 55% sure I might call him back and grab the motor. The wierd thing is the shop didnt tell the owner about the water leak at the #2 cylinder. He was really surprised and asked if they got it confused with someone elses motor.

The boat has lots of potential. My wife and I climbed in the back and pretended to be boating and fishing. This thing is older then me . The wife loved the retro feel and green vinyl.

The floor is really soft and will need to be replaced soon. Walking around it cracked and buckled. I could see myself stepping right through. The dash seems to be in good condition and the seats arent bad either. The worst part from my untrained eye has to be the floor. Transom is starting to separate but it still seemed pretty sturdy.

Pics will be posted tomorrow. I plan on trying to get a motor before memorial day weekend and take it out fishing before I rip it all appart.

Thanks so much guys for your help. Without it I would probably have a glasser with an inboard right now.

 

[BonairII]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

The floor is really soft and will need to be replaced soon. Walking around it cracked and buckled. I could see myself stepping right through. Overall its seems to be in pretty good condition. \

Probably a good time to start reading the Starcraft restoration threads. I was in the same boat(pun intended) as you, a week ago. I pulled my floor on 1975 SS and found a mushy wet mess. I'm a week into my resto...and hopefully should be done by Monday or Tuesday.

Check out the link to my resto in my signature....you'll get an idea what you may be in for.

It's lot of work, but it's nothing complicated.

 

[natetanr]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Lots of good this will do me. Need to cut the lock off so I can replace tires.

 

[natetanr]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

 

[BonairII]

Re: New to boating just purchased a 1976 16' Super Sport

Boat looks like it's got plenty of potential. Hull looks to be in great shape. That transom needs to be replaced, obviously.

Do the floors seem solid?