red stripe Mercs

cobra 3.0

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Messages
1,797
What years were the red stripe Mercs made? My neighbor has a 60 hp on a 14 ft ski type boat.

What is the difference between the blue striped Mercs and these red ones(other than the red stripe being an older model)?
 

TOHATSU GURU

Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
6,164
Re: red stripe Mercs

In theory, the red stripe denotes a Mercury designed for freshwater while the blue stripe denotes a Mercury designed for saltwater. But, since the parts are identcal in both it was just a marketing ploy.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,750
Re: red stripe Mercs

Sorry, memory not too accurate this morning, but..

The old red band motors were made from

EDIT: More accurate info below.



The saltwater/freshwater thing was a much more recent development.
 

TOHATSU GURU

Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
6,164
Re: red stripe Mercs

I was referring to the S T R I P P E D Mercury engines, not the banded ones. I don't know when Mercury started the two different decal types, but I 'm sure they were still doing it up until at least 2004d:)
 

Chunder06

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
124
Re: red stripe Mercs

I think the linkage fittings on the reds were brass and the blue were plastic.
 

croSSed

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
249
Re: red stripe Mercs

From '68-'71 Mercs had red stipes. '68 and '69 had similar look but slightly different; it changed in '70; '70 and '71 engines look the same.

'72-'84 they were blue, but there were differences in the style of graphics. Too complicated to go into here.

TG
 
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