Re: What was/is the best outboard you've owned
Very rarely have I gotten a "bad" motor. Most of the engines I get are ones that others have abused first, either through lack of maintenance (you mean you're supposed to change the impeller more than once every 20 years?), physical abuse (nahh, $12.00 is too much to spend on a chart!), or neglect (I had some leftover lawnmower oil that I mixed up good with the gas!).<br /><br />If one is methodical about going through a motor, whether it be a rebuild of a blown motor, or a tune-up of an otherwise healthy motor, they tend run and stay running. I've had Mercs, Johnsons, Evinrudes, Scott-Atwaters, Champions, Yamatos, Eltos, Chris Crafts, etc. and they've all been good runners. I can name one one hand the number of engines I've ended up giving up on - engines that by all appearances "should" run, but for whatever reason wouldn't. <br /><br />I guess my favorite motors (but not necessarily the "best") are these:<br />1952 Mercury KG7 - flat out flies on my 12-foot DuraNautic.<br />1980 Johnson Stinger 75 - The Energizer Bunny ain't got nothin' on this motor. It starts and runs as well as you could ever want a motor to run. Great on gas, too!<br />1967 Mercury 350 - One of the first motors I was ever really thorough with and it has rewarded me with almost 20 years of sporadic service. It's been my "loner" motor to island friends when they have motor issues and it has never let anyone down.<br />1954 Johnson CD-10 - Ugly as sin, but my 10-year old loves it. <br />1954 Evinrude Fleetwin 7.5 - the first motor my Dad and I ever rebuilt. I was 13. Got rebuilt again 20 years later after eating one of those aluminum connecting rods. One of my brothers had run it, forgetting to double up the oil for those babbit bearings...<br /><br />Lots of others, but those are the biggies...<br /><br />- Scott
