Re: evinrude 1957 7.5hp fleetwin
Hey, that's a good find!
I love it when these things happen. I saved my 1946 Zephyr from the scrap man and my addiction just went from there.
The first thing I would do, is take out the spark plugs and spray some WD-40 in the cylinders. Get it all loosened up. Once it's loosened up, take a compression test. You want the readings to be as close to the same as possible and with that motor, 75 - 80 psi or better is good. If you find good compression readings, then I would check over the ignition system. I'm willing to bet, that's why it was set by the curb. The coils probably are in need of replacement and no one wanted to put the money into it. Those old Fleetwins are good old motors, when tuned and running properly.
Thirdly, check the oil in the lower unit. See if there has been any water intrusion and the oil looks like milk shake. These are a couple good starting points for you to work with and see if it's worth spending any money on it.