Chinewalker
Fleet Admiral
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2001
- Messages
- 8,902
Just sharing a bit of something that I have been figuring out for awhile...
As many of you know, I recently rebuilt a 1976 Starcraft American 18-footer, as well as a 1984 Johnson 90hp to power it. Being a bit of a purist when it comes to things "matching", but realizing that the 1984 motor has quite a few refinements over a 1976 motor, I compromised and found a 1976 cowling for it.
Nice thing about Johnsons and Evinrudes is that the cowls for most of their "families" of motors will interchange with little or no modification across many years. For instance, Evinrude started using the angular styled cowlings along about 1969 on the V4s and used that same footprint through the 1990s when the crossflow V4s were finally phased out.
Johnson's first angular cowlings also came out in 1969, but used a different footprint from Evinrude's until 1974 when they began using the same footprint. So, Johnson cowlings will interchange from 1969 to 1973, and then again from 1973 to the late 1990s within the crossflow V4 family.
The 3-cylinder models also use the same footprint and latch arrangement through most of their run from 1968 on up into the 1990s. One of my future projects involves taking a 1976 Johnson "Mean Machine" orange Stinger cowling and dropping it on a painted-to-match late model Johnrude 70hp - modern underpinnings with the classic look!
Lots of marinas have these old cowlings stacked in back sheds, basements, attics, etc. and are only too happy to have someone take one or three. If you have a vintage boat with a late model motor and want to make the motor look the part, experiment a bit and see what happens!
- Scott
As many of you know, I recently rebuilt a 1976 Starcraft American 18-footer, as well as a 1984 Johnson 90hp to power it. Being a bit of a purist when it comes to things "matching", but realizing that the 1984 motor has quite a few refinements over a 1976 motor, I compromised and found a 1976 cowling for it.
Nice thing about Johnsons and Evinrudes is that the cowls for most of their "families" of motors will interchange with little or no modification across many years. For instance, Evinrude started using the angular styled cowlings along about 1969 on the V4s and used that same footprint through the 1990s when the crossflow V4s were finally phased out.
Johnson's first angular cowlings also came out in 1969, but used a different footprint from Evinrude's until 1974 when they began using the same footprint. So, Johnson cowlings will interchange from 1969 to 1973, and then again from 1973 to the late 1990s within the crossflow V4 family.
The 3-cylinder models also use the same footprint and latch arrangement through most of their run from 1968 on up into the 1990s. One of my future projects involves taking a 1976 Johnson "Mean Machine" orange Stinger cowling and dropping it on a painted-to-match late model Johnrude 70hp - modern underpinnings with the classic look!
Lots of marinas have these old cowlings stacked in back sheds, basements, attics, etc. and are only too happy to have someone take one or three. If you have a vintage boat with a late model motor and want to make the motor look the part, experiment a bit and see what happens!
- Scott
