Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

Good morning everyone,

(I was not sure where to put this thread so I also have it on one of the restore posts)

My wife inherited her grandfathers 1959 Alumacrft 14' fishing boat. This thing was in pretty rough shape but with it meaning so much to her and her family I thought I would do what I could with it.

I am at a cross roads her now. I am closing in on getting the wood done for the seats and picked up a new trailer for it. I now need to put a motor on her.

The old tag says its rated for a 15HP motor. When I was picking up the trailer yesterday I almost picked up the new Merc 15HP 4 stroke. I decided to hold off though until I got some input.

I know that 4 strokes are heavier then the 2 strokes. Do you think this little boat would be fine with the 15? Sounds like the 9.9 is the same weight.

Thanks ahead for any opinions or thoughts!

(Also if anyone has experience in cleaning up the outside of one of these old Aluminum boats please let me know. I do not want it to look like a mirror however after all the work I have on the inside of her a uniform look on the outside would be nice! I was thinking a very, very find grit sandpaper?)

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

15 is a good size and will run you at a nice clip. Since weight is the same I'd surely go for the 15 and when you have the boat loaded down you will appreciate the extra ponies. If you can find a 2 stroke it will be lighter. Tohatsu has them I think and they build engines in that range for several major OEMs, like Merc. Besides you can get power trim from them and that is well worth the money I assure you.

Alumacraft have the finest hull in that size alum boats. Very tough. I had a 12' and neighbor had a 14'. Tried to buy a 16' once but seller wanted too much.

Mark

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

You could technically get a mirror shine with a polishing compound and a buffer just depends on how shiny you want it .I would imagine steel wool or fine sandpaper would clean off any stuff stuck to it but will leave small scratches that would be a pain to remove. I pretty sure you can google polishing aluminum and get lots of suggestions there.

I would suggest a 9.9-15 HP. Just be aware you may be required to have USCG sticker if bigger then 10HP , just need to check with your local jurisdiction.

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

On many lakes the maximum allowed HP is 10, which is an argument for the 9.9. Further, many lakes (and many more in the future) do not allow 2 strokes of any size unless direct injected. There are no DFI 2 strokes in the size range.

Those two limitations are strong arguments for a 9.9HP 4 stroke, which should get 90% of the performance that a 15HP would provide.

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

JB said:

On many lakes the maximum allowed HP is 10, which is an argument for the 9.9. Further, many lakes (and many more in the future) do not allow 2 strokes of any size unless direct injected. There are no DFI 2 strokes in the size range.

Those two limitations are strong arguments for a 9.9HP 4 stroke, which should get 90% of the performance that a 15HP would provide.

Click to expand...

is there no "grandfather clause" when it come to vintage two strokes? imho, it would be just wrong to hang a modern motor on the stern of that gem!! it would look sooo much better all polished up, with a 1957/58 omc 10/15hp!!

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

If it were mine, I would look for the newest 9.9 OMC 2-stroke that I could find.

Aluminum jelly and a soft brush, then rinse with water will make her look almost like she just came from the factory. Not a mirror finish, but just like it used to look, with minimal work.

The work you have done so far looks awesome!

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

Nice work! The seats look great.

My family has run a boat like that on inland lakes in MI for 30 years or better on a 7 1/2 Johnson then a 9.9 Evinrude. Either one works nicely. Slows up some with three people on board, but not too bad. If it's rated for 15HP, you might like that a little better if you will have more than two people on board.

... Though, I have to admit I'm with NWCove: find a nice vintage Johnson/Evinrude. for that boat. It would look really slick. We had an old Goodyear SeaBee that would have looked fabulous on your boat (think my uncle got that motor).

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

that boat would be a real head turner with something like this mounted on the transom ( whether it be the restored pic on the left, or the unrestored motor!) http://www.nymarine.ca/15joBA.jpg

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

I have to say your boat look very nice. Good restore job thus far. I would go for the 15 HP so that when loaded it still goes AND in the years to follow when it starts getting a little tired it will still have enough to run good as well. Just remember, you can always slow it down, but you can't make it go faster then the HP limit...JMHO!

Re: Looking for input on what motor to put on this little boat

Half the piers on our lake have one of these boats sitting upside down on them. My cousin still has my uncle's 1956 model with an old 18 hp Johnson (brown.) My neighbor used to teach little kids how to water ski behind one with a 9.9 hp 2 stroke Johnson.

I'd suggest going with a 15 hp 4 stroke. It'll be so durable and use very, very little fuel.

White Diamond metal polish (Advance Auto Parts) and a dual action polisher with a wool bonnet is how you get'em polished. I tried Mothers Aluminum Polish but it wouldn't do the job. And if they're dirty or stained, acid based aluminum cleaners, including NAPA's aluminum cleaner, will get'em clean but leave a dull finish ready for polishing.