Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

[TexomaAv8r]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

My 1969 MFG 16ft Runabout with a 68 Johnson 55 is good for about 25 mph. It has been well maintained, carbs rebuilt at least once in the last ten years (I know the previous 3 owners well) Impeller changed 2x a year, lower unit oil changed a couple of times a season. <br />It has some issues pending such as probable worn clutch dogs and possibly a leaky lower unit but after the first outing of the season it has always been a good motor.<br />The Archcraft sounds kinda cool, but it's kinda small may cramp your style.<br />look at the Carlson, have someone check the transom, maybe pay for a survey.

 

[butteco]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

Ya,<br /><br />I really like the Archcraft but I don't think you can ski behind it? It only has two bucket seets in a little tiny cockpit so cruising is probably all it is good for. The paint however is really nice and everything seems to be in good shape. I have no idea about the motor - I didn't have the compression guage with me... <br /><br />I did look at the Carlson and it is a cool little boat - it has a tunnel front with flat bottom back. It is a faded vintage maroon and pearl color which I am not crazy about - but could always spray it... It does however have room for 4 people and gear which is kind of nice. AND IT HAS 100 HP. <br /><br />I want whichever boat is going to be faster - I don't have any water skis or wakeboards so this summer will probably just be spent cruising all over the lake. <br /><br />Does anyone know if the 12' Archcraft with 40HP would be faster or slower than the 18' Carlson with 100HP? The owner of the carlson said it cruises at 40MPH. But that is just his word, I wonder if it actually goes that fast???

 

[TexomaAv8r]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

It might go that fast but honestly would you want to? 25 mph on my runabout is a harsh ride....<br />You could probably pull a skiier with it depending on that persons size/weight. wakeboard might not work too well.<br />The fascination with speed has always escaped me, even when I was of the age where it suposedly mattered. A weekend at the lake is my chance to slow down

 

[Solittle]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

butteco - I'm with tex on this one. While I think it is great to step out and go for it but at the same time your expectations should be somewhat close to realistic. You said "I am a first time boat buyer - I know nothing about outboards... " tells me that you might be better off getting close to someone who has some experience and can show you the ropes. Any boat can be a huge amount of fun but they can also cost big bucks if something goes wrong - - especially for a guy who is a starving college student.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

Well, waiting for a mid-life crisis notwithstanding: if those are your three, I don't think you have much of a choice. The 40 will likely provide enough power to waterski, but it won't be any fun. The I/O isn't such a great idea since it requires more regular maintanance, and you'll be busy enough with the irregular maintanance. Plus dealing with such an ancient I/O scares the bajeezes out of me, especially if it's a salt-water engine.<br />The 'Tower of Power' 100 has a loyal following among the performance crowd. Beware though, it guzzels gasoline.

 

[butteco]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

So it sounds like the Carlson is the boat I should choose? I was already leaning towards the Carlson... I really like the design, I am just not thrilled with it's Maroon/Pearl paint scheme. But I guess I can always sand it and spray can it if it really bothers me <br /><br />So the Merc. 100 has a good reputation, even though it is 35 years old? Even though it does guzzle 2.5 Gallons/hr it does have a 15gallon fuel cell in the rear. I do live in California and gas is about $2.80/gallon for Premium 91octane. So thats about $30 every 6 hrs! But with the Carlson I can fit 3 or 4 people and $30 split 3 or 4 ways isn't bad for 6hrs of fun!

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

Yeah, don't complain to me about the price of gas. $1/l for 91 here. <br />But I think your expected fuel consumption is a little unrealistic. Figure around 7GPH+ at cruise, more at full throttle. <br />I can't really comment on the 100 - the only inline-6 I ever personally delt with was a later 90. Also, I don't think there were any 70's 100s - just mid-late 60s - so you better check the serial number to be sure what your looking at.

 

[butteco]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

no your absolutley right - I think it might be a mid-late 60's 100hp. <br /><br />Thats the only thing that freaks me out - it is at leat 35 years old. How long could it possibly last - even if it was taken very good care of...

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

Like I said, I really can't speak for Mercs but there's plenty of J/E outboards running that have been in regular service since the 50s & 60s. Realistically. how long they last depends on the care they've received. I suppose you could say you can expect 2000 hours before it's worn-out, but how many hours are on the engine you're looking at?<br />Parts don't seem to be too bad for that engine. There's the $120 distributer cap, but besides that it looks like all normal service parts are available.

 

[butteco]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

The regular service parts don't scare me so much, points & condenser, coil, fuel pump, even carb stuff I can do (I build 4x4 rockcrawlers) - it is the major engine service such as changing piston rings etc.. that has me worried - not only does that mean major downtime - but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing something like that since I have never done that on an outboard before!<br /><br />There is NO way to tell how many hours the motor has on it - I would say at least 3hrs a week during summer for the last 30 years... <br /><br />Maybe I should see how much a replacement outboard would run? <br /><br />How much would a used 100HP 80's or 90's run???

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

I think you're worrying about this too much. If it looks and runs good...buy it and quit worrying. All boats are money pits, even brand new ones...

 

[butteco]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

What is the average life span on a 100HP Merc. built in the 60's? It has been regularly maintained i.e. new plugs, new oil (in lower unit) every season, new fuel pumps, coil, etc... <br /><br />I just see it like this. If I was buying a 1960's car with the original motor, I wouldn't expect that motor to last very long!!! <br /><br />Are boat motors different because they are 2 stroke?

 

[TexomaAv8r]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

There just arnt any good crystal ballas out there butteco.<br />Several guys have posted their anecdotal experience with used outboards.....the car/boat comparisons dont work quite the same.<br /><br />For the most part outboards run for briefer times with out the prolonged idling a car might experience....and more WOT running. They are simpler motors typicaly and tend to be rugged..<br /><br />Chances are that motor will give you a few more years of reliable service or not...

 

[butteco]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

As long as I get to use it through summer I don't mind if it eventually craps out! I just want something ready to run for this summer!<br /><br />Okay so I have decided that the Carlson is the best choice for me. Holds more people, has a more powerful motor for pulling skiers, and it has been well taken care of.<br /><br />Okay lets switch topics again:<br /><br />WHAT PAINT DO I PAINT A BOAT WITH?<br /><br />I have painted cars in the past with everything from spray cans to air powered paint sprayers. My compressor recently crapped out on me though (wasn't oil drive). <br /><br />I have never painted a boat before so I wonder what type of paint is used? Is it a latex based paint? Or is it a special marine paint? <br /><br />DO THEY MAKE BOAT PAINT IN SPRAY CANS?

 

[TexomaAv8r]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

For simplicity and to get better answers I sugest you start a new thread with this question in Boats Restoration/Rebuilding, since it is a new topic

 

[butteco]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

will do - THANKS!

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Buying a boat - HOW LONG DO OUTBOARDS LAST?

Originally posted by butteco:<br /> What is the average life span on a 100HP Merc. built in the 60's? It has been regularly maintained i.e. new plugs, new oil (in lower unit) every season, new fuel pumps, coil, etc... <br /><br />I just see it like this. If I was buying a 1960's car with the original motor, I wouldn't expect that motor to last very long!!! <br /><br />Are boat motors different because they are 2 stroke?

They'll last a few thousand hours if well maintained, but the number really doesn't matter because you have no idea how many hours a motor has on it or if it's been maintained at all. Going for one that runs well and looks good is the best you can do, short of spending $30,000 on a new one. I just bought a '79 Chevy truck, the odometer says 75,000 miles but god knows how many times it's rolled back over to zero. That doesn't bother me because the engine runs well right now...that's all I care about. Yes, 2 cycles are different, they don't last anywhere near as long as a car engine, because they are much less efficient and usually spend most of their life at WOT. Nobody drives their car around at 6000+ RPMs for miles at a time.