Best place to find a used outboard?

[mike__b]

I'm looking for a larger (than I currently have) motor in the range of 25-40hp. I don't really care about brand, but my capital is small, so I'm looking at buying a busted motor, and putting the money into rebuilding it. I think common problems like engine repair, carb issues, starter issue should be easy for me to fix. And be less expensive.

Any recommendations, beside craigslist, for sites, publications, etc that people or salvage yards list motors for sale? I've checked with at least one salvage place, and they will sell a fixable 30hp tiller for $400, outside my price point. I'm looking for restorable motor at under $200, I've seen several for under $150, but people have been slow to reply to my inquiry.

 

[jasper60103]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

The Antique outboard forum has a free classified ad section where you can search items for sale and/or post an ad for the motor you desire.

http://www.aomci.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=Webvertize

 

[5150abf]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

Look everywhere and let everyone you know know that you are looking for an engine, ti might take awhile but something will show up.

I did this years ago and my brother was driving somewhere I never go and found one, a '69 9.5 Johnson for $300, ran it for 3 years and sold it for $300.

Maybe Ebay, you can search within a radius of your house.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

I'm looking for a larger (than I currently have) motor in the range of 25-40hp. I don't really care about brand, but my capital is small, so I'm looking at buying a busted motor, and putting the money into rebuilding it. I think common problems like engine repair, carb issues, starter issue should be easy for me to fix. And be less expensive.

Any recommendations, beside craigslist, for sites, publications, etc that people or salvage yards list motors for sale? I've checked with at least one salvage place, and they will sell a fixable 30hp tiller for $400, outside my price point. I'm looking for restorable motor at under $200, I've seen several for under $150, but people have been slow to reply to my inquiry.

Just some ideas and suggestions:
25-40hp tiller outboards are probably the most sought after motors right now, especially with the price gougers jacking up fuel costs. It will be difficult (not impossible) to find something like you're looking for for <$400, unless you're lucky enough to find someone wealthy that just wants to get rid of something and doesn't care if he gets the going price for it. You SHOULD be interested in brand. OMC outboards in that hp are super plentiful and therefore far easier to find used parts for it (i.e. cheap parts). Mercury would be my second choice. Yamaha and other japanese parts are going to be high. I wouldn't consider any other brand other than mercury or OMC if you're trying to get a broken motor going, and do it cheaply. 25-35hp tiller motors in particular are hard to find, and there aren't too many tiller 40's out there. If I ever find one, I'll buy it!
Good luck with your search. You're going to need to look at every source. Jasper gave you a good one. What area do you live in? I may have a few suggestions according to where you live.
Good luck,
JBJ

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

I see older(50s and 60s) OMC tillers in that range quite often. I'm gonna be getting an Evinrude Lark 30hp as a project soon and I'm looking forward to it.

Try using one of the craigslist aggregater tools like craiglook or one of the others. Do a google search for it there are quite a few. It will let you search a 1-200 mile range in seconds and save tons of time. You will be surprised how many motors will show up.

Good luck to ya.

 

[JB]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

You have a PM.

 

[F_R]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

Go to the Antique Outboard Club's Website, www.aomci.org Then navigate to the upcoming events page. Then attend one of those club meets. You will find something. Or at least, what you do find will be right there for you to examine before you plunk down the money. I saw a (OMC) Gale Buccaneer 35hp at the local meet yesterday for $85. I didn't pay much attention because I'm not in the market for one.

OR at least, as somebody just suggested, place a free want ad.

 

[boater1234]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

Hands down,craigslist.I have found brand new outboards on craigslist for like half the price of a marina.I find them all the time to.You just have to constantly be on there and when a deal pops up do not hesitate for one second and go check the deal out.That is what i do and get a ton of newer small motors like 2.5 up to 25hp like crazy.You can find what you need in a weekend if you search craigslist really good.Also if you are willing to travel you can find some just crazy cheap deals as people are just giving stuff away now because they need the money to live.I have bought tons of 25hp motors that were in really great working condition for $200 to $400 but they needed a paint job.Most of the time the reason a motor gets sold is the owner can't get it started and it's just the carbs being dirty,all it needs is a good cleaning and there you go a motor for a few hundred bucks.

 

[mike__b]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

Thanks for the ideas so far. I'm located in central Kentucky.

 

[mike__b]

Re: Best place to find a used outboard?

Hands down,craigslist.I have found brand new outboards on craigslist for like half the price of a marina.I find them all the time to.You just have to constantly be on there and when a deal pops up do not hesitate for one second and go check the deal out.That is what i do and get a ton of newer small motors like 2.5 up to 25hp like crazy.You can find what you need in a weekend if you search craigslist really good.Also if you are willing to travel you can find some just crazy cheap deals as people are just giving stuff away now because they need the money to live.I have bought tons of 25hp motors that were in really great working condition for $200 to $400 but they needed a paint job.Most of the time the reason a motor gets sold is the owner can't get it started and it's just the carbs being dirty,all it needs is a good cleaning and there you go a motor for a few hundred bucks.

Yeah, I have some RSS feed searches setup with craigslist. I've been checking several times a day. I lost a deal the other day on a 35HP tiller model. Guy broke the winding spring for the pull starter and gave up. Somebody else was already on the way to get it.