Re: 1977 19 ft Cobalt
I have the same boat, with the same engine and outdrive.... although I got lucky and mine only had 300 hrs on it when i bought it spring of 09. Changing over to another type outdrive is probably going to be too expensive and labor intensive to be worth the effort. You would need a donor boat, with everything still intact, including shift and steering cables etc etc, and finding all that for a Ford application is just that much harder. Plus you'd have to do extensive fiberglass rework to solid mount the engine, glass in the large hole that the stringer drive pokes through. The stringer drives get their name because the engine and outdrive are mounted solidly together, attached at the stringers, and hydraulic cylinders tilt (trim) the complete engine/outdrive assembly, vs a more modern system where the outdrive is attached to the transom and only the outdrive trims up and down.
Not only is yours a stinger drive... it is also the last year for the electric shift. The electric shift stringers have a bad reputation, but if properly operated and maintained are not bad at all, and will handle some decent power. The first issue you will have is rotted seals and shift wire insulation. The shift wires travel all the way down into the prop-shaft housing where electro-magnets engage either forward or reverse.
My suggestion is that you buy or download the OMC service manual and read up about what you have. If you are a mechanic, you can repair and maintain it yourself. It's different from what you are used to in the auto world, but it's really just nuts and bolts like anything else. But you WILL want to get the service manuals before you tear into it. I got mine on CD Rom off eBay for about $5.00 plus shipping and it's been invaluable.
Hope this helps.
I believe there are pics of our boat in my photo album here.
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