1986 Mercury 150 V6 worth?

[starcraftkid]

I recently inherited a few larger outboards that are of no use to me but appear to be in super clean condition and have perfect compression. Both need props and likely new impellers but otherwise are likely good motors.
Both are mid 80's era 150 V6 Mercury motors with the clam shell type hoods.

What is the value of one of these motors these days?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Value depends where you are and how the motor runs.

 

[Chris1956]

Fresh water use is much better for their value than salt..... Not many here at the Jersey shore would buy a motor that old used locally.

 

[slowleak]

I don't know how the op would know how any of them run, and I wouldn't expect anyone to do a full list of annual maintenance just to sell a used motor. Who would spend the money for a battery, fuel tank, hoses, impeller, prop, and controls just to demo a motor like that. If its got compression and the lower unit feels good, and its not a corroded up mess, I'd figure its got to be worth $2,500 or so or more. Especially when you see that a new motor will set you back $15k these days.
I had an older Black Max that threw a rod, I sold the lower unit for $900 on CL, it was gone in four days back in July, and it wasn't all that pretty either.
The cowl sold for $100, the flywheel brought $40, the carbs brought $250, the SS prop another $100, the T/T sold online for $350. I scrapped the rest and the aluminum bits brought about $60, the rest is in a bucket yet in the garage. There are still far more two stroke motors on the water than four strokes and many strongly prefer that era motor. They're simple and easy to fix yourself.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, I bought a '93 Merc 135HPV6 in 2008 or so, for $1K. It was complete, and ran fantastic. I still have it and it still runs fantastic.

$2500 for a 1986 of unknown condition, seems a pipe dream, at least to me.

 

[havoc_squad]

https://www.jdpower.com/boats/1986/mercury/150elpto/20008751/outboard-motors-values

Around $835. Insurance companies may look somewhat at current listing prices but the primary determination will be book value by the industry. Probably +/-$100 of this value.

Economic conditions are slowly getting worse in the US as the job cuts and firings increase. Next spring/summer, there will be more room to negotiate and using this value will help.

They can value it at $1 million dollars but that doesn't mean crap. People buying used cars/trucks that have a brain don't pay more than book value for private party in the proper condition. The same for outboard engines & boats.

I will take this value every time when I go to negotiate for one that can be proven in full working condition.

 

[Scott Danforth]

If you look, you can find them in rotten boats for about $500

 

[Faztbullet]

My area a clean ,running 2L will bring $950-1300

 

[Dukedog]

My area a clean ,running 2L will bring $950-1300

same 'round here..... key word "running".........

right now, what you have is a complete non runnin' motor.........

 

[slowleak]

The problem I see around my way is that used motors are priced sky high, and no one will negotiate whether it sells or not, and whether it runs or not.
Set a price, list them, and wait till they sell, it may take a while but sooner or later someone will need them.
The economy is crap and its likely not going to change anytime soon.
Buyers are few and far between and those with money are buying new, those without, seem to have parked their boats and forgot about them.
All last summer the waterways here were pretty devoid of boats and its getting worse every year lately.

Last summer I listed an unknown Mercury lower unit, off something in the 80's or 90's. My guess was it came from a mid 90's V6. I put it on CL $100 higher than all any others listed of the same size. I listed it in 2/2021, it sold 5/2023 for $650 cash as-is. I told the guy I knew nothing about it, or if it worked and told him if it were me, I'd open it up and take a look.
He only needed the case because he ripped the bottom out of his on a rock. He was the only email I got that wasn't some sort of scammer after over 2 years listed. I listed a pair of electric shift OMC 60hp motors that I had for years, both were clean but I had never gone farther than checking compression on them. I put them up for $850 each. I listed them in 2009, they sold in 2018. I got four emails on them in all that time. One sold for $650 to a guy from MI, 900 miles away, the other to a guy a mile up the road here for $500 a month after the first one sold. The ad was up the whole time, I just kept renewing it over and over.
$800 motors here are usually seized or have bad lower units. Good lowers bring more than $800 in the summer.

Motors get cheaper in the winter, but in a few weeks it'll explode and the prices go nuts again.

With new motors over $16k in the 150 range at the dealer, used motors are holding their value because so many flat out can't afford a new one.

The real issue selling anything is that most who have $3,000 to spend on a used motor, likely have the money to spend way more and they sign on the dotted line for a new boat and motor, those who can't are flat broke and don't have $300 let alone $3,000.
Real buyers on CL or FB are few and far between, so are the real ads it seems. I email quite a few people selling various items and maybe 1 in 50 actually responds. When you list something, you get 30 emails right way, all with dumb questions that sooner or later lead to them wanting a phone number, then they're gone. I suspect most of the affordable ads are there for the same reason, to mine for personal info and active phone numbers.

I mess with dirt bikes, mostly vintage bikes, I listed a crap load of holy grail type parts on eBay last summer, all priced to sell, out of 150 ads, I sold three items in 12 months. One took a month to pay, one never paid, and one drove 4 hours to pick up a $50 item to save $15 shipping.

 

[starcraftkid]

Both are gone, a guy came from I think MD who wanted only the lower units, he looked at both motors, checked the lower oil, and told me if they came off and weren't stuck, he'll give me $500 each. I asked if he wanted any more, as I had three more behind the garage that were 'parts' motors, and he offered me $2100 for five used lower units. He removed them and paid me. He was here for maybe an hour or so tops.
I took off the carbs, power packs, and flywheels, and the three internal T/T units and ran the the rest to the junk yard just before closing time.
I'll list the T/T units, covers, and carbs come spring I suppose.

(The three parts motors were a 1990 135 with a broken crank, a 1994 90hp that was seized, and a 1997 115 with a ripped up lower cylinder.)
They were pretty much just waiting for me to break then down for parts and scrap anyway.
The only real value was in what was likely two good used 85-86 150hp motors. The rest was junk to me.
I saw it as 'Problem solved', a 'Five birds with one stone' sort of thing. .

I'd have rather someone take the whole motors but turned three motors that I'd never use or sell whole into cash.
As scrap, the rest brought me $318. So, the way I see it, the whole mess put $2400 in my pocket and I probably burned three gallons of gas hauling them to the scrap yard. Plus I gained three empty outboard stands to sell or use on something else.

He only wanted the lower units and he said he only does mercury. He didn't want any other brand lower units either, as I have several that I've saved over the years.

 

[jimmbo]

It is worth as much as you can get for it, which means, it is worth as much as someone is willing to Pay

 

[starcraftkid]

I think sometimes that means it only worth what someone who wants it can afford to pay, and lately I think that's gotten pretty low. Nothing seems to sell to local buyers, its always someone from 100 miles or more away. Local ads don't get any replies here.

 

[stresspoint]

The problem I see around my way is that used motors are priced sky high, and no one will negotiate whether it sells or not, and whether it runs or not.
Set a price, list them, and wait till they sell, it may take a while but sooner or later someone will need them.
The economy is crap and its likely not going to change anytime soon.
Buyers are few and far between and those with money are buying new, those without, seem to have parked their boats and forgot about them.
All last summer the waterways here were pretty devoid of boats and its getting worse every year lately.

Last summer I listed an unknown Mercury lower unit, off something in the 80's or 90's. My guess was it came from a mid 90's V6. I put it on CL $100 higher than all any others listed of the same size. I listed it in 2/2021, it sold 5/2023 for $650 cash as-is. I told the guy I knew nothing about it, or if it worked and told him if it were me, I'd open it up and take a look.
He only needed the case because he ripped the bottom out of his on a rock. He was the only email I got that wasn't some sort of scammer after over 2 years listed. I listed a pair of electric shift OMC 60hp motors that I had for years, both were clean but I had never gone farther than checking compression on them. I put them up for $850 each. I listed them in 2009, they sold in 2018. I got four emails on them in all that time. One sold for $650 to a guy from MI, 900 miles away, the other to a guy a mile up the road here for $500 a month after the first one sold. The ad was up the whole time, I just kept renewing it over and over.
$800 motors here are usually seized or have bad lower units. Good lowers bring more than $800 in the summer.

Motors get cheaper in the winter, but in a few weeks it'll explode and the prices go nuts again.

With new motors over $16k in the 150 range at the dealer, used motors are holding their value because so many flat out can't afford a new one.

The real issue selling anything is that most who have $3,000 to spend on a used motor, likely have the money to spend way more and they sign on the dotted line for a new boat and motor, those who can't are flat broke and don't have $300 let alone $3,000.
Real buyers on CL or FB are few and far between, so are the real ads it seems. I email quite a few people selling various items and maybe 1 in 50 actually responds. When you list something, you get 30 emails right way, all with dumb questions that sooner or later lead to them wanting a phone number, then they're gone. I suspect most of the affordable ads are there for the same reason, to mine for personal info and active phone numbers.

I mess with dirt bikes, mostly vintage bikes, I listed a crap load of holy grail type parts on eBay last summer, all priced to sell, out of 150 ads, I sold three items in 12 months. One took a month to pay, one never paid, and one drove 4 hours to pick up a $50 item to save $15 shipping.

pretty much same story for me with some Suzuki DT 250 2 smoke outboards i acquired , had them advertised for ages as parts motors after stripping them and finding lots of corrosion so were not worth fixing. .
decided to individually list available usable parts , eventually sold odds and ends but nothing substantial.
after a couple of years i got sick of the BS calls , constant re advertising and emails , i was ready to send the lot to scrap , a bloke on the other side of the country calls me up and said he would take everything left ,with a good price offered and cash transfer that day.
palleted them up and shipped away out of my sight!.

 

[slowleak]

I had a pair of lower units listed for 22 months on CL and FB, both for 90's Mercury two stroke 115hp motors, no salt damage, both were super clean.
I had them up for $400 each, I never got a single email. A local marina was selling the same thing for $750.
I put them on eBay last Aug. and they both sold for $650 each in less than three days. Even though I listed shipping, both buyers drove over 300 miles to pick them up, one buyer said he had been looking for one for five years but couldn't find one. I told him it had been on CL and he said he would never buy anything off CL because it meant you had to drive and deal with people in person. As if he hadn't just done the very same thing off eBay?
I never guy motors locally, I go inland a few hours or more to avoid salt damaged motors, but I find just as many buyers who come from those same areas with no saltwater to buy motors. It makes no sense.

I had 6 older 3 and 4hp motors listed that came from an estate sale in DE, all were viable motors but none were turn key. I listed them for $200 each just to get rid of them. They sat listed for four years, not so much as a single reply on CL or FB. I finally took down all the other ads and put up just one motor for $225, I got two emails, the first guy came out, looked it over, asked if it came with guarantee and could I demo it on the water.
That wasn't going to happen so he left. The second guy looked it over, checked the compression, zapped himself twice with the spark, and tells me he never pays more than $50 for a used motor. I told him no problem and put the motor back inside. A week later he came back with $200 cash so I let it go.
He sees I have more motors and he tells me they'll never sell, no one wants old motors, (except him I guess). A week later he comes back and want to buy all 5 of them. When I told him I had planned to sell them one at a time, offered me $1200, I took it and he loaded them and was gone. While loading them all up he tells me he buys boats and motors and ships them down to South America were they're in high demand. He said they don't want the newer complicated motors, only those with old school points that are easy to fix. But he won't buy anything larger than a 4hp. He passed on a few minty clean 3 and 4 hp 1990 Evinrude motors that were turn key because they didn't have points.
Locally though, those motors are not worth the space they take up, the old timers who loved them are mostly gone or too old to get out in a boat, and the younger crowd is brainwashed toward four strokes only.