Make sure you look at the OMC closely - If a Cobra, others will have to give you details. But most will say to avoid it unless you intend to re-power.
If it's a Stringer drive (they stopped making 'em in '86, but maybe it's got a leftover), you want to steer clear unless you're into the idea of caring for a vintage drive. You can't repower without rebuilding your transom.
OMC went out of business in the 90s, and some of the older parts are getting tougher to dig up.
No idea if Seadrives were a factory option. They were available in 1987. Seadrives are an OMC motor mounted on a sort of bracket and sold as a single unit. The reason I said Seadrive is back then the Outboards were named by their horsepower ( 90, 115, 235, etc.)and Seadrives were named by the metric displacement (1.8 liter, 2.0 liter, etc.).
Later year Islanders did have an outboard with bracket option.
Ok guys, its sitting in my driveway after driving 2 1/2 hrs to look at it.No idea on condition of motor but couldn 't turn it down.Hull vin is strn9446J485. Pics will follow later today.
New floors and seats ,check motor out and see if it runs.If not then I will repower maybe i/o not sure.Should make a great boat for Saginaw Bay and the other great lakes!I have to move a bunch of stuff to get it in the shop.Stay tuned.
Pretty cool looking rig! Soooo what's the idea behind the big Sea Drive bracket? Never seen anything like it. Cost effective way of keeping the same transom that they could make I/O or outboard? Or did they want the outboard set back for a reason?
New floors and seats ,check motor out and see if it runs.If not then I will repower maybe i/o not sure.Should make a great boat for Saginaw Bay and the other great lakes!I have to move a bunch of stuff to get it in the shop.Stay tuned.
I would never swap the outboard out with a I/O. Way too much involved for that size boat,, Stringers,engine mounts, controls .gauges, steering, transom cut out, engine box to be fabricated ,loss of deck space , I could go on and on,,, but I hope you get the picture with what I mentioned.
Update.... boat is in the shop warming up. I pulled side panels and center section of floor out.Who designed those seat fr
ames?Kinda hard to understand their engineering process.I suppose it had something to do with how high off the deck they are.Small area of delam on port lower corner of transom.Will check further tomorrow
With the bracket the tilt tube is way up high.----Allows for prop to lifted well out of the water.-----More room in the boat.----Light weight ?-----Same powerhead as the outboard so about 115 HP.