Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

[foxjohnc03]

My 1958 Evinrude Four-Fifty Starflight 55hp. Ugliest thing that I have ever seen. I wish that someone had a scan of a sales brochure so I could see what one looked like new.

 

[sloopy]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

The briggs and Stratton is ugly along with some other air cooled outboards. But gosh that thing on the link is ugly!

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

Had an old 75hp evinrude starflight V4, not sure of year... UGLY..... <br /><br />The new Hondas, so rounded off that they look like like they have no form.. kind of a blob...<br /><br />Merc inline 6 tower of power... I dunno, kind of ugly to me...<br /><br />Merc's new inline 6, 250hp four stroke... Not necessarily ugly, but definately EVIL looking...

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

BLASPHEMER!!!! The 60's Merc Tower of Power is the best lookin' outboards ever! All that nasty tall black and chrome action. Yeah, I am so horribly biased towards Merc that my opinion is scewed beyond repair. I will agree that the new outboards have no real character, just rounded silver or black extrusions clamped to the arse end of the boat. Wouldn't turn one away if it was given to me though.<br /><br />Ugliest outboard? Well, I used to think it was those old Chryslers that looked like a microwave oven glued to an outboard leg, but that link is one ugly sinfull vile lookin' thing. The saddest part of all is they have that embarrasment clamped to the transom of a pretty sweet woody...

 

[Solittle]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

My vote would be for the Bearcat as I think it was called. One of the 1st 4 cycles & 55 hp I think.

 

[OBJ]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

I got a 1936 31.2hp Johnny. You have no idea how ugly this motor is.

 

[Dan Beisel]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

i thought my '70 Johnson 115 was boxy but that '58 'rude takes it!

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

Solittle, you talkin' about this little gem? Homelite/Bearcat 55. This was the one I had, it wasn't as bad as that nasty Evinrude linked above...<br /><br />

 

[Capn Mike]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

The Evinrude is so ugly it's now classic....my wife tells me "Mid-Century" is what the stylists are calling that ugly '50s stuff.<br />Sure would like to have that boat/motor combo now. Double...triple the cost new?

 

[ED21]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

The British made Seagull has my vote. At least the Evinrude & the Homelite had a style, no matter how outdated. The Seagull is a heavy collection of pipes, tubes & wires. The only style it has could be called utilitarian with no style. I may hate this motor also because with a 24:1 gas mix it smokes like burning tire dump & its single cylinder shakes the whole boat. Just try motoring downwind in a light breeze with the exhaust cloud hanging over you and you'll know what I mean. web page

 

[catfish1]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

my vote for the uglyest is the 68 evinrude starflight 85hp and all the other hp's and yrs that look like it! ugly!

 

[Link]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

I just knew if I read long enough someone was going to bash my pretty little seagull... <br /><br />Link

 

[sloopy]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

thats the five horse<br />

thats a 50! WOW THEY LOOK THE SAME!

 

[Solittle]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

JasonJ - How bout givin us a report on that Bearcat?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Just for fun - Ugliest production outboard you've seen?

It was a 1963 Homelite 55 4 stroke 55 horse. It was on the 1963 Pacific Mariner I rescued from a leaf filled slow death next to a barn for the last 15 years. I took the two carbs off and cleaned them. Made my own gaskets as I had no source of parts at the time. Put oil in it, and fresh plugs, cleaned and reset the points with guestimation, and it fired right up. Found a guy named Scott on the web who has a Homelite/Bearcat site, and he hooked me up with photo copied repair manuals.<br /><br />I ran the motor for a year and it ran great. Always started right up, idled sweet, and trolled all day. Also got fantastic fuel economy. Was everything the new 4 strokes are without the huge expense. I blew up the lower unit and got parts from a guy in LA, rebuilt the lower unit, put in new water pump and seals, and ran it another year until I ran across an 85 horse Merc inline 6 for $200. That thing just plain ran great, and almost doubled the speed of the boat over the Homelite. I sold the Homelite for $250, and that was that.