Minty clean 1974 Mercury 9.8hp value?

[slowleak]

I recently inherited an older aluminum boat that's in new condition, a 14ft runabout.
The boat is rated for 25hp but the local lakes only allow 10hp.
I found a minty clean, (could pass for brand new), 1973 Mercury 9.8hp two stroke for sale in PA, far from saltwater. It belonged to an older guy who passed away a few years ago and his wife is finally selling off some of his toys. They want $800 for the motor.
At first I thought it was high for the age but after looking around, I can't find anything newer for under $1,500, and most are four strokes, which are heavier than I care to deal with. The Mercury is nice and light, and it looks brand new, just like the boat.
The current motor is a 20hp Chrysler in just as nice of shape, and its super light too.
Its probably as light or close to the weight of the Mercury 110 I'm looking at.

Is $800 out of line for a clean vintage motor? I'm told the motor had a new impeller and lower unit reseal done at the dealer in 2017, when it was last run. It was fogged then and put up for storage. The motor is all original, even the plugs are supposedly still original, and they look brand new. It comes with an original 3 gallon metal fuel can that also looks brand new. It will need a new hose, as the original is a bit stiff from age.
I'd likely just buy a new impeller for it and open and take a look at the carb before running it but its got strong compression, (The repair order from 2017 lists both cylinders at 128 psi). Apparently the guy had it winterized at the dealer every fall after he used it to pull the fountain pumps from his pond.

Every other older motor I've looked at has been rough to say the least, most were pretty much junk, and they wanted just as much or more.

I also thought about selling the super clean 20hp Chrysler that came with the boat but I didn't figure I'd get enough to make it worth selling. It runs great and can still be used in other areas or in the river.

 

[Scott Danforth]

5 years ago, I would have said that the motor is worth $100-$200. however in the last 2 years, prices for everything went up about 3x

being 1974, it is definitely a fresh water only motor (steel shafts vs stainless)

the motor should be about 70#. I suggest offering $400

 

[slowleak]

I think $400 would be an insult. There's junk that don't run selling for $1000 here lately. Its been that way here for 10 years or more.
I drove around this morning looking at various motors locally, including a few dealers. The cheapest 9.9 at a dealer used was $1,500 for an 80's two stroke Mercury. Private sales turned up a decent 9.5hp Evinrude that's not run in 10 years in so/so shape for $950, a running 2006 Merc 4 stroke for $1850, and a 'parts' 1980 Merc 9.8 with a broken steer pin and no spark for $750. The best motor locally I looked at was a 2008 Johnson for $1200, but it was super heavy, too heavy to consider portable. That 9.8 Merc is light, you can carry it by the lift handle like a suitcase easily. Its lighter than the 9.5hp Johnson I looked at.
I'd rather have a period correct motor for this boat, a modern motor won't look right. There's been a few 80's Honda motors for sale too, but all have been long shaft motors. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a short shaft older Honda.

There's a 9.9hp Force listed for $950, its new in the box and it comes with a 3 gallon plastic fuel tank and hose. I think its a 1991 model.

 

[GA_Boater]

If you don't stop justifying, the motor will be gone.

 

[racerone]

Your location?-----I need to move a truck load of motors to your area.

 

[slowleak]

I'm in NJ.
I just found a guy with a 1995 Yamaha four stroke, the motor looks like new but its got the lower spark plug broke off in the head, and he broke off an 'easy out' inside the busted plug threads. He wanted $1,500 before, but with the broken plug he'll take $200. Its in central PA, so it likely never saw saltwater. Everything I find here is all corroded from saltwater use. Even those that don't run in saltwater get corroded by the salt air at the shore.
How big of a deal is it to remove the head on a 9.9 Yamaha four stroke? I think if I could get at the back side of the plug it would likely be easier to remove even if it meant slowly cutting through it by hand. Worst case would be a new head. Its not the ideal motor but its cheap and not corroded from saltwater. There's only a handful of 10hp motors for sale in this area, and most I wouldn't want to mess with anyhow. The Yamaha motor has a huge prop and comes with both the tiller and remote control box to be used either way. I could get away from a heavier motor if I didn't have to sit at the stern to steer. The boat has a steering wheel up front. It just wouldn't have electric start. I'd have to start it manually and drive up front.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I think $400 would be an insult. There's junk that don't run selling for $1000 here lately. Its been that way here for 10 years or more.
I drove around this morning looking at various motors locally, including a few dealers. The cheapest 9.9 at a dealer used was $1,500 for an 80's two stroke Mercury. Private sales turned up a decent 9.5hp Evinrude that's not run in 10 years in so/so shape for $950, a running 2006 Merc 4 stroke for $1850, and a 'parts' 1980 Merc 9.8 with a broken steer pin and no spark for $750. The best motor locally I looked at was a 2008 Johnson for $1200, but it was super heavy, too heavy to consider portable. That 9.8 Merc is light, you can carry it by the lift handle like a suitcase easily. Its lighter than the 9.5hp Johnson I looked at.
I'd rather have a period correct motor for this boat, a modern motor won't look right. There's been a few 80's Honda motors for sale too, but all have been long shaft motors. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a short shaft older Honda.

There's a 9.9hp Force listed for $950, its new in the box and it comes with a 3 gallon plastic fuel tank and hose. I think its a 1991 model.

I paid $150 for a 1984 merc 9.8 with electric start, a 12 gallon tank, cables and a bunch of other parts. Found on CL in Missouri (im in Florida). Had choice of shipping ot pick up. Had relative pick up and hold.

$1000 is high for a 48 year old 10hp motor.

 

[roscoe]

I guess I spend a week of vacation hauling 9 motors to NJ.

As for the Merc, it may be a "maker" ignition, just the opposite of a breaker system.
They only made them for a couple years.
Makes me wonder why?
No it doesn't, mine has't run right since about 1990 and no one will work on it. Most shops I've talked with have never heard of a "maker" ignition.

 

[crackedglass]

Around my area you can't buy the prop for $150. I just parted out a '75 9.8hp, I got $450 for the lower unit, and $60 for the prop. The cover, which was cracked sold for $100.
If the motor the op is describing is indeed that clean, then I'd say its worth at least the sum of its parts.
Most $100-300 motors around here are what we call 'parts'.
Those 9.8hp and 7.5hp motors were good motors, they were light, made good power, and lasted forever. They were also easy to work on.
I've got a minty clean 9.5hp Johnson that I bought as new in the box from 1969 in 1989, I gave $1,100 for it back then and felt I stole it because a modern motor at that time was at least $500 more.
These days new two strokes are gone, and super clean or new old examples are like hens teeth. Especially in an area where there's saltwater.
Years ago I lived in PA on a lake, there were a ton of antique motors still in use, while around here, old motors are motors that came from somewhere else.
I just took a look on CL and FB and couldn't find anything that looked worth owning under $1,500, and most in the $750 to $1,000 were 'well used' or worse.

If the motor truly has super low hours and is in good condition, then I can't see why it wouldn't be worth $800 or so. You certainly can't buy a new one for anywhere close to that.

 

[tpenfield]

$800 seems a bit pricey, but in today's market maybe not. Small OB engine pricing has gone crazy the past few years. I would say $600 for sure, and $800 is a possibility.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Around my area you can't buy the prop for $150. I just parted out a '75 9.8hp, I got $450 for the lower unit, and $60 for the prop. The cover, which was cracked sold for $100.

I want to know where you live so I can drive there and unload the rest of my 9.8 stuff.

 

[crackedglass]

I think part of the proplem in NJ is that there's a gas motor ban in fresh water. here's only a few larger lakes that allow you to use a gas motor under 10hp.
It puts used 9.9hp motors at a premium. Rumors of a two stroke ban years ago made them harder to find since many switched 4 strokes. When the ban didn't happen, for power and weight reasons, many realized two strokes were the better choice for their older boats. When they went looking for older, lighter two strokes good motors were few and far between, often damaged by salt water use. New motors are all four strokes, many older boats which were designed with a light two stroke in mind and do better with a lighter motor. I'd venture to guess that more than 3/4 of all small boats are older than 25 years old here. I see tons of old Lowe Line, Alumacraft, Sears, and Starcraft jon boats on the lakes here, most all have older two stroke outboards and likely couldn't handle a heavier four stroke unless it were a much smaller motor. Its been about 15 or so years since two strokes were sold new.
Most small outboards here don't wear out, they die of neglect or salt corrosion. So finding one that came from an area where they weren't exposed to saltwater for years on end is the only solution and most will pay the price for the right motor.
Even the big lakes here are small compared with what many see in other parts of the country, so outboards don't see a lot of run time on the water, and I suppose a lot of folks use their motors only a few weekends per year here for maybe 3 or 4 months out of the year. I was on the river here last Sunday morning and only saw one or two other boats, and those were larger I/O powered boats. The lake had one other boat out on the water, an old guy with an older Yamaha two stroke on a flat bottom jon boat.

Looking on CL and FB, I see a few cheaper motors, but most are in need of repairs or just parts motors, there's nothing that stands out as being a super clean reliable motor that's not over $750. I didn't see more than maybe 20 or so 10hp motors overall, and a few of those are gone since this morning.

Personally, I wouldn't likely spend a grand on an older motor but I'm also not looking for one or in need of one. Over the years, in my travels I've bought and stashed away a few minty clean motors for future use that I picked up at yard sales in other areas. I did sell a few over the years and they always bring top dollar. As time goes on, good two strokes are getting scarce in some areas.
With the cost of new motors being what they are, its not hard to see why someone would spend a grand or more for a really clean used motor rather than spend a couple grand or more for a new motor.
Its been my experience that you get what you pay for in a used motor and age has little to do with their value and many if not most may prefer an older, easier to work on two stroke.

 

[racerone]

On a say 1966 Evinrude / Johnson you can put an entire new ignition system on for about $100 or less.--They will also run on one cylinder because each cylinder has its own ignition system.--On some new 4 strokes an entire new system is like $1500.---When some parts fail the motor stops and will not run on 1 cylinder.-----Some folks are now starting to appreciate how good certain model 2 strokes are.---I should take a truck load of motors / parts to NJ.

 

[slowleak]

I went yesterday and bought the motor, I looked at 11 others, none were anywhere close to the condition of this older motor. For some reason Mercury motors are hard to find here, there's a ton of real rough looking OMC motors from the 70's, some were even cheaper but the 9.9 OMC isn't as light as the Mercury, which is noticeably lighter. Even my buddy, a diehard OMC guy, said he couldn't believe how light this thing is.
It came with two props, a two and a three blade.

I brought it home, dropped the lower unit, replaced the impeller, (probably didn't need to but once it was apart, I wasn't putting the old one back in).
I borrowed a tank and hose off a buddy and gave it a try in a barrel of water last night, it took two pulls and it was running. I also checked the compression, its got 129 psi on both cylinders. Both spark plugs are original, still painted black from when the block was painted at the factory. I got it for $750 cash. My guess is that this thing hasn't got more than a couple hours on it since day one.
The next best option was a 2006 Mercury 2 stroke that was 400 miles away for $1,500, and another for the same price about 80 miles away but that one was a long shaft.
I took it out for a couple of hours early this morning and it runs perfect, it pushes my boat about 15mph with just me and a tank of fuel, a battery, and a 3hp electric trolling motor I took along just in case.
I tried it with both the two and three blade props, the two blade goes a bit faster but the three blade gets it up on plane and makes less wake behind the boat.

 

[crackedglass]

That thing looks almost brand new.
I think I would have had to have considered it myself just on appearance alone. You don't see many motors in NJ that old and that clean that area all original. .

My 9.5 Johnson is that clean, I bought it new in the box in 1985, the motor was bought by some guy and never used. I gave $650 for it 36 years ago.
There's some truth to the cost of parts issues with Mercury vs. an old points ignition but I've seen far more old OMC motors that needed new coils than I have Mercury motors with bad stators or coils. Cost wise, the OMC isn't $100 to fix these days, I replaced the points, condensers, coils, an plugs on a buddies 9.5 Evinrude two months ago and he paid over $450 at the dealer for the parts. Not to mention they got him for $73 for the water pump kit, $15 each for the spark plugs, $94 for the coils, $45 for two plug wires, and $36 for a recoil rope and handle. They also charged him $26 for 2 feet of fuel line.
I'd have rather him buy aftermarket coils not new old originals that have likely been on some shelf for 50 years aging. The new coils were the same wax paper wound style that I took off.

I've rarely seen a Mercury ignition system fail on a super clean motor, its the old, corroded, weather beaten disasters that I've seen with electrical issues. Most folks here just park the boat in the back yard, with the motor attached and leave it uncovered year round After a few seasons out in the weather they're pretty rough looking, worse if they spent their time in the salt water here.
One thing I've always done to those old Mercury motors is to either paint and/or grease the drive shaft and shifter linkage when you have it apart. Most of those older motors didn't use stainless steel so they rust over time. Always grease the splines of the driveshaft where it meets the motor.

 

[slowleak]

After really looking this motor over, I have my doubts as to whether or not its really ever been used or just started and ran a few times. Other than a few tiny chips in the paint around where the front emblem attaches, the paint is original and perfect, and original. Its just as clean under the hood. It almost seems a shame to use it and get it dirty after 46 years of being kept so perfect. The guy had an area in his garage/basement between two shelves that had a carpet covered beam where he stored the thing, the whole closet was carpeted.
I also got 38 16 oz cans of Quicksilver Formula 50 2 stroke oil, the used fuel tank, and two old "Aqua Bug" air cooled motors with 7 qts of Shell brand air cooled 2 stroke oil in round oil cans from the 70's.
Both Aqua Bug motors turn over but I didn't look at them any further than that. They're too small for anything I have. They look like a chainsaw or trimmer motor on a shaft.