What was your first outboard?

[Mumbles]

The first outboards of my own were on the back of a runabout I bought years ago. 14′ K+C Thermoglass with a 55 horse Chrysler and an early seventies four horse Evinrude kicker. The first classic motor would be a ’57 Johnson AD found abandoned in a field which was fully restored a couple of years ago. While growing up, I cut my teeth with my dads 4425 Sportsman and ’63 Johnson CD though.

I just have to get some better photos of this one!

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[Steve A W]

My first motor was a Neptune m/ A1 1.7hp.
I bought it at a garage sale because the seller picked it
up and pulled the rope and it started, I was hooked.
Didn’t even have a boat!
It’s the motor in my avitar.

Steve A W

Member of the MOB chapter.
I live in Northwest Indiana

[ausob-collector]

My first one was a 1968 5hp Johnson (Australian edition). Bought it in 2012 for $50 AUD when I was 12. A replacement fuel pump, new ignition (coils, condensers, points etc) and impeller later she ran even if only briefly. Then a good replacement powerhead and she is one of my most reliable motors.

Cheers
BP

[bsplit]

When I was a kid, our first boat and motor was a 14 foot, double deck Thompson with a 16hp Johnson SD15. I did a lot of skiing behind that in the 1950’s, usually with my older brother driving the boat.

Jim

[chuckw]

I started with an Elto pal at about 9 years old, which I still have, then on to a Johnson TD20, then a 71/2 Fleetwin (neutral clutch), then 1956 Sportwin and finally in my teens a KG7.

[fisherman6]

When I was a kid my dad had a 1958 (if memory of a ~6 year old kid at the time still serves at 41) Johnson 35hp on the back of a wooden runabout I don’t remember the make of. Everybody in the family skied, tubed, etc behind that boat. There was a long ‘dry’ spell so to speak after that during which I was not around boats or outboards much at all. When I got married we bought a house with a pond and I wanted something to putt around with so…

My first one was an early 70s Eska built Sears 5hp I bought at a flea market for WAY more than it was worth. The powerhead turned out to be toast with the crank journal galled badly and the big end of the rod egg shaped. It looked like it had been run on straight gas. 😮 So began the quest for a better motor. My next one was a 1979 Merc 9.8 that came with a 12 foot Duracraft rowboat. The PO claimed it ran good… 🙄 While a bit of a stretch I did get it running pretty well with a bit of work and a new impeller. I found this club while looking for parts and info about the Merc. That was about 4 years ago. I still have that one along with many more now and many more to come. I finally decided to join the club this year. I’m more of an OMC guy but I enjoy and appreciate all of them.

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

[dougs-outboards]

Mine was a late 60’s black with red stripe 50 hp Merc and 1960’s JW Johnson 3 hp on a 14′ fiberglass boat. Hit a sheet of plastic that wrapped atound the LU at full speed and overheated the motor, causing low compression. This is before I knew anything about outboards. Took the 50 apart, rebuilt the powerhead on sheets of cardboard in the front room of my apartment. Got it back together and could not get the timing right, so for $100 the local shop set it up and it ran great! One partial pull and off you go.

[auldscott]

1957 Scott-Atwater 3.6, bought new. My dad fixed up our leaky old 13 foot cross-planked rowboat for it. Some day I will find one for sale.

[20mercman]

quote auldscott:

1957 Scott-Atwater 3.6, bought new. My dad fixed up our leaky old 13 foot cross-planked rowboat for it. Some day I will find one for sale.

My son, Kevin, has a great running original 1957 3.6 hp. Scott-Atwater that he would be willing to part with reasonably. (All motors we sell go to his college fund! We are going to sell some of our motors as he needs to save money for college.) We also have a 1955 that I need to seal the tank, but it is a good runner also.

As for the original topic. It seems like I can never answer a question like this without several qualifiers. 🙄 My first motor that was mine, and owned by me is my 1984 Mercury Duck’s Unlimited 7.5hp that I won at a DU banquet. I still have this motor, although it rides on my brother’s boat as his auxiliary motor. The first motor we had when I was a kid was my dad’s 1955 Mercury Mk-25 green/silver. He traded it in for a new 1975 Mercury 200 that I now own. I never ran the Mk-25, but the first motor I was allowed to run was our 1970 Johnson 9.5hp low profile motor. (I still have that one also! 🙄 )

Steve

[frankr]

quote AusOB_Collector:

My first one was a 1968 5hp Johnson (Australian edition). Bought it in 2012 for $50 AUD when I was 12. A replacement fuel pump, new ignition (coils, condensers, points etc) and impeller later she ran even if only briefly. Then a good replacement powerhead and she is one of my most reliable motors.

Cheers
BP

Wait a minute, you were 12 in 2012? That makes you 16 now. Is that really true?

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