ddfleet
It’s almost impossible to value a motor, just way too many variables.
Here’s an article from the FAQ section on our home page.
Good Luck with Your motor.
Steve A W
What’s my old outboard motor worth?
This is the number one question we are asked. Here’s the short answer: Less than you thought. Probably not much more, anyway.
Now the long answer. We’re not trying to be cruel here, just honest. Grandpa’s "old fishin’ partner" might bring you warm fuzzy memories, but the guy who’s thinking of buying it from you might have leads on several motors just like yours from which to choose. Old outboards were "too useful to just throw away" and small enough that they got stashed in all kinds of places. Thus, folks keep finding them and putting them on the market. The ready supply keeps prices reasonable.
When someone presses an old outboard into regular use, sooner or later something’s going to need fixing. These days, most repair shops won’t even look at anything over 20 years old. They probably already have a few old motors stashed in the back, motors that were left by their owners when it turned out it would take hundreds of dollars in parts to get them running again. These abandoned motors hit the market, too. People who understand this difficulty in getting old motors fixed shy away from purchasing such relics for regular use, especially if prices try to be on par with merchandise that’s more recent.
So then who’s buying the old outboards? Among others, collectors. Collectors will restore old motors, often to running condition, fashioning some replacement parts by hand. They’ll touch up the paint to restore them to showroom condition. It’s a process that no sane person would undertake just to have a motor that runs, when modern motors are readily available for that use. It’s a labor of love. The painstaking work can take months, which would be quite expensive in today’s world of "time is money". Nobody is getting rich restoring old motors.
So again the question, what’s it worth? We now direct you to the price guide in the 2nd edition of The Old Outboard Book. When you look through the guide, you might be pleasantly surprised at how certain models (maybe like yours) have held their value. Some rare models go for seemingly next to nothing because nobody’s interested in them. Some more plentiful models nevertheless get the better prices because they generate more interest. These are in fact the prices at which folks are able to regularly obtain these motors, as the price guide was assembled by panels of experts. When people hope to get more than these prices, they may hold on to their hope for a very long time indeed. Few individuals can say that they really need any particular motor at any particular time. It’s not at all uncommon for good merchandise to sell at prices well below those in the price guide. The guide will nevertheless give you piece of mind that you haven’t been ripped off.
It may cross your mind that "at that price, I might as well keep it." This is quite reasonable, but consider the following: if it’s just sitting in storage, it’s not doing anyone any good. Better it be where it can be appreciated. If you just want a motor for regular use, you may be better off with something newer and more easily servicable. A cost/benefit analysis would point this out right away. If you decide to undertake the refurbishing yourself, that’s great! There’s a club for folks who like to do just that, you’ve found it, and you won’t be sorry you joined! If on the other hand, you think it’s not your cup of tea, you won’t be sorry should you pass the motor along to a collector. The collector will give that old motor a good home and put some coin in your pocket for the privledge. That motor will run forever under a collector’s care, you can bet on it. Whether or not you are that collector yourself, a return to glory is the best tribute you can give that motor.
So, other than the guide, what’s the best way to find out the worth of your old outboard? If you’re holding on to the motor, join the Antique Outboard Motor Club and get to know other folks who have your same outboard. Members of AOMCI have a pretty good idea of what sells for how much, and they can point you in the direction of an expert in whatever motors spark your interest. If you’re selling the motor, then just put it up for sale and the market will tell you its worth. We have provided classified ads for your benefit.
Member of the MOB chapter.
I live in Northwest Indiana
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