New Antique Outboard Owner

[Dan Cordon]

I’m new to this group, and I recently picked up a few small antique outboard motors.
– 1948 Martin 60
– 1955 Wizard Super 5
– 1959 Scott 7.5 hp.

I’m wondering what your opinions about these units are. I plan to use them very occasionally (a few times a year on an atypical application – a whitewater cataraft). The Martin and Wizard are about the same weight (45 lb), while the Scott is nearly 20 lb more (but with way more features)! The Martin has a built-in fuel tank. I had no trouble getting parts for the Martin from Larson Outboard Service. Finding parts for the Scott has been a little harder (though I read about the Honda impeller option, and using the bail-o-matic port to prime the pump).

Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts about each of these. Are they worth refurbishing for occasional use? All are complete and good condition, with decent compression, I’ve already had the Martin and Scott running (the Wizard lower end is a little tight). Thanks for any insight you can share.
-Dan

[frankr]

I’d hate to make a judgement on the three. All are worthy in their own right. However, I have a special fondness for the Martin since my Dad had one when I was a kid and we had many good times with it. Also, the first real full time job I had was working for a Martin dealer shortly after they quit making them. The first motor I ever owned was also a Martin 60 that was given to me after the owner lost it overboard in salt water.

I guess you have heard stories about Martins catching fire because of slopping gas out of the gas cap. Larson has new gas cap seals.

[Dan Cordon]

Thanks, Frank! I also have a bit of fondness toward the Martin. I think it’s amazing that he worked with a pressure cooker company to make a very innovative engine for its time.

And thank you for the tip about the fires too. I just recently put in an order to Larson for a whole bunch of parts, and a new gas cap seal was definitely on the list.

-Dan

[outboardnut]

I started with a Martin 20
Which they would of came out with shift

[joecb]

Dan , welcome to the group. You didn’t say where you are located. Check out the “upcoming events” page, find a meet near and bring the motors. Our guys can give you a better understanding of what you have and which motor might be best candidate for refurbishing and use.

Joe B

[larkbill]

I’ve had and run both the Wizard and Martin. The neutral shift on the Wizard is awfully handy out on the water, but you have to make room for the fuel tank. The Martin will idle so low that starting in gear isn’t that hard to manage. If I had to choose I think I’d go with the Martin on the type of boat you describe.

[Dan Cordon]

Thanks for the welcome! I’m located in Moscow, Idaho. I didn’t see any events nearby, but I’ll keep an eye out for some. I did notice there is an Inland Northwest chapter of AOMCI, headquartered about 40 minutes from me. That’s pretty close to where I found the Martin and Scott , so perhaps they were owned by a member.

The Martin is also the one that first caught my eye, and even if I don’t use it on the cataraft, I’m sure I’ll restore it and find some use for it. I don’t see a tilt lock mechanism on it, and I’d like to have a way to keep it out of the water when not being run. I could design something to keep it tilted up, or perhaps use an offset kicker bracket that raises up.

The Wizard is a very recent acquisition (just earlier this week). I also liked that it was light, small, and had a neutral. I need to tear in to the Wizard this winter to see why it’s so tight. It looks 100% complete though, so it may also be an interesting one to restore.

I did have a few questions about the Scott. I’ll post those in a separate reply.

Thanks again for the advice!
-Dan

[Dan Cordon]

So, the Scott 7.5 hp came with the 1959 brochure/catalog. While this outboard is nearly 50% heavier than the others, it seems far better designed for use on a small boat. Impellers seem to be hard to get for the Scott (though the Honda part with minor modification seems interesting). In the brochure it mentions that for 1959 the two impellers are located below the waterline (earlier units were just under the powerhead). So hopefully that will give the impellers a longer life.

Any recommendations for small hulls (for two adults) that would pair nicely with the old Scott?

Also, on the 10 hp page of the brochure there is a craft like I’ve never seen before. It’s like a stand-up catamaran with an outboard. It seems like an early version of a jetski, only with the added danger of a prop behind you when you fall off. Anyway, I’m curious if anyone remembers what those things were called, or had any stories about them.

[Mumbles]

Quite possibly it’s another one of Robert McCullochs inventions as he did build boats which resembled the cars of the day complete with tail fins, headlights, and taillights. McCulloch was also known for chainsaws, go-kart engines, and gyrocopters. Although he was well educated, one of his biggest blunders may have been purchasing London Bridge in 1968 and moving it brick by brick to Arizona.

[The Boat House]

[Author]

Posts