What is an Antique?

[PM T2]

Good luck to those extolling the virtues or modifying the motor classification categories. My unsolicited advise to you is keep the concept simple, and use as few words as possible, because there are many members who do not take the time to read things thoroughly or actually think about what the writer is trying to get across.

I still have my memos from 2006 when I proposed some suggestions on the AOMCI Discussion Board (Old Green Board for you kids out there) for modifying the motor classifications; suggestions that included modifying the existing categories, capping the classics at roughly 1980, and adding new ones, including "Modern Classics" for motors that had features like variable ratio oiling, electronic ignition, fuel injection etc.

For my troubles, I received much criticism, ranging from accusations that I was out to destroy the club, I was a classic example of a power hungry Chapter President with a personal agenda that I was forcing down peoples throats, to comments that I was only interested in increasing the amount of awards that I won. Mostly comments spewing forth from Mentally Challenged Idiots, as far as I’m concerned. But…. they were successful, because I just decided it wasn’t worth the bother trying to defend my thought process, nor to explain what should have been easy to understand from what was written, and dropped the subject as well as any plans to try and see if the suggestion had any legs or not…. but I haven’t forgotten.

But as I said to start with… good luck with it

Best,
PM T2

He's livin' in his own private Idaho..... I hope to go out quietly in my sleep, like my grand-dad did..... and not screaming, like the passengers in his car...

[westwind]

I for one, look forward to your posts.

I know in the past some thought of the internet as a tool of the devil, but here we are with plans for a new website/forum with input from the members. Things will always need to change, regardless of what some people wish things were like.

100 yrs from now when we have nuclear powered outboard, all gasoline powered ones will be antiques. At some point, there will need to be some recognition that time moves on.

[garry-in-michigan]

Anything older than I am . . . 😆

[fisherman6]

Anything older than me or anything older than Garry has a significant effect on the number of "antiques" in my collection. 😆 To the point of this while thread, however, when I’m Garry’s age, all those motors that are still "classics" in my collection now ought to be some classification of "antique" or at least something other than simply a "classic" meaning anything 30 years old or older but newer than 1949.
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

[steeleman]

So some food for thought here.

I am a new member as of last October and I am 24 years old. I have grown up around outboards and have always had a fascination with them. My parents owned a 1968 Rinkerbuilt with original ’68 Merc 650 that I now own and I spent every summer on a rowboat powered by a ’76 Evinrude 2hp.

I remember the lake we camped at every year there was a local kid with a 55 Evinrude 7.5 and I used to be green with jealousy at how cool that motor looked, especially when I was only pushing with 2hp.

I since have started a collection of my own, consisting of those motors above, as well as a few other additions including a ’62 5.5 Johnson and ’63 10hp.

That being said, call them classic, vintage, antique or otherwise; it is the motors I’m attracted too. I appreciate a newer​ outboard as much as the next guy, but I don’t spend hours on Craigslist looking for them, I don’t spend time looking at upcoming auctions to see if there is that prized ’85 Johnson. That motor would be well older than I am, but it does not carry the significance that an older model carries.

To me, for what it’s worth, in 50 years I will not be seeking out a 2017 Mercury as a classic. They just do not have the personality that a classic outboard has. Motors that you can take apart in your garage with a screwdriver and a crescent wrench are the important ones.

If I had to put a date on it, I would say maybe ’79 was the last classic outboard. That date of course is subjective. They represent a different place in time. A new Mercury will never turn a head at the launch like a ’55 Evinrude 7.5 did even when I was a kid in the early 2000’s. A 2017 Mercury will never be as cool from my perspective.

Thank you for allowing my input. I hope it is informative from a different perspective on a young, new member. Y’all have an awesome club here, let’s keep it awesome for years to come. Classic, vintage, or otherwise.

[fisherman6]

SteeleMan has described his perspective very well here. Although he and I are a bit different in age, I’m 42 and he’s 24, our perspectives on this are remarkably similar. I have a feeling it is also very similar to many of us in this club. I tend to believe the classifications need to be adjusted a bit at this point as the "classics" are ever growing but the "antiques" are what they are under the present set of rules. That said, the important thing is that we keep drawing younger members and are able to keep them interested. Thank you for your input Ryan. 😉
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

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