Which early JE motors have a gearshift?

[58fourfifty]

Thanks for all the info fellows. I plan to use it on a little 12ft wood boat, so I’d like to keep it under 8hp. Either the 5.5 or the 7.5 sound great. I do want the tiller throttle AND the correct pressure tank. Just for putting around & fishing. No skiing. I have my Four Fifty on a 15fter for that.

Nice to know they’ll be running in 20,000 years. I plan to live forever – so far, so good.

Verne

[SCOTT BOGUE]

Taking nothing away from the OMC motors, you might enjoy something a bit different: a 1959 5 hp Scott/McCulloch. The 1959 had the redesigned, lower placed impellers so the old Scott-Atwater Bail-A-matic bad rap (probably deserved) does not apply. Another (admittedly, not 1950s) is the 1961-63 Mercury Merc 60 or Merc 110. With these motors, changing the impeller is dead easy (quite unlike the earlier Mercs) and they are good runners.

[Mumbles]

5.5 horse OMC motors from the fifties are timeless classics and parts are still readily available.

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[58fourfifty]

Those certainly are beautiful but I don’t think one that nice would be right for my "user" boat.

I’ll check out the Mercs too. Thanks for the suggestion.

Verne

[outbdnut2]

For a boat that size you probably want the small pressure tank. Fortunately, there are a lot of them out there.
Dave

[joesnuffy]

Not from the 50s but close.

I have a 1961 Evinrude 5.5hp that I purchased from the original owner. It has new coils and water pump. I would sell it for a good price. Under the motor hood the engine looks brand new. I bet it doesn’t have 18 hours on it. The motor was purchased in my hometown and has never seen saltwater. To bad you don’t live closer. I actually have 2 of them one is a 1960 and one is a 1961. Both fantastic motors just a tad small on my 14ft 1965 Starcraft aluminum fishing boat.

Take Care,
Joe

[58fourfifty]

Thanks for the offer, but I think the ’60 & ’61s have too new styling for the period look I want. I don’t want something from the Jetsons era. I’d prefer more the Real McCoys era.

Verne

[joesnuffy]

I agree and wish you the best of luck finding one.

Joe

[garry-in-michigan]

The first gearshift motors came out in 1951. They were the 10 horse Johnson QD followed by the 14 horse Evinrude Fastwin. . . 😀

[fisherman6]

Wasn’t the first gearshift QD a 1949 (QD-10)?
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

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