1969 18b Fiberform 155hp OMC

"The motor is seized. Or as I

"The motor is seized. Or as I learned from reading other strings it may be the drive. The hull is in great shape, the trailer is serviceble. The size,shape and style are just what I was looking for. I am prepared to completely rebuild the motor. I am wondering if an automotive 225 short block is the same as the marine version. This forum is one of the best I have seen. I bought this boat last Saturday and already know more about it from this board than I knew about my last boat after owning it for years."

"spend the 15 minutes taking t

"spend the 15 minutes taking the drive off and see which it is before you go "what iffing". generally if the drive is seized, the unit will steer hard all one way as you try to crank the engine."

"Thanks Hy Stat, I will head t

"Thanks Hy Stat, I will head that direction first. My plan is to get this boat into shape for next year. I have no reason to rush anything. I am planning on it being my "retirement boat" in four more years and I want it to be mehcanically sound."

"Unless your retirement is goi

"Unless your retirement is going to be really short, an obsolete 1960's drivetrain from a company that went belly up in 1992 is not my idea of "mechanically sound" thinking..."

It all boils down to $$ &

It all boils down to $$ & cents. I like this boat enough to replace the whole unit with something else if I could find the right deal. This combination is why the boat was so cheap. I am on a limited budget.

One more question: It seems m

One more question: It seems most folks on this board would agree with you (Hy Stat) about OMC. What are the weak points that I should be aware of? I notice on my local Craigslist that there are several boats with bad motors but "good" OMC outdrives for sale for under $600. If these units have outlased the motors and are indeed still good after 30+ years they must have some merit.

"you don't know they laste

"you don't know they lasted 30 years... some of them have been rebuilt several times... others broke down in 1981 and they're just getting parted out now because OMC parts prices are making it worth while. as long as you have an open mind and are keeping an eye out for spares you can do it..some of the parts are just not available. even an amazing machine shop cant whip you up an aluminum casting... there's a few used parts around now (nothing like 5 years ago though!), but you are talking about retirement. If you retire in 2012 and plan on a few years use...were into the 2020's pretty quick....be lookin for parts on sPaceBay...."

All good points HY Stat. I wi

All good points HY Stat. I will keep my eyes open for some other outdrive also. I have enough experience to re-do the transom cut out if needed. Outboards are so popular in this area that most used outdrives are coming down in price.