"Bill, you have the very first
"Bill, you have the very first model that rolled off the production line as a 1990 model.
It was built by Yamaha for Mercury. Yami built alot of the earlier Mariner line under a joint venture with Merc.
That model is a carbon copy of Yami's own 55AM/55AE/55AEM models which were built between 1974 thru 1979. So although a 1990 Mariner, the technology was actually late 70's Yami.
Many parts for this are now discontinued simply because it relies on over 30 year old supplies.
Personally, I find the horsepower a little high for a twin cyinder. And the ignition, while well designed, causes me to flinch when I look at the price list.
The switch box on these models (CDI box) retails for over 600 bucks alone - and 80 bucks for a single coil when a coil for Merc models sells for 25, just don't sit right with me.
If she is running that's great, and if the price was right, ok, but this is not necessarily a motor that I would seek out if I was looking for a used one in that horsepower class, simply because of the availability of parts and the cost when they are available."