I have a pristine 1989 28 SPL E28ESLCEA that has not ever smelled salt water, let alone touched it. I have the controls in a box. As some know it's the inexpensive model and "old school" lower with exposed nut on prop and exhaust spits out the housing like the old ones. It is electric start, long shaft and remote steering and controls. My dad had purchased new which is why I know it's history. I recently picked up a reasonably nice P-14 Seaswirl 1964 lap strake boat with a 20HP Evinrude, short shaft remote setup. E20EETS. Runs, drives, shifts, floats nicely. Of course the outboards are night and day, as the 20 has the thru prop exhaust. Runs great, does show signs of salt use. I'm not quite sure what the previous owners have done to this boat but there is not one hole drilled thru the transom. zip, nada. No outboard has been bolted to the boat, but merely clamped. I find only one bracket up near the helm that is not factory original. Seats are pretty well shot but the bases are still solid as is the floor. Steering is the old continuous clothes line pulley system. My dilemma isn't the fact that I have poor running engines, just that the 20 doesn't push the boat enough for me and wife and a couple grandkids. I reluctantly contemplate modifying the boat at all to fit a long shaft, so other options is to try and find parts to make the 28 a short shaft, (I was told the SPL only came in long shaft) or sell both and purchase a 30-35 between 86 and 94 or so. I already own all this stuff. I could pick up one without controls as it seems people love to sell bare boat motor and over charge for the controls that are needed to run a remote outboard. However, seldom do the 30-35 E/J outboards that are not junk come up for sale around here.. Thoughts.. If I wasn't retired and had better $$ I would go more modern on an outboard; so far none of the places I frequent have banned 2 strokes (yet) ..Willy in Vancouver, WA
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