Budgeting for a couple outboards?

[erikgreen]

Hey all -


I'm working on building a boat this winter, and although I'm quite familiar at this point with pricing and budgeting for epoxy, fiberglass, and wood, I don't know much about the market for used outboards.

I say used because although the new ones are pretty, the depreciation as soon as you run them in the water is too vicious for me to take.. it's the same reason I won't buy a brand new car or boat off the lot, ever.

So my plan is to budget for purchasing a pair of 70hp or so four stroke outboards around next March. I want a pair because of the redundancy and maneuverability they give me, but that will make it harder to find the engines, especially since I'm not buying new.

At this point I'm guessing I'll pay maybe $3500 to $4000 per engine... is this a sane budget? Should I plan on getting something smaller or older? The boat will run fine with a pair of 50s probably, max engine is a single 150 or equivalent.

Thanks,
Erik

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

i would go with 70's as you will not get 140hp performance out of them, due to the increase drag of 2 lower units. i believe your budget is within range.

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

On the iboats site as of today a new 60HP yamaha 4 stroke is running $6200. I think your budget may be shot if you are going for a 4 stroke.

I would go for a 70 or 75 2 stroke. You will save $$$$ and weight. Granted the 4 strokes are quiet as can be and sip gas, they will cost up front. (A 70 HP 2 stroke yamaha is $5714)

If you are going to be using your boat alot the investment will be made in the fuel savings, but if you are a weekend warrior with a short boating season (MN) you may never recoup the investment.

I am personally in favor of finding an older outboard and getting em fixed up and looking like new. In my case I am building a power catamaran and needed 2 O/Bs. I looked everywhere and couldn't find a price that I could go with. Finally I got a '74 and '77 85HP Johnson off ebay. Total price with shipping was $1600. I may have put 200 max into them for parts (water pump kits, plugs, fuel pump gaskets, paint, etc) nothing major. I was able to use the money I saved towards the boat.

You can make an older outboard look like new, it just takes so work. I really enjoy working on my motors, working on them is a plus to me. This may not be the same for you.

One last note here, make sure you budget for the controls, cables, fuel tank, fuel lines, battery, and a kagillion little things that add up rather quickly. You will need to set aside 200~300 for each engine for set up and install. You can get some deals, it just takes some looking and some patience.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

Hmm... how hard would it be to find a matched pair of engines with controls, etc. in working order?

I don't mind getting 2 strokes, except I think it'll be hard to come up with a pair of them in the time frame I want. They would almost have to come from a single boat that got upgraded or parted out.

I wouldn't buy new 4 strokes in any case (so iboats' price isn't a big deal), but I would probably be able to find two of the same model 4s on the used market, maybe 2-3 years old.

I feel very comfortable working on motors to make them cosmetically nice, but I really don't want to buy a pair of outboards that I end up rebuilding to make reliable... I'd rather spend a few grand each to get something newer, or in better shape than the basket cases.

Erik

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

Erik, not meaning to mix things up too much here, but it might actually be worth buying a new 115-130 HP 4-stroke. Here's my logic (such as it is): If you found two really good 70's they might run you $4k each - for a total of $8k. Throw in controls and giblets for the two of them and you might be looking at something closer to $9k.

Not long ago I bought a new Yamaha 90 HP 4 -stoke for $7.6k. I take really good care of it and it is super reliable. I plan on keeping my boat so I feel just fine about the investment. The engine is strong, quiet and smooth. It's a joy to run. (I even put in a radio after I repowered from my 70 2-stroke to the F90.) So, maybe for about $9k you could put a classy engine on a classy boat.

By the way, I built my rig too. 16' 7" deep vee. (I also spent more money that I ever though possible which means you should really be carefull listening to any of my advice.)

 

[mthieme]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

I think finding a suitable pair would be trickier than finding them within your budget. I've only bought two new motors in my life, a '75 Merc 7.5 ($600-$800 I forget now) and a 2000 Merc 25 for $1600. Everything else has been used by necessity. They're out there but Murphy's Law always kicks in. When you're looking for it, you can't find it.

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

Question: What kind of boat are you building?

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

These are a few examples I came across off the Tampa craigslist. Not what you are looking for, but I remember seeing these when jserb was looking for a pair for his 30' Scarab project.
This craigslist is one of the biggest in the country, so a lot more stuff will appear here, but shows you that these motor pairs are avaiable....

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/boa/878201010.html

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/boa/881014743.html

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/boa/833369755.html

 

[Willyclay]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

Because of the challenges you described in finding a matched pair of 70's at the right price that have not been abused, you might want to consider a bigger single engine and a kicker/auxilliary motor for back-up. That way you can buy each motor based on its merits without the matching issue. Good luck!

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Budgeting for a couple outboards?

Actually, I specifically want a matched pair of motors for maneuverability reasons. I don't just want the safety of a "spare" motor, I'm going to use both of them all the time.

I'll see what I can find as far as 2 strokes when the time comes, but if I can't find a pair of anything, then I'll buy one newer 4 stroke in a common manufacturer/model and then keep my eyes open for a second as time goes by.

I'm building a 19 foot deep vee hull for a special purpose...I won't be revealing all the features on it until I'm deep into the build, though.

For now, I'm doing designs, looking at ways I can keep the hull core dry.

Erik