Re: Old Johnson 35
If the boat and trailer are sound, $500 doesn't seem unreasonable to me. You'll probably spend money on all three, but the beauty of an older boat is that you usually don't have to do it all at once.
That motor is also easily converted to a single line/fuel pump setup, so you won't have to fool with pressure tanks if you don't want to. I don't disagree with the refurbishing numbers posted here in general, but my own preference would be to budget about $500. To some degree, the eventual amount depends on how much of the work you will do yourself. For example, I don't like to reseal gearcases on the very old motors, just because getting some of the parts out can be tough. Call me a chicken, but I'd rather let my local OMC/BRP shop do the work, rather than to risk breaking something. The guy that owns the shop that I patronize, has done hundreds of them and likes to fool with the older motors, so he does mine for $100.
Its good that the motor is a 1958, too. Although I can't confirm this, I have been told by the guy that I just mentioned, that the '57 and older gearcases used a different clutch dog, which is now an NLA part. If the dog in this one happens to have problems, you should be able to get a replacement. Also, if the clutch dog mating surfaces on the gears are worn, you may be able to get them "cut." As long as this has not been done to them before, doing so will save you replacement costs.
All of this said, I ran a pair of 1958 ERude 35s (same motor) for hundreds of hours on two different boats. When refurbished properly, they are very reliable. They do burn more fuel than the newer motors, but considering the cost of buying them & refurbishing them, you are still way ahead of the game.
