The coils are the Achilles heel, as with old OMC's with the universal magneto. Once past that, they are one of the best "generic" Mercs ever made. Very simple, reliable and start right up...you really have to work at it to mess the carb up...lots of power, too. You can see a before/after restoration at www.acmeoutboards.com
The recoil is stout, but can be finicky when dirty...penetrating oil helps.
