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Hoping you guys can maybe solve something for me, more of a curiousity than anything. I have the electric start Johnson in the images attached. It has the 1957 color scheme and decals, no generator which I thought was a 1958 standard, it does have a wire coming off one coil down to the wiring harness leaving the housing that I believe is a kill switch wire, and the factory attached ID plate states it is a RDE-19 serial number 1628236. From the two handme down motor repair manuals printed in the late 1970s and MarineEngine all claim that model number to be a 1958. Now my luck runs that I have a tendency to accumulate 1/2 year machines that are a blend of upgrades and old design. Half year Fords have plagued me more than once in life.
I am freshening the motor up to be placed on a 1958 MFG and TeeNee trailer that my dad and I are restoring. Already ordered the 1958 script decals and had the motor paint color matched at an autobody shop and mixed so it will appear to be a 1958 to match the boat. Just wondering if anyone can tell me what year it really is. End of run, emptying the parts bins are what I usually end up with so I won’t be surprised either way.
Thanks in advance and great site. I’m sure I’ll be asking a few more questions on good sources of parts for the boat as well. Currently trying to find a match to the rub rail but not having any luck and may have to attempt to restore what I have.
JR
For a sanity check, find the welch plug on the engine block and see if the powerhead model and serial numbers match the nameplate. I’ve found some surprising swaps.
Note the welch plug is round, silver color and about the size of a quarter. Depending on the model, they are either on top of the cylinders or on the non-exhaust side of the block.
Dave1 user thanked author for this post.
Sorry I’m so slow to get back on here again. I’m on the computer most days, all day at work and most times this is the last thing I want to fire up when 8 hours is over. Thank you all for the information you shared, I really appreciate it. Definitely doesn’t have the generator or the optional stop button.
To get the paint I took the cover and a piece of the lower cowl in Holiday Bronze to my Autobody supply shop that has a PPG color match gun. They matched my old 68 Plymouth yellow that no one had the mix for, like Johnson Plymouth yellow was different from 68 to 69. They matched the color and mixed the paint for me, to me the cream is dead on, the Holiday Bronze is a bit browner than I thought but in the sun it looks a lot more red than in these images.
I thought about it and decided to keep it the 57 color scheme, and bought new decals. It would have bothered me over time knowing it wasn’t true. Now I have the extra 58’s but what the heck might need them someday.
Paint job turned out pretty good, didn’t try to float the metallic or go for high gloss as the quality of the factory paint from what was left wasn’t very good to begin with so I didn’t want to end up with something that looked over restored. To each their own and I appreciate that but it isn’t my thing. Hope to have the boat in the water this year, although the TeeNee trailer won’t be done till 2022. Just too many other projects at the moment.
Here are some pictures of the motor painted, although it looks browner than it does in real life, and the boat with out the rub rail and controls installed.
Again, great site and thanks for the fast responses.
JR
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