“BRAND NEW” 1986 Mercury 4 HP ?????

[Harmattan1]

Yesterday, I picked up a 1986 Mercury 4 HP outboard. The unique thing about this engine is that it was still sealed in the manufacturers shipping box until a few weeks ago when the persons I bought it from opened the shipping container and did a visual inspection, nothing else. This motor is brand new and has never been started since it left the Merc factory back in 1986. Last night, I took it out of its shipping container and was able to get eyes on the whole motor. The thing is so new, there isnt a scratch, nick, or anything but some dust from being in the shipping box for all those years. I took the upper cowl off and everything under the hood is brand new. The wires, the paint, the plastics, the rubber items, everything is factory new. It is as if Doc from Back to the Future just dropped this thing off after taking a trip 35 years into the past. It looks that good and even better. I have attached 2 pics showing the left and right side pics of the motor on my home made outboard mount.
I contacted Mercury and they seem to think it would be best to change out the original impeller, the seals to the lower unit gear case screws, and some other inner seals. With what I am seeing on the outside of this motor, I am very tempted to just start the motor up and see how good it runs, how good the water circulates through, and all the rest.
I have all the original factory paperwork including the dealer/customer questionaire for feedback to the factory. This thing even came with a separate 3 gal. gas tank AND the rubber fuel line w/connectors and ball hand pump. I mean, everything is there. I almost feel like sending it to the Smithsonian for future posterity………LOL.
Anyway, all this to ask if there would be any recommendations regarding this motor and what I might do to prepare it for first use? Gentleman, it almost feels like the first time with this one…………LOL. Any suggestions would be taken into consideration and processed through upper management for decision making procedural protocol……………… Thanks in advance…

Harmattan 1

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