What was your first outboard?

[wyo307]

My first one that was actually mine was a 1966 Johnson 100hp Golden Meteor. I fixed it up and got it running great. I used that motor on an old 1970 fiberform that I fixed up for years until I sold it. I still see it every once in a while cruising down the lake! It has traded hands a few times since I owned it and no one has ever had any problems with it, that thing is bullet proof but was a thirsty old thing. Still the smoothest shifting outboard I think I have ever been around (electromatic shifting).

My first "old" outboard I found laying under a pile of leaves in a friend’s grandpa’s old wood boat which was completely rotten. Anyways it is a 1947 Evinrude sportsman 2hp. I left it original but cleaned everything and got it running and it is a fun little motor. Since then it has snowballed out of control 😀 .

[1946zephyr]

quote Wyo307:

My first one that was actually mine was a 1966 Johnson 100hp Golden Meteor. I fixed it up and got it running great. I used that motor on an old 1970 fiberform that I fixed up for years until I sold it. I still see it every once in a while cruising down the lake! It has traded hands a few times since I owned it and no one has ever had any problems with it, that thing is bullet proof but was a thirsty old thing. Still the smoothest shifting outboard I think I have ever been around (electromatic shifting).

My first “old” outboard I found laying under a pile of leaves in a friend’s grandpa’s old wood boat which was completely rotten. Anyways it is a 1947 Evinrude sportsman 2hp. I left it original but cleaned everything and got it running and it is a fun little motor. Since then it has snowballed out of control 😀 .

I remember you posting pictures of that little Sportsman. That little engine style was a great runner. The Meteor is a nice machine too.

[chuckw]

First motor was a 1938 Elto Pal that belonged to an uncle. Still have the motor.

[wyo307]

quote 1946Zephyr:

I remember you posting pictures of that little Sportsman. That little engine style was a great runner. The Meteor is a nice machine too.

They are great running motors and easy to work on too. Now if I can just get that 1946 zephyr that is laying all over the bench behind it to run as good I will be in good shape. I’m making headway though! It ran pretty good the other day off of my homemade test fuel tank and I cleaned the actual tank again now I just need to reassemble it once again.

[1946zephyr]

quote Wyo307:

quote 1946Zephyr:

I remember you posting pictures of that little Sportsman. That little engine style was a great runner. The Meteor is a nice machine too.

They are great running motors and easy to work on too. Now if I can just get that 1946 zephyr that is laying all over the bench behind it to run as good I will be in good shape. I’m making headway though! It ran pretty good the other day off of my homemade test fuel tank and I cleaned the actual tank again now I just need to reassemble it once again.

Yes, they are great little runners. That design was used in the Mate, Cub, Ranger, Ace, Sportsman, Scout and maybe a couple others along with ELTO. That carb was actually the reed valve, in the earliest stages. Very simple little carb and easy to operate. Very cooperative too.

As far as the Zephyr goes, those are interesting motors. I’ve restored a couple of them. Now, the carbs on those, are an odd duck. I did pretty good with mine, as far as getting them in tune, but some aren’t so lucky.

[nlwildcat22]

Mercury KD3. Pushed a 14′ cedar garvey out into little egg harbor on the Jersey shore for clamming.

[PugetSounder]

Martin 200 racer: custom open exhaust, Stannus 2-blade prop, short exhaust housing/driveshaft, pointed LU nose cone. DeSilva hydroplane (Yes, DeSilva Bros. made some hydros in Culver City, CA)

[ROGER DeBIASI]

My Aunt gave me my first motors(there motors they used in 40,s thur the 60,s)- 1939 ELTO Fisherman Weedless 5.4 hp and a 1952 Evinrude fleetwin 7.5 hp(replacement motor for Weedless fisherman -that lost it,s prop in Flechers pond in early 50,s–And how i got in outboard club searching for prop )- Still have both of them–semi retired – but I’m sure they will get too lake a few more time–(and did find prop 10 or so years later–after buying 100,s of motors just for fun) Roger and out-

[seakaye12]

1947 Scott Atwater Twin Model 473 7.5HP

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by seakaye12.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by seakaye12.

[lloyd]

Johnson TD20. My mother bought it new for my Dad after he returned from Okinawa in WWII. We fished with that motor all over the US as we moved around. I built a Thriftway II boat from plans in Popular Mechanics while I was in High School and ran that TD 20 on it until I upgraded to a used Evinrude 18. That’s when I first learned how to make and replace the Primer seals that were NLA from dealers. I continued to use the TD 20 for fishing all the way through Medical School until it disappeared in a yard sale some time in the 1980’s.

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