What was your first outboard?

[jeff-register]

My first 2 stroke motor was a Mac 5hp on a mini bike, then to a 54 Panhead. My first outboard is a 53 Firestone 7.5hp. Next went to a late model Super Fastwin 1954 Evinrude. Still have both & run better than ever

[Monte NZ]

The first outboard I bought myself was a 1958 18hp Evinrude Fastwin. I bought it when it was 2 years old in 1960 and was in mint condition and to this day, I still think they were the prettiest motors produced. I had excellent service from it and wanted to hang on to it, but needed the money to buy a brand new 1963 40hp Evinrude Big Twin ( which I still have) as we needed more power for water skiing.
May I add, that buying new outboards here after WW2 until the 1970s was very difficult and the only way to guarantee one was to know someone who was prepared to provide you with some of their overseas funds. Thanks to very kind neighbour providing me with some of his overseas funds, I was able to get the Big Twin!

Monte NZ

[Tinman]

1961 10 hp evinrude. That one got me hooked on these classics!

[kirkp]

Mine was a ’52 Fleetwin that belonged to my dad and grandpa which they used on home built wooden rowboats, plans courtesy of Popular Mechanic. When I was about 10 (50+ years ago) dad had it in a barrel in the basement. No spark and he was told that coils were no longer available so he buttoned it up and put it in a closet. He passed in ’81 and mom asked if I wanted it. Silly question. I toted it around for years, even turning down a $200 offer. Maybe not my brightest moment since it was unrestored but I told myself that the memories were worth more than $200. Wife questioned the wisdom of that so I asked her if we really needed the money. Some might agree with my wife but oh well. Found out thanks to this forum that the coils were available.

[scott-m]

49 Johnson HD-25.

Idled slower than any other I’ve ever owned.

[20mercman]

Great post Kirkp! So glad you didn’t get rid of that Fleetwin. There are a lot more important things in life than money!

I posted on this thread a few years ago, about my Duck’s Unlimited edition Mercury 7.5hp that was my first motor. I won it in a raffle at a DU banquet back in 1984. The funny thing is that it just returned home to me after being on my brothers boat, and then my brother-in-law’s boat for the last several years. Glad to have it back safe in my basement.

Steve

[olcah]

1947 Evinrude Sportwin 3.3 HP my Dad bought used in the early 1950s. Still have it.

[outbdnut2]

My first motor was Dad’s 1946 4.2 HP model 1J Champion that he bought new. I still have that motor! When I was 5 years old, he would switch seats with me and let me steer it – but on a 14′ cedar strip boat, it wasn’t setting any speed records.
I remember riding in the car with Dad when he would take it back to the Champion factory for repair just north of St Paul in a leased government building at the Twin City Arsenal munitions complex. Once when he picked it up again, they had painted it their “new” blue color with all new decals at no cost. It originally was silver.

That thing idles so slow, I can slap the palm of my hand down on the smooth rope sheave and stop it. Starts again with a 1/2 turn of the starter rope.
Dave

[ALAIN STEENBRINK]

My first outboard was a 1970 1.5 hp Johnson. It was a present from my grandfather. The deal was that when I got his 60’s 6 horse Evinrude started, he would buy me an outboard. I still have it an occasionally run it. Made a lot of good memories with that small outboard.

[tinkerman]

I bought an old 1976 aluminum boat for my son and I back in the late 90’s. That was our first boat. It had the original 25 horse evinrude. Had carb troubles in the beginning, got that straitened out then the clutch dog starting going out. Learned to keep shear pins handy lol. We used it for a summer or two and upgraded. Made a lot of memories with my son on that ole boat.

It's a jungle out there.

[Author]

Posts