OUTBOARD OBSESSIONS: HOW BUYING AN UNWINTERIZED BOAT LEAD TO MY OBSESSION WITH OUTBOARDS

BACK IN 2007 I SAW AN AD FOR AN OLD RUNNING BOAT FOR 700 BUCKS. IT WAS A HYDROSWIFT CABIN CRUISER I/O THAT WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE A 225 ODDFIRE ENGINE. IT NEEDED SOME WORK BUT I DIDN'T HESITATE TO RUN OUT AND BUY IT FOR THE INCREDIBLY CHEAP ASKING PRICE. AS IT TURNED OUT, THERE WAS A REASON IT WAS SO CHEAP.

IT DID INDEED RUN FINE BUT AFTER SPENDING 500 BUCKS OR SO TO FIX UP NON ENGINE RELATED ISSUES I FOUND THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN WINTERIZED AND THE BLOCK WAS CRACKED. FURTHERMORE, THE ENGINE WAS NOT AN ODDFIRE. INSTEAD IT WAS A NON MARINE BUICK 3.8 SHORT BLOCK COMPLETED WITH MARINE HEADS AND PARTS. I DECIDED TO CUT MY LOSSES AND TURN IT BACK INTO AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT SCREWING SOMEONE ELSE IN THE PROCESS.

A FRIEND OF MINE SUGGESTED I PART IT OUT ON EBAY AND SO I DID. THE OUTDRIVE WAS AN OBSOLETE OMC AND THERE WAS SOME DEMAND FOR THE PARTS. BY THE TIME I WAS FINISHED I HAD RECOUPED 450 BUCKS. THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE CONVINCED ME THAT THERE IS MONEY IN OBSOLETE MARINE PARTS AND SO I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY MY HAND AT BUYING AND SELLING OLD MOTORS.

WITH THE LITTLE INCOME I RECEIVED I BEGAN BUYING ANYTHING CHEAP ENOUGH TO AFFORD- MOSTLY OLDER OUTBOARDS. I BOUGHT COMMON NAMES LIKE EVINRUDE, MERCURY AND JOHNSON AS WELL AS SOME UNCOMMON NAMES LIKE NEPTUNE, BENDIX AND BRITISH SEAGULL. SOME MOTOR PARTS SOLD WELL AND OTHERS DID NOT. I ENDED UP WITH A STOCK PILE OF PARTS THAT WOULD NOT SALE, LIKE OLD GALE SEAKINGS, ESKAS AND CERTAIN YEARS OF JOHNSON AND EVINRUDES. THESE MOTORS REALLY CUT INTO MY PROFITS SO I BEGAN TO NARROW MY PURCHASES DOWN TO CERTAIN NAMES AND YEARS OF PRODUCTION. I GOT A LITTLE BETTER BUT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT RECESSION I LOST MY HOUSE AND GAVE UP THE PARTS DEALING ALTOGETHER. ULTIMATELY, I NEVER REALLY MADE MONEY.

AS THE YEARS OF APARTMENT DWELLING WENT BY I OCCASIONALLY CHANCED UPON SOME OF THE RARE OLD MOTORS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY CAPTURED MY INTEREST. I HAD NO FINANCIAL REASON TO BY THEM BUT I DID ANYWAY. THEY WERE SIMPLY TOO AWESOME TO PASS UP. THEY WERE PIECES OF HISTORY. THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL. THEY WERE RELICS OF TIMES LONG GONE. SOME I HAD TO SALE DURING TIMES OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. OTHERS I STILL HAVE TO THIS DAY. I LEARNED TO TEST AND FIX CERTAIN MOTORS. I LEARNED TO CLEAN THEM UP AND COSMETICALLY RESTORE THEM. I COULD NOT STOP DABBLING. IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT I HAD DEVELOPED AN OBSESSION WITH OUTBOARDS.