TOPIC: Buying a boat with "twin" johnsons...but are they?

I'm about to go pick up an old Lone Star with two 70hp Johnson outboards. Apparently two engines were bought new around '75, but at some point, one locked up. The guy went out and got a similar engine to replace that one, though it was a bit newer.

I'm just curious if there are any big difference between the two...but I'm not sure what Johnson's wording means.

Below are the model numbers and what I understand them to mean:
One is a J70ELCIH
J=Johnson
70=70hp
E=Electric Start
L=20" Shaft
CI=1981
H=Nothing useful

The other is a _70ESL74M
_=Commercial?
70=70hp
ES=Electric Start-Special
L=20" Shaft
74=1974
M=Nothing useful

So, if this is correct, and the blank in front of the hp means "commercial"...what is the difference between the regular Johnson and the "Commercial" model.

Also, what is the difference between the electric start and the electric start-special?

Thanks,
Phillip

shop.evinrude.com/media/document/ModelNumberReference.pdf
This document suggests commercial units started in 1977.
Why do you think it is commercial?
Commercial units were frequently large tiller models.

jim18611865 wrote:

shop.evinrude.com/media/document/ModelNumberReference.pdf
This document suggests commercial units started in 1977.
Why do you think it is commercial?
Commercial units were frequently large tiller models.

I was wondering about that, but something I had seen said that when there is no letter in front of the hp number, then it is a commercial model.

Even if it's not Commercial, any idea what the "special" means? I'm hoping it's a good special rather than a bad special.

-Phillip

All three models were marked ES for 1974.
Where did special come from?
ES=Electric Start.