TOPIC: new to the site and ready to noob it up!

Hi all -

I'm new around here and pretty much new to boats in general. I figured i'd get the introductions and newbie questions out of the way first thing. =)

I've been a pretty big grease monkey since i first figured out what a car was, but i've never really dabbled in the boating scene. I came across a screaming deal on a boat while perusing craigslist, so i had to go take a look. i fell in love with the thing and brought it home. now all i can think about it getting her back out on the water!

the boat i picked up is a 1962 Sea King 16' fiberglass... runabout? i'm interested in bringing the boat back to the point it at least looks factory to the untrained eye. i know boats aren't like cars, where there's 10 companies that make OEM parts for them and you can get a new _____ with just a phone call and a day or two's wait. i was, however, hoping to get things at least accurate to the period and style.

considering the boat's age and that it shares its name with a famous helicopter, 99.5% of what a google search yields is worthless to me. I would LOVE to just find a few pics of one of these boats in factory dress so that i can get an idea as to what exactly i'm looking for.

my (first) question is this: are internet forums and their users going to be my only source for information, or is there something i'm missing. most of the marine stores around here laughed when i asked about a boat that was older than 1980, so they're not going to be of any help. forums are great, but i've got to voice a question and hope someone has an answer for me. i was hoping that there was some resource that didn't require me pestering y'all with my non-sensical questioning.

thanks for reading, and i hope to not pester y'all too much.

-Chris



ps: i did find a couple brochures from the early 60's for this boat here on fiberglassics. they were a great help and answered a lot of questions i had! thanks to whoever made that possible!

Welcome aboard!

Yes, your best source for information and tips will be networking with other like minded folk on forums such as this one. Also think about getting involved with your local chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society ( www.acbs.org ) and the Antique Outboard Motor Club ( www.aomci.org ).

Go to vintage boat shows and events for outboard motors and network.

Sea King was the brand of boats, outboard motors, and trailers sold by Montgomery Wards. Wards did not manufacture these items. They were made by many different vendors for Wards and badged as Sea King.

Andreas

welcome chris,you are not bothering us with questions,thats what this site is for,and there are a whole lot of great folks on here willing to help at every stage of your restoration.
so go ahead and ask away.
as for the seaking brochures,if it was the 63/64 catalog pages ,your welcome,lol,lol,
we are are glad your here,so ask anything you need,john
oh and by the way early 60's seakings were made by starcraft.
especially the ones with the faux lapstrakes.

Welcome aboard, Rice. eBay is a great sources for parts. I've found a lot of NOS stuff for my glastron on there. Also, if you have specific needs, post it here and maybe someone has it available.

My guess would be that the boat is probably painted. Black was not a common color for boats at that time. Also the red looks like it might have been some type of anti-fouling paint. There are a couple of recent threads on this forum about removing paint, if you are so inclined.

Good luck with it.

so is there a flowchart or the like somewhere that maps out manufacturers and who made what? it'd sure help with searching for parts. starcraft made boats for montgomery ward who sold them as sea king... i hate to think of how many other instances of this there are. and if i'm looking for a part, i could search three different manufacturer's names...

Chris,
Welcome aboard and as John said when you have questions ask away, that's what we're here for. there's no such thing as a dumb or annoying question. Were just glad you've found an old beauty and want to restore her. Looks like you have an Evinrude Lark on there for power. great little motors, darn near bullet prof.

Bob

Riceman, welcome to the site, no initiation fees except the purchase of an old boat unless of course you want to donate some scratch but that is not necessary. You are here with like minded folks, some serious and some not so serious but all boat enthusiasts who love what we do and are willing to share the deepest secrets of how to get around some of the sticky issues. You can go full restore to factory, modify to your liking or go completely far out with a new idea and everyone here will help you out.
WARNING...I dropped my membership in ACBS, seemed to me like a good ol' boys club IMHO and I really didn't get much out of it.
Cal

thanks for the welcome folks -

as far as the paint goes, yes, it is not original. the PO told me it's about 2 years old, done just before he got the boat. i am not sure this paint has even seen the water yet. i am interested in removing it and repainting the thing, but not until after all the other mods i want to do are done. lots of extra hole filling, etc first.

in regards to the motor that's on it... is 35hp going to be enough for it? i've received advise both ways, but i'm not sure i trust either source. i'm not looking to tow a tube or a skier or anything. this boat is just going to be for joy riding in.

i was also looking at a second one of these boats to buy for parts... on the back of the parts boat it was looks to be a 1960's-esque Johnson 50hp motor and a 70's-esque johnson 25hp. i am considering buying the boat but the main selling point (for me) is the motors. if i either don't need or shouldn't get them, then i don't want to get it.

i was advised by one of the local shops that, considering the rarity of parts for the older motors, this may not be the way to go. i was told that i'll end up spending way more to fix a cheaper, older motor that i will spend maintaining a newer, more expensive motor. has this been y'all's experience? the seller says that the 50hp was running in 2006 when he put the boat in storage, but he didn't know much about the 25hp one. either way, neither one will be fired up before i buy it.

The 35 will be plenty for cruising. Don't listen to dealers, they only want you to buy their new high $$$$$$ motors. That 35 is late 1950's (serial and model numbers, please) and either still runs, or will with a bit of tinkering. Remember, it was built when manufacturers CARED about what they sold. It lasted 60 years, and with care and maintainance, can go another 60. And you don't need a PhD or special tools to fix it.

Chris,
On the motor side it really depends on how fast you want to go and what the transom/boat is rated for. I'm sure you could get away with the 50hp without much problem. Some folks don't like the 50hp motors but I have a 59 "Fat Fifty" and it runs great, lots of torque, just sucks a lot of gas. The 35 should do ok if you want to just cruise around. The 50 will et you around quicker and probably pull a skier without too much trouble. As far as parts go I get mine from marineengine.com but there are plenty of other web sites you can get parts. IF you have the serial number you can go to marineengine.com and they have parts diagrams for most motors so you can get the part number then search the net for the cheapest price.

Hope that helps some.

Bob

This can be saved or printed. Most things like ignition, water pump, carburetor, are simple to repair. Parts may be as close as your local NAPA auto parts store. Most carry Sierra brand marine parts. Many RURAL boat shops still carry parts for oldies, juat have to ask around. web.ebscohost.com/serrc/pdf?sid=84952df6-1a1e-41ff-8bc3-ddf7ed041358%40sessionmgr110&vid=5&hid=104

Thanks for the references on engine parts, etc!

the info on the outboard that's on there now:
model: 35012
serial: 09636

i glanced at the marineengine.com site and it appears that mine is a 1959 year model. the thing runs fine. it was gone over and checked out by a mechanic within the last 6 months, so i should be good to go.

supposedly the transom is good for up to 75hp, so i think i could get away with the 50 pretty easy. if it's not going to be nearly as hard or expensive to maintain an antique motor as i'd originally been told, i'll continue to pursue this parts boat!

i'm pretty excited, but my wife's already tired of the boat being in the garage and me spending all my time looking up boat stuff. luckily, i'm insulating my garage next weekend and, with a small heater, i should be able to stay out there if needed! =)

thanks again for all of the help!

Welcome aboard Chris. As you can probably see, you've found one of the best support groups on the planet for our "addiction" here. The gang is great about sharing plenty of good advise, resources, etc.. Your wife will eventually get used to it, just re-assure her there a lots of worse things you could be doing with your time and money. OR, living in the garage isn't as bad as it sounds!

Vintage outboard motor parts are not difficult to find. As mentioned abouve, NAPA auto stores is one source. Get familiar with the Antique Outboard Motor Club ( www.aomci.org ) chapter in your area. Start networking.

If you are looking for boat hardware such as navigation lights and cleats, chocks, etc... do nto search under boat manufacturer names. Just search "bow light" or "stern light" etc.... Or by hardware company names such as Kainer, Jervis, Perko, Wilcox Crittenden, etc... Look in the Glassic Library here in the far right column in the "Hardware" area for name of various hardware manufacturers. You may find which brand of hardware is on your boat by comparing photos in the brochures.

Good luck!

Andreas

I would not be concerned about engine or boat parts.Basically the boat mfg. made the hull,all trim,lights,hardware,rub rails,windshield etc. is outsourced.So you will see different year and mfg. boats with the same after market hardware.About the only thing they may have made in house is the seats and the upholstery material was generic in nature.Back then the boat may have been delivered semi bare and the dealer outfitted it with motor,controls,windshield,horns,tarp, etc.So you could have two identical boats with different "stock" hardware.Keep the engine period correct,there is a ton of info and parts leads available on this site in the engine forums.IMHO a newer motor distracts from the whole look.Having been to boat shows and seeing a old classic with a new motor just makes me shake my head.

as far as the motor ..1959 was evinrudes 50th anniversery,they made the golden jubilee that year,but when i look at your 1st pic of the boat and motor,it doesnt look like one.
was the big "E" added later?
im definatly not a motor expert by any means so im probably wrong,lol john

Welcome aboard. Most all AOMCI members have tons of parts and parts motors for the older motors. They also show and sell many that are totally restored and look as new!!

That 35 will run if it has spark and gas! They are very dependable.

And, FYI, you will have to live in the Garage after you bring home another 5 or six more antique motors and boats, as this "itch" will grow on you. Hope your wife learns to like old boats now!!!!ha!ha! Many of us have had to convert our wives!!!!

in regards to the motor... the cover appears to be the one that came with it. it fits well, is color matched, etc... i don't know how interchangeable (if at all) the covers would be. but i posted the serial numbers and now you all know as much about the motor as i do. no idea on parts being added later. i'm posting a few more pics of the motor to try and give a better idea. forgive the lighting. it's dark in the garage, cold outside, and i wasn't wearing pants.. y'know... priorities!

now lets see if i can get these pics to show up...

also, here's a pic of the motor i was considering getting.

not sure if i would want/need both motors, but at least the big one would go on mine. i've not seen it in person yet but, from pics anyway, i think its look fits the style i'm after better than the evinrude. thoughts?

Couple of things to consider. Your 1959 Evinrude 35 HP Big Twin was a pull-start only motor (electric starting was optional), though it can be upgraded with a starter and remote wiring harness that will be extra cost. We can tell it was never equipped with the optional starter because we can see in the photo of the right side of the motor that there is the factory cover-plate over what would be the receptacle for remote wiring harness plug (just below the shift control cable).

The Johnson 50 HP pictured is a 1958, possibly the most desirable of the 1958-1959 Evinrude/Johnson fat-fities because of the unique styling. It also has standard electric start, however this requires the remote wiring harness, junction box, and key switch to have the complete remote starting system.

When shopping for another motor, one needs to consider the transom height of your boat. Outboards come in short and long-shaft versions for 15-in and 20-in transoms (by shaft we mean drive shaft). Your boat currently has a short-shaft motor (no lower-unit extension spacer), so you might want to measure the transom to make sure it's 15" high. Similarly, when shopping for a motor you would want one that matches the transom height of your boat. Not having the right transom height/shaft length can affect the performance of a boat.

It is hard to tell from the photo of the Johnson 50 HP whether it is a long-shaft or short-shaft motor (whether it has a spacer) because the photo cuts off the entire view of the leg and lower unit. You can get a conversion kit to extend a short-shaft to a long-shaft motor or shorten a long-shaft to a short-shaft, but this will cost additional time and money in finding the right parts.

To view the original factory catalogs for these motors, check out the following website:
old-omc.de

as others have said parts are not hard to find for your setup...the windshield for instance apears to be a taylormade wich was used by a ton of manufacturers....the motor is a 59...the lark hood had more crome etc than the big twin...looks like the fat50 is probly a long shaft as the 5" extention came straight down in the back and the l/u slants back at nearly a 45 angle...looking at the pic of the 35 (pics can be decieving) that your prop is way to high...the plate above the prop should be 1/4 or so below the transum...the fat50 is one of the coolest looking motors but they do use a lot more gas and are a lot heaver....and 15hp more....both have the lifting handle on the back wich was an option on the 35...all parts to convert long to short shaft or short to long can be found fairly easly and usualy not too high...(if you stay away from the marine dealers)....i have most of that stuff laying around here as do many on this site....john

thanks for the motor feedback! i'm glad to hear that electric start is at least available, if not standard, for the 35 and the 5o. that was one feature i REALLY wanted to have. if there's one aspect of motor vehicles i'm really comfortable with, it'd wiring. i took one look at what was in the boat when i got it and i pulled it all out. it'd been hacked apart, tapped into and sealed up with only electrical tape in so many places, i knew corrosion and short-circuits were going to be quite a problem. so whatever is needed for electric anything on the boat i'll have to tackle. i'm game for adding an electric start if i can get my hands on it.

as far as the 50 goes, i should be picking it up next weekend. if i don't end up using it, i can at least fix it and resell it, so either way i want it. gas consumption isn't a huge deal to me, if it makes the boat more usable. there is a chance i'd have several adults on it, so extra power would be nice. plus, the styling on the motor is way cool and fits what i'm after with this boat. i am curious, though, as to what constitutes "sucking gas" in comparison to the 35. with average use (some putting around, some WOT), how long should the 5 gallon tank i've got hooked to the 35 last me? rough guestimate? 5 hours? 1/2 hour? 10 hours? and the 50? half that? 1/4 of that? 3/4? i won't be taking this thing out every weekend, and if it's only going to amount to 10 gallons over the course of the summer, that's fine. if it's going to be 100 gallons, that's a different story.

Both VERY cool motors, that fat 50 is a nice find, as mentioned a very desirable motor! As for fuel consumption, fat 50s are notorious for poor fuel economy... With a 5 gal tank, you'll be able to start it up, idle for a few minutes, then head to the gas dock

The 35 is a nice motor, I've got two '59 larks, which are the "deluxe" model, with electric start & better sound insulation as well as flashier badging. Mechanically they are more or less the same, and great little motors! I plan to use mine on my lake n sea, I figure if I've got two of them I'll always have at least one running

Grab the Fat 50 and if you don't use it resell it. They are a desirable motor. Yes they are right They like gas.

The Fat 50 is a great motor and I've thought about one for my Glastron, but am a little scared about the gas consumption. As they say, grab it and fix it. You can always find a buyer for one of those.

The 40 you have is very cool to me, its a short shaft for sure, the 50 is a long, and you guys can have all them....."long story", I would like the 20-25hp johnson.
Outboard motors usuly are rated @ gallons per hour.
my McCulloch 75hp is 6 gallons per hr at wide open throttle = good
my merc 850 is about 7-8 gallons per @ WOT = not bad
my merc 1250 is 12-14 gallons per @ WOT = prem fuel & oil = expensive
my 67 18hp evinrude 1 gal @WOT = all day ,

I got a few more pics from the owner of the second boat. i wanted to see if the 50 was indeed the long shaft i'm going to need, or if i'll need a long shaft kit for it.

other good news: the transom on the other boat looks like it may be shorter than mine, so my 35 should fit perfect as-is onto the new boat. i may already have my brother-in-law talked into buying the parts boat off of me. if the 35 fits well on it, i might break even on the deal!

yep thats a long shaft. note the extension between the lower and the tower, should be 5"

here is a pic of my 10hp, same year as your 35.

picked up the donor boat today! i had asked the PO to check the wiring/lighting and the tires, since i had to turn around and make a 150 mile drive with it to get it home. tires were crap but lights were good. supposedly. ended up putting other tires on it, only to find that one of the fender brackets rubbed bad. one of the PO's had welded the bracket on instead of using the BOLT that was still in place, and not rusted solid. and the lights and wiring were totally shot. had to put the badly dry-rotted tires on it and hope they held air while we limped it a mile down the road to the parts store. rewired it with a pair of pliers and a knife (it's not pretty, but is functional) and ended up having to break the fender off so that we could get to the bracket and cut it off with a hacksaw. all of this in the auto parts store parking lot with a limited selection of borrowed tools. =) but it's home, and we'll see how much of a score it was when it's light out tomorrow. good news is that this model has a short transom, so the 35 will fit it perfectly. i should be able to clean it up and put a running motor on it, and probably recoup at least all of my money. the 50 is an electric start and long-shaft, so that's definetly going on the boat i'm keeping.

Glad to hear you got her home okay Chris, looking forward to seeing some pics when you get a chance. After making a couple trips like that picking up new "finds", (sounds familiar to a lot of us!) you start to understand why folks who do this a lot get a flatbed trailer to haul 'em home on, right? Sounds like you passed your "MacGyver test" with flying colors!

Yeah, already on his way to being an Ole Pro.

Bob

That's good practice for the next 10 boats that will follow you home. Congrats. That deserves a karma.
Cal

Macgyver test? But I had a hacksaw... isn't that cheating?! =)

I didn't get a chance to take pics, it was dark when I got her home last night, and I worked a long day today too. I'm gonna try to get my honey-do list done tonight though, so I can spend tomorrow afternoon figuring out what I got myself in to. I have already borrowed a hoist from a buddy and gathered up enough material to make a stand to hold the engines. Hopefully I can get that made and get the engines off tomorrow. That and dig out all of the goodies so I can see what all is there! I'll post pics as soon as I can!

I finally managed to snap a few pics, so i'm posting those. i've also decided that this thread has rabbit-holed and gone to-and-fro enough that it's time to post questions/topics seperately... someone new to the thread would have a lot to read to figure out what the heck is even going on =)

thanks to all for the warm welcome! i'm looking forward to my project. Maybe one day i can even be a contributing member here instead of just riding on everyone's coat tails!

The scene at the auto parts store


The parts boat. Not much to look at, but all the misc spare parts i needed! i'll put the 35 horse motor on it and throw the generic seats from the boat i'm keeping in it... clean it up a bit and resell!

one final question though... i was thinking to myself that i'd gotten a steal on most of what i have so far, but it occured to me that i have no idea what any of this stuff is actually worth. you guys mind helping me out?

That is one groovy steering wheeel on the red/white boat. Make sure you save it.

Andreas