TOPIC: New guy, bought an old Hertors, questions

Hi Folks . Long time lurker, first time poster.
I bought a 1960 Herters 14 ft rowboat last week. The boat is in really great condition as far as i can tell. Ive read that these FG boats dont really have a gel coat so i was wondering what i should use to protect it. Wax? The finish appears to be in excellent shape for the age.
Also, Im gonna put a small 2 stroke on the back. Im thinking a 15 Johnson if i can find a good one. Does any one have experience with powering these old Herters row boats? Thanks for your time in advance

Here's a picture of my Dads late 60's 16' Yukon that he bought new.His is regular gelcoat and cleans up well. Don't know if they had changed from your model or year though.He had a 64 350 Merc that started giving him major trouble and at 87 he didn't need that.This little 25 sure runs nice but has no character. I'd bet yours will clean up nicely,

Cool old boat.
As far as restoring the finish goes i would go with a mild rubbing compound and a high quality marine polish to keep the remainig paint in as good a shape as possible. If it is gelcoat you cant really go wrong with this process either.

shultz,

WELCOME ABOARD.

If it was me, I would look for a 12-20HP GALE or SEA KING from 1955-63, as they are both OMC products, are UNCOMPLICATED to work on yourself and usually MUCH CHEAPER at an antique motor show/sale, as FEW OB collectors are collecting the "store brand" motors.

If you have not bought a copy of CHEAP OUTBOARDS (about 15.oo on Amazon.com), get yourself one - with a copy of that one book, a handful of wrenches, screwdrivers and a few CHEAP parts from your local NAPA store you can have a GOOD RUNNING motor that will probably last you a REALLY long time for less than 200.oo.
(My first GALE was a 12HP that I bought for 25.oo at a garage sale.- I spent another 40.oo on points, plugs, condensors, both coils & a waterpump impeller.)
FYI, I've never bought a "worn-out" OB, as most get used seldom. If they were half taken care of, they will outlast you & me.
(Buccaneer, Evinrude, Gale, Johnson & SeaKing Big-Twins are TOUGH!)

I ran it, troublefree, for about a decade on literally a "junkyard" Lone Star 16' aluminum Semi-Vboat, that was not too different than yours, that I paid 10cents pound for (I think I remember).

By the time that I bought a fifty dollar "junker" boat trailer, put two 5-buck HONDA CIVIC wheels/tires on it (from the same junkyard) & paint for the boat, I had about 200.oo in my "dedicated crappie fishing rig."

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I'd bet that I could "put together" a similar rig today for less than 500.oo, "with a little looking around".
(That surely beats 2500-4000.oo+, ImVho, for a newer rig, which a buddy of mine just spent for a trade-in at a local boat dealer.)

NOTE: FYI, I'm one of "the local cheapskates" on FG, as I regard 'Ole Jack Benny as a spendthrift!

BEST WISHES, satx

Shultz ... I see you're just down the road in Livonia (Victor myself) and after reading satx's gale suggestion ....have you seen this on Craigs here lately?

This is a 40 and there was a nice looking 12 horse on there yesterday but must have sold.

rochester.craigslist.org/boa/3591029901.html

Good luck,
Tim

schultz; barnfinder,

IF that GALE was closer to TX, I would have already gone to look at it & "dicker with" the owner.
I suggest that one of our folks do the same, as that's one of the best of the BIG-Twins, imVho.

yours, satx

Thanks guys!
i will take all of this in. I forgot to mention that the boat is rated for up to 25 hp. I live on a lake and it seems there are always old outboards on CL around here. Ill post again when i find something interesting motor wise and ask for your opinion. I really appreciate you guys takin the time on this. Thanks! . I dont have the boat yet. I have to find a trailer to shag it home but its only a half hour away

schultz,

GOOD PLAN to watch your local craigslist. - FYI, I talked to a "boarding-school buddy" of mine Friday night in Watertown, NY & he found/bought a 1957 Gale 25 for 35.oo on their local CL about 2 months ago. - He cleaned the carb & replaced the coils, points, plugs, condensors & the impeller for 61.oo (He bought Sierra parts from a NAPA store & a PLASTIC 6gal gas tank from a local discount store) and Rob says that it "cranked right up in a trash barrel & runs GREAT", for less than 125.oo.
(ImVHo, a good-running OB of any sort for that small price is a good deal, even to a "cheapskate" like me.)

BEST WISHES on your hunt for a CHEAP OB.

yours, satx

Thanks Satx. I will definitely check in with you experts before i do anything. Im not exactly a mechanic or knowledgeable about the old outboards

schultz,

FYI, I am NOT by any means "an expert" (though there are MANY real experts here on FG.) - I "mess about with" OLD, CHEAP to buy/repair, SIMPLE, TOUGH, 1955-65, 2-cylinder, OMC outboards because they are exactly all of those things.
(I wouldn't even try to "tinker with" ANY Mercury OB with my very limited knowledge, as they are COMPLICATED & take EXPENSIVE parts & LOTS of "specialized tools", that are $$$$ to buy.)

yours, satx

Hi Tim, Thanks for the link. Yeah were not that far away at all. Living in Victor, do you go to Canandagua lake? Im on Conesus