# Best outboard from 80's, 90's?



## Orangebeach28 (Jun 3, 2009)

I need to hang an outboard on a 17' whaler. If you could pick any 70 - 115 hp motor from the 80's/90's, what would you pick? I don't care about brand - I just want dependable, easy parts availability, and not so rare that I can't find someone to work on it. 

2 stroke
70-115 hp

Whatcha think?


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## Worn Out (May 10, 2008)

*They pretty well had the kinks..*

...out of the OMC '70s by then. That is probably a bit" shy" for a 17' Whaler...


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## huntnflorida (May 24, 2008)

90 or 115 v4 yamaha. Solid motor, parts abundant. Very easy maintenance


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## The Maintenance Shoppe (Nov 5, 2007)

Parts for 80s and 90s you need to think about availability.
I would consider a 15 to 35 year old motor nothing but scary.


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## Donut slayer (Jan 16, 2009)

Evinrude or Johnson, the v4's are bulletproof.


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## Sea-r-cy (Oct 3, 2007)

*This one!*

This one! :yes:

We can even bolt it on your boat and try it in the lake behind my house before you buy! Clean freshwater only motor. 100 hp Suzuki Runs like a bloody nose. Controls and wiring included.


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## chad403 (Apr 20, 2008)

70 evinrude or johnson


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## speckledcroaker (Mar 23, 2012)

Wirelessly posted

I here seatow has some good motors. lol


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## smooth move (Sep 25, 2012)

115 johnson ocean runner


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

The Maintenance Shoppe said:


> Parts for 80s and 90s you need to think about availability.
> I would consider a 15 to 35 year old motor nothing but scary.


That's just crazy talk. Sorry.

I have several OLD outboards that run like new money! And have very few parts availability issues.
58 Evinrude 10hp (has some foot gear availability problems)
64 Johnson 18hp
71 Evinrude 6hp
75 Johnson 15hp (this one has some parts issues. These motors changed alot)
79 Johnson 55hp (Just bought instead of new motor)

All of these motors run well and I trust their use all the time (except the 15, still building it right) I considered a new motor when I just bought the 55 for my skiff. I just dont trust the new ones. Lots of horror stories out there about the E-Tecs blowing up and etc. I want something I can work on and afford the parts for... :whistling:

We go offshore all the time in my buddy's boat with a 1993 Evinrude 90.

That said, I also like the Yamahas from the years listed. My friend's boat is a 17ft Edgewater (similar to Whaler hull) and the 90 is a tad under powered. I would look more towards the 115.


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

NoMoSurf said:


> 58 Evinrude 10hp (has some foot gear availability problems)


Do you have any pics of the Rude? I'm very anxious to find a '58 Johnson 10 from my childhood but a Rude would do.


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## RMS (Dec 9, 2008)

Without a doubt a V4 Yamaha or OMC from that era would be a great fit, needs to be a freshwater motor at that age.


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## Orangebeach28 (Jun 3, 2009)

Thanks got all the help folks!


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Stoker1 said:


> Do you have any pics of the Rude? I'm very anxious to find a '58 Johnson 10 from my childhood but a Rude would do.


PM sent


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Thanks bro, I'll check it out on the home pc.


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

RMS said:


> Without a doubt a V4 Yamaha or OMC from that era would be a great fit, needs to be a freshwater motor at that age.


The early V-4 Yamaha's are basically a reverse engineered OMC with a Merc lower unit. Them Japs did there homework and added better electronics.. Can't beat them. Watch out for corrosion issues.


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## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

NoMoSurf said:


> That's just crazy talk. Sorry.
> 
> That said, I also like the Yamahas from the years listed. My friend's boat is a 17ft Edgewater (similar to Whaler hull) and the 90 is a tad under powered. I would look more towards the 115.


Edgewater, Key West, and Everglades were all built and designed by Dougherty, the guy who designed the first vee hulls for Whalers.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

aroundthehorn said:


> Edgewater, Key West, and Everglades were all built and designed by Dougherty, the guy who designed the first vee hulls for Whalers.


Yep. Ol Bob. Dont forget about Marlins too. My buddy's boat is actually a Marlin, but is exact same as Edgewater, same company. They just changed the name after two years. We just call it an edgewater to keep folks from confusing it with that other Marlin boat company. I think there was a lawsuit, thus the name change.

I didn't know he did some of the Key Wests. The Key West 172 is the same as the Cobia 174cc. i think it was originally done by Robalo (not sure though).


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

I have run late 80's-early 90's model Evinrudes on several boats and agree they are bulletproof. They are mostly interchangeable for parts between the 90hp-150hp. Can't go wrong and the fuel economy isn't bad on the 90, either.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Donut slayer said:


> Evinrude or Johnson, the v4's are bulletproof.


X2 I use to fish on a boat that had a 90 V4 Evinrude (I believe) and I know we fished together fer 3 years and put many hours on the motor and never did a thing to it (included the needed maintenance)....:thumbup:


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## speckhunter944 (Jun 13, 2008)

1980 70 Johnson I had one on a 15' Randall craft and you couldn't kill that thing. I sold it to a friend and he is still running it.


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