OMC odd-fire 6 for a deluxe 17-options?

[RayBan]

I just picked up a '64 Johnson Deluxe, it needs a lot of cosmetic resoration, but I bought it w/o a motor. I believe it had a Buick odd-fire 6 cyl I/O but only the stren drive is left. Will other 6-cyl bolt up to the transom plate?

Can anyone offer any ideas of options for a power plant for this beauty?

Dead in the water,
Dan

[Tim_Mattson]

Dan ,
One option my buddy Kurt took was to sell the drive for parts,and apply the $ to a transom bracket you can adj to the flat stern.
Putting a 90 hp Mercury 6 cyl got him almost to 48 MPH.
He listed his for $800 recently but he has sold the Mercury OB.
We got him $300.00 for the drive that as in a few boxes but had a certain Gimbal Bearing assy that was worth $300 to the buyer.
That item is almost as important as the engine.
The OB option is the easy way out of course.....a good inboard from a donor boat is aways possible.
Bottom line is the hull will take almost anything you throw on it or in it for that matter.Even water.......
TimM

[ricphoto]

Hi Dan...

Going through the same exercise with my '63 OMC 17 Delux...the decision was made easier for me due to the fact that there was no motor or OD...

I built up the transom to approx 2 3/4" with wood and glass and picked up a 5 1/2" CMC manual jackplate with 5" of vertical travel for mid $200.00 range...with a 1999 90hp Yamaha my total was still alot less than the I/O options I was quoted...I'm not a mechanic so I would have been paying for everything to be done...

on a related note I just picked up a '65 Sweet 16 that does have the original inboard engine (88hp) and OD on it...I'm looking at a similar conversion for it if the cost of getting and keeping it running is going to be prohibitive... from what I hear those electric shift stringer mounted systems were either great or problematic and the parts are rapidly becoming NLA...

Have fun...they're cool boats...let's compare rebuild notes sometime

...Ric

[RayBan]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I have a lot of research to do with respect to the out drive and motor, I had a friend tell me the old OMC stern drives were nothing but trouble. Maybe a newer set up would be the ticket, I sure would like to kep the cool rear I/O cowling. I am in no hurry because I really bought it for a retirement project fot next year. So I have some time to figure it out.

Thanks again
Dan

[ricphoto]

Here's a few links to help with your research:

http://www.ultimate.com/omc-boats/

http://www.omcboats.org/forum/index.php

Have fun...Ric