Posted by CaptClif on August 12, 2002 at 07:13:34:
In Reply to: from auto motor to marine ... just how difficult? posted by Frank H. on August 09, 2002 at 10:32:51:
: I am a poor, struggling, aspiring writer with five toddlers, and a penney pinching CPA for a wife and I am on a very low budget. But I got a belly full of the American spirit, so I know that with a dream, a prayer and a big bucket of determination, I can do this "boat building" thing. I've read a few messages about inboards vs outboards and I still haven't decided which one to go with for the Bandido. I have a lot of wood working experience and a little mechanical experience (fuel pumps, water pumps, motor mounts, ATVs and riding mowers, etc.) and I'd like to hear more about the work involved in adapting auto motors to marine usage from someone who has done it successfully. Hard work doesn't scare me but I also realize that some mechanical feats are over my head. Looking to hear from a pro with some encouraging words and/or detailed "do's and dont's" for an enthusiastic mechanic apprentice. I am also very interesyed in hearing from someone about rebuilding outboards from the ground up! I've got more time than money so I'll consider all angles.
Frank,
I also was in the same "boat" as you when starting my Miss Mist project last January. I had got the price of wood and misc pieces I would need figured out pretty well, but I did not know anything about how much the engine or tranny would cost.
I also have had little mechcanical expirence (yours and mine seem about equal) and I thought at first that a auto conversion for the engine was the way to go. But after looking for a while for an engine to convert and pricing rebuilt trannies I came across a few engines on ebay that were out of old boats. I purchased an running engine and tranny out of an old Chris craft for $350. I brought it home and cleaned it up and it looks great. Now I saved myself about $2000 and have a cool engine to boot.
Since then I have seen several engines like this one that run on ebay. So if this sounds like something that you could do I would check it out.
Hope this helps.