Old boats still purring

[Kevinator1]

How many of you guys have older boats that just keep on ticking? I have a 2005 Bass Tracker 175 with a 50HP Mercury on it and haven't had any issues whatsoever.....I do keep it in the garage during the winter but i still winterize it myself. Do any of you have an outboard that has lasted more than 20 years with it being used a lot every season? Just wondering...

[Rick Howard]

Im running a '79 Glastron HPV160 with '79 Johnson 115.  

[rboat]

My boat & motor are 30 years old but still working. would I like to have a new one? of course I would.

[Rick Howard]

Id add. The boat is fine for me and I wouldn’t want a newer boat but, I would like to fish some competitive leagues and tournaments around me and this boat just isn’t allowed lol.  So hopefully sooner than later this one will get passed on to my nephew.    

[Scott F]

Next April, my Ranger will be 30 years old and I'm the original owner. The motor was replaced in 1995. I've done almost nothing to the motor and it actually starts better now than it ever did!

[S Hovanec]

I hardly call mine old.  I ordered it new in 2005.......Lund Mr Pike 17 with a 135 Honda.  All I do is change the oil once a year and put gas in the tank.  I had to replace the starting battery last year and the trolling motor batteries this year.  They were the original Bluetops I installed when I bought it.  Original trolling motor. I did upgrade the Garmin sonars a few years ago with Lowrance HDS units, but I'm still running the original Garmin GPS.

[Al w.]

About 2 years ago, I had a 1992 Alumacraft SuperBandit with a 75 hp Mercury.  It ran like a champ.  I sold it and got a slightly newer and larger boat, a 2004 Triton V197 with a 200hp Mercury.  This boat also runs really well.  The few problems that I have had have been wiring issues.  I have had to do some rewiring.  Sometimes I would like to rewire it completely but am a little afraid of that.

[Further North]

'05 Crestliner CMV here, with an '05 Johnzuki 140...I update electronics periodically, along with batteries...everything is just fine...

[slonezp]

Not my main ride but shes was born the same year I was

[rboat]

Slone, that rig is in great shape. I learned to fish as a young kid with my dad in a boat just like that. It was not ours, we rented it by the hour at a resort. You have obviously taken very good care of it.

[slonezp]

1 hour ago, rboat said:

Slone, that rig is in great shape. I learned to fish as a young kid with my dad in a boat just like that. It was not ours, we rented it by the hour at a resort. You have obviously taken very good care of it.

If we're being honest here, I can't take the credit. I just bought it a year ago. I am the 3rd owner and the last guy only had it a year or 2. I think it spent most of it's life in a garage. Since the pic, I removed the 2.3hp Johnson and put a 15hp Evinrude on it, swapped out the trolling motor with a hand controlled bow mount, and put a base model Helix 5 in it. Currently she spend most of the time garaged. Thought I would use it more but that hasn't been the case. 

[ohboyitsrobby]

I have a 99 procraft with a 99 merc on it. I have no idea how many owners it had previously but however many it had obviously took good care of it. Since I do know the 2 owners I know had it before were older I'm sure they didn't use it quite like i do. I use it all the time and it still runs fine. I even fish tourneys out of it. Do i run wot across the lake? No I don't. But nothing's better than beating the guys who think they can fish cuz they have a 50k boat out of an old little procraft.

[crypt]

97 Ranger R-80. original owner.love it.

[Goldstar225]

'87 Tracker TX17 with an '86 70 HP Yamaha.  Still runs like a top. Except for replacing the oil reservoir the motor's had only routine maintenance.

[IndianaFinesse]

I fish out of an old StarCraft aluminum that best we can tell was made in the early 60s, with a 1990 Johnson Evenrude, it's either 9.9 or 15hp, the only difference between the two is the size of the carburetor openings and the covers are interchangeable.

[WRB]

On October 29, 2017 at 11:33 AM, slonezp said:

If we're being honest here, I can't take the credit. I just bought it a year ago. I am the 3rd owner and the last guy only had it a year or 2. I think it spent most of it's life in a garage. Since the pic, I removed the 2.3hp Johnson and put a 15hp Evinrude on it, swapped out the trolling motor with a hand controlled bow mount, and put a base model Helix 5 in it. Currently she spend most of the time garaged. Thought I would use it more but that hasn't been the case. 

I owned that model 14' Lund except with the original red side paint. The 15 hp* is perfect for that boat, that is what I had. I added a rear swivel seat and a front pedistal seat on the front cross seat with 3/4" carpeted plywood for the bow about 4" below the front seat and tiller type trolling motor. 55 quart Coleman color for the livewell/storage behind the middle seat with aeration pump worked good. Put my older electronics on this boat and fished it for 30 years on smaller lakes without ramps and on our larger bass lakes when keeping a low profile trophy bass fishing.

The one thing I added that really helped in big waves was back troll transum splash guards because with a 5 gallon gas tank and TM battery in the back it sits low in the water. I really miss that old Lund and wish I didn't sell it when moving, but no room in the garage for 2 boats.

Good memories!

Age isn't as important to OB engines as running hours. About 300 hours it's time to give them major service check up.

Tom

* with 9.9 hp decals so I could fish lakes with 10 hp max like the San Deigo city lakes.

[BrianSnat]

I have a 14 ft Grumman V hull made in 1983 with a 1992 9.9 Yamaha on the back.  It does the job and the Yamaha starts on the first pull every time.  The fish don't seem to care how old the boat and motor are.

[slonezp]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

 

* with 9.9 hp decals so I could fish lakes with 10 hp max like the San Deigo city lakes.

No decals on my motor . You can only tell it's a 15 by the serial#

[joefish]

I have a 2000 Javelin Venom 17 with 2000 Johnson 115.  Had to rebuild the Johnson in 2011. I'm second owner and since I retired in 2012 she's on the water 70 or more days a year.

[BrianSnat]

Quote

* with 9.9 hp decals so I could fish lakes with 10 hp max like the San Deigo city lakes.

Around here the park police are hip to that trick.  If they think your boat is moving a  faster than a 9.9 should push it they will stop you and check the serial number and fine you if you are using a 15 HP. 

[Lonnie Clemens]

On 10/27/2017 at 8:29 PM, slonezp said:

Not my main ride but shes was born the same year I was

Perfect!

[jessejames556]

1995 Skeeter 1650. It is a 17 foot semi deep V hull with a 1995 75 HP Mercury. I've had it for four years now and I hope to keep it running as long as I can.

[S Hovanec]

On 11/1/2017 at 9:05 PM, BrianSnat said:

Around here the park police are hip to that trick.  If they think your boat is moving a  faster than a 9.9 should push it they will stop you and check the serial number and fine you if you are using a 15 HP. 

 

I may have known someone that knew a graphic designer who made him a new serial number placard with a legit 20hp serial number and placed it on his 25hp so it could be run on the 20hp lakes.

[detroit1]

96 Grumman 16' deep v with a 50 hp evinrude. Spent over $2k on it this year on a new vr pump, impellor, power cables from switch to motor, rebuilt carbs, and a few other items. Had to give it a little love. I take it out 35 to 50 times a year. After 22 yrs., she still treats me pretty good.

[Wurming67]

1978 Fiberking  bomber  starts first time every time no issues at all