J Motors, now what do we do...

[mercguy]

Ok, back to the point...

Does Mercury still produce this motor for global sales. Darren can you talk with your Mercury rep. Mikey Haunstien can you ask dad? Any one else with any first hand knowledge. I think this it the question we have to answer first? I will try and make a few calls today and find out.

Thanks,
Dean

I will make some calls today Dean....

[Matt Dagostino]

Right On Darrell..................

1. Sidewinder has new gearcases.
2. APBA has conversion kits.
3. There are used Mercury 15 hp motors.
4. George Stillwell has the knowledge & know-how.

The APBA J Committee could fund the building of two race-ready Mercury J motors by Mr. Stillwell. When one sells, use proceeds to build the next one and so on. The rest of us could keep an eye open for deals on used 15 h.p. Mercrurys for the project.

Darrell Sorensen

The money could continue to come from the Historical APBA fund and weather George Stillwill,Brinkman,Hageral etc etc assembled the motors the most important element would be APBA continuing to sell them and advertise them as they are now doing. I agree that one stop shopping is a avenue we need to have available to 'all' current and future participants. The point here is 'someone' has to quarterback this and i don't see any j committee members jumping in here!


As we have seen with the Yamato, 'reconditioned' motors are fine for racing and actually help reduce the cost. As Ryan said the days of going into a 'outboard dealer' and buying a race motor are long gone...........however buying a motor from APBA directly is a pretty close second!! For now keeping some Merc 15's in inventory at APBA headquarters is the best option until a more permanent solution comes down the road.

Happy thanksgiving

[Andrew 4CE]

1. Sidewinder has new gearcases.
2. APBA has conversion kits.
3. There are used Mercury 15 hp motors.
4. George Stillwell has the knowledge & know-how.

The APBA J Committee could fund the building of two race-ready Mercury J motors by Mr. Stillwell. When one sells, use proceeds to build the next one and so on. The rest of us could keep an eye open for deals on used 15 h.p. Mercrurys for the project.

Darrell Sorensen

That's a pretty neat idea!

[raceright]

This would make the motor readily available. If the motor is available for purchase, does it really matter who from? We have to get out of the mindset that our motors must be available from your local dealer, those days are gone.

not true your to stubborn to race what you can buy

[trident]

I have a like new, one owner, adult operated 2001 15 Merc, short shaft, rope start...

It ain't cheap, but it is cherry. Even the prop and skeg are untouched paint.
I put a Tiny Tach on the tiller... Four hours since new. Always run on fresh 25:1 with no ethanol. Used it to push my 1960 14' Aluma Craft. If interested, PM me. Local pickup only, Mid WI. We might arrange RPS, 'Racer Parcel Service' pickup. Who do you know who is coming this way?

Sweet motor, but it sounds like you guys need it more than I do.

Jerry Wienandt

[csh2z]

Dean, Just get them in a race boat. There is no such thing as a "new, competitive J " They no longer exist. This issue must be dealt with by the "J category". Remember, J has not been in Stock Outboard for 10 yrs.

[bill boyes]

It would good to buy 5 or so used motors at a time and convert them for racing and then make them available for sale to J racers. If I had the funds I would do it. BTW. The "J" Committee does not have a Budget. If we had one this would be money well spent.
Maybe the other Catergory's would be willing to transfer around $2000 ea from their budget to the "J" Commission for the project. Or there may be money available from the sale of the Merc 15's in APBA's budget.
I have requested $2000 from the Historical Society for additional "J" props as some regions have a growing "J' class and do not have propellers.

[Dr. Thunder]

I'm sure one of the Region10 guys or Darrell can jump in here ... how many new "J" boats and drivers were introduced to APBA racing over the course of the last three years of the H.A.R.M. project? Where did they get the motors? How many boats will be built this year for the 2008 season ... where will they get motors?

[ryan_4z]

not true your to stubborn to race what you can buy

1) I run a 302, the most readily available engine in SO right now, so this is not true.
2) I am a firm believer that we should be racing "racing" engines. OPC was started for Pleasure Craft, so if you are suggesting "off the shelf" manufacturer racing, I would think that that would be a more suitable category.
3) You seem to be pretty adamant about this for someone for someone who races a class, in a category, that has absolutely no chance of ever being anything anywhere near what you suggest we do. If you think racing off the shelf motors is so important for the future, why do you do the furthest thing from that?

[ryan_4z]

Dean, Just get them in a race boat. There is no such thing as a "new, competitive J " They no longer exist. This issue must be dealt with by the "J category". Remember, J has not been in Stock Outboard for 10 yrs.

There could be if there were blueprinted motors readily available for purchase again through APBA. Remeber that is the same thing Racing Outboards is planning on doing.

[G Stillwill]

Im sure some of the bigger dealers still have some 9.9 and 15 motors in there ware house. Some are still advertising them for sale. Here is one in Canada that I found but havent called them to see if any are available. Maybe a deal could be worked out between Mercury, the dealer and APBA to purchase them. If Mercury would take the gearfoot a list of 1200.00 and tiller arms back it might be worth buying them.

http://www.sea-pro.com/mercurymarine.../6-25hp/15.htm

[mercguy]

NONE Made in the USA

Ok, back to the point...

Does Mercury still produce this motor for global sales. Darren can you talk with your Mercury rep. Mikey Haunstien can you ask dad? Any one else with any first hand knowledge. I think this it the question we have to answer first? I will try and make a few calls today and find out.

Thanks,
Dean

I spoke with Mercury today (outboard technical engineering directly) and they no longer make any of the 15hp 2strokes in the USA for sale. All the tooling was shipped overseas. I have a call in to another friend at Merc and he is gonna get me some more info on Tuesday.

[mercguy]

Im sure some of the bigger dealers still have some 9.9 and 15 motors in there ware house. Some are still advertising them for sale. Here is one in Canada that I found but havent called them to see if any are available. Maybe a deal could be worked out between Mercury, the dealer and APBA to purchase them. If Mercury would take the gearfoot a list of 1200.00 and tiller arms back it might be worth buying them.

http://www.sea-pro.com/mercurymarine.../6-25hp/15.htm

I doubt you could make a 3 way deal for the motors. Reasoning, is that the dealer/delaers that may have the motors in stock have already payed "flooring costs" for those motors for 2yrs, so those dealers would be looking to get "atleast" dealer cost on them back..........on a small motor, the profit is usually only a couple hundred dollars AT MOST...............and Mercury buying the foot and tiller back would not be likely.

[G Stillwill]

Ok will just list them all on one post

http://www.cunninghamsmarine.com.au/...table_15.shtml

http://www.outdrives.com/merc/15twostroke.html

[raceright]

1) I run a 302, the most readily available engine in SO right now, so this is not true.
2) I am a firm believer that we should be racing "racing" engines. OPC was started for Pleasure Craft, so if you are suggesting "off the shelf" manufacturer racing, I would think that that would be a more suitable category.
3) You seem to be pretty adamant about this for someone for someone who races a class, in a category, that has absolutely no chance of ever being anything anywhere near what you suggest we do. If you think racing off the shelf motors is so important for the future, why do you do the furthest thing from that?

I've said it before and I will say it again it's not about me (I race what I race)
its about where people get a start and Many believe it's stock outboard.
Ask your family members the older the better the hey day of clamp on motors was when you bought it off the shelf even motors called 36 I believe Chrysler and Evinrude..Help me out old guys you know more about off the shelf engines then me as I only raced once in stock and that was Super C
(cresent realy nice).
I'm Ok with what I do the natural progression for me would be Formula 1 and if I was 30 not 60 maybe that would be in my future (take it back as they are also not allowed to run on Menthenol)

You know I almost bought a D from Mr. Bass but with the hard time that they recieved from the Stock Commission I opted out...I'm not going to
hunt the planet to race in a stock outboard class and I'm not a little guy
and have to race something with plenty of power.

Also I prefer the speed that the Top Hydro reaches.
And yes it looks like the future in APBA will be OPC as they seem to be willing to start racing smaller classes and guess what it's not going to be cheap(there's that word again). That's ok with me just think it should be stock outboard...

Pat