Any use for long shaft 15hp outboard?

[-CN-]

2005 Mercury 15hp with electric start - bought new in 2005 by a coworker's dad, and then his dad passed away. The motor has never been started. Coworker is selling 14ft boat (old), new trailer (2005ish) and the outboard, for $2000 as a package, and I can probably get him down lower. Anyway, I am trailer shopping and the trailer in this package is suitable for my boat. Unfortunately his dad put a long shaft motor on this boat and I will not use it on my flat bottom jon, although a new 15hp would be a nice upgrade over my old 8hp. Whenever I look at motors on craigslist, small outboards with long shafts sit unsold even at dirt cheap prices, while short shaft motors are like gold.
I am thinking about taking the risk in buying this just for the trailer, and put the old boat along with the long shaft motor onto my current trailer and trying to resell it. Will I sit on this forever or will this be a rather low-risk proposition?

 

[stinkfoot]

Pretty commonly used for a kicker on a larger boat.

 

[.Mike]

Aluminum boats that take a long shaft motor are out there, for sure.

My boat has a 20-inch transom, and uses a long shaft motor. It's a Grumman MV1449. 1992 model, I think.

 

[Crazyboat]

double post, sorry

 

[Crazyboat]

I bought a 15 Johnson as a kid without realizing it was a long shaft, I beefed up the transom and raised it 5" and things were wonderful! Never had a problem and took me all of a couple of hours to beef up the boat with some scrap ply wood and a coat of paint, every year I gave it another coat to protect the wood and never had a problem. A few through bolts and I was off!
If they are as cheap as you say I'll be searching for one when I do buy, no problem at all building up the transom and if I can save a few hundred, why not!