Your first TinBoat. Post you pictures.

[Crazyboat]

Sadly all the photos I had taken were lost, but here's a link to my first Sears 7.5 HP for $248 and my first tin boat @ 12' and $199. Less than a year later I brought the ever failing 7.5 back to Sears for a full refund and grabbed a lightly used Johnson 15 and never looked back.
Comparing the water cooled 2 cyl Johnson to the air cooled Sears was like night and day!
1976 Sears Spring Summer Catalog, Page 1110 - Catalogs & Wishbooks



1976 Sears Spring Summer Catalog, Page 1113 - Catalogs & Wishbooks

 

[airshot]

Sadly all the photos I had taken were lost, but here's a link to my first Sears 7.5 HP for $248 and my first tin boat @ 12' and $199. Less than a year later I brought the ever failing 7.5 back to Sears for a full refund and grabbed a lightly used Johnson 15 and never looked back.
Comparing the water cooled 2 cyl Johnson to the air cooled Sears was like night and day!
1976 Sears Spring Summer Catalog, Page 1110 - Catalogs & Wishbooks



1976 Sears Spring Summer Catalog, Page 1113 - Catalogs & Wishbooks

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Funny you mention the Sears outboard...my father purchased a new Sears 7.5 up motor in 1954. Awesome motor, always fired right up, ran it for over 10 years, only issue was a glass bowl under the carb which needed cleaning on occasion and it was slippery due to the oil in the fuel. We kept an extra on hand! Otherwise a great motor, traded it in for a bigger boat and motor.

 

[Crazyboat]

Funny you mention the Sears outboard...my father purchased a new Sears 7.5 up motor in 1954. Awesome motor, always fired right up, ran it for over 10 years, only issue was a glass bowl under the carb which needed cleaning on occasion and it was slippery due to the oil in the fuel. We kept an extra on hand! Otherwise a great motor, traded it in for a bigger boat and motor.

I don't know if the Ted Williams (Sears eng) was a pig or not. I bought her in April of 76, I was 13, she broke down by May and I brought her back to Sears. 2 weeks later she was back on the boat and running again. She broke down again in June, had her back at Sears and by the time schools let out I was back up and running again. This repair lasted all summer, ran that bad boy like an animal, no wake speed and WOT, like any dumb kid I guess. Went clamming for extra cash and to help pay my father back for the loan of $500. By Nov she broke down again and I remembered Sears had a full 1 year guarantee. I brought her in with my receipt, plunked her down on the counter and got back my $248 bucks. Found the used Johnson for $440. Negotiated down to an even $400 and was out the door. She ran like a top until the day I sold her. Did everything from exploring swamps, to water skiing to a jaunt or two in the ocean. I'll also never forget paying my father back the last of the loan. Made me feel real good to know I kept my word, not that dad would have let me forget it.

 

[airshot]

I don't know if the Ted Williams (Sears eng) was a pig or not. I bought her in April of 76, I was 13, she broke down by May and I brought her back to Sears. 2 weeks later she was back on the boat and running again. She broke down again in June, had her back at Sears and by the time schools let out I was back up and running again. This repair lasted all summer, ran that bad boy like an animal, no wake speed and WOT, like any dumb kid I guess. Went clamming for extra cash and to help pay my father back for the loan of $500. By Nov she broke down again and I remembered Sears had a full 1 year guarantee. I brought her in with my receipt, plunked her down on the counter and got back my $248 bucks. Found the used Johnson for $440. Negotiated down to an even $400 and was out the door. She ran like a top until the day I sold her. Did everything from exploring swamps, to water skiing to a jaunt or two in the ocean. I'll also never forget paying my father back the last of the loan. Made me feel real good to know I kept my word, not that dad would have let me forget it.

When they moved to the Ted Williams branding, their motors went cheap, mostly air cooled. The 54 we had was the "Elgin" brand, well built, water cooled engine. Can't remember a time she didn't run well...