Outboard Styling?

[mk30h]

Am I the only one who thinks that today's outboards look, well all the same?

For one thing, the cowls are boring, bloated globs of fiberglass, just how much wasted space is found in today's engines. Sure, sound dampening takes up bit - but just look under the hood or even in the mid sections- vast voids.

At one time, the cowling actually followed what was underneath- like the old Merc inlines or the OMC V4's. I am sure that most of today's engines could go on a space and materials diet.

For worst styling - I think the Merc 4 and 3 cylinders take the cake, especially the Fourstorkes - god-awful styling. What were they thinking?
For the V6.s what was BOMb thinking for the 250, huge. But then again their small engines have terrible styling.

I am surprised that no one has gone the Retro look. Add a few reminders of the 60's and 70's.
Touch of chrome etc, angular. I suspect many buyers have great memories of those engines, but were too young to buy one. Car makers have been smart to appeal to this segment - If it can work for them it can work for outboards.
old Carl was right about one thing, when it came to styling this was the key marketing point over stern drives. Since you can't see the stearn drive looks don't matter as much- but in outboards the opposite is true.
Bring back some excitement in styling.

[gaineso]

I agree 100%. I loved the old Merc cowls. There wasn't any way you would confuse that look with OMC or YAM.

Then Yam and OMC, and to some extent Suzi, all started looking alike. Then Yam went back to the 50's with that G** awful fin thing on the back of theirs.

I must be gettin' old.

[sho305]

Yes, my inline is a tight package. Then again, I swapped the coil out once, what a pain to get at. Still looks good to me...if I could find an efi for it, and about 50 more cubes:D

[dragonwolfe]

back when everything had more character, more style...The old Kiekhafer Merc days when chrome was king!
I own a pair of inline 6's a 1974 150 and a 1967 110, the 110 definitely has more style then the 150,lot's more chrome(grab handles,cowling lid,front cover) typical of all the Mercs back then. I own several others in that time period and always found it interesting how Carl's direction out of the company was reflected in the cowl markings. From Keikhafer Mercury(with the Kiekhafer in large letters) to Mercury Kiekhafer(with the Kiekhafer in small letters) to strictly Mercury Marine, all within a few years.The first change in 1971, also the change from cross flow to direct charge as well.
Anyone else...?

[crazy horse]

I agree too, Sorry guys but I can't stand the Alien cowlings. My 1500XS is damn near all metal and only weighs 270 lbs. But then I love my inline so my vote might not count :cool:. Hey sho ever wonder if a set of two liter sleeves could be stuffed into a inline block.

[sosmerc]

For what it is worth, nobody has yet designed a cowling that looks good, AND does a great job of protecting the powerhead from moisture, AND permits easy access to components on the powerhead. The early 3 cylinder Merc cowls were a real piece of junk, but at least things were pretty easy to get at after you removed it. Same can be said for the early V-6 Merc production cowls, but they didn't do a very good job of protecting things. The early "square shaped" racing cowls looked pretty good, and did permit fairly easy access for service, but didn't protect very well. The Alien cowls, well, they are light-weight anyway...but junk otherwise. So maybe we should start a poll.....what was the best cowl ever?
It's a tough call, I'm a Merc man, but the 3 cylinder Johnson/Evinrude has always been a favorite of mine. Next would probably be the production bucket-style V-6 Merc from '89 on up...not counting Optimax...their cowling is a complete disaster in my mind!

[Markus]

In addition to the three variables listed by sosmerc, sound dampening is getting more and more attention from the manufacturers.

Of course most people here do not care, but the weight difference between an early V6 Yamaha cowling and a late one feels incredible (not that I have ever weighed them, just lifted them).

[sosmerc]

Merc finally got the message on the Optimax cowling weight. Prior to 2002 they were so darn heavy that I don't think most people could ever remove it in an "on the water" situation. Then they changed the material and re-engineered it...much, much lighter.
Now if they could just address the access issue. Just changing spark plugs is a nightmare, not to mention making any minor adjustments to control cables. But then, I hear control cables may become a thing of the past soon. Merc offers fly by wire throttle and shift on the 225 Optimax. I haven't seen it, but can't wait to see it or read about it.

[John1250]

I think the best style was the inlines, particularly the mid? sixties, with the chromed look. But the three pieces are a pain to get on and off. Not to mention the thin bag of "soundproffing".

I once took the cowl off, reattached a control cable and put the cowl back on a 3 cyl Evinrude from the water, without getting out of my ski. However, I ended up drilling an access hole to the low speed adjustment on the bottom carb and this was just a 3 cyl. So I guess there a lot of compromises all the way around

Iagree the best cowls were the ones that actually fit the motors. Easier to see the skiier too. Nowadays, not only do they all look the same, they all seem to be black too!

[Brad Zastrow]

I personally like the new cowlings. They look even better painted.

[Jason Huber]

You mean the new more-aero, more-ergo, non-descript, everything looks the same - LOOK? The same disappointing trend that began in the Auto-Industry 10 or-so yrs ago. After a while everything old is new again... like the new-retro T-bird, Pt Cruiser...

[sosmerc]

I gotta admit...they look damn sharp in that paint scheme!
But it doesn't change my opinion of how they are to work around.
If only Merc could have designed the lower pan and skirting to be a 2-piece arrangement that was easily removable for service...then they'd really have something!
But again.....these pictured here are awesome!:D

[FCnLa]

Have you looked a ridding lawnmowers lately? So aerodynamic and steamlined. They ought to get better milage...LOL:eek:

I like the old Chryslers myself!:eek:

[mk30h]

Okay guys, what 50 hp do you think looks better,
The Black Bucket or the Water Harley?

[sosmerc]

Sorry, but I hate anything white.....in my trade you can't touch anything without leaving a spot.....that goes for boats as well, ever try to work on a Boston Whaler without leaving a footprint or a hand smudge on the gunnel!!?
Yea, Black is bad to the bone!

[G-Train]

My personal favorite cowling is the 90's model 2.4 EFI Bridgeport, for looks.

I like the Merc Race (non-Alien 2.5) cowls for on/off ease, yea,the bottom pan can be a problem, but otherwise, the whole motor is accessible by popping off the cowl. Lightweight, and I think they look good also.

G

[ShorePounder]

Water Harley!!!! ROFL!!! I love it!!! :D :D

[gaineso]

My '86 115 cowl fits the motor, is LIGHT (sheet metal uninsulated wrap and cast aluminum top) is easy to get off, even in the water but no way I'd ever get it back on.

PLUS, the damned bottom completely blocks the bottom plug. Gotta use an open end wrench or do a lot of major disasembly to change the #6 plug. My brand new B.A.L.T. won't work on the bottom cylinder unless I can get Balzy to make me an adaptor or spend a couple hours dismantling and remantling? a bunch of stuff.

Still looks sharp sittin' on that 15 footer.

[mk30h]

I agree, the white is a problem to keep clean.
Even oil and exhaust staining doesn't show. But there was something about those white and chrome mercs, even toss between a black six 100 Hp or 85.

[pantera1]

Definately the best looking cowl ..

[Techno]

Besides the lousy looks check out the craftmanship. My 2.4 cowl is haphazard thickness so it's heavier than it needs to be. How much for these engines to get that kind of quality?

The picture pretty much says how I feel about merc cowls. I wanted something different, I guess I'm getting it.

[175checkmate]

1

[gaineso]

175checkmate, that one looks good. No matter what color it was painted, you'd still be able to tell it's a Merc. Louvers on top look great.

[airide18]

The 2.5 early 90's cowls were the best.

[175checkmate]

Thanks. Its light weight, no sound deadner. Carbs make a ton of noise.

[patchesII]

--

[Techno]

One thing I can't get over is the rubber bungy hold downs for them. I have seen a single handle latch and wonder why they use those cheaper than jeep hood closures?

[Bruster]

What the hell is that thing in your picture? OK don't tell us right away. I think that's an old Scott Atwater Bail-O-Matic cover in primer. Anyone else got a guess?

[sho305]

I don't have a clue what is in that pic, but I like it!:)

[Techno]

It's a nightmare. One of those projects you start and is fairly simple. But goes on and on.

[FCnLa]

It's one of those new alien cowls!;)

I think, the bungie, it is a combination of things. Weight savings, simplicity, and the "industrial look". I don't know if duez (sp?) would hold up or not.

Techno, I figured you would have some paint on that thing by now!:)

[sho305]

There are other styles of the rubber latches, some with a buckle I have seen; and some like a giant O-ring. Most sleds use them on the hood. I like them, but that style is a little dated. Still works fine. I would like it more if I had one:)

[John1250]

My guess is that it is the first draft of Darth Vader's headpiece c.1975.

[Dr Thunder]

nothing beats the custom look

[Doubledog]

I think thats the first jet outboard i've seen posted here.



Welcome.

[LakeRacer99]

Ernie, welcome to the board. Got any close ups of the jet?
Where in Missouri are you?

[sho305]

I agree, I like the motor styled with the whole boat better...if the rig has any style. Just my opinion anyway.:)

[Jeff_G]

Don't shoot me but I like the 150 FORCE cowl. On some boats the old style look would be really cool however on others it would look really out of place.
Sam also remember your history with the color of Mercs. Why did they go black in the first place?
I use an old T2X cowl on my inline simply so I can get to all the parts quickly and also because the motor parts have been moved around. I don't like the looks on the boat. I do like the looks of the cowl on a complete T2 or T2x on the stand.
Different perspective I guess.
Heavy cowls aren't just a new deal either. I rigged one of the first V8 OMC motors in Miami. It took two of us to lift the cowl using a ladder! I couldn't lift it from the boat at the dealership, much less in rolling seas.

[thebone69]

the new optimax hoods are heavier than the v8 hoods! I must say that the CCC are pretty sweet.

[Jimbob]

In this month's Family and Performance Boating. I like it, I want one.:D

[thebone69]

For a few bucks a decal shop can make you those decals for any motor you want. All you need is a picture of what you want and an imagination.

[Raceman]

"Sam also remember your history with the color of Mercs. Why did they go black in the first place?"

That question is answered in the book on Carl Kiekhaefer, "Iron Fist", which should be required reading for everybody by the way. It seems that the larger inline 6's such as the Merc 800 with the larger cowls seemed overwhelming. One of the women in Carl's life ( I can't remember which) suggested that many times, large women wear the color black because it makes them appear smaller than lighter colors. They tried it, it worked, and the rest is history. The new "tall" Merc 1000's in 1962 were the first black motors, even though the 800's of the same year had the same external dimensions and remained white. Although there were engines of both colors in the line in 1963, by 1964 all of the Mercs were black.

[sho305]

All because of fat butts.:rolleyes:


:D

[Jeff_G]

Norris, Ann Strang the mother of Charlie Strang. Engineer at Merc. later the chairman of OMC, APBA past president, High Commissioner of Nascar.

[pyro]

#1: hi-po 2.5 pre-alien. Those are the best!

#2: bridgeport, it just yells "fast!"

#3: MINE! 2.4 bucket cowl, kinda heavy, but easy on/off.

[Raceman]

Jeff, thanks for refreshin' my memory on Ann Strang. I flipped through the book lookin' but couldn't find it at a glance. I guess I need to read it again. You know what they say about losin' the old memory? I wonder what's next.

[Forkin' Crazy]

I kinda like the styliing of these cowlings...and yes they are white!

[pantera1]

I dont see cowls...:D

[mk30h]

butt a very nice lower unit.

[AnthonySS]

I still have a sweet spot for the " Black Towers".

Its what I remember the most as a kid

[Capt.Insane-o]

Now that is cool. I want it!

[Capt.Insane-o]

:o :p

[Steve Zuckerman]

I think the early (91/97) 2.5 race high perf cowls were about as good as it gets. The very similar F1/Drag cowl is hard to beat too.
Here's mine with a little custom paint on it:D . The side fake intakes are functional, as I've opened them.
Regards,
Steve;)

[TaySikes]

I like the look of most of the cowls out there. I think it should be up tho us to change them. I stripped my Johnson 225 hood down and came up with my own design. I have though about making some fiberglass cowling, but have never come up with the perfect air intake solution.

[MorganB]

6's from the 50's and 60' are a work of art. That company that makes the minature ones should make full size ones also , makes a nice statue or fountain or fetish object.

[Dr Thunder]

Lakeracer here are the pics you ask for, I live in sullivan, 65 miles southwest of st. louis on I-44