** Evinrude 1960 Full Catalog - View Here! **

Greetings everybody. I know many of our northeastern members are snowed in now, and I thought it might be a good time to post up another classic outboard catalog! Here we take a look at Evinrude's product line from 1960, which is one of the most stylish model years. This particular year, being the first of a new decade, expanded on the then-popular rocket-age look, with definite influence of art-deco styles.

:: Click on images to view full size ::

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Great post!!!

Love these old brochures.

I remember as a kid, seeing those stream lined lower units and thinking they were way cool.
Don't think they lasted long and think they were the failed electric "selectamatic" shift gear cases??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Instigator

I remember as a kid, seeing those stream lined lower units and thinking they were way cool.
Don't think they lasted long and think they were the failed electric "selectamatic" shift gear cases??

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I've always been fascinated at some of the features that came out on outboards back then. It seems like they were in a really rabid technology race and sometimes they just got over-ambitious in their attempt to bring out new technology and jump ahead of their competitors. The electric shifting lower units I have always found interesting, and of course the Mercury "dock buster" reversing engine, which was just bizarre.

OMC kept the electric shifting lower units until about 1972, right?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scream And Fly

I've always been fascinated at some of the features that came out on outboards back then. It seems like they were in a really rabid technology race and sometimes they just got over-ambitious in their attempt to bring out new technology and jump ahead of their competitors. The electric shifting lower units I have always found interesting, and of course the Mercury "dock buster" reversing engine, which was just bizarre.

OMC kept the electric shifting lower units until about 1972, right?

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All sounds about right.

Agreed too that really, IMO, the zenith in the tech/HP wars was probably late 60's through early 80's.
Seemed liked every couple yrs the magazines announced "the largest O/B ever".

Another observation from my working on both breeds (raced 2 banger Mercs from '76 - '84) during that era was the lengths that Merc and OMC went to assure no one could accuse them of copying each other! Some of it is absolutely hilarious!

Couple of those observations:

My first experience w/a Merc was in the early 70's when I broke a drive shaft (hit a shoal) in the '56 10 hp JohnRude on my 8' Tiny Titan. Shaft cost more than the motor was worth so me and the old man found an early 50's Merc KG7 (I think), Super 10. Was a rocket compared to the dead OMC and I was hooked.
When I mouthed off to a friend whos parents owned an OMC dealer at the time he pointed out that every OB mfg had their HP rated by the Outboard Boating Club of America. Except one ;)
True story. Check the rating plates and everyone but Mercs (in that era) said right on it.
Also pointed out that the 10 hp OMC was a 15 cu in where the Merc was 20. So was it a really fast 10 or a so so 20 w/10 hp tags??
I didn't care but was suspicious of claims from that day on ;)
BTW, on that Merc...., I installed a nose cone made from a broom stick and bondo, found a set of Quincy open pipes and put a velocity stack on from a lawn mower!
So suspicious yes, but still a fan. BTW, was 13 at the time.

Mercs were all left hand rotation motors where OMC's were right.

OMC used shear pins for the props where Merc had the dumb ass idea of alternating two stacks of washers inside the pop hub that when compressed acted as a clutch.
The bummer was if you dropped one while changing props (ask me how I know), the washer stack was too short to compress and the prop free wheeled.

Merc used fuel pumps, OMC used pressurized fuel tanks.

Mercs were designed to be maintained by your local dealer.

OMC was designed to be worked on on your kitchen table w/a screwdriver and pair of pliers.

Merc lower units required Merc tools to dissemble.

OMC's required a screwdriver.

On the 2 bangers w/points under the flywheel, Mercs required pulling the flywheel, OMC's had a removable (w/a screwdriver) inspection plate in the flywheel.

OMC flywheels were held on w/a standard hex nut so your Crecent wrench could remove it.

Mercs flywheel nut had lugs which engaged the pull start so it required a......., Merc tool to remove it.

Another thing that always struck me was the complexity in the throttle and shift linkages on the Mercs compared to the OMC's. An OMC you could have off and back on in 5 mins w/a screw driver.
A Merc you need a schematic, tools, patience and a half a day!
I remember "attempting" to build a Mk 25 for a dinghy I had at the time. I spent a TON of time trying to adjust all the linkage to get to work smoothly before finally giving up.
I remember telling friends one day that the only explanation I could think of was that Carl K walked into the engineering lab one day and said, "boys we have way too much inventory of bellcranks and linkage pc's so as of now, every motor will have as many fulcrums, pivot points and direction changes as possible! or I'll fire you like I did the Coke delivery man"

Was really comical to stand back and compare the two breeds.

In racing, they both moved hell and high water to keep from competing against each other in the same classes. Besides assuring wins it also let them boast of "most wins, records set", etc, etc on the back cover of all the boating magazines.
Largely, they were the only legal motor in that class!

When I was racing in Stock Outboard, Mercs "D" class 44 cu in Mk 55 H was the mack daddy until OMC came out with......., wait for it......., a FOUTY FIVE cu in motor ;)
You can't make this up!

Interesting too that everyone knows I bleed OMC blood but w/o question, I am also harder on them than ANYBODY else. One time I caught myself bitching about their lack of racing equipt/involvment since the 70's when I realized how wrong I was.


Mid '80's was probably the banner era of their racing involvement. Within just a couple yrs they introduced a 15 cu in A Stock motor, 45SS OPC motor, 60SST OPC motor, SST 100 OPC motor and of course the F-1 V-8.

Too bad its all dead and gone.

I am becoming more and more interested in the older, simpler era motors.

Thanks for posting these brochures Greg.

Very cool post Gary, thank you! I've always known that you have a lot of experience with the old Mercs, and I love the small details you posted about each of them. I really enjoyed reading that, thank you!

The 1960 Evinrudes were to me, a high point in styling. They are just so representative of contemporary automobile styling, and I always loved how these aspects of designing outboards was pursued with the same vigor as in the automobile industry. They are like works of art. It just seems that much of that personality of design is gone now, and it's a shame. I really love old outboards of any brand and how each manufacturer had its own direction with both the aesthetic and engineering designs.

Remember these? The OMC V4 outboard powerheads that were the basis for this stern drive design? This is another design concept that, although not a success, still fascinates me. Look at the size of those outdrives! I would love to see one of these run.

One of the features I liked on the V4 Evinrude 1960 was the automatic choke. Mine always worked properly
and never failed.