Yea it was a deal indeed I saw it..How about this one reduce from 5k , Note engine issues ...
http://orlando.craigslist.org/boa/1301157160.html

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/boa/1295122454.html

Looking at this one now. Did v's ever originally come with brackets? Guy says it is original.

Looks like a original OMC bracket

ok, newbie question.. Is that a good thing? Never had one before.

Not really. they are almost impossible to find parts for the actual sea-drive portion and almost all of them spent there whole lives in the salt and they are all getting pretty rotted out by now. It's best to replace em with a bracket and a regular outboard if the sea-drive needs any work.

Good thing is much like my setup you will have a full transom boat that you can put a bracket or platform on.

Effectively having a stronger transom and more space on deck.

ok, now I am getting confused. Is the bracket itself a part of the engine because according to the guy selling the boat it is a year 2000 engine...

It's a bracket that was made by OMC and specifically for their engines. The engines that went on the Sea Drive has a slightly different mount.

My understanding is that internally the engines were the same but used a different mount.

If it works many people are dealing with it until it dies as the sea drive parts are hard to come by.

Very likely that the Sea Drive was used and a repower occured in 2000 or a rebuild?

Here is a good side view picture of a sea drive.
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/ref...tor542x640.jpg

So its possible to be a 2000 engine mounted on the drive?

I would think it's possible, but others with more experience can comment. Easiest wat to pinpoint would be to get serial # from engine and use the Johnson/Evinrude chart to identify year and specs.

Could have been a rebuild in 2000 though? In which case serial # won't say much for you.