those old Ford engines weren't too bad, if its an 888, its a 302, with 351 heads and camshaft(firing order of a 351 as well), if its a 215 or 235, its a 351. The biggest issue i see with older I/O boats is the drive and transom plate. Down here they don't last long enough to get old, the salt takes them out while they are still pretty young, but in fresh water, I've seen them last for 30+ years, they can still $1000 you to death, but the will keep you on the water. Take a good look at the transom, with the drive in the up position, lay across the drive and see if a gap opens up where the transom plate meets the transom. A large bead of caulk is usually a dead give away that the transom is bad. Also ask how long its been since its had manifolds and risers. If you are thinking about repowering, best bet is to look for a clapped out bayliner that the interior/floor/transom is bad and can be bought cheap. Look for 1990 and newer(Alpha 1 gen II). Pull everything out of the donor boat and swap it out. If its a Cruisers Yacht, I still have some contacts with Cruisers Inc. Soem of the old guys are still around up there.
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