[Seacrets]

You don't have to spend a ton of money on it. Make it safe and functional. No sense in repowering if there's still life in the engine/outdrive. Use it till it starts to be a problem. If you put an additional 8-10 k in a boat that old, you'll never come close to getting your money out of it if you decide to sell. Good luck and have fun with your project. I've owned two steplifts and my current one is a 1986 package and the 150 hp Merc is running great.