[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by peiserma

You guys have been great, and i hope you'll indulge in one or two more motor questions as I work through this.

Since a 25" is now an option with a jack plate (for which i will start a separate thread if the time comes), what about this 2006 mercury efi? http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/bod/4676921190.html

It is about $1000 more than I was hoping to get away with. Does not include controls, but i was planning on buying a new control box and gauges anyway. Does not come with a prop. So i would need to spend extra for the prop and jack plate.

Is going with a newer fuel-injected motor worth the extra initial investment? I would like to think so. Do you think a marina ought to include some sort of warranty? Season is close to an end, so I have no issues waiting for the right motor to come along. I want my investment to last as long as possible, but i need help figuring out what the right price is. I want that to be under 3k, but that is somewhat arbitrary. I only have so much money. But if it takes $2500 to get a 97, and 4k to get an 06, then theoretically the 06 is a better buy because i would expect it to last ~10 years longer. $1500 spread over 10 years is $150 per year. Am i thinking about this the right way?

Thanks for any opinions and feedback. It is a lot of money to spend, so I hope you'll forgive me asking a lot of questions.

Asking questions is how we learn. I'm willing to bet that even the smartest person here can still learn something. We never stop learning. Nothing to forgive.

Although on the surface, I would tend to go along with your calculations as to engine life, just remember that maintenance and attention is KEY to a long engine life, so really, although the newer engine sounds like a better deal, how an engine was maintained is much more important than it's initial price or year.