Joe,

Choosing someone local would be my preference by far as well. The only problem is I called a couple marinas and dry docks to give them an idea of what I was looking for and the all told me I was looking at a minimum of $5,000 for what I want. Now I know to a certain degree that you get what you pay for, no doubt, but I have been on numerous forums and searched around on the internet and for what I am looking for (mid 1990's 150 hp, carbed outboard) most people in the know said I should be able to find something in the $2,000-$3,000 range that would be an upgrade from what I had. I know that new controls, shipping and install would be somewhere between $700-$1,000 additional, but that would still put the total cost somewhere between $3,000-$4,000 which is still $1,000 LESS than what these local places quoted.

The other thing is wherever I called all they had were much newer engines in stock that were priced $8,000-$12,000 range. If I could find someplace local that had a good assortment of used outboards I would definitely be interested--but I can't seem to find any!

Trust me the thought of spending thousands via the internet is scary, but I don't have an extra $1,000 just laying around. To dispel my fears I have a few reputable shops that refurbish and resell used engines in large numbers that have many references. I don't plan on just buying a motor from some guy on Ebay that has it sitting in his backyard.

Any further thoughts?

Matt