Mr. E Boat

Motor is cosmetically all done. New key switch, wire harnesses, prop, & drag plate. Now it finally looks as good as it runs. It is a 1985 Johnson 185 hp prop rated engine all fresh water use that has been mechanically redone before it was purchased.   

  Had Marty's Racecars turn the prop spacer and thrust washer to fit a small ear Mercury chopper prop. I had to drill out some splines to make the chopper fit an OMC. Nose cone has been fitted the lower unit and skeg dressed. Currently working on the cosmetic restoration for the motor.

  Found some antique life vests that fit the bill. Designed the boat name plate and signature throwable devices. Even Mr. E has to have his bling.  

  Lot of updates: Sad news is Jim will not be able to be the first to drive Mr.E. We got the call a few days ago he passed away. We were REALLY hoping to get it done before this happened. When we learned of his changing situation we started to kick it in high gear. Mr. E had been sitting too long at the boat place with nothing getting done so we made arrangements to move it to another boat guy. The good news is the new boat place - Blue Water Restoration in Middlesex, VA (804-393-1337) is getting things actually done and done right. Dalton Howard is now living and breathing Mr. E. every day. He has been great to work with - a true hands on guy that has a "get r dun" way of doing things. Beth has been a real trooper through all of this too - really helping out getting things done as well. She even helped me move this heavy motor out of the truck and properly on the stand. I am now working a bit on the motor restoration as the days are getting longer and 12hr work days allow me...

This is a collection of over a years search for vintage fixtures. They have all been cleaned and prepped for install. My favorite is the 1957 Lonestar rocket cleats that took forever to find. 

Finally found the motor while on vacation in Kentucky. It was on Facebook & a very nice fellow took us on a boat ride for over an hour to test the motor out. It is a 1985 Johnson 185 prop rated HP 20 inch shaft low compression engine. The motor was cosmetically challenged but was fresh water use only and had been rebuilt completely. Every electronic part was replaced. Came complete with controls and prop. The cosmetic deficiencies are not of great concern as the plan it to make it look like 1958. Bought 2 more motor covers from the late 50's and 60's to strip for parts. Reconditioning each emblem to adorn the big cover. Reworking the big cover with extra air vents, 1953 Chevy hood ornament, custom made moldings, and aluminum antique numbers since there was never 185 HP back in the day. Got new seals and proper Johnson color paint to complete the job.

Found red and white VOLLRATH 1 1957 steering wheel on Ebay in very nice condition, however it had a few small hairline cracks that needed repair. Of course red and white will not do so had to change it to blue and white once repairs were done. Used Flexseal blue which came out nice. The center cap is for a car wheel and cut out circle from plastic notebook for the middle. Larkspur blue vinyl cut out with our Brother cutter to say Mr. E. Will be cutting more notebook cover for emblems on the sides of the boat. 

Found a 1958 Mercury Mark 78 straight 6 cyl. Not great shape but the price was right. Planning on using the front and top cowls on a mid 80's 115 hp Mercury to make it look period correct. Anybody know of a really nice 1985 - 1988 Mercury 115 hp 20 inch shaft for sale? I plan to sand blast / restore these old cowlings and use the newer motor wrap around cowl. Plans have changed for the "motorvation" as of late since Evinrude has gone out of business. 

Here are the glove boxes that will go on the driver and passenger side console bulkhead mounts. They are made for stainless serving trays commonly used by caterers. They had to be cut to fit the edges with a fiber cutting wheel and finish sanded. Hinges were mounted through the pan into wood reinforcements to which the plastic cutting board lid is mounted. Rubber gaskets will surround the perimeter for a water tight seal.

Here is the hydraulic steering helm being positioned slightly left of center in the upside down console shown earlier. This will allow more elbow room and throttle handle access. The white top panel is a plastic cutting board on hinges to cover what will be the glove box.  

Here is more progress on the doors. The bottom picture shows the bath door as seen from what will be the inside of the head. It opens like a regular door but it can split in the middle to increase the square footage for the shower area. The door has been sealed with epoxy and lightly sanded to a semigloss sheen. The cabin door is a basic frame that will have a sliding aluminum window up top and a drop open trap door in the bottom for a small A/C window unit.