old motor

[mike mccoy]

i have this old green mercury motor.it has a slide throttle,no reverse,and an built-in gas tank.i think it is from the late 40's,early 50's.my dad ran it when i was younger,and it has been a few years since it has ran.does anybody know something about this motor,and does it have any value.it was my dad's,so it has a lot of sentimental value.but if it is a collectors type value,i would like to make sure it is isured properly.thank you for any info,i receive........mike

[Jerry]

I restore old motors as a hobby. The motor that you refer to is what we collectors generically refer to as a "Greenhead". It's a very nice motor. It can be a "Rocket" or a "Hurricane" or a "Comet". I have restored many of these and have since sold them. They can be 7.5 or 10 horse. The value of these motors is I am afraid not as valuable as you might wish. A good running "Greenhead" can sell for anywhere from $75.00 to $200.00
I personally paid $250.00 for a dent-free one owner model that my wife talked me into buying (ain't that a switch?) because she thought it was "cute". If you E-Mail me, I can direct you to a book that will tell you an exact value. Remember that this motor is not a 50:1 motor so it's desirability as a regular runner is limited. Collectors buy em' to look at or run occasionally at "wet meets". I can also tell you where to advertise it if you want to sell it...JM