1959 Elgin 12hp Outboard Motor Lake Test on the Alumacraft K

[@Jethrosgarage]

I had one of those when I was a teen, dad bought it at a farm auction cheap. Dad never paid much for anything! Never did get it running, needed a carb kit or something and Twin City outboard had one but it was beyond my "budget" at the age of 12.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@Jethrosgarage Too bad you were never able to get yours running. They're great motors. Excellent power for their weight, amd they run very nicely. I have a couple of them. Thanks for watching!

[@Jethrosgarage]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 I recall mine was dark green- I had minimal tools and my dad was a carpenter and not mechanically inclined so no help there- the lone gearhead in a family of sports fans and bookworms- after I left to seek my fortune (been a marine diesel tech 35 years) dad hauled a bunch of dismantled Ski Doos, outboards and mowers off to the dump and mom got her rain barrel back, no longer fouled with an inch of oily sludge from outboards. :)

[@outboardfixer]

That is the smoothest sounding motor I have heard in a while and really fast for a 12.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

This is a very smooth and quiet running motor and has great power for its size and weight. I really like these Elgin (West Bend) 12s. I habe a West Bend Commodore 10hp that is also a sweet smooth runner with very similar performance. Thanks for watching!

[@ALVintageOutboards]

My 12 is one of my all time favorites too!

[@ALVintageOutboards]

Not sure why Sears ever let that deal go!

[@outboardfixer]

@@ALVintageOutboards I have a 1960 18 hp Elgin that is a nice runner too. The only thing is the cabled throttle control that can be a pain.

[@nikoskag816]

I love the gear shifter !

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@nikoskag816 That twist style shifter is pretty neat. I like the controls on the front.

[@robertmorris9998]

What a nice running motor! And it has a nicer tone than the Scotty you ran yesterday.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@robertmorris9998 This one has been a beautiful running motor since I went through it after bringing it home. I guess the exhaust tone is a matter of preference. I like this one and the Scotty-Mac. This one is quieter. The Scotty is crisper. Thanks for watching!

[@mikeperry6794]

Nice running quiet motor. Pretty quick too.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

This one is very smooth and quiet. Pretty impressive speed and power for a motor that only weight 63lbs. Thanks for watching!

[@pryan05p71]

I have an 1960 eglin 10hp, it looks the same, but i believe it has the same lower units as the 7.5 full cowling models. Like you said they run great. Thank you for the video

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Yes, the 7.5 and 12hp full shift Elgins of this era were identical other than the powerheads and props. They really are excellent runners. Thanks for watching!

[@GlenB1963]

No no no. Please leave it exactly as it is. Perfect is a motor that runs fine, and looks it age. I dare you to show self restraint. Man, have a listen to it purrrrr.❤ best wishes from Brisbane Queensland Australia 🇦🇺 🎉

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I have left it in its current state of appearance since I have owned it. Someone painted it with a black rattle bomb. It was originally cream and gold. I really like the black and red paint scheme found on some of these Elgins. It is such a great runner, I just feel like it is a bit of a shame to leave it wearing this crappy and unoriginal paint job. I very much enjoy running this one. I have a couple others too. One has the cream and gold paint and the lower unit seems to vibrate more than it should. Still a nice motor. I almost always leave the paint alone, but the original is already gone from this one, so I am strongly considering painting it. Thanks for watching!!

[@treeandaturd]

great motor!

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

It is one of my favorites to run. Good power and not too heavy. I like these a lot. Thanks for watching!

[@antistupid9096]

The more interesting thing to me is the boat itself. Some say those old alumicraft boats are the best built boat on the water. I have a 16' K model myself.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@antistupid9096 I'm definitely a fan of the classic Alumacrafts. I really like my Model K a lot. The length can be a little much if it's windy and I'm by myself, but otherwise, it's an awesome boat. I habe two FDs that I am also very fond of. They're certainly very sturdy, well-built boats. Thanks for watching!

[@VintageOutboardMan]

I would love to find one of these here in Holland. They're quiet, they sound fantastic, they put out plenty of power I think, and above all they look amazing. You should definitely clean that one up and give it a paint job. That one is a keeper. Take care

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I really like these a lot. They are very smooth and quiet runners with plenty of power for their weight. I'm very much wanting to find a West Bend 18hp. I like the styling also. The Elgins look pretty good, but I love thise West Ben's branded ones with their space age styling. I habe been wanting to clean this one up, but at the same time am torn. There is something to be said for a motor that looks like a beater, but performs flawlessly. I still think I want to clean this one up and make it look nice. They're fairly common here in the US. They're getting less common as parts availability dwindles and there is no place to take them for service unless you know an individual that will still work on them. I enjoy running something a little different at times though and I really like these motors. Thanks for watching!

[@nikoskag816]

Wow 😲 does she fly !!!!!

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@nikoskag816 It's a great running and quite strong motor for its size and weight. Very enjoyable motor to run. Thanks for watching!

[@sailawaybob]

Wow that skiff is flying , if i remember correctly you have the Elgin multi HP motor would love to see you test it . i regret getting rid of mine .

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@sailawaybob The Elgin 12 is a pretty strong one. Yes, I do have a multi-HP 12hp and 25hp Elgin. Both of them still need work. I will get them.on the water when they are done. Thanks for watching!

[@ALVintageOutboards]

I had to put a couple OMC coils on mine as i couldn't find any to actually belong on it

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

It's great to have the option to use them as a conversion when it becomes necessary. 👍

[@LL.bean123]

I had a 1958 Elgin 12 hp it would start amazing run amazing it ran great all the way up the full RPM. I could get about 20 miles an hour on my double haul Livingston catamaran after a couple days of use when I went over 2000 RPM, it would make this horrible noise and would not go any faster at first I thought it was something with the lower unit, I’m thinking it must be something with the dog clutch

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Great motors. The issue you had with yours does sound like it was a clutch dog jumping out of gear. Depending on how much that has happened, it may be able to be fixed with only a clutch dog, but it could require a whole gearset. Unfortunately, parts availability is not great for these. You may be as well off finding another motor with a good lower unit and otherwise non running condition to.obtain your parts. Thanks for watching!

[@ALVintageOutboards]

Mine is red and black, factory correct, sorta!! But someone rattle-canned it!! Its ugly too!! Hahaha 😆. But man does it run beautifully! Yours is a sweet runner Ben!

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I love that red and black Elgin color scheme. I'd like to do this one that way, even though the color under the black rattle bomb shows this one was cream in its original form. These are great motors. I really like these. I would kind of like to have one in every original color scheme they made. Thanks for watching, Doug!

[@ALVintageOutboards]

​@oldjohnnyrude8404 For sure Ben! I have yet to find another 12hp Elgin and let me tell ya, I look, several times a day! I have found a couple 5.5hp' and a 7.5hp. The 7.5hp even came with the Elgin tank and fitting! More Twelves Please!!! 😊

[@ALVintageOutboards]

Incidentally, the 7.5hp hit 14mph on my 14R! Love these Elgins 💯

[@robertgatto6392]

American made?

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Yes, American made by West Bend Aluminum for Sears and Roebuck under the Elgin brand name. West Bend outboard motor division was later bought out by Chrysler Corporation and would become Chrysler Marine Division. I kind of prefer the West Bends to the Chryslers, although there is nothing wrong with most of the Chrysler motors either as long as they were maintained properly. Many of them were neglected and beaten, which I believe gave them an undeserved, less-than-stellar reputation. Thanks for watching!

[@DCFloridasport]

clearcoat it now mate!😂

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

Ya think so? I think if I leave the current finish, I'll just let it continue to patina. It just really deserves a paint job. It's such a great runner. Thanks for watching!

[@DCFloridasport]

@@oldjohnnyrude8404 well maybe a semi gloss to retain that look lol

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

@@DCFloridasport maybe. We'll see.

[@airplanemechanic9513]

The only bad thing about restoring it, is its only original once. Once that's gone, it's gone forever. Nobody expects the mechanical stuff to remain original forever, but cosmetic, yea. Leave it alone.

[@oldjohnnyrude8404]

I'm afraid the "original" is long gone on this one already. This motor was originally cream and gold colored before someone rattle bombed it black. It is such a great runner, I kind of think it deserves a respectable paint job. We'll see if I get around to doing it. I have lots of other projects ahead of it. Thanks for watching!