TOPIC: Did I buy a 1975 Merc 1500 XS today ?

Or just a standard Merc 1500? Here is the story: A couple of weeks ago a 1976 1500 XS was sold on e bay. It was sold for over $ 3,000.00 so this one was to expensive to purchase as I need to pay at least an extra 60% of this amount for shipping and taxes{ to Europe } So i started to search the www and was hoping to find one over here. Finally I found a 150 Hp Mercury offered for sale in Germany but the seller had no serial number as the plate on the bracket? was missing. He sent me a picture of the motor and it looked somewhat "weird" to me. It is a shortshaft motor with blue decals and a louvered motor cowl.Than I found the Contender/ 1975 Merc 1500XS on you tube{ fantastic short movies by the way } and that motor looks the same as the one in Germany. So I went to Germany today { 755 mls } and bought the motor. After having it stored in my garage I took the pictures that are included. On one is the serial number so I checked it at old mercs. com . It seems to be a Merc 1500 1974- 1976 . Hope the experts can tell me more after seeing the pictures.
Thanks, Taco, Netherlands

Picture was to large. Another try.

Picture of the cowl.

Clearly visible in the picture of the block is a "J" stamped by the casting number, this is indicative of a 1500 XS block.

Does this motor also have a low-water-pickup style of lower unit?

If so, it sure looks like an XS to me!

One thing, from what I understood, all the early XS's had red decals, but you never know what's been done to the motor over the years. Or maybe they came with blue decals in Europe. Maybe Conrad, Doc, or one of the other Merc Gurus can chime-in on that.

Congrats, an excellent find!......ed

Hello Ed,

Thanks for your response! After my posting I checked out what I could find out about 1975 Xs 1500 motors and found some useful info at the forum of "Screem and fly " or something like that. It seems that all shortshaft 1500 motors that were produced in 1975 had a 155 Hp "J" block and had blue decals and not a low water intake. I found a beautiful picture of Conrads motor { included } and it looks 100% the same as the one I bought today.

Actually I didn`t expect to find a motor like this in Europe but in the last 6 months I located a 650XS, 850 XS, Mark 30H and this motor , all in Germany.

Taco.

If that sucker is original you have something real special there!

OK, on this.."shortshaft 1500 motors that were produced in 1975 had a 155 Hp "J" block and had blue decals and not a low water intake"

Correct, as I had one on a SS17 Switzer. You could (not sure about 1975, but later), you could get a low water pick up as if running a Tunnel hull, you could jack it UP, (not out) and still get good WP.

Anyway, heres some pix mine, what a "J" could look like on the block, and could be in any position, as long as included. Pic shows one sideways. What a LWP looks like, and also ya got a sweet find there. Just do the timing now at 21 degrees, not 23, as too easy to melt a piston with the crap gas we all get now. And run Premium gas too.

Nice find there fella! Good luck!

Hello,

After reading your reply`s I think I was lucky in finding a 1500XS.
The ser. no. is 3912849 and the "J" is clear stamped in the casting.
The front plate of my motor is the chrome one like on Robby`s pic.

I can make some pics of specific parts to check if the motor is still original. The wiring has been re-done.

It seems the motor has very low running hours. The previous owner had it stored in his garage for 10 years. He told me he bought the boat/motor ,second hand, in the early 80`s and was "shocked" by the fuel consumption of the motor.

I do not have a boat for this motor. The boat I "race" with is a wooden one for long shaft motors. I do not want to rebuilt this motor to long shaft. Any suggestions what boat to buy to fit the 1500xs to? It has to be a time period correct boat.

Taco

pic.

Allison hull or a Carlson would be my choice. Or a J craft.

Yep, I'd look for a Allison as many are still around. A old Switezercraft would fit the bill nicely, but getting rare here, so over there probably non existent. Thats a sharp looking wood boat ya got there!

On the XS motor, its all in the internals, as the stuff bolted on would look the same as any 150. And nice to see wiring upgraded, as deteriorates with time.

With the correct low water pickup gearcase, or an aftermarket low water pickup addition, you can run a 15" shaft motor on a 20" transom.

or you can weld up the top intake holes just use the bottom 3.

There was an Allison stand at the boatshow in Dusseldorf, Germany 2 years ago. They had very sharp looking small speedboats. So probably they may have sold boats in Europe in the 70`s? I also like the Switzer craft shooting star 1969 and some powercats models.

I do not need to find one over here. If a nice boat is available in the USA I will have it shipped to Amsterdam. { Did the Aristo craft and 2 Silver Arrows before} . But it has to be worth it because of high transport costs and taxes. So I have to find a hull that is ready to put the motor on.

Probably the best info is about the low water intake. Than I can run the motor on the wooden French boat in the pics. This boat weight`s less than 400 LBS as it is made of oregon pine.

Thanks for advice!
Taco.

www.bobsmachine.com/Nose-cones-low-water-pickups-Kits-and-accessories_c21.htm Bob's Machine sells a quality product, and if you are not comfortable installing a nosecone yourself, they offer full install service.

I checked bobsmachine site and I am sure I am not able to install a nosecone myself. All services and repairs on my vintage Mercury motors are done by a local Mercury dealer.

It is not my intention to get the maximum MPH out of the motor. I like to join boat meetings where the appearance of the boat/motor combination is more important. During that days we run 4 laps in the 65HP + class with all kind of wooden speedboats.Even Riva`s are involved. Nothing official, just to have fun!

But every time we try to get faster/ nicer boats. I ran my Aristo craft Torpedo 14 the first time with a Mark 55. The second year with a Mark 78 and the last time with a Merc 1350 { it almost sunk but looked great }.

For the French boat in the pictures with the 1964 Merc 1000 I bought a restored 1963 Merc 1000 long shaft in the USA. It was on my boat for 2 weeks in fresh water and most of the paint came of the motor on the lower end and mid-section. All used bolts are rusted and the ignition broke down after 3 running hours. So I took this motor off and replaced it by a cosmetic like new 1964 Merc 1000. The boat runs excellent with this motor but I like to try the 1500 XS on it.

If it is possible I would have the 1500XS powerhead built into the 1964 Merc.It save`s a cosmetic restoration of the 1500XS motor and I have the long shaft version. Or is this impossible?

Taco.

Well, first off I'd leave the XS as is as rare. Find a boat instead for it.
Or, as looks like you are running a deep prop on the woody now, so possible to cut down the transom 3/4 inches? I'm not sure a middle 70's block will bolt up to a early 60's LS mid.

Why don't you ask at Scream and Fly in the right forum about any this? There are some real wizards over there. And let me ring the "Docs" bell here. He would know.

The 1500 short shaft, whether it is a '73-'75, or a '76-'77 xs, is one Bad A$$ inline-6.
Sadly, the 1500 will not simply drop onto the earlier 1000 mid-housing, etc.
They are completely different & even have a difference in overall height of the cowling wraps.
That being said,...It is always possible to hide a 1500xs behind early Merc 1000 decals, and even mask its appearance further with custom fitted parts.
I have attached a picture of a set of twin 1500 shorties masked in very custom made 1961 800FGS attire that are owned and created by a gentleman. I have not asked his permission to post the picture so I will allow him to remain annonymous.
They fooled me initially, but once he identified them as 1500 Mercs & I started to seriously study the unique differences, I was totally amazed at his insight & expertise in creating these.
Having pointed this out, you can see that is it obviously possible to mask a 1500xs as an early 1000 and startle the masses.
I have also attached a couple pictures of a set of 1962 Merc 1000 shorties I restored last year. One went to England & one is enjoying life in Oregon, USA.
Doc Frankenmerc

Great score boatmaniac.

Awsome work Doc. I have a motor a want restored, looks like I need to get a hold of you soon.

That 800`s are "stunning". If you did not pointed out that it are 1500`s I would not have notice the 1500 brackets with power trim.

I think it is made clear that I have to leave the 1500Xs as is and find a nice boat for it. I did start the 1500 today and it fired up imediatly. I used a mixture of "Aspen" gasoline mix 1:50, it`s the best available gasoline over here at twice the price of normal gas. The lower carb. was leaking badly so it only ran a few seconds.

Thanks for all advice and nice comments.

Taco.

Specifically you have a short shaft 1974 J block 1500. The 1500xs was only produced from 1976 on.
(my video says 1500xs only to get views) (most people search for 1500xs)

Serial numbers 3752620 thru 4121434 were 1974 models

1500 short shaft history in a nutshell.
1973 was the standard 1500 short shaft. BLUE
1974 started off standard block then late 1974 started shipping with J block and louvered cowl. BLUE
1975 all shorties were J blocks with louvered wrap .BLUE
1976 the 1500xs was born. Added was the low water pick up gear case and RED stickers.
1977 same
1978 same

The only thing different about a J block and a standard block is slightly raised port timing. Very slight. The blocks may have been hand picked right off the line with standard blocks. The blocks with slightly higher porting in the stack got labeled J block. J type racing mandated STOCK powerbeads, so I think Mercury could get by with the higher port timing if it were just "factory deviations"

I think some 1974 and 1975 BLUE J blocks got outfitted with low water pick up gear cases in 1976 when the new style lower unit came out. The rest of the motor is the same so it may have been just cheaper to outfit the motor you owned with a new lower unit and keep racing it.

I have not seen any pics of your lower unit, so I don't know what you have.

Great find. Take care of it and keep it original as possible.

You can express your artistry on more run of the mill engines.

Conrad

Hi Conrad,

I am pleased that it is cleared that I have a 1974 1500 motor. I have changed the float? of the lower carburater and solved the leaking of fuel. I have started up the motor a second time and it ran great. Enclosed are to pictures of the motor and the lower end. I asume it is a standard water intake.

Thanks, Taco.

pic.

Looks great. Yep standard case like it should have.
Conrad