You ever just kinda want to see what you can get away with?

I never act on it, or at least I have yet to do so, its more a Call-Of-The-Void kind of thing.   I'm wandering Craigslist before I feel tired enough for bed, as sometimes happens late at night.  Come across a couple ads

Looking like this, and if it does actually start every pull (which I generally doubt) this is a $150-200 motor at most  https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/bpo/d/palm-harbor-1954-johnson-jw-10-3hp/7306282850.html

This... I don't know where to start with this.  I'd pay $15 for this cowl, I've been given better ones for free, but those have been closer to a GRM parts clear out thing than anything else.   Medallion can be a bit pricy to pick up, but its not clear if its a package deal?  https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/bpo/d/venice-antique-johnson-rd19-cowl-and/7324321126.html

This one is borderline.  Should be running on both cylinders for that price, but people absolutely love the folding 3HP models. https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/bpo/d/venice-evinrude-3hp-folding-lower-unit/7320319538.html

Lower unit has gone bad, and isn't even pictured in the photo, so likely isn't even included.  $500?  WTF? https://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/bpo/d/zephyrhills-evinrude-50-hp-motor/7322253915.html

Pretty enough, but its missing the lower cowl, looks like it has a carriage bolt where the starter recoil cord goes (WTF is that about?) and it doesn't even turn over and they want $400?  https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/bpo/d/palm-harbor-antique-johnson-outboard/7315342772.html

And I'm looking at these and looking at the relatively low effort and cost I've put into my 25HP motor, then I look at the other outboards in my garage I have picked up over the years, and I feel like I could make a couple grand over a couple of weekends by cleaning old grease and oil off, then slapping some new paint on them

That being said, this looks about right https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/bpo/d/venice-1954-mercury-mk50/7306495489.html

Sometimes I'll take a look at ebay listings with "make an offer" on them, and throw out an absolutely ridiculous lowball offer. It is surprising how often it works. 

That's how I ended up with my dd jeep. I offered the guy half of what he wanted for it, assuming he was going to say no. It just happened to be how much cash I had on me. He bit and now I have a E36 M3ty jeep. 

I've done plenty of those "make an offer you think they'll refuse" and then immediately think, "Uh oh...I just bought this."  Whether the seller realized it right away or not...I did.

Now I'm actively trying not to acquire more projects.  Only screaming deals on parts I need to complete projects I already own. 

...Unless a really good deal comes along on a great project ;)

To a lot of people, old means valuable, even when it should mean junk instead.

 

The title gave me a different thought.  

I'm almost 59 years old and the place I work has gone downhill.  What if I just started bumbling around and doing a crappy job.  Come in late and start piling up excuses?

What if I went to my competitor and jacked around for 18 months?  Is this how I want to be remembered?   

Who gives a E36 M3?  Nobody will care in 90 days.  

Datsun310Guy said:

The title gave me a different thought.  

I'm almost 59 years old and the place I work has gone downhill.  What if I just started bumbling around and doing a crappy job.  Come in late and start piling up excuses?

What if I went to my competitor and jacked around for 18 months?  Is this how I want to be remembered?   

Who gives a E36 M3?  Nobody will care in 90 days.  

You will remember.

Streetwiseguy said:

Datsun310Guy said:

The title gave me a different thought.  

I'm almost 59 years old and the place I work has gone downhill.  What if I just started bumbling around and doing a crappy job.  Come in late and start piling up excuses?

What if I went to my competitor and jacked around for 18 months?  Is this how I want to be remembered?   

Who gives a E36 M3?  Nobody will care in 90 days.  

You will remember.

/thread

Datsun310Guy said:

The title gave me a different thought.  

I'm almost 59 years old and the place I work has gone downhill.  What if I just started bumbling around and doing a crappy job.  Come in late and start piling up excuses?

What if I went to my competitor and jacked around for 18 months?  Is this how I want to be remembered?   

Who gives a E36 M3?  Nobody will care in 90 days.  

This is kind of more the point I was aiming at.

Based on these ads I found, I could slap a coat of paint or two on most of these motors I have and get a 300-400% increase on my return.  More if I got them to fire a couple times on pulling the cord.  

Yes. Several people have mysteriously vanished in my area and no one has remotely suspected me yet. Uh, wait, probably shouldn't have posted that. What were we talking about? Boat motors?

Datsun310Guy said:

The title gave me a different thought.  

I'm almost 59 years old and the place I work has gone downhill.  What if I just started bumbling around and doing a crappy job.  Come in late and start piling up excuses?

If it's anything like my experience nobody will notice.

They're too busy bumbling around doing crappy jobs too. That's why the place has gone downhill
 

In reply to Mr. Peabody :

We hired an experienced sales guy from our competitor and on paper he was awesome.  In reality he never showed up and never called his customers and he bumbled around for 18 months.

Dude would head to Kentucky for the weekend and would end his Friday sales mileage 300 miles later in KY. All of a sudden he is putting in for 4,000 miles a month.   Thief.  

Thinking about this more, I ever tell you guys of the restaurant at Disney that had all the old boat motors on the walls?  How some of their "fully restored" pieces used fasteners that were first designed and patented after the outboard company was out of business!?!? And yet I watched someone buy one of those.

They were priced like Disney items as well.  Motors that were worth maybe $1200 (if done properly) that had tags on them for $3000?

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

I will admit to very similar thoughts recently, we're close in age by the way.  Sometimes it’s like there are different rules from person to person.   Then again it was a Monday after taking a few days off and those are always more fun.   

I have two Evinrude 30s (circa early 80s) that I got at an auction sale for $25.  Their main issue is that the paint was faded.  On even has electric start.  No one was bidding.  He got down to $50 and I shouted out "I'll do $25 for the pair"  It worked.

I also bought a Mokai at an auction sale for $475.  It was brand new.  Honda motor still in the plastic bag with the little jug of oil zip tied to the filler cap.  Sold it for $3200.

I also chucked a slushy snoball down the crack of my boss's ass when he was bending over looking at something.  Good times.