Spend a few bucks to have the old 6 horseys tuned up and keep using them. The newer 4 strokes are heavier and damn expensive to boot.
I have an older outboard mechanic who claims that the old slant cowl Johnson/Evinrude kickers are the most bomb proof outboards even made. I've seen him get some of them running that looked like they were left on the ocean floor. Heck one 9.9 the last time I was by his place had been run way hot and he had to deck the head .035" to get the warpage flattened out. New gasket and a carb adjustment, along with a new impeller, and it was singing like a sewing machine.
