Help Identify this I/O

A guy I work with is looking at this boat, his neighbor is offering it to him for 50 bucks. Obviously very rough, but he's a guy that doesn't mind projects. The kind of box stringer system is different from what I'm used to seeing, clearly some rot and doesn't look all that strong to begin with. He's wondering if he sister'd up some of them and glassed over if that would add enough strength assuming the current system isn't completely rotten.

Can someone identify the straight 6 160 HP for us?

My quick reaction was to tell him that for relatively short money he could buy a boat close to turn key and not have a giant project in front of him, but then again it looked kind of interesting. Transom appears to be solid. Anyone know anything about a Tom Sawyer Tri-Sonic? Here's a link to an album with some pictures, at this point I've completely lost the ability to post pictures here so this is the best I can do.

Pics of Tom Sawyer

Ken,
Your guesses are always good ones and I'd say you are correct. The HP is the best clue but without it, I would have gone back farther in time to an Interceptor with the Eaton outdrive.

David,
Ken nailed the engine and I/O ID.

As far as sistering the stringer system and then glassing them over, in general that's a bad idea in my opinion since the condition of the original is in question. He's going to have to do some exploring to find out the condition.

Pay the fifty bucks, sister the stringers, use polyester from Walmart and have some fun. When he tires of it sell it to someone on Tom Sawyer Fan 😉

I added 3 more pictures that show the dash and the hull. They didn't upload last night. I tell you, I'm feeling like a freaking genius with this picture upload stuff.

Well it does have the interior, supposedly. But I think your point is well taken and it's definitely where I started out. Maybe I'm being sucked in as well, I look at it and if it was me I'd have no problem getting the mechanical side sorted out, I think with modest work I would have it running, gauges working, and find out the condition of the drive pretty quickly. The interior work does give me pause, and I'd hate to see him putting good money after bad trying to bandaid it together.

I'm talking to him shortly, will relay the pitfalls and see where he's at with it.

No apology needed! I really do appreciate the Straight Talk. Also, to say this again, I won't be involved in the restoration of this boat. I may, if asked, enjoy getting the engine rotating in clean oil and working towards starting it up, I'd have fun with that, but that would be it. He's a really good guy and I just want to see him succeed, not get bogged down as you suggest. So, I'm recommending he pass on it but knowing him have a feeling he already has his mind set on giving it a try.

Pretty sure that a MerCruiser 160hp = 235ci Chevrolet
                                                     165hp = 250ci        "
                                                     200hp = 292ci        "

So, If your friend is receiving a Tom Sawyer plus 50.00 cash, he's still getting hosed rather harshly.   Unless his new hobby is throwing away perfectly good un-used dollars.

I would suggest finding some other brand that at least has some popularity and or a tinge of collector value.   

There is a marine salvage yard not too far from me which is full to the brim with Tom Sawyers, Mark Twains, IMPs,

If I was closer (geographically) to your friends neighbor, I would offer to haul it off for right around 600.00 and that would include any leaf raking or refuse removal underneath the spot where the Tom Sawyer was.

Too bad he did not put his efforts towards a Ski Nautique, At least he would have had something to start with.

Plenty of nay sayers here, but since he got it, I'd get the engine running and make sure it spins the outdrive before getting into the stringers/floor.

If nothing else he'll get an education on boats.

Like you said, not everybody needs or wants a ski boat/ inboard. Most of the world doesn't when you get right down to it..

Wish him luck and help him with the engine. Those in line 6's are fun and pretty easy to work on.

And BTW for Dr CC, do a little checking you'll find plenty of 250 cubic inch 160 HP Mercruisers were built. They became 165 HP with an intake and exhaust manifold change in later years

I try to talk friends out of buying boats all the time, they rarely listen.

It looks like the transom could be OK but it's hard to say from a couple pictures. At least the little bit of plywood edge you can see doesn't look rotten and I don't see spider cracks on the transom from the outside. That's my biggest concern with an I/O, as far as the amount of work required to pull the drive and engine, repair the transom properly, and reinstall - plus those stringers...

That said, it does appear to have some cool vintage original hardware. As was said above, see if the motor runs and the drive turns, shifts, etc. before spending more than the cost of a basic tune-up.