188 mercruiser to 63 classic retrofit

Hello 63' and stang. I've been wrapped up and on the road the last few weeks, so I owe several folks some responses.

Regarding the '63, Stang's all over this and right on the money above in my opinion. Do two identical observations const*tute a fact, or just more opinions. A 188 in this boat would be exactly the same as any 260 or 289 install, of which there were very many, and possibly some good picts on this site.

Your hull I.D. number would have originally been stamped on an alum plate nailed/screwed to the top of the port engine stringer. But the number could also be found stamped on the under/backside of many of the seat and floor boards if they are still original. "PC---" for a Classic and "AM---" for an American Skier. So check for them carefully if the plate is no longer there.   The American Skier will have the dash gauges set in a straight line whereas the Classic has them arranged in a pattern in a trapezoidal(sp?) shaped center dash panel. The Skier's center cross beam was generally a separate piece bolted to the gunnel at each side, whereas the Classic's beam is an integral part of the molded top deck. That's all I know tonite.   

reidp wrote: Congrats on your acquisition. As you've seen there are a handfull of Classic owners out there. As for your engine mounts, you can find them at Discount Inboard Marine at the top of page here. I wouldn't anticipate any problems converting to that engine. If your 888 was an I/O engine then you'll probably need a bellhousing to bolt that transmission to unless you already have that. You'll also be wanting to cut another exhaust exit port in the transom. You can check this listing on ebay to see if these would work for you depending on what size exhaust hose you're using. These are for 2 or 2-1/2" hose the guy told me. They sure would look good on it:    http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2267757711&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT And make sure that the 302 is the same rotation as the engine that came out of it, so you don't have any surprises down the road. Good luck.

Hi Reid,

We're finally getting to this! Do you know of any pictures that show the 188hp Mercruiser (302ci) installation on the '63 classic? It may be an American Skier also. not sure. Where is the data plate?

If you want a cast iron factory intake, I've got one for $25 plus freight, but I'd rather buy the aluminum piece, esp since you already have the nice alum exhausts. In addition to Summit, Jegs, or PAW, as BC mentioned, e-bay is also flooded with them. Search for "289 302 intake". You should be able to find something for $100 or less.

SKIDIM or Blueridge marine in Lynwood WA. are the 2 I would try

Congrats on your acquisition. As you've seen there are a handfull of Classic owners out there. As for your engine mounts, you can find them at Discount Inboard Marine at the top of page here. I wouldn't anticipate any problems converting to that engine. If your 888 was an I/O engine then you'll probably need a bellhousing to bolt that transmission to unless you already have that. You'll also be wanting to cut another exhaust exit port in the transom. You can check this listing on ebay to see if these would work for you depending on what size exhaust hose you're using. These are for 2 or 2-1/2" hose the guy told me. They sure would look good on it:    http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2267757711&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

And make sure that the 302 is the same rotation as the engine that came out of it, so you don't have any surprises down the road. Good luck.