Just found out that Mercury Dealers were receiving faxes yesterday, 11-5-04 that Mercury will stop producing the Carb and EFI Outboards. Apparently they are not waiting till 2006 which was the EPA deadline.

Only choices now looks to be the 4 Stroke Optis and Verados...

Rest in peace EFIs....

Parts will still to be produce for another 7 years from what I hear. You bet any of the used or new parts of the outdated engines will be costly.

Another sad day for Hi-Performance....

Does that include the racing outboards?
Thats a niche in the market they own!
You can't race a 4 or an optimax!

Speed,
Here is a quote I got off of another board by Magicfloat Jasper, Al:

"The fax i saw indicates production withdrawal effective Jan 3,05 for most 200,225 and 250's. We will have the 150 and 200 efi's until start of 06 model year,also the 159xr6,115,90,60,50,40,25,15 till then. My fax did not say anything about hi-performance engines,but it was a boatbuilder fax I saw. Maybe there is another fax addressing that?"

I'll keep an eye on what develops and post it here.

They have so much tied up in making the Verado sell, I guess they figure it will sell better if there is no other option.

-Greg

Yeah, good point..
Lots of folks would avoid the Verados unless they were in the large CC market.

wow

The new Evinrudes by Bombardier look real nice.I've heard good and bad reports on Mercs Optimax.Time will tell how the new 2 strokes hold up. Four strokes are still too heavy.

It is my understanding that the fed has determined that any motor that can be shifted is therefore NOT a race motor and must comply. My hope was that merc would make the 2.5 power head and lower units available as separate pieces to satisfy the "non racers". I highly doubt that will happen though.

Thank the "Tree Hungers" for that chit.