1961 18 horsepower Johnson outboard

Question
I am thinking of buy the above motor which i am told has a compression of 117 and 119. I was told from the seller that the motor will only start with it in gear. He is selling it for 180.00 I was wondering what the problem might be and what it would cost to repair it

Answer
Hi Tom...Thank you for selecting the undersigned to reply to your question.

First, a prudent person would not consider purchasing a 47 yr. old  defective o/b motor.

Second, new/used parts are rare and extremely difficult to locate.

Save your money. Buy a more up-to-date pre-owned model which will be more reliable, and parts will be readily available.

Safe Boating
Ron