Thanks to the fine people at Tohatsu America who helped me get information about this 1962 Tohatsu OB2B outboard. This little guy was Tohatsu's first mass-produced outboard and can trace its design back to 1956, the powerhead previously used on a motorized sprayer.
The paint and colors are all original and appear to be inspired by the Smurfs, the paint is good enough that I won't change it. The powerhead is air cooled, piston ported and loop charged. (This is the oldest loop charged outboard motor that I've come across) It also sports an electrical generating coil producing 6-8 volts and 8 watts - two thumb screws are provided on the front to attach the wires.
Stamped on the back of the leg where it meets the powerhead is the build date of DEC 3 1962. It is rated at 2.5ps. (2.535hp) I found a 1/2 page ad in a trade publication BOATING INDUSTRY MARINE BUYER'S GUIDE from November 1963 indicating they were offered for sale in the USA at that time.
It runs great, a bit noisy at top RPM, but very smooth. Today Tohatsu builds small motors for Nissan, Mercury and others -- it's great to see where they got their start!
19 сен 2024
