What is your intended use for the boat, long distance cruising, short local trips or just in and out of the marina? To the best of my knowledge my 1965 A-4 had not been rebuilt when I bought the boat in 2004. It had been properly maintained but I had no idea how many hours it had. On my second trip from NC to the Keys the rings on the # 4 cylinder broke. The A-4 still brought me safely back, almost 1000 miles, on 3 & 1/3 cylinders. Planning on more long trips I decided to rebuild at that point. Most of the parts were still in good shape but I replaced almost everything since I had it apart. The A-4 is a tough little beast and given fuel, spark and compression I doubt it will leave you stranded somewhere.
Even though the A-4 is fairly easy to work on and the rebuilding process is very educational I would not rebuild if you have descent compression #s. Dan S/V Marian Claire
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