On Board With: Bob Grubb

Bob Grubb has preserved scores of classic outboards. Courtesy Robert W. Grubb

With a nickname like “Mercguy,” it’s no wonder Bob Grubb is an avid collector of vintage outboards. He grew up with Mercury engines, as his Dad started a Mercury dealership out of their basement in 1948. Bob continued in the business and started collecting old outboards along the way, to the point where he opened the Outboard Heaven Museum in Lake Wynonah, Pennsylvania, in 2013. Now 84, he continues to run the museum and preserve scores of classic outboards. We caught up with Bob to find out more about what revs his engines.

You grew up in the outboard business. What made you start collecting them?

My dad started dealing Mercury outboards and we had this little family business out of our home. One day in 1969, we had a customer come in who was a collector, and he had joined a Mercury outboard club and he said that other members would be interested in our inventory of old parts from our dealership. So, I joined the club. I’ve been at it ever since.

When did you start the outboard museum?

I had a lot of vintages motors, and with the help of one of my sons-in-law who has general contractor abilities, we built a building for it in Lake Wynonah, where I had recently moved to a house on the lake. We opened the museum on February 23, 2013.

How did you get the nickname Mercguy?

In the later days of my business, which I closed in 2001, I got involved with selling parts over the internet. My daughter Becky set up a website for me in the 1990s. She registered that name for my site. That also became my handle for selling old parts on eBay.

Do you collect only Mercurys or all kinds of vintage outboards?

My collection from the get-go was wide-ranging—I felt like it should be a cross-section of all kinds of outboards. I do have a focus on Mercury because from childhood I was a dealer. I have upwards of 70-plus vintage Mercurys.

I’m attracted to the odd stuff, too, such as vintage air-drive motors and jet-drive motors. I also collect a lot of rowboat motors.

Is there a “holy grail” of vintage outboards that you’re still trying to find?

At this point I pretty much have the holy grails. But different collectors have different holy grails, some guys chase only racing motors. The biggest I have is the Evinrude 460 (75 to 80 hp), which in its day was king of the hill. I have a 1960 80 hp Mercury which also would have been king of the hill in its day.

I do have an amazing reproduction of the 1896 American, recognized as the first-ever gasoline outboard. No originals exist, but I got an amazing reproduction someone built from the original drawings and patent information.

I suppose if I ran across a 1928 Johnson Giant Twin, that would be something. It’s a 50-cid 2-cylinder outboard (rated at 25.75 hp) that I never got.

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Do you still boat for fun?

Yes and no. I have a 1988 Hurricane deck boat with a 150 hp Mercury on it. But they had to drop Lake Wynonah’s level about 20 feet to fix the dam so I can’t use it right now. I’m still holding on to it.

What do you think of modern outboards?

I try to keep up a little bit. I feel like they’re really expensive, but also quiet and reliable. They’re not nearly as user-friendly—you need a computer to fix them— but the emissions are way down and they’re quieter.

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