Nice enough survivor motor. I’d agree that the likelyhood that its a never-been-run example is slim. One person mentioned the paint missing off the lower unit bolts, I’ll also point out the chipped paint on the leading edge of the skeg.
If examination of the piston tops reveals pristine aluminum with zero carbon buildup, then a case can be made that she’s a virgin. In over 30 years of collecting, I’ve seen many motors that were touted as NOS motors, and only one has actually lived up to that. It was a Chris-Craft Commander Racer and we put a camera device in the spark plug holes to verify that it was squeaky clean in there.
Hope this helps.
Best
PM T2
I may be wrong here as I’m going by comments
from others and some photos, but I have been
lead to believe that motors are test run before
being offered for sale.
Tubs.
A "Boathouse Repair" is one thats done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.