Specifications
Restoration
This is/was my very first British Seagull Restoration, and of course it didn't quite go to plan.....
LS27327L - is a (or should I say was a) 1955 Long Shaft Little Fourty - making it 66 years old at the time of restoration - that's older than me!!
I say "was" because it does not appear to be a long shaft any more - my plan is to restore it as I bought it, but with time, and as the parts become available, I think I will take it back to the original Long Shaft format.
I bought this Seagull from down in Patterson Lakes, Victoria, Australia, back in about November, 2017. I don't have much history about the little fella, other than the chap I bought it of inherited it attached to a boat his grandfather buyilt by hand many years before. The Grandfather build the little wooden boat as a run-about for a lake near his house, and bought the Seagull to drive it - apparently he bought it new, which makes me the third owner.So the grandfather bought it and attached it to his hand built boat and used it on the lake for a few years, before age caught up with him and like so many other Seagulls, it was consigned to the back of the garage for many years. It missed a generation (the father) and then when the Grandfather passed, the grandson inherited both the boat and the engine. He decided he didn't want the engine and advertised it - and that's where I come into the story.
That all sounds well and good, but from that story, one would assume that this Seagull has only ever been used in fresh water. Looking at the engine itself - I'm rpetty sure that's not the case. Perhaps the Grandfather took it further afield than just the Lake. Its not in terrible condition, but I'm sure its seen a bit of salt water in its days.
