1974 MX-15

[Pop]

I bought my first Checkmate in 1974 after reading a review of the MX-15 in PowerBoat Magazine. I ordered it from the closest Checkmate dealer to me (in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas) and paid $1450.00 for it with the trailer. It was blue with silver metalflake and I ordered it with just two (2) black bucket seats and no windshield.







I bought the MX-15 as a 'ski' boat, so I bought a long-shaft 125 HP Mercury and installed it with dual Ride-Guide steering. Jack plates were not a common item in 1974, so I simply put a 1" solid aluminum riser bar on top of the transom.





I mounted a 12 gallon spun-aluminum 'Moon' tank in the rear on brackets bolted to the transom. I mounted the tach in an aluminum housing on the front deck for clear visibility. Mercury also made a louvered cowling for the inline 6 cylinder powerheads that I thought looked cool...so I bought one.











My MX-15 was not terribly fast by today's standards, but it was a very fast 'ski' boat in 1974. The only outboards in the area running faster than my MX-15 (even the tunnel hulls) were using short-shaft Mercury motors, and those were few and far between. I trailered my MX-15 to Austin to see how fast it would run (the SDBA held drag boat races on Town Lake in those days). It was timed at 66 mph. While Corky Callahan was consistently running 80 mph in a 14 foot hull and short-shaft motor, I was pleased with my 'ski' boat.














I kept my MX-15 for two (2) years and then sold it to a friend. I have nothing but fond memories of my Checkmate MX-15!

Then I bought a V-Mate I. More on that in another post...

 

[justincase]

that is to cool!

 

[SCT]

Pop, those are some cool old pixs of your MX15! Thanks for sharing. Whatever happened to the boat?

 

[jlroeder4]

My father still has a purple metal flake 1974 mx 16. He still has it and it still looks new. I will have to see if I can find some old pictures. That was cool seeing them.

Jason

 

[Pop]

The friend I sold it to enjoyed it regularly on Lake Texoma (north of Dallas on the Texas/Oklahoma border) through the time I moved from that area in 1979. It was still 'trouble free and running fast' the last time I saw him and the MX-15.

 

[83PREDICTOR]

Best first post ever! Thanks for sharing.

 

[creeljd]

I am currently restoring a 1974 MX-15, it was blue metal flake similar to yours. I plan on putting either a 90 or 70 hp yamaha two stroke on it. Are you certain that was a 125 hp in-line 6? In 1974 Mercury changed over from the red strips to blue and the largest in-line six was a 140 hp. They had a 135 hp in 1973, I think the 125 was 1971 or 72. In your pictures it looks like a new motor with the blue cowling stripes.

 

[Will30]

I am currently restoring a 1974 MX-15, it was blue metal flake similar to yours. I plan on putting either a 90 or 70 hp yamaha two stroke on it. Are you certain that was a 125 hp in-line 6? In 1974 Mercury changed over from the red strips to blue and the largest in-line six was a 140 hp. They had a 135 hp in 1973, I think the 125 was 1971 or 72. In your pictures it looks like a new motor with the blue cowling stripes.

The colors changed in 1973 .

 

[Viper 1]

MX-15

Pop, very nice Checkmate MX-15 and post.....Thank you..Mercury made the 110hp in 1966 and 1967,125hp in 1968 and 1969,135hp in 1970 and 1971,140hp in 1972 and 150hp in 1973 and up...there was also a Mercury 155hp XS in 1975 with Special louvered cowling and Short Shaft.....Best Wishes to All of you Always and May 2011 be a Great Year for All of You. Sammie-Action Marine

 

[shawn h]

rebuilding 1974 mx15. Bow cavity is filled with foam. Is that foam stock from factory?

 

[1954bmw]

Do you have any pics of the boat??

 

[shawn h]

I do,not of the foam in bow. not sure how to share them.

 

[Check185]

The bow cavity filled with foam is factory.. I chose not to put mine back in on my v mate..