Beginning of the End....?

I want start by stating the mission of the blog.
This is meant to show the full restoration of a 1957 Mercury mark 55 40 hp outboard motor. I am a regular guy...I am not a professional mechanic I have a experience with automechanics and understand the concepts of a normal combustion engine. I have done extensive Internet research and been less than satisfied with the amount of infomation. In the very closely related field of restoring or building classic boats there is extensive information, so i felt the need to fill a void. I hope to help some other poor fool who thinks like me that sometimes a white fiberglass boat with a plain black outboard does not still the heart like a mohagony runabout with a sarasota blue outboard. Again I am not an expert, and i don't have a shop full of exotic tools. but I do have a love for things old, and a good nose for free info.