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Posted By: Anonymous Pump stories - Thu Nov 07 2002 06:42 PM
The wayne 505 story is neat,or going to be anyway. the gentleman that posted his story about cutting the pipes with a torch to get his pump loose is a great one. lets all tell are most exciting, or most interesting stories!! Mine goes like this: sometime back I got wind of a rare visible in a nearby town. It was on a farm, and I did some research, and I ended up knowing the guys son in-law.I asked the son-inlaw to ask about this pump and the reply was No! not for sale. So I left it at that.A month or so later, I was at a fuel delivery place asking about pumps, and the fellow says "ol Joe has a hand pump, ya-know with the glass on top?But he won't sell it, i've deliverd gas there for years. He,s a nice guy though,stop by some day and visit with him, mabey you can talk him into a deal." So off I went, I have never seen the pump or been to the place,I have only had it described to me. When I got there,I was interupting dinner, oh-god! I thought to my self, sour deal before I even said hello. Anyway He let his dinner get cold why he talked about how rough the old pump was [it wasn't] but he liked haven it around.Well I said would ya sell it?? He said for the right amount of money, [figuring he meant $$$$$]. So I figured I would start low and work my way up. I said is $100 bucks enough?? He said what the hell!! You take it, I'll never do anything with it. So I gave him his $100, and he even through in a couple oilers, and some old brass nozzels he had laying around..Needlees to say I was shocked and very happy.. Frank.
Posted By: kmann Re: Pump stories - Thu Nov 07 2002 10:00 PM
great idea with this frankie !!!... here's my story and its one of many... i was invited, along with my girlfriend, to a party over a couples house of which she is good friends with. frank and his wife carol own a marina on long island. well... i get to talking with frank and somehow i get into this "gas collecting" thing that i do. he says lets go over to my work area i might have something laying around in there. well.. he starts throwing stuff around muttering kinda to himself like "where the hell did i put that sign". so... he reaches behind this old toolbox and pulls out a gulf marine white pump sign. now... this was the older, round sign of which i have only heard about and have only seen in pictures. he says "how much is it worth". now... i really don't know what its worth but i got a gut feeling so i offer him 200.00 which i have come to learn was way too low. now he becomes the expert and says he's gonna keep it. o.k. i figure... easy come... easy go. so now christmas time rolls around... another party and frank is there. so what does he do ??? he hands me the sign and says merry christmas. i almost fell on the floor. now it gets even better... he says he got some other stuff and i better get my butt back over to his house. well.... time goes by but eventually i get there. the man hands me yet another gulf marine white... a match to the other one he gave me and 2 gulf dieselect pump signs which are also the early round ones. again, i offer big bucks for all and he just laughs and says he don't collect that "crap". take em' all for free. again, i insist that he take the money but he just laughs. needless to say frank and carol will enjoy the cases of very expensive wine that i sent down to them. now... the best part is that we became good friend too and its got nothing to do with them signs. good people are my kind of people... amen.
Posted By: Jarvis Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 12:43 AM
Here is a funny one... I went to a guys house a buddy told me about. Well, this guy bought this house from a Texaco distributor and supposedly had a big 6 ft. sign. I got there and the sign was in the back of his property. We get back there and there was the sign and it was in the ring but the pole was gone. Now these signs have the rectangle poles that are supposed to be all one piece. Well, I made him an offer which he took and then he remembers he has 2 of these so we go in the woods looking and we didn't even know we were standing on it. Again this one had no pole so I bought it too. I did find the poles ... they were welded together and being used as a chimney on his barn. Well, I now have the pole welded back to the ring and sand blasted and painted and is now standing in my barn and my stepdad has the other one.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 06:13 AM
Great stories guys!! Here's another good one. I went to a farm auction that had a Tokheim 300, Firechief. I figured $100 bucks max!! [I just bought a toke 34- two months previous for $ 75.00] anyway, the pump went for $350.00 !! I was more fired up than a skinhead watching the Jeffersons!! So I left the auction and less than half a mile from the auction, we spotted a Tokheim 39,tall signs, glass, globe ring. We stopped at the house and asked if it was for sale. He said what would you give me? I said how about $50 bucks??? He said how about $100? I said yes sir, with no hesitation. I paid the man and was gone within fifteen minutes. The moral of the story is the guy at the auction can overpay all day long. Just look down the street and keep pump hunting.

Frank
Posted By: Ryan Fortner Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 02:16 PM
ok heres my two cents worth of a story. While attending a jr. college in a small texas town I took a drive around to see what I could find. Well as it turns out I met an old man who once worked for sinclair and then phillips 66. He said his old station house was located in the "downtown" section and he thought he might have some pumps. So we go there and there are two bennett 600 series pumps with all their attachments. So I ask how much. His reply was that he was ordered by EPA to have them removed and if I could take them I could have them for free! So I come back with a truck and I go around back of his building to take a whiz and there in frant of me is a bennett 371 a bennett 76 and a bennett 700 series! He also said I could have these for free! So as Im calling for more trucks he askes if I need some parts for these pumps, seeing where he was going with this i said yes and the man opens his shop. You talk about a kid in a candy store. This guy had been running 25 stations from 1940-1989 and he had pumps, globes, signs,computers, and an old lubster never used!All in all I made it out of there with a collection some would kill for,for free!!!! I did go back and do lawn care for him for that entire semester. Talk about a wet dream come true.
Posted By: T-way Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 03:18 PM
Hi guys (and you gals too)!

I have a story like frankie's. I moved out to the thumb area in Michigan from Detroit because I found a house with an old converted 'Chicken Coop' that I could display all my Petrolania in. The building has heat, better electrical than the 100+ year old farmhouse and it's totally finished inside. It boasts over 3,000 square feet of usable space.

Anyway, I spend some time running around the countryside looking for pumps and find a Tokheim 39 within a mile and a half of the house. I stop and ask the people at the farmhouse if it's for sale. They direct me to the newer house next door. This house is about a 1/4 mile down the road - remember this IS the countryside. So I boogie on down and ring the doorbell. A lady answers the door and I inquire about the pump and make an offer of $100. She says "Hang on and I'll get my husband." Well the guy is so rude that he won't even come to the door, he just yells at his wife that the pump isn't for sale and I should just "leave them the Hell alone!" I apologize to the wife and take my leave. All the time thinking "What a dick!"

So . . . a couple of years pass and I hear through the grapevine that there's going to be an auction on the property the pump sits on. I head over there bright and early on a saturday morning with my wife and we spend all day watching old farmers buying old farm equipment. Finally the old pump comes up for sale around 4:00 PM.

Now, I have an arrangement with my wife. I tell her what I'm willing to spend (the same 100 bucks I offered the farmer's wife initially) and she bids. That way I don't get in trouble for spending more than I intended if my testosterone level increases during the auction.

So three old farmers are bidding against each other for the pump. It gets down to two and the bidding is slowing down when my wife jumps in. She gets the pump for $90! And the seller pays the auctioneer's commission! The farmer made less money at auction than he would have selling to me in the beginning.

I haul the pump home and stick it in my grainery. A couple of weeks later, my buddy and I start dissassembly. The entire pump is full of mouse nests. All the way up to the bottom of the glass in the doors. My buddy even has a couple of mice run down his arm and dissappear under the floor in my grainery while we are stripping the weight out of the pump!

That particular pump is still waiting for me to get to it. It and a sister pump will be matching Sinclair pumps when I get to them. One Dino and one an Ethyl.

Keep collecting. You never know where your next pump will come from!

Jim

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Posted By: jeakle4 Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 04:34 PM
I have always blamed my wife for getting me into the hobby, not that I mind at all! In fact, she found the first pump I picked up, Tokheim 39, short pump. She mentioned to me that she had seen it behind a house that was for sale in our town. Later that week I found out the house was sold as a HUD home and saw that someone was fixing it up. I stopped to see about the pump. The person working told me that he was going to take it home and put a coat of paint over the surface rust, but his wife wouldn't let him. He was planning to take it to the dump later that day. I ran home and got my station wagon and we threw it into the back. I took the summer to restore it, cheap, but it is one pump I will never sell. It started the ball rolling, now I never drive looking at the road, not many treasures there - look in the backyards!
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 07:18 PM
Seven years ago when we moved to the area where we live now, one of the first people I met was a guy who bought a visible pump from me. He starting coming around about twice a month for coffee, and we got to know each other. One day he tells me he has another pump he'd like to find a little more about, could I come over and have a look. So I drop over, and I'm impressed by the mass of things this guy has, tractors, stationary engines and lots of other cast iron "junk" He winds me through the maze of iron to the middle of the yard, and sitting there, upside down stuck in the mud, is a Wayne 800. Well, after I get back on my feet, I casually mention an interest, and get an instant, its not for sale. He tells me how he salvaged it from an old building that was being burned down with everthing in it by the owners, so they let him in to pick through before they lit the match. I drive past that yard all the time, and you can still see scrap metal poking through the ground where they buried everthing after the fire. After getting my camera and taking a few pictures, I urge him to at least put something over it to protect it from the weather, he just smiles and escorts me to the gate. Several years go by, and Jack and I become friends, he buys a few more visibles to cram into his yard, and every once in a while I mention the pump, hoping to soften him up over time. Well, about 2 years ago now, I make a big sale and have a pocket full of cash, so I decide, even though Jack told me he'd never sell the pump, I'd head down there and try one more time. I get to his place, and he's out in the yard unloading his trailer, I find out he's going to a big auction the next day with plans of bringing home something big, so I think, here's my chance, surely he could use a little more cash at that sale. So I go into a big pitch about how much I want the pump, how I promise to keep it forever and that I can finally afford to make a decent offer. He smiles like he'd been expecting this pitch for some time, and sensing my enthusiasm says, how much? So I go deep and tell him........$2500, figuring that will make him blink. Well he almost fell over, and says he had no idea it was worth that much, then sticks his hand out to grab the wad of hundreds I was holding onto. We had to dig the pump out of the mud where I had seen it the first time years earlier, he never did cover it up. At the time it seemed like a lot of money for a pump, in hindsight, I count my blessings. It's in black primer for now, picking a brand is too big a decision. So I told my Wife and Kids when I die, to have me cremated, mix my ashes with a fresh coat of paint, and stick me back in the corner. I'll probably spend eternity a shade of Orange, she really likes Sunray!






[This message has been edited by pogogas (edited 11-08-2002).]
Posted By: scootdog Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 08:37 PM
Great story lance!

Ok hear is my story.

A few years ago I was out hunting pumps when I came across this farm with a Tokheim visible. This was a beauty, blue glass not a crack in the cylinder and the body was perfect! It was my first visible find on a farm. I started towards the door with high hopes and shallow pockets. The old timer that answered the door indicated that he would part with the pump but that I would have to remove the "150 gallon" underground tank if I took the pump. I eagerly agreed to the $400 he asked and I was off to gather some help. My good buddy (my dad) was lassoed into helping me and we grabbed a few shovels and set out for the farm on the weekend. As we arrived my dad noted the soil was clay and he mumbled a few things under his breath. The farmer indicated the tank was 12 inches below the ground and it was about 3 feet by 4 feet. We quickly removed the pump and started digging. About 1 hour later and 3 feet below the we finally hit the tank. Another 2 hours after that and we had uncovered the tank. We realized that this was not a 150 gallon tank, it was a 1500 gallon tank six feet wide and eight feet long. The farmer (nearly blind) decided that we should try to pull the tank out with his tractor. He was back in half an hour with a few chains and his large tractor. We broke several chains that were huge farming chains trying to get that tank out but it was stuck in the clay and not about to budge. Finally the farmer conceited that we had given it an honest effort and told us to cover the tank, remove the fill pipe and we could go. We were finished filling the hole about an hour later when the farmer and his wife came out with some water. The farmer handed me back $200 of the $400 I had paid him and said he had made the offer to several guys looking to buy the pump with no interest. He said the honest effort was worth $200. My dad no longer goes pump gathering with me but he still enjoys telling the story of the Tokheim pump that kicked our butts that day...
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Fri Nov 08 2002 09:40 PM
I'll add one more blurb here...........
About 5 years ago I read an ad in a local paper. "2 Tall gas tanks for sale, $25.00 obo" First thing I do is grab the phone and call, well its busy, and its busy, and its busy for the next four hours, so I'm thinking to myself, well their gone! I finally get through about 9:00pm and it turns out she just got home, and just chased her daughter off the phone. I was the first call, so she hadn't sold them yet, but it was to late to come out tonight, could I meet her at 7:00 the next morning. So I thought about it for .00001 seconds and said sure. I drive the 2 hours to the farm, and its pouring rain, but the lady is there, waiting for me, so we drive out to a junk pile, and sitting there in the grass is a Boyle Dayton and a Clear Vision pump, both complete with good glass. So I do the stand up thing and pay as soon as possible to firm up the deal. After we load the pumps, I find out she was hired to clean up the property, and was told she could keep whatver she wanted. Looking around I see there are several old buildings still standing and ask if I can have a look through them, she tells me to take whatever I want, because the excavators are coming this afternoon to level everything, and if I don't take it, it will be hauled away anyway. So I go rooting through the buildings, and its all crap, nothing worth having, one last building to go through, as I open the door, the first thing that catches my eye is a wall full of old cans. almost 100 quart cans, full of nuts, bolts, screws, and all near mint. There were 25 Silver Shell, which are pretty rare in Canada, some Golden Shells and x-100's and a few others, not a bad $25.00 spent.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Sat Nov 09 2002 01:38 AM
I get goose bumps reading these stories!! What a rush it is to make a deal on a neat pump.When I first started collecting, a guy I knew managed a bulk fuel outlet, I ran into him and asked if he had any old gas pumps? He said "well there is one still in the box, but the wife wants it to put in the house" I questioned the still in box reply, he said "its still crated up from when the railroad dropped it off at the building where we store oil"[The railroad tracks were fifty yards from this building.) He didn't know what kind it was, or how old it was. So I left it alone and a year or so went by. I ran in to him one day riding our snowmachines and I asked him how his wife liked the pump in the house. He replied, "what pump?" I said the one in the building that is still in the box. He said Oh...that one, she'll never do anything with that. Come by tomorrow and take a look. So I went by and I opened the door and in this old bulk plant in the corner, sat a tall hardwood crate. After dragging it out into the light, we discovered it was a tall wayne like a 70, but no ad glass, visu gauge on the side. "I can't remember the model number. I sold it last year." It was brand new, never used. The pump had keys to the door and all the original tags. It was bright red. It was not a calculating pump. Anyway, $150, and we were gone. An original unused pump in the crate. To bad it wasn't a really neat pump like a 60 or a national A-38. I threw a firechief sign on it and a guy made me an offer I couldn't refuse. $850, and he even picked it up. Great stories everybody. I can't wait to hear more.
Frank
Posted By: Seth Robbins Re: Pump stories - Sat Nov 09 2002 01:46 PM
Well, you guys' stories are just killer. Like all of you, I've got a few doozies, but mine mainly deal with signs & globes. May of 2000, I went with my dad and brother on a trip to old Mexico to deliver a Dodge Maxi-Van to a missionary (my dad is a pastor). I figured there would be some good junkin' along the way. We got just across the border and were driving up and down some side streets and out of the blue, wired to a chain-link fence is a porcelain Dr. Pepper sign about 3' x 4' with the 10-2-4 and the bricks, I mean just an unreal sign in about 8.5 condition. They Mexican missionary was with us and so I had him get out with me to approach the four old guys playing cards in the front yard on a porcelain Coca-Cola table. I just stood there listening trying to make out what was being said with my 2 years of high school spanish. I told the missionary to ask the old men if they had any other signs, they said maybe and that we could look around the piles of junk and see. After a few minutes, I spotted a small chicken cage (with chicken in it) that appeared to have a sign as the bottom....it was a Standard of Nebraska flange with the gear tooth edge!!! It was covered in chicken crap, but had minimal chipping. So know I've found about $1000 Dr. Pepper and about $1000 flange and I told the missionary to see what it would take to buy them. He was dickering back and forth with the old men and I was scared I was going to lose the deal altogether. In all of my knowledge of spanish I heard the old men saying $100, & I thought this is crazy so I just whipped out a Ben Franklin and laid it on the table where they were playing cards and they all just sort of hushed and stared at me. I loaded up the two signs in the van and got back in. The Mexican missionary was just shaking his head. I said what's up, that was a great deal for me. He said, you might want to brush up on your spanish, the old men were asking for $10 not $100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, I could care less that I paid them 10 times what they were asking.

[This message has been edited by Seth Robbins (edited 11-09-2002).]
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Sun Nov 10 2002 12:38 AM
As long as were talking pumps, and doing a little bragging. I was out for a drive today with a buddy of mine, and we had to go to the junk yard to drop off some scrap metal before we left. So we get there and on the way out what do you know here comes the junk guy with another truck load of scrap metal, and whats on the back, a $50.00 G&B T-88. But I still need doors, can anyone help?





[This message has been edited by pogogas (edited 11-09-2002).]
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Sun Nov 10 2002 01:27 AM
No doors,,But Awesome find!!!!!!!. I'm going to move where you live, so I can get all the cool stuff.. Frank..
Posted By: FrankSargent Re: Pump stories - Mon Nov 11 2002 03:46 AM
The stories are great!! I saw that the "pump stories" was beginning to lose ground on the main page.. so I am replying to bring it up to the top. I do not have any great stories, but I sure enjoy reading yours. More please.

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Frank
Posted By: TN Volunteer Re: Pump stories - Mon Nov 11 2002 04:26 PM
Since everybody is telling stories I gotta tell about my experience couple of months ago.

It started last year when I was going to visit a landowner for my job. When I got there I saw a real gem, a Fry tall ten visible with a mint dark blue cylinder. It also had a Farmers Union Globe on the top with one good lense which was facing the road. The other lense was gone. (If you look in Scotts globe books you will not find this globe in his book.) I did my work and left since nobody was home. I called the owner that night to see if it was for sale and he said "No, It has been int the family for many years and at this time will not sell it." I said thank you and that was it till this summer. My wife and I were coming back from one of our adventures into Canada and I told her that I wanted to go check out this pump again. She said it is a waisted trip and I said I know but had this gut feeling to check it out. We got there and this time I talked to the wife. She said the same old story her husband told me a year ago. I asked if the globe might be for sale and she said no but wants to find a lense for it and asked if I knew where I could find one. I said no cause a budy of mine wants a Farmers Union globe in the worst way. She said she has looked all over for one and that if I find one she will pay what ever for it just so she can complete the globe. So we leave and head down a gravel road turn one l mile down the road and then another mile later. Cruising down the road I happen to look over to the left to check a farmstead out and low and behold there is another gas pump with another Farmers Union globe on it, just like the one a mile away. I slam on the brakes back up and go in the yard. Unfortuneately this is just a Wayne 615. I talk to the owner for about 1 hour. He tells me that some guy offered him 150 for the pump and globe but never came back to get it. I thinks to myself that I should be able to offer 400 cash and get it. So I do, and he tells me he will think about it for a week and then get back to me. I call him a week later and he says it will take a little more to buy the pump, he wants me to make an offer. I says no, you know what you want for it. He still wont tell me so I offer 600 and he thinks for a min and says ok. I left a 6am the next morning to drive 4 hours to where the pump was and bought it. I ended up selling the Wayne 615 to a friend of mine since that pump does not excite me too well and kept the globe. My friend was jellous as hell when he saw it. Needless to say I kept the glope and will put it on the Hays visible that I am working on now. He will get to look at it everyday since I have no room in my appartment for the visible.

TN Volunteer
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Thu Nov 14 2002 01:41 AM
Whos next???? Lets hear more??
Posted By: FrankSargent Re: Pump stories - Thu Nov 14 2002 02:40 AM
I agree.. I call on our leader and moderator Jim Potts to consider adding "Stories", both sign and pump, as a page on this site. The stories are great fun to read and each one gives we "newbies" hope that there are discoveries still out there and stories that someday we can tell. Thanks...

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Frank
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Thu Nov 14 2002 02:52 AM
How about it Jim, add "Braglines" to the Shop Talk forum index, that way we can post our finds and share the stories without interfering with the other forums.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Thu Nov 14 2002 05:06 AM
Yes !! Lets do it !! Jim thanks for all your help!! What do you think?? Frank..
Posted By: Gary Drye Re: Pump stories - Thu Nov 14 2002 08:11 PM
Here's a story with not a happy ending. Along a major highway sat a Tokheim 850 clockface. As I knew the family that owned the farm I stopped several times to buy it and it was never for sell. One day a coworker, who drove that way everday, came in and said "that old pump is gone". As I work 12 hour shifts, I would have to wait until a day off to go over there. The day off finally arrived and as I was turning into his drive, I could see the pump laying on its side. What a relief! I asked the guy what happened? He was bush hogging and the mower caught the hose and pulled it over. Once again it was still not for sell and he was tired of people stopping all the time wanting to buy it. I pleaded with him to move the pump into a garage not twenty feet from it and I would help him. That way it would be protected and out of site from eeryone wanting to buy it. "I'll get it later" was the reply. Two years later, the pump is still on the ground and he is still going "to move it". I finally made him an offer he couldn't refuse. I would restore the pump for him for "free". He would only have to buy the paint and parts. I just didn't want to see such a neat pump rust away into nothing. "Well, how much will that cost me?" I gave him an estimate of the paint/parts and told him what the pumps value would be fully restored. Again he was indecisive. Another year goes by, the pump is still on the ground and I approach him about buying it for the millionth time. "What is the most money you have been offered for it" I asked. He said "$50". "I'll make it $500, that's ten times anyone's offer". Again he balks. Last year, I drove by and the pump was gone. He finally moved it inside I thought. Later on, I saw him and asked about the pump. "I see you moved it". He looked at the ground and started shuffling his feet. "I gave it away". "What!" "How much did you get for it and if you had called me I may have topped his ofer". "No, you don't understand...I GAVE it away." "This guy really wanted it" I said, "Did you think I didn't." He told me who has the pump and where it is, but I haven't brought myself to go see it yet. You can never figure people out.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Tue Jan 28 2003 03:14 AM
LETS SEE, THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED REGISTERED TO THIS WEB SIGHT AND ONLY 20 REPLIES TO PUMP STORIES, MOST OF THOSE ARE REPEATS OF ONE GUY. INSTEAD OF WHINNING ABOUT SOMETHING ON THIS SIGHT LETS TELL ABOUT OUR BEST DEAL, GREATEST FIND, BEST DAY PUMP HUNTING, ETC.... I WANT TO HEAR A FUNNY STORY, SO I'LL TELL MY OWN. HERE IT GOES.. WHY DOES A CHICKEN COUPE ONLY HAVE 2 DOORS? BECAUSE IF IT HAD 4 DOORS IT WOULD BE A CHICKEN SEDAN!! LETS GET EM COMING!!
Posted By: BobbyLW Re: Pump stories - Wed Jan 29 2003 01:54 AM
Ok...Heres my great pump hunting day..I was traveling thru southern Mo. when my wife spotted a visible in front of an antique store.(wives seem to be good at that).I stopped at the store and asked about the pump.The lady at the store said that the pump belonged to old Harry,she calls him and he comes up to the store.We get to talking and he figures out I have this obsession with pumps and he asks me if I have a few minutes to go over to his house.He has something he wants to show me.So,I follow him to his house and he opens the door to his barn.I almost fell down.At the end of the day I carry home a Wayne 515 with clear cylinder,American round visible with clear cylinder,Martin & Schwartz visible with perfect blue cylinder,G & B 97 and a National Simplex...all for the price of $3900.00.Which at the time I thought was completely crazy.But now I know better...lol He told me at one time he had over 200 pumps,he was a backhoe operator and he worked for a lot of farmers in the area and he traded his time for the pumps.He had just retired and had sold almost all of his pumps so he and his wife could enjoy retirement.He also told me he had a lot of globes and he had sold them to some guy in Ohio(scott benjamin maybe?)It was a really neat experience.He also had a shop that was 30'x40' and nailed along the ceiling all around the shop was brass nozzles...
Posted By: tom 2 tone Re: Pump stories - Wed Jan 29 2003 05:59 AM
my super find is already listed. the wayne 60 showcase. i still jump up & down over that one! but years before that i got directions from my dad to go to this repair shop out in the sticks on this farm. he said theres a shorter pump with a name embossed in the top. (script top im thinkin.) so i went lookin for it with a friend of mine. and we went 1 road to far. but on that road we spotted a national A38. i pulled right in cause there was a girl & a guy painting a small storage shed. we B.S.ed awhile about the pump with the son & his girl friend while they were painting. then the owner of the pump came out & i started talkin to him about the pump. while this friend of mine was hangin out with the painters. the girl friend wasnt wearin a whole lot and was good lookin & friendly! well he musta pissed off the son because he yelled out -hey forget it i wanna keep that pump.- so we left not so unhappily ouuuuun & ahhhhhhhhin about the girl. and went & found the script top. conoco n-tane. the guy there knew who i was & sent me to the owner of the land (he rented) the owner lived yet another road over & he was a nice guy & gave me the pump free!!! whenever they were done usin it..... but showed me around his farm. "that was a good day." i ended up with a NICE 51 mercury 2 door that was stuck in the corner of machine shed. the farmer had bought it new. the engine was blown up on prom night 1962 by his son. prom papers still in it! haha i paid his price. exactly what he said he paid for it in 1951. he said $2,000.00. it was another day i went to get it & it took ALL DAY to dig it out!!! anyway the land was sold where the script top was after i had already removed the top and replaced it with a flat top. the land was sold to the renter & he let me have the rest of the pump a year later for $100.00. i managed to get the national A38 that same day for $225.00 the A38 is a nice clean pump with 2 nice mobil ad glasses & black faces. one ad glass only has a horse on it w/no writing. i still own both of these pumps untouched as they are both very clean. i cleaned up the merc & it was really nice. but it got sold for ??? what reason i dont know. that area was a gold mine! theres yet a rough wayne 60 near there also that im workin on. the BIG drunk lady who owns it is VERY CRABBY!!! thats a whole nother story in itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: kmann Re: Pump stories - Wed Jan 29 2003 10:08 PM
hey tom.... buy her a bottle.. give her 10 bucks and grab the pump.... HA... but that would be taking advantage... wouldn't it ???? ... great story..
Posted By: tom 2 tone Re: Pump stories - Wed Jan 29 2003 10:46 PM
ya, ive been there twice & she was layin on the couch every time i was there. i knock and she yells: GET YOUR ASS IN HERE , WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!!! i ask about the pump. she barks back WHAT THE FRICK FOR? it dont work!! then goes on about the government & how its affecting the farmers! and i dash for the door! the guys who farm the land are afraid of her to i think! they said to me NO NO NO you gotta go ask her. i said NO im askin you guys. and we all started laughin!!! ill ask again sometime im feelin brave! hahahaha
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Thu Jan 30 2003 02:38 AM
TOM ,, YES A BOTTLE OF SOMETHING STIFF AND BE A GENTLEMAN ,TAKE CARE OF THIS OLD GAL,, YOU CAN GET YOUR PUMP OFF THIS PLACE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER!!
Posted By: fins n vtwins Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 01:03 AM
I love this thread! Bet I've read these stories a dozen times---guess I should share one of mine(or two). About 5 or 6 years ago, I dated a girl in southern KY, about 50 miles from my home here in middle TN. I did that drive 4-5 times a week and my route took me by a big empty farm house and barn just a bit across the state line. In a clump of trees and bushes behind the barn(could JUST see it from the road) stood a pump of SOME kind--too far away to make out what it was. I kept seeing it trip after trip. This went on for nearly a year until one day I decided I'd get the phone number off the sign in the corner of the front yard. I eased into the driveway and happened to notice a pickup and tractor way back behind the house by another barn. What the heck, I'll just be bold and go ask about the pump. I drove to the gate by the barn and got out. Saw an old fellow messing with a hay fork on the tractor---he saw me and strolled over, looking me up and down with apprehension(I'm a big guy with long hair and a beard) "Howdy"I said. "What can I do for ya?" he replied. "Well, I know I'm not the first to ask...and probably won't be the last, but I saw that old gas pump and wondered if it's for sale"
"Wellll, maybe". The old fellow asked me what I thought it was worth, cause he'd seen 'em sell at auctions before and they seem to be worth a lot....Here it comes....he's gonna ask me some stupid price for it. We talked about fifteen minutes about old stuff, his kids and grandkids, deep snow, cows auctions---you name it. Finally he said "I guess I'd sell that old pump...........but I'd have to have $150 for it" "Well, okay, let's have a look at it then cause I've never walked over by your barnto see it---didn't want to be tresspassin'" He chuckled out loud and we walked over to the side of the barn. You coulda knocked me over with a feather---there stood a Tokheim 850!!!! He grabbed the reset handle and wound it back to zero(!) "It worked til that last bad storm blew through last year---top of the barn blew off and ripped the wiring loose---I never hooked it back up" I dug my cash out of my pocket to pay him before he changed his mind.....and all I had was a hundred. I shoved it into his hand and told him I'd bring the other fifty back when I came for the pump. "Might be hard to catch me here" he replied "my wife works at the post office....naw......I live the second house up the road...naw...I'm in and out there....I tell ya what. Just put the fifty in an envelope and set it under the corner of that gate there on that concrete block"
Talk about trust! I went back two days later with trailer and tool, and found a note on the pump telling me not to cut it loose with a torch---there's still gas in the tank!!!
My 850 stands waiting restoration(still)
My other story isn't as quaint, but it should give everybody hope for finding good stuff. Last year I zipped on down to Moultrie GA for the fall swap meet. Walked the aisles all day Friday looking for cool stuff. Got about to the far end about 3 o'clock and ran straight up on a 5-gal Fry laying on it's side in a vendor's booth. Original cylinder, light surface rust,partially disassembled "How much" "Done SOLD" the guy said."What'd it bring?" I had to know..... "$400" Geez Louise! To me that's a bargain. The guy looked up and said"I sold it this mornin, but they haven't come back for it---I'm tempted to sell it again. Everybody's been askin about it" "I got CASH" I shot back. Apparently that made him think about it and he kept tryin to get an offer from me. I basically asked him what the current price for an a##-whoopin was these days, cause he better make it worth his while---he would definitely get one if he re-sold that pump. About that time, an old pickup rumbled up to the spot and the buyer jumped out to claim his prize. Amidst his grabbing up the pump pieces, I offered to buy----"I dunno" he hesitated "Seven hunnerd" he grunted. "Take six?" I countered. "Nope" and he went back to loading. "Okay, okay, but you gotta deliver it to my truck over in the corral area. Done DEAL! YEAH!


Now I've got the two pumps I've always liked.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 01:40 AM
BIG GUY WITH LONG HAIR AND A BEARD?? SOUNDS LIKE YOU SCARED THAT POOR OLD FARMER OUT OF HIS 850.. FRY VISIBLE FOR $700?? I'LL GIVE YA $800?? LIKE "ROY-D-MERCER" SAYS:: I ONLY WEIGH 145 POUNDS DRIPPIN WET, BUT I'M PRETTY WIRERY, I'M TOUGHER THAN A DOES OF PHILIPINO CLAP!!! HA HA!! GREAT PUMPS, GREAT STORY...!!! FRANK..
Posted By: Mr.Wadhams Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 03:46 AM
Frankie...we only have room for one Dwaine Buck. I see you slowly turning into a clone!?
Posted By: tom 2 tone Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 04:32 AM
oh frankie i could never be that much of a gentleman!!! id have to drink the whole bottle & then some on the way there myself! hahaha a real battle axe i think! NOBODY could ever keep that woman happy! get her bent over and just when you think the 60s in the bag she'd turn around and pass out a couple of black eyes for not goin the speed limit!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!! the pumps kinda rough & i bet shes the one responsible for it to!!!
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 05:15 AM
what is the speed limit???????? frank..
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 05:27 AM
TOM !! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT GIRLS FOR WHEN THERE ARE PUMPS PRESENT?? GIRLS ARE TROUBLE!!!!!!! GET THE PUMP,, THE OLD PUMP HAS PUT OUT WAY MORE THAN THAT FINE GIRL HAS EVER THOUGHT OF ,, WAY MORE ,,IF YOU FIGURE IN GALLONS I MEAN.. WELL HAVE FUN, SEE YA LATER!!!! FRANK..
Posted By: Dwaine Buck Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 03:04 PM
O K mr. wad ham . lets see what you know???post something . don't be afraid. get involved . or stay in the back of the platoon.
Posted By: Mr.Wadhams Re: Pump stories - Fri Jan 31 2003 05:22 PM
Here's a couple pumps in my collection. The Rapidayton I bought from a farmer who insisted on $10 CASH for it. I picked up the Butler from a friend for a very reasonable price after he bought it for $700.

I have a challenge for Dwaine...try to post some pictures all by yourself...its not that hard!
Posted By: kmann Re: Pump stories - Mon Feb 03 2003 05:05 PM
i am not a pump collector per se, and this story goes back many years but here it is... i was just getting started collecting this insanity and a friend at work had told me that he had spotted two pumps not far from where i live. i asked him if he had seen any signs on the pumps and he said yes... so... being that was what i was after, i asked him to draw me a map of where they were and i would check it out. so off i go with map in hand and the 20 minute ride turns into 2 hours. his map skills left alot to be desired. anyway... i find the pumps and they got atlantic signage on em'. o.k.. not the greatest find but i'll knock on the door and give it a shot. so.. i'm standin' there knocking and knocking and get no answer but i hear noise like a radio or t.v. so i keep knocking. finally an old lady with a cane comes to the door and she looks pissed. i tell her i'm sorry for the interuption and go into my pitch about wanting to buy the signs. she says " well... i don't see any for sale signs on em'.. do you mister ". i figure i'm screwed but i say no, but was just wondering if now or in the future.... blah... blah.... blah. now... as i am standing there her son pulls up. man.. this guy was all busted up and looked like he just went 10 rounds with mike tyson and she tells him "hey bob, here's another one that wants something for nothing". i tell them thats not the case and, of course i will offer her cash for the signs. anyway... they are double teaming me and now i gotta react. i figure.. screw it.. i'll see if i can get the signs AND the pumps. i figured i could always dump the pumps later on. well... she's softening up now and tells me "no... they ain't for sale... now or never... i like lookin' at em' and they are stayin' right where they are". i now figure its time to exit so i tell em' thanks for their time and start heading down the walk. she then yells to me "hey... maybe they are for sale".so... back up the walk i go. she says she wants 1,500.00 each. i figure i must be on mars and what justifys that price ? . she says " thats what barker gets ". now i'm trying to figure out who the hell barker is. the only thing i can think of is we got another collector up here by the name of BAKER. i figure that old baker was here and had the same luck i was having and struck out so he must have told her they was worth a million dollars each to screw up the deal for those who followed. i says what makes baker such an expert. she says " not BAKER... BARKER... the guy on t.v." . then it hits me...THE PRICE IS RIGHT..... HA... oh my god... she is comparing restored pumps on a game show to the junk she got sitting in her yard. i figure let me get the hell outta' here. so i tell her i ain't got that much money in my wallet... bid em' both a nice day and head home. now.... after a few years i came to find out that she had passed on. i took a ride up there and the pumps were gone. i tell myself to let it be. i had fun with the fiesty old girl and her son. yeah.. boys.. its all in the game. oh... by the way.. they were TWO wayne 60's.
Posted By: djhubba Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 10 2003 06:38 PM
Great stories - OK - heres my modest story - Years ago I entered a Von Dutch art contest in Auto trader magazine. Being a fan of Von Dutch and Kustom cars I quickly did a flying eye ball motif and some pin striping around it and sent it off to the magazine - a couple of months went by and truth be known I forgot about it. I picked up an auto trader at the store to page through while my Son was at the Dentist and low and behold - There was my artwork - i had been the Grand Prize winner of the contest - WOW - but no one had contacted me??? - I called the magazine to find out what was going on - the guy who was suppose to contact me got sick and forgot. I had won a set of power window lift kits for my ride. Although i didnt need or want power lift kits in my 53 Chevy - I was happy to have won the contest. What does this have to do with gas and oil you say? Well - a couple of Months later I get a call from a local Rod and Custom builder here in Seattle - He says - I picked up an old gas pump in a deal and want to get rid of it and he knew I loved that stuff. He didnt know what it was but I should come look at it. I went directly over there and it was a Wayne 605 from 1957 - Country Store fresh Fire chief. I didnt have much dough at the time but offered up the window kits and he bit. He said he would throw the kits in something he would build in the future but had to take the pump that day to get it out of there. I obliged. In essence I guess I drew a flying eyeball for a nice Wayne Fire Chief Pump - I was pretty Happy.

Hubba

------------------
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hubbasgasandoilpitstop/
Posted By: gasmelincelr Re: Pump stories - Sun Mar 16 2003 02:22 AM
I think it is a great idea to have a stories
page here on this website. I am in a drought
at the moment in regards to finding/buying
pumps. They seem to be drying up here in my
neck of the woods. Just about every pump I
have has some story behind it, some more interesting than others. I have found that my brothers as well as friends have found many more of my pumps than I have.
A few years ago my younger brother told
me about a pump he had viewed near the side
of the road at an old sawmill. The pump was
about an hour from my house. An older brother and I went to check out the pump,
we found a nice complete Wayne 60. We were
not able to fine anyone around. We went back
a week later in the middle of a light snowstorm. We saw smoke coming out of the
chimney from one of the buildings. Inside we
found two oldtimers. One of them was sitting
at a desk, while the other sat off a ways. I
asked if they had any interest in selling the old gas pump. The gentleman at the desk
sort of chuckled, he then proceeded to open
the top desk drawer and pull out a stack of
handwritten notes and business cards. He
explained that these were notes from people
who had expressed interest in the pump over
the years. He told me that I could add my note/offer if I wanted to. I told him that I
was here to buy the pump, not add my name to
their list (I said this in a most polite
manner). The man behind the desk told me that
it wasn't for sale. I asked what the best
offer was for the pump. He started reading
the notes/offers, by the time he finished the
best offer that I heard was $400.00. I really didn't want to pay that much, the
most I had ever paid for a pump was $150.00.
I offered him $500.00, which to me was a
great deal of money for a pump. Surprisingly
he did not instantly turn down the offer, he
seemed intrigued by it. This is when the old
timer in the corner chimed in, he started
talking about how they should call all of the people that had left offers and see it
any of them would beat my offer.
This was when my older brother chimed in
about whether the pump was still wired/bolted
down. We were able to get the owners out into the cold and snow to look at the pump.
We found the pump was sitting on the cement
setting but was not bolted down, I offered
them $500.00 again. The primary guy stood
for a while thinking about it and finally
excepted my offer. My brother and I quickly
cut the wires to the pump with a pair of
dikes and slid it into the back of his van.
We left quickly before the two men changed
their minds. That is how I got the Wayne 60
that is sitting in my cellar waiting to be
restored. I plan on restoring it to Gilmour
colors, with the intersecting V's paint
scheme with no globe. It is hard to convey in a story how exhilerating the purchase of
my pump was, I'm sure many of you have
experienced the same emotions when you first
drove away with a pump that you thought you
had no chance of buying. I still can't figure out why those guys sold me their pump. I do know that it went to a good home.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Sun Mar 16 2003 02:35 AM
OK, heres another one! I've had a couple great scoops as you've read here, but this one beats them all. I just got this pump, its a fairly rare Bowser 300E.



I bought it over the internet, paid more than its worth, and didn't have to drive very far because I had it delivered. Some how, this story lacks the juice of some of my other pump finds, but man it's a great pump and I'm really happy to have it!
Thanks.......Lance
pogogas@telus.net
www.pogogas.com

P.S. I'm looking for the globe holder like the one in the upper right corner, or an original to copy, even a good picture with measurements would be appreciated.



[This message has been edited by pogogas (edited 03-15-2003).]
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Sun Mar 16 2003 03:14 AM
WHAT GIVES??? WHATS THE STORY?? AWESOME PUMP!!!!! I HAVE 14 OF THOSE GLOBE HOLDERS IN THE BASEMENT..{ I WISH!!!]] IF I HAD ONE IT WOULD BE YOURS!! GREAT PUMP LANCE!! FRANK....
Posted By: tom 2 tone Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 17 2003 05:33 AM
pump stories are back up. it was great back in the late 80s. you could take a nice country drive & come home with somethin for nothin. man there were pumps all over then. now its gettin real tough to find anything anymore. and it seems like i hear of a new collector in my area about once a month. anyway this one dosent have a very good ending. this friend of mine found me a nice visible pump while hunting out in the middle of nowhere at a farm. so we went there one afternoon. its was a nice fry #71. i ran up & knocked on the door. the kitchen light was on, radio on, dog hangin around by the door. but no answer. we stood around a few minutes. but no action. we took a drive awhile, scouting around then went back. still no answer. so we went home. a few months later i went back there knocked and waited around but nobody home again. i couldnt figure it out. well about 3 months later im kinda in that area with my honey hittin some small town antique shops. and i decide to swing over there. we get there and someones finally there. and he turns out to be a customer of ours that parks in the street every time he comes. (busy street, no parking out there.)we figured he has no reverse. hey hes all excited to see us. (or anyone.) i say hey how you doin? how you gonna get turned around where your parked? did you get the ol S-10 fixed? he looks at me funny. i said your the guy who parks in the street all the time and walks in. yep he says i dont wanna back into anything thats why. we laughed. (hes really old.) anyway i ask about the pump. oh i suppose id sell it what do you offer? i said i dont know, how about $200.00? oh he says ive been offered that already. well it looks nice ill pay 300.00 today since i brought the lady with the purse. well thats not a bad offer he said. he points to my honey, will you buy her a new brush and some red paint so she can restore it? i said sure well. we'll stop on the way home and get her a brand new brush. hah! well he says ill think about it. but you be sure to stop back. ok i tell him but your never here. oh he says i dont live here. i grew up here i come everyday to feed my horse and dogs. he lives about 4 miles from me, which is 30 miles from the pump. man i thought i had it that day. that was 10 years ago. ive stopped back there 20 times in the last 10 years. & he keeps tellin me to stop back. hes nice to visit with and the farms full of other goodies. hes showed me around several times. but i want that fry. hes old like almost 90. i dont know how long he'll be drivin. i was just there last month again. but no pump. he remembers the 300. & tells everyone that inquires about it that ive been there already. i dont think im gonna ever own it. but man ive sure tried!!! tom.
Posted By: djhubba Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 17 2003 06:02 AM
Good Luck Tom ...be persistant. Maybe he just keeps you visiting because he knows he left it to you in his will and thats your reward for givin' the old guy some social contact...hopefully right? Good luck - hope its yours someday.

Hubba
Posted By: dodogas Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 17 2003 03:09 PM
Man , i thought i heard everything, i've heard of living 26 miles from your woman , but your DOG!!! Never !!!!
Posted By: dodogas Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 17 2003 03:41 PM
Tom , heres a good tip and it may be easier because you already know him. (you didnt metion what he was a customer for) Look around the guys place and figure out what he NEEDS or better LIKES. Then get it for him. A lot of times farmers are using well used patched up old equipment, this is even better, because they usually never had anything BRAND NEW !! So. the idea of a brand new Chainsaw, Leafblower, TV, Fridge, Drill press, Chop Saw etc can sound pretty darn exciting. Just amazing how all of a sudden that old Harley/Indian they would never ever sell leaps on your truck, when you show up with a used running tractor that newer than theirs or theirs is broken!! To quote a buddy, " You are going to give me a BRAND NEW FRIDGE !!! (Costco 300 Canuckbucks) for that old Coke Machine!!!(VENDO 44 working) Are you starting to get the idea?? All that guy wanted was a fridge for the shop , everybody was happy, Bad part at his age , might be hard to find something he wants or needs, GOOD LUCK, Frank
Posted By: Dwaine Buck Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 17 2003 03:59 PM
Well I'll through the one out there about my Tohkiem 850, About 7 years ago, while working, driveing the county roads in the area I was asigned,I stopped near a farmers drive way to cut a burm in some tire tracks left in the mud near the driveway so the water can run out of the road , the ol boy comes out an starts to talk about this an that , I notice while we talked that he had a lot of Signal 1/4 barrels by a dock they made for servicing farm equipment, well I told him about my collecting ol gas an oil stuff, an he said they uses to use Seaside, being they only lived about 1/2 mile from the old bulk plant, I told him ol George had given me some stuff from his station that was a Seaside at one time and because he was so nice to me I was going to have a plaque made in his name and hang it in my Station when I built it,he says "will every one should leave something behind with there name on it ," He says "How big a plaque would I git if I give you a pump," I said a little bigger then Georges, he says "If you can come by this week end and pick it up you can have it, it came from the ol Seaside distributor back in 1952, so I think well its a small tohkiem,or some thing , he says "Its got wrighting on the glass you might not want it, I asked to see it an he said its back in the back of the barn he'll have his boys move it out , well I thought thats it, the BOYS, will get pissed and that will be the end of it , so I show up at 6:30 . well he was up, as I was counting on that , he was about 75, so the boys , ha ha , they're in their 50ties , the pump was out , holy crap ,there it was a Tokhiem 850, no dents,no dings, the faces like new,NOW,you have to look around, can't beieve this can happen, luck isn't that good.
I go over to it and look at the glass, thats what was bothering me, I couldn't brlieve it, on the face glass was etched a triangle with the word Seaside in it plus the sea gull, he comes out and says you better get that thing outa here, my grand sons on his way over to look at the pump, my oldest son told him about it , I said, "I didn't want to be in the middle of a family thing ," he said "you know how long that pumps been in that barn, an they showed no interist in it before ,so we loaded it up, now I'd only been collecting for about 4 months, I had found and remember other pumps but not like this , well its on my website, for some of you that has never seen it on show an tell , ha , http://www.caltel.com/~jlgas/ but I will post a picture of the face glass if I can get it to come out , stand by.


[This message has been edited by Dwaine Buck (edited 03-17-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Dwaine Buck (edited 03-17-2003).]
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 17 2003 04:29 PM
HEY DWAINE, CALVIN IS GONNA GET A BEBE GUN NEXT YEAR, I'LL BRING HIM DOWN TO YOUR PLACE TO PLINK AROUND!! HE HE!! NO ''THAT SEASIDE GLASS IS ONE IN A MILLION I BET.. AWESOME!!!! THE FAMILY THING ALWAYS GETS UNDER MY SKIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAD A DEAL MADE THEN THE KIDS GET WIND OF IT AND RUIN EVERYTHING. I HAD A PUMP LOADED ONE DAY AND THE OLD GUYS WIFE PULLED IN AND THREW A FIT!!! WHAT DO YOU DO?? THE GUY WOULD OF SLEPT IN THE DOG HOUSE FOR A MONTH IF I DROVE OFF WITH IT.. SO I PUT IT BACK AND KEPT CRUISIN. NOW THE PUMP IS GONE, PROBALY AT THE DUMP. JUST A TOKHEIM 39 ,, BUT ,,,,.. THE FACT THAT YOU GOT THAT SEASIDE PUMP IS GREAT, GOOD FOR YOU!!! GREAT STORY.. FRANK..
Posted By: LarryIvy Re: Pump stories - Mon Mar 17 2003 05:33 PM
Frankie,
I will give you five wayne 60's for Calvin ! Or.... at least let me keep him for a few weeks, I bet I can send him home so spoiled that his mom can't stand him. I've been pretty successful doing that with my grandson.
Seriously he is a really cute little pumper.
Probably looks like his mom.
Larry
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Thu Mar 20 2003 02:12 PM
HERE IS A PAIR OF OL'GIRLS WE STUMBLED ONTO ON OUR WAY HOME FROM FISHING. WE SAW WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A PUMP?? LEANING ON THE BARN,? NOPE,,,JUST A TAILGATE AFTER WE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET A GOOD LOOK.. THE GUY WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE, SO WE TOLD HIM OUR STORY ABOUT MISTAKING THE TAIL GATE FOR AN OLD GAS PUMP. HE STARTED LAUGHING!!! HE POINTED AROUND THE BARN AND STARTED CUSSING ABOUT THESE OLD NEVER WORKING PIECES OF JUNK. WHAT LUCK!! HE EVEN OFFERED US BEER!! COULDN'T STAY FOR THAT, HAD A LONG DRIVE AHEAD.. I EVEN CAUGHT SOME STEELHEAD,, WHAT A GREAT TRIP.. FRANK..



[This message has been edited by Frankie (edited 03-20-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Frankie (edited 03-22-2003).]
Posted By: T-way Re: Pump stories - Fri Mar 21 2003 12:53 PM
Frankie:

Damm - you get all the luck! I really want an A-38, but just can't seem to find one locally. Shipping on top of the price on e-bay just doesn't seem to be a good deal to me. Oh well - I'll get me one sooner or later. Just gotta keep my eyes peeled.

Later . . .

Jim
Posted By: Dwaine Buck Re: Pump stories - Fri Mar 21 2003 02:12 PM
Don't want to tell any one what to do, so I'll make a suggestion ,always keep a piece of ply wood in the back of you trucks , you sure crease the sheet metal when you teeter that heavy pump on the tail gate, just a 2x2 is good, 2x6 is better you can push the pump in with out messing up the sight glass or the side of the pump with the longer piece.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Pump stories - Fri Mar 21 2003 03:28 PM
PLYWOOD AND A FOAM CAMPING PAD IS STANDARD ISSUE.. FRANK.
Posted By: gam Re: Pump stories - Wed Mar 26 2003 02:12 AM
I'm a novice compared to most of you guys, but several of my aquisitions are interesting. I told a construction buddy of mine I was looking for an old gas pump. 2 days later there's a Wayne 500 sitting in the middle of my driveway. I can't even get my car past it. His idea of fun!

About a year later, we go clean out an old semi trailer he wants to scrap. Inside is an old tombstone, a set of 392 Hemi heads, and a M&S 80! He takes the tombstone and the heads, I take the pump.

Finally, last summer my dad told me about an old dump near their cottage that was abandoned in the '50's. I go there, hoping to find some old bottles. I spot what appears to be an old water heater, roll it over and just about die when I see the old Wayne script. It's a model 480 in pretty rough shape. Well it's on state land so I ask the DNR if I can have it. They tell me I can have anything there if it helps clean up the area. It's 20 feet down a steep hill and it take a LOT of effort to get the thing out. We had to tie rope to the hitch of a pickup and drag it up the hill. It's going to get a cosmetic resto as the inside are pretty much shot. But hey, it HAD to be saved!

GAM
Posted By: djhubba Re: Pump stories - Wed Mar 26 2003 02:59 AM
Wow Gam - cool - great scores.
Hubba
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