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#18797 Sun Dec 21 2003 12:50 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,791
Likes: 9
J
Veteran Member
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J
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,791
Likes: 9
I came into this hobby from the old car hobby. I had a number of Model T Fords over the years (and a few other cars, 1930 Studebaker, 1923 Dodge)and I always wanted a gas pump to go with the cars. I did have the opportunity to go to a shop that was closing. I went with my boss and he spied a visible pump (it turned out to be a Wayne 515) that looked pretty good so he grabbed it. He left me a visible pump that didn't look too good (glass cylinder gone, etc) but I purchased it anyway. It turned out to be a rare St. Louis visible. I was hooked.
A few months later an Mobil oil jobber was moving to make way for a big shopping center, and it was only three blocks from my home so I went over there and asked him if I could look over the place for anything he didn't want. He told me to take anything I wanted. I came home with a box filled with NOS Mobil ad glass, a Bowser Siamese and about 5 Tokheim 300 pumps. All for just the taking.
Now I was really hooked. I got on a Saturday morning yard sale program on the radio and said I wanted to purchase any old gas pump anyone had.
I got a call, and after needeling the guy I found out he had 100 gas pumps in about 4 different building and they were all for sale. Actually everying in the place that he didn't want was for sale. The place was about a 100 miles outside of St. Louis, but we made the trip every Saturday morning for about 3 weeks, negociating with the owner. On the third trip, he agreed to sell everything he didn't want for $700.00.
After I handed the cash over to him we hit the loft pulling out all the NOS signs. He was a Marathon jobber, but had been a Conoco jobber before. We pulled down boxes of NOS signs, there were cases after cases of Conoco grease and oils that he had never sold. We put as much as we could in my wife's brand new Camry (it was draging the ground in the rear) and headed home.
For I don't know how many Saturdays we made the 100 mile trip in my truck to retrive gas pumps. Originally he wanted the pumps and motors so we were gutting them there and then taking the pumps home. By mid afternood we were so dirty and smelled of old gas we couldn't go anywhere but a drive-in to get anything to eat.
Gutting these pumps got a little old, so we started taking them home with the guts in them and not bothering to take the guts back.
Along with the 100 pumps we got boxes of smalls, Conoco pole holders, and one day the owner came over and handed me globe from a very small jobber in Southern Illinois and said I could have it. Still today, I open a old box and find things I got out of these buildings.
This was all during the late winter and early spring that we were moving all these pumps. About this time I heard about a petroleum show that was being held in Des Moines, so I decided to restore a pump and take it up there with all the signs, etc, we had and see what we could do.
I will continue this story tommorow.
Jack Sim


Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
Please use For Sale forums to sell

Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category

Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
#18798 Sun Dec 21 2003 01:13 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 912
T
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T
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 912
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#18799 Sun Dec 21 2003 09:27 AM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 539
Likes: 2
R
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R
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 539
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Back in the 80's????????
Wasn't that yesterday?


ROD [Mich.]
#18800 Sun Dec 21 2003 09:49 AM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 494
P
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 494
Interesting story Jack,can't wait for more.
Was that 100 pumps plus for $700.00
---JERRY

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JERRY

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