Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Petroliana Value Questions 4 visible pumps

1. First a Wayne 87E that I have been asking about. It is complete, except no manual handle, with the original glass intact. This includes all the guts, allegedly. Weighs a ton. I can't post pictures as I believe that through this forum, people have already tried to snipe it from under my nose. It seems to be rattle can sprayed and seems to have not much rust. What shoudl I expect to pay for this?
2. A Wayne 615 in the same shape except NO guts, BB hole through the original glass. Nice original paint but modern stickers from a oil company I won't name for sake of keeping it from being poached. Again no pictures due to Poachers!
3. A GIlbert and Barker T-176. Paint is horrible and peeling, needs work. All guts inside, glass cracked, but intact original. Missing the hose and nozzle. Again, no pictures!
4. Not sure but I think it's a Wayne 515, or 615.The glass cylinder is original, has a couple of BB holes in it. The Texaco pump plate does not come with it though. Hose and nozzle and everything else does. There is a small amount of cancer and could use restoration. It is kinda rough, but still nice.

The pump pictured is a Wayne 615. Most 615's that are complete without a cylinder, are worth about $650. Then you add the value of the cylinder, which can be worth more than the pump! In this case, a solid cylinder with BB holes is about a $200 item, so your total is about $850 retail.
As far as the others---no pics--no estimate! sorry!

First off, not too many people on this site are going to try and snipe your item, there are a handful like any other place. Secondly, I would agree with Kevin on the value.

...BUY JACK SIM'S BOOK - you can look up the values yourself, and not have to worry about being 'sniped'...

Well, interesting enough, as I was reading through some posts on here, ya'll warned of some snipers on here... And then I called back 2 of the 4 sellers. This after I posted about the first 2 Waynes I found on here, and just to let the sellers know I was still coming up there to get them. They both told me people were calling in from many states away, and that these had sat there for months and no action whatsoever, so I am left only to speculate that the few snipers on here are sniping. Today I found out why. I spoke with a man who was in the business for many years restoring these things for money. LOTS of money as most of you are sure to know. I was kind of shocked about the profit margin. WAY better and faster than restoring cars! Hmmm.... Ya'll may be on to something here. Anyway, I have the info I need due to the first replay. Thanks much. On to my next question, which will be in my post... Also, I bought one book, has not arrived yet, but I don't think I bought THAT book. Going to the book page now.

Lots to learn!!!

Pardon me for being a dummy, but, how? from a picture on here,or any other site, would I find out where something is? and the guys name and phone number? Not trying to sound sarcastic or anything, just looking for info, thanks.

I would say in california that is a $1200 pump all day long!!! jim

I agree Jim-- Tom

I usually don't state an opinion. Maybe some people are making big bucks on restored pumps, but most are not. Restored pumps are hard to sell unless you hit Barrett Jackson or some Good Guys show. I have found that profit margins are small. Just my two cents. Richard

You sure have a lot of charisma. And savvy too.

Hmmm. First of all, thanks for the info and insight. Maybe I'm mistaken, but it seemed a bit fishy to me how everybody showed up at this guys doorstep right after I posted on here, especially since you all told me people snipe. Not necessarily the members, but anybody can read these, right? Second, if somebody was really searching hard for every possible place to find these, then somebody like me claiming I found 4 of them, and then assumes from my post that I'm in norcal, so the pumps must also be, (they are not all in norcal, but for the sake of arguement,) and searched every online resource for these things, they could find them, right? Also, from what I have seen on ebay, there seems to be a large profit margin. I have been told by a restorer that he makes bank doing this. (Tried to sell me one himself that needs to much work and is not as re-sellable. He claims to have been in the biz for 30 years.) Anyway, as i've said, I'm a newbie and exploring this "thing" you guys are all bitten and smitten by. I want a visible for actual pumping of gas. I have been told that these are rebuildable to pump, and that they work very well, and are reliable, and, correct me/him if he is wrong, you can put gas in the acrylic replacement glass??? So any help along those lines I would really appreciate. If I come up with some pumps that ya'll may like to purchase after I get the one I want... I wil be sure to turn them all out to ya'll!
Thanks.

I wouldn't be putting gasoline in a acrylic cylinder. Gasoline will break down and dissolve the cylinder. Also the acrylic cylinder doesn't have the wall strength to withstand the pressure exerted by expanding gasoline during warm weather. Most importantly acrylic cylinder is combustible not the medium that you would want to store gasoline in.

I think you have been mislead by this source at several levels. Restoring pumps is not as lucrative as you have been led to believe.

Dave, thank you very much, both for the advice on the acrylic issue as well as the "biz". It's just when I see these things on Ebay for $13,000??? Yikes! I know it takes time to do the work, but if it is something you do regularly, and you have the shop and tools. This person, who said he was in teh biz for thirty years, claims he has many that he is restoring and only want's to sell the ones his friends didn't come up with the money for, and that they are not complete. Also wants more than the ones I've found elsewhere. He says he can build them in about 2-3 weeks, and does it for the movies, museums, and personal clients, etc. What do I know.... Nothing! Just trying to learn because going from just just buying a simple 12 volt transfer pump to this has changed my outlook on life. I have already spent money here and I don't have a single item of petroliana. I bought the restoration book which arrived yesterday. After finishing my work for the day, I stayed up till 3:00 AM reading it! Nice book. No I am armed, (with tools), and dangerous! (with just enough info to get myself in trouble), so I am off to the races to buy a pump. This brings me to my next question(s) which I will post next:

IYHO, should I: buy a hollow but nice 615 unit for $800 that has a bullet hole in the cylinder, AND the complete 87E unit ($1200) and rob the parts of the working mechanism and complete glass cylinder from the 87E unit and assemble them into a perfect, but vintage looking 615, and restore to perfect condition, cosmetically speaking, the 87E and sell it? Or... Buy them both and restore them both "as is" and leave the 87E parts in it, (since that will satisfy my need for a working pump, either manually operable or powered)and put the empty 615 in my "man cave" (shop), not really a man cave, although this would apparently begin that process...