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#16071 Mon Oct 27 2003 02:11 PM
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Just a little survey here. How do you fellow petromaniacs find your stuff. I know the obvious: antique shops, garage sales, auctions and rubber necking while driving down the road. But does anyone have some real method of locating and scoring unrestored pumps on a consistant basis that you wouldn't mind sharing. Thanks for all the responses in advance.

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#16072 Mon Oct 27 2003 02:46 PM
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STOP AT AN OLDER PLACE THAT SAY,, HAS AN OLD TRACTOR AND OTHER STUFF LAYING AROUND,, STUFF THAT IS VISIBLE FROM THE ROAD.. ASK ABOUT A CERTAIN ITEM,, AND IF THE PEOPLE ARE NICE, KEEP GOING AND ASK ABOUT PUMPS.. IF THEY GIVE YOU THE TYPICAL BACK AND FORTH MOTION WITH THEIR ARM [REFERRING TO A HAND OPERATED VISIBLE] AND THEN TELL YOU TO GO LOOK BEHIND THE BARN.. THEN YOUR IN,, IF THEY SEEM UNSURE AS TO WHAT IN THE WORLD YOUR TALKING ABOUT,, EXPLAINE TO THEM ABOUT A SERVICE STATION FROM THE 50'S OR 60'S,, AND USALLY THEY CAN RELATE AND POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.. THIS ONLY WORKS ON FRIENDLY PEOPLE,, AND YOU MUST BE FRIENDLY YOURSELF.... I HAVE FOUND MORE PUMPS THAT WERE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE ROAD THAN ONES I ACTUALLY COULD SEE,, ASK AROUND,, JUST TALK TO PEOPLE AND IT WILL SURPRISE YOU WHAT IS TUCKED AWAY OUT OF SITE.. THATS HOW I DO IT........ T-BONE..........

#16073 Mon Oct 27 2003 05:37 PM
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Frankie, I mean T-BONE has the best system. When you see a place that looks like a good candidate for finding old junk, stop and ask. Sometimes you have to be persistant, but always be nice.

I the immediate area around me there are no pumps left. Most that were owned by the farmers were cleaned out in about a two week period more than six years ago. The ones that belonged to the distributors were hauled back the the bulk plants when the underground tank laws changed. Those were either sold or scrapped in short order.
We can't look behind old barns for pumps around here because the barns are gone too! Most of the old farmsteads have been cleared.
Bob


Wanted: Gas pump globes:Sinclair & affiliates, IL companies. Ripple bodies. Anything Sinclair, Stoll, Pierce, 4 Bros.


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#16074 Mon Oct 27 2003 05:51 PM
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Well..I first ride the roads..stop in all the small towns and check the gas Bulk plants..a key to finding the plants is most of the plants are in towns with a railroad thru the town. I have been restoring pumps for over 10 years and know alot of people which have become spotters for finding pumps is other states. There is still a few pumps on farms and plantations..and of course petro shows, i have found alot at the shows....I have had up to 200 pumps but am down to 125 - 150 at this time..good luck in hunting those pumps

Mark Sconyers.....Memories Restored

#16075 Mon Oct 27 2003 06:30 PM
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TO FIND PUMPS IN MY AREA? IT DOESN'T HURT TO OFFER A $25 FINDERS FEE OR SOMETHING OF EQUAL VALUE, IF YOU CAN GET THE PUMP BOUGHT.TALK TO YOUR LOCAL GARBAGE MAN,MY GARBAGE MAN COVERS A FIVE TOWN AREA AND HE STOPS AT FARMS TO.HE HAS FOUND ME TWO VISIBLES AND A CLOCK FACE.ALSO I HAVE A BROTHER IN LAW THAT DRIVES A ROAD GRADER FOR THE COUNTY THAT GRADES ROCK AND DIRT ROADS. WHEN HE FINDS ME A PUMP, I COOK STEAKS ON THE GRILL AT MY PLACE. AND LET ME TELL YOU I'VE GRILLED STEAKS FIVE TIMES FOR HIM,AND ENJOYED EVERY TIME.ALSO IF YOU HAVE A COUNTY SHOP, TALK TO THE ROCK TRUCK DRIVERS AND BRIDGE CREWS AND MOWERS. AND WHEN YOUR DRIVING THE BACK ROADS, HIT THE DEAD END ROADS TOO. HAPPY HUNTING!!!

#16076 Mon Oct 27 2003 07:33 PM
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CAUTION.... never but never go onto a farmer's property without permission. If you do you will be introduced to the sound of a 30-06 cracking over your head in our part of the state!! And the first shot is only a warning. Like my buddy used to say 'If you run, you'll only die tired' and he MEANT it so be careful!!!

#16077 Tue Oct 28 2003 05:14 PM
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I have had good luck driving around looking
for pumps, but a even better idea is to make
all your friends aware that you will take care of them (food, money, etc.) if they let
you know anytime they see a pump. Most of my
pumps were found by someone other than myself. Finding them is hard, talking the owner into selling can be even harder.

#16078 Tue Oct 28 2003 10:25 PM
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Being nice and polite is key. Looking clean cut is another plus. When they answer the door I usally give my first name and let them know I live in the same town. Then I go on from their. Best place to look , right in your local area. Dig deeper, they are out there, garanteed! Look where the others have not thought to look. I even pulled one out of the Hacienda Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, before they emploded it. How many of you would have thought to look behind a fairly modern casino for an old pump? It was a Wayne 100. They ARE OUT THERE!!!

Happy Hunting! Rob

[This message has been edited by Gas Pump Rob (edited 10-28-2003).]

#16079 Wed Oct 29 2003 03:22 PM
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All these guys are exactly right! I use the same approach. Don't count out the ones you can see from the road. There was a nice Wayne 60 in my area that everyone said you couldn't buy. It was right beside the road. I stopped by one day and thought I'd try my luck. The woman was nice and I was too, the most she had ever been offered for that 60 was $50. My first offer was $200. She jumped on that so quick it made my head spin and to top it off she had both (mint) Atlantic White Flash doors) in the barn and 2 other Atlantic signs (mint) on the shelf. It never hurts to ask even if it can be seen from the road.

Mike


KJV Psalms 16:11

Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
in thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
#16080 Sat Nov 01 2003 03:09 AM
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One thing I started doing was to carry a disposable camera in a ziploc bag with me in the pick-up.
If I see a pump in a farmers yard I stop and ask if I can take a picture of his pump... it's a pretty good opener... then I ask him to stand by the pump and take some more pics.
You wouldn't believe how farmers like to get their pics taken. Then they start to talk and actually are quite interesting and very informative... one of them even had a Penometer up in his hayloft.
When I get the film developed I get doubles... give them copies and always put my name... address.... phone # and email address on the back of one of them just in case they ever decide to part with the pump.
You ought to see the way they light up when they get the pics..... just deliverd some last weekend to a guy with a Wayne 83 that he still uses.
bob

#16081 Sat Nov 01 2003 05:29 AM
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Husky: That is very creative. I'm sure fellow collectors are getting some good ideas on here. One thing I just added to my arsenal is a pair of binoculars for checking farm yards well off the road. To my west coast collectors, does drinking rodeo pop help or diminish pump finding abilities?

#16082 Sat Nov 01 2003 06:57 AM
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Ohio, I'll get back to you on the pumps & rodeo pop after I have a few more! If I'm out looking, I wait until the trip is done for the day. Some farmers are very religious. But, it doesn't hurt to stop at a local watering hole & strike up a conversation with the crowd in there. Have a picture or two of pumps with you; It seems to jog their memories.

#16083 Sat Nov 01 2003 10:11 AM
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Tom.... Thanks for reminding me... I forgot to mention that I do carry a small photo album with me with the pics of farmers by their gas pumps... my old gas station and car... and it too helps in striking up conversations......
bob

#16084 Mon Nov 03 2003 07:38 PM
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Another good trick, when driving around get someone else to drive, that way you can see way better on really scour the landscape. Also fall, winter and early spring you can sometimes see pumps that you never will see with leaves on trees. In our town we now have double-decker buses. It is truly amazing what you can now see in peoples yards.
Also if you are in a 4x4 or higher vehicle, you can see better over highway barriers, found 1 pump I never ever saw from a car or when i was driving, just could not see over the big barrier curb...dodogas


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