Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion My first pump project, where to start

I think I've finally found an affordable, unrestored pump that is fairly local. It's a Bowser and from what I can tell is a 585 model. I pick it up this weekend (hopefully) and my plan is to restore and sell it to finance my next pump. I need to prove to the wife that I can do this before taking on a personal project with no short term return.

Some of the first questions I have:

0. Is this a good pump for a beginner? Parts readily available?

1. What are some popular brands to restore this as? Personally I like Gulf and Sinclair color schemes, but are there brands that people stay away from doing?

2. Does anyone doing these restores contract out all the work? Right now my plan is to have a local machine shop do the sandblasting, a local chrome shop do that and a local body shop do the priming and painting. I guess that just leaves assembly for me. Is this normal?

3. For globes, do most people use repops or originals?

4. Do most of you remove the pump and mechanics or leave all that in?


Thanks. I'm very excited about finally being able to work on one of these.

Okay, here's my 2cents worth. I've restored quite a few pumps over the years, but not as many as other members here. I've found that if you're going to sell it to John Doe- everyday guy that knows nothing about pumps, he'll usually always go for the red & white colors; Texaco / Mobil. I always gut the pump to make it lighter to handle. I do my own stripping down of paint & painting myself. By the time you contract out the work, you'll get too much expense into it. In today's market, restored common pumps are hard to sell at a profit to average "Joe". I've done some Bowser 575's & they are a good one to start with. Be careful before you start & glean as much info as possible from others. This site will be a good starting place. Good luck.

TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES & BURN TO A CD. COMPUTERS DO CRASH & INFO WILL BE LOST, BEEN THERE DONE IT!
YOU MIGHT NOT THINK YOU'LL NEED SOME PICTURES, TAKE THEM ANYWAY.
YOU CAN'T TAKE ENOUGH on your 1st pump
Buy your signage/decals, globe & have Paint mixed to match. You'll be happier in the long run than using company PPG colors as not all Repop items fallow the correct colors.

Just some usefull advise from somone on a budget. First off, do as much of the work as you can yourself. Think hard about return on investment for everything you do. Common pumps will not be selling to top dollar collectors, so it does not pay to do a top dollar restoration unless it is for your own enjoyment. Most chrome parts can be replaced with repop for cheaper than rechroming. If chrome is not badly damaged, it will usualy buff out pretty well. If chrome is damaged you can remove chrome and buff the aluminum under it. You will be surprised at the result (I was). Repop signs & Globe (most people don't want to pony up the extra $ for the real deal) O'reilly's sells a good color of red paint if using spray gun (custom colors at the paint shop are expensive). If you don't have a sandblaster, use a wire wheel with your drill, then sand (more work & time consuming but cheaper than paying to have it done). Trash the guts (cash in at the scap yard for extra project $). This is my opinion only, and only applies to common pumps that will be sold to "Joe" for his Man Cave. If doing a rare or valuable pump for a serious collector or your own pleasure, spend the extra $ and do the pump justice. Hope my 4 cents helps.

Thanks for the replies. This sparks a few more questions.


Is there a list somewhere of "common" pumps versus "rare"?

What is a good target amount to have wrapped up in total for the pump in question? My target was <$1000 total.

How do I ensure that the decals, signage and globe match, or are at least very close?

I'm thinking of doing a Mobiloil, Sinclair HC or Gulf since I like those color schemes.

There is a guy here in St. Louis with some common pumps that look very nice and he's had them listed for a long time at $1700. Is this in the ballpark for retail on these more common pumps?

Thanks guys, I look forward to contributing and will take many pictures to share. Maybe someday I can help another noob.

NO. It will take some time to figure out what YOU consider RARE/DESIRABLE [WE all have OUR likes & dislikes]. Get a Copy of Illustrated Guide to Gas Pumps by Jack Sim.

Buy from same dealer/vendor.

That's a Good Starting Budget.

That's a Pig N a Poke!
What are the pumps?
How many?
Are they Complete?
Are they in Good Condition?

It's YOUR pump, do it in the company YOU like & Restore it to YOUR STANDARDS.

I've been restoring these things for a number of years. If you farm out all the work, you will not be very productive in the long run. As with all things in life, the more control over a project, the more return you'll have. Do not expect to get rich, either way. It won't happen. Consider restoring a pump as theropy and do not promise your wife that this will give you a needed boost in your income.....it will not, usually. Good luck, Paul www.severngaspumps.com

Everybody's post have been dead thus far. Have you tried to sell the pump before restoration begains? Sometimes getting the customer involved brings a little more money. Another thing I do to cut down on cost is I do all the work but the painting no time to learn like now. When I have it painted I got to a local body shop who most of the time has am apprentice and I just pay him cash to paint it. The body shop is happy because the apprentice gets some paint time and the apprentice gets some cash.

I too am on my first resto - I also budgeted $1000 and I am on my way to hitting under that. You need to do a lot of the work yourself or you will not net a whole lot and your wife will be in your grill. I know that this is just to finance the next project, but you still need to maximize your profit. Sounds like you have a good plan, stick with it and enjoy it - this is a VERY theraputic hobby and the results are FANTASTIC. Lastly, the guys on this forum are an incredible resource for everything from parts to advice to a little BSing, so utilize it.

ENJOY

BIGTOM

Bowser 585 is a common pump with lots of parts available. Phillips 66 used Bowser pumps alot so that would be a good choice also and they look good in orange. Do as much work as you can on your own. The Bowser 585 should not need any chrome work as the trim is all stainless steel. Just clean and polish it. As for the paint if you have never painted before I would let a body shop do that unless you are going to rattle can it but that does not sound like the approach you are taking. Repo on the globe unless you are going to keep the pump for yourself and it is kept inside. An original globe will blow your budget. Remove the guts and take them to the scrap yard.

My first pump I did was a Bowser 575 in Phillips 66. I was a little over your budget figure when I was done but I also work for a Ford dealership that has a body shop so I got a discount on the labor to paint it. My pump was also complete and in good shape only missing 1 part.

Have fun and if you need any advice or parts let us know.

Keith

Just got confirmation it's mine! My dad went and paid for it today. I feel like I got a good deal at $300. Now to just get to Ohio and pick it up.

Anyone have a recommendation of a site to buy the decals, globe, etc from?

...Mike Slama makes the best decals, IMO...he has a nice selection of globes and ad glass, too...

http://www.slamaglobe.com/

All of the guys gave you good advice. I will just add a couple things that I didnt see anyone else say. Get your decals first and have the paint shop match the paint to the decals. Do not even bother with the original paint codes. If the paint doesnt match the decal (and original codes usually dont) it sticks out like a sore thumb.
The other advice I can give is try to get your wife and kids (if you have them) involved in some way. Even if its just helping select the brand/colors/globe. When they have some "skin in the game" they cut you more slack and can actually get into it.
Good luck, have fun.
John

Keith, you bring up a good question. Is it best to restore a pump to a brand that actually used that model of pump? Obviously I can do whatever I want, but I'm thinking about what a collector would prefer.

After looking at hundreds of globes I'm leaning heavily towards Sinclair or Shamrock. Any feedback on those? I'm preferential to green schemes and I'm irish, thus the Shamrock. Third choice would be Mobil special.

I know for sure its a bowser and the seller is going to look for a model#. He did say he has a second one that is taller, so I guess this is a short model.

Very excited.
Jim

Btw, here are those other pumps I mentioned.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/for/2399387195.html