Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Restore to look old?

As you may recall, I bought this "Victor Meter Pump" while attending the Escalon Calif. Bash last week. I brought it home, and decided to try something different. I'm sure some of you will roll your eyes, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money, and I wanted to make it displayable quickly. I also really like the way old original pumps look. So here's what I did.

This is the way I got the pump. I straightened out the skins the best I could, removed the "dual glass visi-guage" and wire brushed the castings and skins. I painted the castings with semi-gloss black, and painted the skins with a lime green base coat. I got a bottle of liquid "crackle" from "Michaels" they sell art supplies and dry flowers for art/craft type arrangements. The liquid is for "aging" effect. I brushed a coat of it over the green base. I then let it dry, and painted a semi-gloss red over the green color. As it dried, the lines began to show up, looking like old "crazing" in the paint. The green color showing through the red. I wire brushed the cast iron shades over the face plates, and the bezel, and painted them with a cast iron paint I have.
I soaked the sight glass housings in a stripper, and then wire brushed them. Put the new clear cylinders in and bolted it all back together. Put the skins on, bolted them down, and took these photos. In all, it took me about two days, including the "honey do's" in between.
It's not a "classy" restoration, but for less than $40. and a little fun time in the garage, I'm real happy with how it turned out.

The finished pump.

This shows the age lines in the paint a bit better. Yes, I just left the old "leaded" signs on the skins.

This shows the face and the sight glass. Oh by the way, I found out it was brass. Some of the cast housing around the face plate has been melted in a fire. Oh well, it looks old.

A different view of the twin sight glass. Cool.
Ok, lets have the feedback, I can take it!

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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

[This message has been edited by oltoydoc@pacbell.net (edited 03-13-2004).]

I think it looks great, for now.

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www.vintage-logos.com

That is So GROSS !!..The LOCK I mean..looks way to new!! The rest of it is perfect , really well done. On original pumps every scratch has a story, see a minty shiny overpainted one, it doesnt speak to you like the look you got on yours NICE......dodogas

That's right dodo, you are the "lock king". I had forgotten 'bout that. I'm sorry, I'm headed out to take it off now.

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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

NICE Don.
Looks better than HOTRODDED showroom finished with clear coating & polished brass. Something the grandkids can TOUCH !!! Will look even better when it fades a little.
Dick

Looks great Don. I really like it. Old but not nasty! Great ideas.

Outstanding job Don, there is a reason barn fresh pumps with good original paint are worth so much, its a classic look. I've restored lots of pumps, lots of chrome & base clear paint, new everything, and after I spend $1000+ on finishing them, I still like the look of my original paint pumps better, and wind up selling them. I enjoy looking at nicely restored pumps, in shiny well lit rooms with checkboard tile floors, but I think when I build my next shop and showroom, it will be barn board walls, plank floors with original vintage (looking) paint on the pumps. Just my opinion, but Dodo and I have talked about this 1000 times, and he's convinced me thats the way to go.

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Lance
pogogas@telus.net
www.pogogas.com

[This message has been edited by pogogas (edited 03-13-2004).]

Nice work Don! Looks good.

Not to shabby Don.I think thats the way it
should look.Old but clean.

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JERRY

I like the look you have going there. Just might have to try that out. The weathered look works well.

Pretty nice Don, I've thought about doing this before. I just need another pump now...

BTW what is that round sign that is green and looks like it starts with a G?

Fabulous..Ironically i thought about doing this too Don but have yet to do it..Now I have to cause it looks GREAT. I think you got a General sign in the back there like the 2 I just picked up...Good eye cans and stuff. COOL DON..I DIG IT

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Hubba the GAS GEEK , OIL FREAK of Shoreline WA

Yes, that's a pile of signs that I took down off my building and fences. Ready to haul to Oregon. It is a "General"


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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

Don,
Fix the nozzle, and start pump'n !!!!

Don, very thought provoking post, I really like the concept. IDEA, I have so many pumps that truthfully I will probably never get 100% of them restored to mint. When I come into total realization of this I may take 10 or so and do as you did here.
I occasionally do a little work for the movie studio here in town and I saw a lot of building something new and making it look old. There are some really great minds and craftsmen behind the scenes in the movie industry. To me when something looks genuinely old it has more character than something that looks "mint out of the box".
Good info Don!!
Sincerely,

Neal Dunn gpf