| Some folks might remember seeing this pump listed previously on our web site? It is an extremely Rare Visible gas pump from 1926. It is a Model 400 UD five gallon gravity feed pump, called a Birmingham. A name derived from the company of manufacture. It was built only one year by the Birmingham Boiler Works in Birmingham, Alabama. This company has no history of ever building any gas pumps before 1926 nor any after? That's what makes this unit so valuable. I had a gentleman from Colorado contact me who realized the need to preserve history. He wanted it for his collection and asked us to do the restoration here before we sent it West to his home. We started the work in February of this year, 2019, and just completed it yesterday, July 30th. As the pictures show, it needed a full face lift. Many parts were damaged but workable. Some things were missing. Signage was designed and produced. An original globe and lenses were tracked down and procured. Bright metals polished...all the while we were beating out the original metal body and getting it ready for the final finish. The after pictures show the finished product. This is the culmination of two "old guys" who work pretty well together. The first in my cousin, Bobby Johns who is a magician with body hammers. He is the best. Finally, he drops the panels to me for the paint and re-assembly. I would be the second "old guy" in this picture of progress. We are proud of our workmanship. Hope you agree? |
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In January, we were contacted by a gentleman in Arizona who originally built three 1937 Wayne Model 60, working, gasoline pumps being used in Gustavus Dray, Alaska. He wanted us to build a fourth, as he no longer had the health to tackle another challenge like this. We then found our selves working with the owners of the Gustavus Dray Mobil Gas Station, in Alaska. I used a team here. There were five of us "old guys" involved....With the help of Tom Buckles of Carthage, Indiana, who provided a pump to restore. Joe Yocum of Carrollton,Georgia rebuilding a working mechanical computer. Bobby Johns of Severn, Maryland for the major body repairs. Timmy Singleton of Pasadena, Maryland who supplied and set up the meter, calibrated the computer, and plumbed for no leaks. Finally with me, Paul Hittle of Severn Gas Pumps, Severn, Maryland doing all dis-assembly, blasting, electrical, plumbing mock-up, re-chroming, polishing, paint inside and out, cut/buffing, re-assembly, packing and shipping.
Many hours went into this restoration but the final product was worth it.
Here are some before and after pictures to show the way we work in our business.
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| We
had a 1924 Shotwell 200, "Private Garage" gas pump
that a customer brought to us. It was installed in his Grand
Father's garage when it was built in 1924. The Grand Father
was a "Country Doctor" in New Jersey who made house
calls, as was common at the time. At that time in history,
there were not a lot of gas stations, as we know them today.
His Grand Father needed to have a supply of gasoline, available
to power his Model T on visits, no matter what time of day.
We restored this to the original factory colors of Deep Maroon
and Black. I hope his Grand Father would approve? It is now
a cherished family heirloom. |
