severngaspumps.com Blog

In March, we took in a restoration project for a guy from Upstate New York. It was pretty much a basket case as seen in the pictures. Although the pump was assembled with the minimum of fasteners, there was a box and bags of the necessary stuff to complete? As with all cases of this kind, not all the parts were there…..funny how that seems to “always” be the case? We have done a lot of work on this unit and are making head way. Always a challenge, but you can see the results of your labor at the end of the day. Pump will be a custom Gulf when completed.

We have been working steadily on this unit. It is starting to come together. We got the new skins back last Friday and realized that the original pump had been dropped sometime, in it’s life. The upper skins were an inch out of fit. On Saturday, we set the pump on a pallet on the forklift and chained the lower frame to the lifts’ framework. Using plenty of furniture blankets, to protect the finished paint. Placing a porta power against a wood block, attached to the lift, we pushed the whole top section into the original position. Luckily, it only took an hour to get it right. As they say, there are no books telling how to restore these units. Each one has a different problem which needs attention.  The new skins look great and we will be doing paint real soon.

Several months ago, I got a phone call from a guy named Bill.  Bill was from Florida, via New York.  He had some questions about the lot of 180 gas pumps that we had for sale. We spoke at length and he said he’d get back to me? I get this a lot from people. A couple of weeks ago, Bill called back with a few more questions. I answered as best I could and invited him to stop by and have a look. He said he was serious and was working on moving this many units. I heard from Bill a week ago, to ask about  making an appointment for yesterday, May 3rd. to drop by and solidify a deal…….he was serious as his truck was on the way and due to arrive this morning for the first load! We started loading the pumps this morning at 8 A.M. and finished around 1 P.M. There was a total of 91 pumps and parts on this load which filled the trailer fully. He is due back, in a few weeks for the balance of 94 along with other things he wants to head south. If you look at the picture of all the pumps, in this lot as compared to how many were moved today…..we made a dent! The last picture shows Bill Sr; Bill Jr. and the trucker Willy……notice how worn out they look!

We were lucky enough to get in several good days, last week, on this restoration.  The pictures tell the tale.  As always, we had to prime the entire pump, inside and out.  Next we decided to paint the interior with auto enamel black.  Even though it will not be seen, it needed to be done correctly to eliminate the chance of rust.  I am planning on the new skins arriving this coming week to allow for fitting and paint?  More to follow.

We have been working on this restoration for a while.  If you’ll go back a bit, on this blog,you can see the original condition before we started. It has been quite an experience.  Parts are being made to replace those that were too far gone.  There is a lot of fabrication going into reviving this old unit.  I’ll keep pictures updated as we progress.

We have just returned from doing the Barrett Jackson Auction in West Palm Beach. The very nice weather was terrific.  Our outside vendor location was quite busy. We were twenty feet from the staging area. This is  where the cars, slated for sale are positioned and wiped down right before the auction. It was the first time that we had a front row display of all the great stuff going in to be auctioned off.  They even sold a small submarine….yellow of course!  Reminded me of the Beatles song.  If you get the chance to attend one of the Barrett Jackson Auctions, you should give it a try.  They are really something to see.  Here are some photos I took while there.  First is the midway before opening,  our booth, and staging area.

Well, it’s official. We have been enlisted to participate in the Barrett Jackson Auction in West Palm Beach, Florida on April 5-7.  I’m really looking forward to this opportunity. This auction company is one of the finest, in the country. They take great care in vendor and customer support. Here’s hoping I’ll get to meet some of you at the auction?

I just returned from spending the month of January in the “Valley of the Sun.”  As we have done for the past eight years, we travel to Scottsdale, Az. to be vendors at the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction. One way is 2410 miles as indicated on my odometer. The road trip is breathtaking and is something that I recommend highly. Weather in Arizona, in January, is usually 70 degrees and sunny. Not really hard to take, huh? We had a terrific time at the show. Saw many old friends and met some new ones.

Our vendor booth is pictured.

One photo shows a hot air ballon taking off in the morning red sky.

The mountain is called Pinnacle Peak. It is a popular hiking trail in North Scottsdale. If you are looking for a winter getaway, you owe it to yourself to do this once. After the first time, you won’t be a stranger for long.

During the Great Depression, I’ve been told, a person would see this type of sign posted on automobiles traveling to better locations…or so they hoped? Well, I’m on my way to Arizona as I am every year, at this time. I’ll be set up selling my wares at the Barrett Jackson Auction. The Auction is a great place to see some fantastic cars and meet some terrific people. It is well worth the trip. I’ll be returning at the end of January. If I am needed, you can call my cell. The shop will be manned so if there is something you need, please just call ahead. We get really busy at this time of year. Don’t want to miss your call. Thanks, Paul

Because I have been doing restorations for a really long time, I have seen a bunch of things that other folks might have missed? Yesterday, a gentleman came into my shop with this Wayne Cut Model 576 Clock-face gas-pump. We are slated to do a complete restoration from ground up.  I was a bit surprised at the condition as it came from near the Atlantic Ocean and the salt air really did a number on the skins. Luckily, there is enough there for patterns to use in making new pieces. The uniqueness of this unit is that it was a very early version of the clock-face pumps. It is still hand operated.  This model was built at a time when most of these pumps were using electric motors to draw the gasoline out of the storage tanks. Very interesting to say the least. The pictures show how it arrived. You will see it as we work on a final finished pump. It will take a rather long time as parts need to be acquired, which presents a challenge.