He still wont sell it !

[Dusty]

I first saw this "Sandwich" engine in 1976 when he hauled it home. It hasnt moved since and is sinking further down in the dirt. The man still wont part with it, saying he plans to run it someday. You've got to admire him for not giving up hope. Too bad he wont cover it up though.

 

[Joe A]

Dusty-

Buy a tarp and some rope and go over there and offer to cover it for him. I understand this would be out of your pocket, but it would be worth it in my opinion.

Joe

 

[Patrick Marsh]

He WILL sell or trade it. You just have not offered something he wants. Visit with him regularly, talk to him find out what knid of things he would like to have. Once this is known then you can go get trading material. This may take months or years but it does work. I have traded dog food and chicken feed for engines. I have traded rifles for engines. I traded a septic system for an engine. I have bailed hay for a tractor. I have traded liqour for a thrashing machine. I've chopped tobacco for a tractor. All of the above deals were NOT FOR SALE the first, second, and third time I asked. People are funny, not everyone puts value on cash.

 

[Marty]

I have a nearly identical situation with a IHC 6 hp. "M" that I'm in love with as I found it by accident. It sits outside and worries me so. The last time I was over to "talk engines" with him, I offered to buy the tarp and rope to cover it and he said "no". Last week I stopped out again since my brother came in from out of state to show him and by golly the old timer had at least covered the low tension mag and had obviously run it in the last couple weeks. Dusty, that's a sweet looking engine and I too would like to get my hands on it. As much as we dislike it, we have to resign ourselves to the fact that it is his engine to do with as he pleases but it seems such a pity that odds are he will never do anything with it and by the time it does come into your ownership, it will have been molested and or badly stuck from the elements. If you want the dern thing, odds are you'll get it but it takes persistance and patience, both of which you have seemed to apply toward this engine. Try for the sake of the engine, to get permission to cover it... that will buy some time anyway and make you less worrisome about it. It will also help hide it, increasing your chances of being it's next caretaker. I really like the engine and am rooting for you to get it. "may the Force be with you" !

 

[Mike]

Dusty, you might consider trading him a nice running, painted up Fairbanks Morse Z in trade or a similar more common engine that is already restored and running. Maybe he just wants a running engine and doesn't care if it is a Sandwich or FM. Good luck. Mike

 

[Fairbanks_Kid]

Nice old engine, but Im not sure if I would trade a good F/M for it? It looks to me though Dusty it might be exposed to snow in the winter? If I wasnt so busy with my latest project, I would have to slip up there and have a peek for myself. Maybe even seek out any F/M goodies.

 

[chan mason]

Dusty----try taking an inexpensive (as in Wal-Mart) squirt oil-can filled with 50-50 mix of motor oil & kerosene with you next time you go over there, and tell the gentleman that it should be protected from the elements, and ask if it's alright to lube it up for whoever the future owner may be (hopefully, you). If he says no, then just leave the can with him, and pray that he will do it himself. Can't hurt !

 

[Marty]

I agree with Chan cept I wouldn't make mention of "the future owner" if I were you, there are as many mysteries about the owners as there is the engines. Also any chance you get, roll the engine over thru at least 4 cycles so everything has a chance to move. This is to help preserve "your" engine. He isn't stupid by any means. He will see the dedication you put forth and this will carry you farther than any monitary offer you could make him ! Try to spend some time with him talking engines but don't bring up the topic of buying the Sandwich. Try to use good judgement on not becoming a nuisence to him and yet often enough to let him know you haven't forgotten about the engine. Like a rusted bolt, he will give in with enough persuasion. Who knows, he could actually become a good friend and maybe he's got some interesting stories he'd love to share with someone.

 

[George & Helen Myers]

The owner knows as long as he has the engine you will you visit him. After you get the engine, will you still visit him? One collector's story was that after he acquired an engine, under similar cicumstances, that after the restoration was complete he took the previous owner along to local shows to exhibit the engine. The previous owner was very happy. Don't know your situation. Don't we all own items that we won't part with but have no interest in them now except that they are ours! Been there, done that!

 

[Cal Watford]

It seems the older we get, the less inclined we are to part with our "things". I have been trying to buy a small Worthington from a gentleman who also has a Hercules that was his fathers and he remembers going to the railway station with his dad to pick it up. The station and railway no longer exist. I have talked with him several times. THe last visit I offered to completely restore his Hercules free of charge, Put it on a small cart etc, if he would sell his Worthington. No luck, and will not try again. His comment to me was, What do you know about the worth of a Worthington that I don't. I explained that I wasn"t out to cheat him. Just hated to see both engines go to ruin, and I would like to have the Worthington in my collection I too have items I dont want to part with. I have already reached my three score and ten and holding on to them recalls the past when Im not sure of the future.

 

[Tim Godwin]

for the engines sake cover it up. if he dosnt cover it up and does try to restore it some day it will be even harder. trust me i no.

 

[dusty]

sorry guys for a late response. My computer crashed right after I posted that photo of the Sandwich. The man is 93 years old this year and has hundreds of pieces of old iron just rusting away on the property he owns. I few inherent problems exist with "saving" this old stuff. A younger man has eagerly taken after him for the past 5 years while I live in another state hundreds of miles away. he has one thing in the back of his mind and thats $$$$$. No interest in the preservation of this old stuff at all. This specific piece was stuck when he acquired it in 1976 and it has had a few squirts of oil over the years but not enough to help out. Its hard to care for a piece when you live this far away. The older gent is a prince of a man, however he just has no interest in parting with his goods. Thats o.k. if they were being looked after properly in my mind. Trouble is there is just tons of old iron around. Let me say...it is going to be one heck of an auction someday in the future. Most of his good stuff is in barns or old out buildings, but a few pieces are not.

 

[Bob (ND)]

Here is a quote from a certain famous book "Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbors Goods". Good words to live by.

Where I live, I have seen numerous similar situations, and have been sorry to see stuff rust away, or eventually be sold for scrap, but after all, it is their stuff, and their's to do with as they see fit.

Put yourself in the older person's shoes... they may have collected it with the intention of restoring it, and never had the time, or funds to do it, and as it is THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY, sometimes it is just hard admit you will never be able to work with it due to age/health issues, or to face the fact you're getting up in age and facing death.

I had and Uncle who would fit the pattern of the scenario above. When he was in his mid to late 80's, he still wouldn't set foot in the local Senior Center. (They have noon meals and activities several days a week.) He always said he wasn't old enough. He had a tremendous amount of engines, etc., that he was going to restore "WHEN HE HAD TIME".

Time passed as it always does, and he eventually had a stroke, and lived out his last years in a rest home, finally passing away at age 93. As his POA, I had the task of selling off his stuff to pay the rest home. Due to huge medical bills I had for my kids, I was unable to buy any of it, and had to watch as it was hauled away.

I think there are 2 lessons to be learned here.

1.) If you are getting up in years, have a plan in place to dispose of you stuff, should the need arise, or get legal advise as to how to protect it for a family member who is interested in keeping it in the family.

2.) If you see a site with someone else's old stuff on it, try to accept IT IS NOT UP TO YOU TO DECIDE IT'S FUTURE, and try to put yourself in the owner's shoes, and realize there are probably some issues in his/her life that have led to the situation as it is. There is sure no harm in nicely approaching the owner about selling, but be considerate, and if they are unwilling to sell DO NOT BUG THEM!

 

[Russ Hughes]

Re: Very good advise

Bob, what you wrote was very good advise. When I retired I thought that I would finally have the time to do all those things than I couldn't do when I was working. Eight years after retiring I find myself in the position of where the mind is willing to sign contracts that the body is not capable of fulfilling, a sure sign of approaching old age. I have a small garage full of little engine projects that I will probably never finish.

It sure seemed like a good idea at the time, but the best laid plans of both mice and men sometimes go astray. Unfortunately there is no lineup outside of the garage of people wanting to pay me a little face saving money for this stuff so they can haul it away.

I suspect that there are many others out there in the same boat and the stuff in my garage, such as it is, will just sit there until one of my kids has to dispose of it, because it is not their own interest, and they do not want it themselves.