[SEL] illusive Mogul

[Germoamer at aol.com]

I have heard rumors of a Mogul in a barn south of me for a number of years.  
Every once in a while I would ride in the general area, looking, knocking on 
doors, etc., all to no avail.  I had a never quite made the exact location of 
it, but close over they years.

Three weeks ago, I received a phone call from someone who knew of me and 
wanted me to tell them how much an engine was worth.  During the initial phone 
call, they did not even know what the engine was, size, etc., just how much was 
it worth?  But, from this I had a vague idea it was the engine I had been 
hearing/looking for.  I asked a lot of questions and we made plans to meet soon and 
look/evaluate for them.  Second and subsequent phone calls led to it being a:

12 hp Mogul, sn HB 612, on original steel wheels, complete, in a barn,etc.

We finally visited the engine with 2 brothers, one of them the one who called 
me.  Photos can be seen at:

http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/Mogul1.jpg
http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/Mogul2.jpg
http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/Mogul3.jpg
http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/Mogul4.jpg
http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/Mogul5.jpg

The story ends up being that this is an old family engine being purchased by 
their grandfather who used it to run a large planer mill.  They had been 
trying to buy it from one side of the family for years and now the family had 
finally said it was for sale to them.  The family had priced it a $4000 and where 
this price came from they did not know.  What they wanted me to do was tell 
them about the engine, evaluate it for completeness, broken parts, ease of 
restoration, etc.,and if it was worth the price.  They knew nothing about old 
engines.  After looking over for 2 hours, finding it free, all original and complete 
except for the screen cooler replaced buy a tank, and the fuel pump which was 
located in the house taken there to rebuild packing many years ago. I finally 
asked them how serious they were about buying it and keeping in the family.  
One of the brothers spoke up and said they were dead serious and wanted it 
even if they had to pay $4000!  I finally told them it was worth $4000, but maybe 
being family they could negotiate it down.  

We have left it that I will help them in any way with their project, and they 
in turn will give me first refusal if they become bored with it.  I have not 
made up my mind if I will help them make this decision by telling them to 
completely tear it down, and hopefully loose interest as the baskets of parts 
accumulate very quickly!  HA!  Or, help them get it started with a few minor 
fixes.  I believe this engine could be started in a day or so, that is how free and 
complete it.  Note the rings hanging on the carb from a previous rebuild.

Such is the luck of the engine searchers!

Tom Schmutz
Concord, Va. USA
Germoamer at aol.com