[SEL] Illusive Mogul

[Germoamer at aol.com]

A couple of years ago I mentioned that I had been tracking  leads of a big 
Mogul in a barn.  I finally found it by a phone call  from some acquaintance 
who ended up buying it as it was an old family  engine.  They wanted me to 
come look it over and give my opinion if it was  worth what their family was 
asking for it.  The brothers are mechanically  inclined, but did not know 
old engines.  They have worked on it for 2  years now and had it in pretty 
good condition.  Yesterday a friend and I  headed to their place to see about 
starting it.  After some tinkering  with the ignitor, timing, and minor 
adjustments here and there, we had it  running for the first time in 40 years.  
It is a 12 hp, on original steel,  shed kept and in nice condition.
 
The family had asked $3000 for it from the relatives that bought  it. When 
I asked how they arrived at $3000, they told me of a man  from West 
Virginia, (the engine is in Virginia), who came 2 times a year to  inquire about 
buying it and he was the one who was offering $3000. Sometime  after the family 
brothers bought it, the man from West Virginia came calling and  was told 
it was gone and sold.  They said you could see the madness in  his eyes, 
never spoke a word, and drove off.  Wonder why?
 
Photo 1 is when I first saw the engine in the shed.
Photo 6 and 7 are of it running.  
 
_http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/mogul1.jpg_ 
(http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/mogul1.jpg) 
 
_http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/mogul6.jpg_ 
(http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/mogul6.jpg) 
 
_http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/mogul7.jpg_ 
(http://www.oldengine.org/members/schmutz/images/mogul7.jpg) 
 
It was a great feeling to see it run and sure wish I could own it, but that 
 will never happen.  

Tom  Schmutz
Concord,  Va.
germoamer at AOL.com