[SEL] Sultan of Slackness

[Jerry Evans]

Great Topic Arnie,
         Heres my story. As most of you know, I've only been involved in 
this hobby since about 2004 but had the interest for many years before 
that. I grew up on a farm and my Dad had a small Lister "D" coupled to a 32 
volt genny for lights in the house. I was at boarding school but during 
school holidays it was my job to start the engine every evening. That 
"doef, doef, doef" sound every night was as much a part of farm life as the 
squeaky windmill.

         I moved to the city but always longed for a Lister D to restore - 
just to be able to run it occasionally for the nostalgia. Then about 25 
years ago living in the suburbs finally got too much for me and I bought a 
smallholding about 30 miles from Johannesburg. The first thing I bought was 
a Massey Ferguson 35 tractor which was running but in bad condition - I 
restored it which was a pretty easy job, the most it needed apart from 
painting was a new clutch and wiring. (If you live in the country you've 
gotta have a tractor - not so). My Dad had farmed with MF 35 X's (the 
diesel version - mine was a petrol paraffin model).

         Then in about 1985 I found a Massey Harris Pony which I just had 
to have. It was complete (but painted grey) with its single furrow 
(manually operated) plough (plow) but not running. I brought it home as a 
"future project". I had a business in town and time was very short for 
hobby projects and it stood outdoors for nearly 20 years. I had many people 
enquiring to buy it during that time but it was "Not for sale!". I even 
earned the nickname Jerry "Not For Sale" Evans !!

         Horrors, I've just realised that I almost became a FATG !!

         Then in about 2004 I made the discovery that collecting vintage 
stationary engines and restoring them was a world wide phenomenon and very 
popular. I met a few local collectors and the bug bit - I caught the 
sickness for which there is no cure :-)

         I decided to get started on an engine or two purely as a precursor 
to restoring the Massey Harris Pony. Well the rest is history. I've done 
quite a few engines in that time and have more than 50 "future projects" in 
the shed most of which I will probably not get done in my lifetime (but 
they are safe from the scrappie there - that's my story and I'm sticking to 
it :-))

         Oh, and the Massey Harris Pony - well, it's still a future project 
but at least it is now under cover and on blocks - also safe from the 
scrappie. I have not removed one bolt or nut from it - it will remain that 
way until the day arrives (if ever) that I know that I can afford the money 
and time to start the project and see it through to completion. I have seen 
too many similar projects started by the unwary end up in boxes never to be 
completed. I have also, since acquired a Massey Harris Sunshine Harvester 
which will one day make a great display with the Pony but it's also a 
"future project" and also under cover - safe from the scrappie.

Keep the revs up (or down)
Jerry Evans
Near Johannesburg in Sunny South Africa.

P.S. It's frightening to suddenly realise that I was so close to being a 
FATG :-)



At 06:42 PM 09/01/2010, you wrote:
>George's post got me to thinking (as many of his posts do).
>
>Now I'm guessing that I'm more like most of the folks on the
>list in terms of having a "projects list" that will probably
>outlast me.  And it has a couple of projects that can surely
>be considered "vintage" as they've been "on the list" as long
>as I've been in the hobby.
>
>So, the thread topic for a cold winter day with the snow
>drifting ever higher against the shed, what are the "vintage
>projects" on YOUR projects list?  These are those projects that,
>like fine wine or good cheese, just get better and better the
>longer they sit.  I'll start out with a couple of mine...
>
>I'd been a fan of old engines for years before I got my first
>piece of rusty old iron.  That first project was a really sad
>old two-cylinder duplex water pump that I got at auction for
>$10 back in 1994.  That's what started the acquiring phase
>of my participation in the hobby.
>
>That ol' water pump is STILL on the list; but it is NEARLY done.
>She's all restored, painted, and fully functional.  All she
>lacks now are some long high-crown hex bolts to finish her off.
>And the hex stock is even sitting on the bench by the lathe.
>
>My first engine was a 1-1/2 HP IHC "M" that I bought in 1996.
>The seller ran it for me by putting some gas in the mixer bowl.
>After I got it home, I cleaned it well and decided to build a
>proper "M" cart.  That project took a while and when finished
>I decided to give the "M" a good run.  Poured gas in the tank
>and it ran out the bottom faster than it was going in.  I decided
>that tank replacement was a job for "another day" and the engine
>went under the bench (and became the second entry on the "vintage"
>list.  That one finally came off the list when I converted the
>engine to propane and hot tube ignition in time for the 2006
>Coolspring show.  She's been a regular at shows ever since.
>
>My second engine is STILL on the projects list.  This is a 3-1/2 HP
>United, TG kero burner.  That was a 1996 auction purchase that
>had been "cobbled" to high tension ignition by a previous owner.
>I decided to restore it to original features.  The bronze body
>mag was a pricy hunt and the ignitor was also a lengthy hunt.
>I'm currently "working" on the plumbing for the fuel system, the
>two compartment tank, and building the ignitor trip linkage.
>One day she'll be a runner...  8-))
>
>So, how 'bout you?  Have you got any of those "vintage" projects
>on YOUR list that just keep getting better with age?  Don't be
>shy, you're NOT alone!
>
>See ya,  Arnie
>
>Arnie Fero
>Pittsburgh, PA
>fero_ah at city-net.com
>
> > On Tue, January 5, 2010 1:00 pm, Best, George wrote:
> >> We all appreciate Arnie's legendary procrastination skills. I even 
> admit to having
> >> used him as an example to make my own procrastination look trivial.  I 
> have
> >> unfinished projects in both engines and tractors that I seem to never 
> find time to
> >> work on.  Thanks to Arnie, I don't feel the need to complete them.
> >>
> >> Unfortunately, Arnie does find time to read these postings and most 
> likely we have
> >> only encouraged him to seek even higher levels of 
> procrastination.  The Lorenz
> >> Registry is surely doomed now.
> >
>
>
>
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