Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion level of restotation

How far should I go with my restoration? I have a Correct Measure 10H and I am wondering how deep I should go with the restoration.Is it best to just do the cosmetics or does it add a lot of value to rebuild the inside also? I'm interested In hearing what some of you think

Thanks
Dokako

HOW ABOUT A PICTURE!

Sorry, here is the picture

I vote to leave it as it is.

I'm with Ryan, if you're going to leave it outside, clean and clear coat with satin to prevent more rusting and lose of color.

It will never be used to pump gas again and it is only original once! I wish I could undo some of the restorations I have done in the past.
Don't get me wrong, as there is a place for restorations on pumps that are cosmetically challenged, but your pump has a patina that took nearly 100 years to produce and is impossible to duplicate. If you want a restored pump, then buy one somewhere. You have a rare treasure in your hands and it should be left as is. Just give it a good cleaning!

And you would be surprised at how much that pump would clean up with some scotchbrite & a scrub brush a lot of the color would come back. But it’s your pump do as you wish. But as Kevin said, I’ve restored a few that now I wish I hadn’t. Chris

Wow, I never considered leaving it as is. In all the years that I have been looking for a pump, I just assumed that I would be restoring it. I don't have any idea of the value of my pump as is or restored, nor is it my #1 concern. However, is it possible to damage the value by restoring it?

Thanks
Dokako

You will not damage the value per say, but likely you will not recover any restoration costs that you incur. And that can amount to quite a bit depending on your level of restoration.

In other words the pumps $$ value would likely be reasonably close if left as is or restored.

It is nice leave it as is

Just my opinion, but I like restored pumps. Your pump is the way it looked when they were done with it, not the great way it looked like when it was first set on the island at some station back 90+ years ago.
When I see a pump like yours I think "what a great pump for restoration and it won't take much work to restore it."

Every one of my 500 ECOs that I have sold were all restored.

Again, just my opinion, just what I like.

Jack Sim

X2

Your pump is a piece of Americana.It's weathered look is what India knock offs aspire to.
Leave it alone.

As others have suggested, give it a gentle cleaning and see how much you like it at that point. You may be very happy with the look after just a light cleaning and you'll save a bundle of $$$. It's only original once, so think carefully before you strip off 90 years of patina.

If you search Oldgas, you will see posts related to getting the inside of that glass cylinder clean without having to disassemble it. Just remember that if it sits outside in the cold, you MUST keep water out of it or the water will freeze inside the cylinder and crack it. That would be a $500 mistake and a waste of an original cylinder which could be difficult to replace.

BrianH

Do it like they did in the old days.
A bucket of paint and a brush.

You would be surprised what some dawn dish soap and a stiff nylon brush can do before you decide.

Where is it going to be placed ? Big part of the decision.

I will say; that I do not understand the appeal of a weathered Pump that looks nothing like it did when it was in service...

I also do not like the "over the top" restorations. For to me; these Pumps also do not look anything like they did while in service....

I am old enough to remember what it was like to work at a Station during the mid 1960s.... One of the Stations I worked at was a smaller single island Station with a small double Service Bay... We painted the Pumps by hand; we met each Customer with a smile and checked everything... The other Station was much larger and much more Modern... We did not check items, unless asked. Personalized Customer Service was considered "old Fashion" and was not "pushed" as it was at the Smaller Station...

But, when "Push comes to Shove"; the Pump is yours and I do believe that you will follow the path that is right for you. Enjoy your Pump and I hope you will, enjoy the Hobby...

Really a nice pump there. Just my two cents here. Me, I love items that show their age ,but have aged gracefully -I guess I'd say. IMO, your pump has. Id work some clear pastewax into it with a scotch brite pad and then polish with a rag.Maybe lightly pressure wash the interior. The money that might be put into the restoration , I would put into a one piece Gulf globe.

Leave as is and do not clear coat it.

X2!!

Before you try to remove that glass to clean or restore, please get feedback about it, whether you should even attempt to remove it. I know there are some old posts here with that topic (and would someone better at finding old posts please post a link?). Apparently trying to remove it can result in heartbreak--or more accurately a broken cylinder.

Welcome to Oldgas. The 2 hundred dollar pump. First let me say you got a heck of a deal.
I would restore it I would never be satisfied leaving it as is,every time I walked by it I would think what it could be. Guess its a sickness I have.
Its important that you decide what will make you happy.If its going inside or out would help you decide how far to take it. I wouldn't do a over the top restore if its going outside. Do you plan on keeping it or resale I agree do not restore with the notion of resale as you limit the interest by doing one company or another. Nothing wrong with enjoying it as is. Yes a full restoration is inside and outer skins,outer skins only is just a bandaid but makes sense to me if its going outside.

I believe that removing the glass will be impossible. The glass is cracked about a 1/2" up from the bottom and runs parallel to the bottom about 6" long

Dokako

If you more concerned about value, your profit will be more as it sits now than if you restored it. (99% of the time)

Dokako,
The condition of the glass is another reason NOT to restore it. If you try to take the pump apart to restore it, you will likely make that crack worse or break the cylinder entirely, resulting in your having to find another original cylinder of the right size. Those typically run in the $500 range. You CAN fill the cylinder with a cleaning mixture and then drain it out and get a lot of the internal gunk out without ever having to take the pump apart. Seach here on oldgas for posts on how to do that.

BrianH

As I said in your other post......

Very nice pump and blue glass to boot. You could add a zero onto that price and still be near 'retail.' Great buy.

I vote to NOT restore it, it looks great the way it is. Put some new wiring in it and throw a globe up top. Admire it for what it is right now, you can always change your mind and restore it down the road, but you can never unrestore it to the great look it has right now.

Or you could just sell it to me for $400 and double your money... Lol. JK. Enjoy it.

-Steve

There's no question in my mind what to do . Clean it up as good as you can but don't restore it . Its got a great look already made by the passage of time.

You can't restore them to look that good. Clean it up and enjoy it!!

I am with Jack.

The pump is not "original" anymore, it has "patina".

If you like "patina" then leave it. If you like how they looked "original" then restore it.

Just another opinion!

You received the best advice above. Clean what you can, polish it and stand back and decide if you like the way it looks. If not, start the restoration process.

My fear of not restoring it is that some areas will continue to rot(rust) away, eventually maybe even collapsing years down the road. We all know what happens to a car once it starts rusting. Wisconsin is not kind to any metal kept outside. Because I was originally looking for a 1950's style pump with a globe, I think I'll keep looking for one. I can always unload this one.

thanks for all the ideas
Dokako