What in the world is a baby show? No, it’s not where parents
bring their newborns – let me start from the beginning.
I bought my first engine when I was 10 years old and restored it
for a 4-H Club project, which won me first prize for General
Projects Day at our local fair. Since then I have been hooked and
have added several engines to my collection. I am now 37 and have
been blessed with two wonderful boys, Mavric and Kolton. Children
have a way of changing many things in one’s life. Prior to the
boys, when working on an engine and trying to get it running for
the first time, the conversations I had with the engine could
sometimes get a little, well, let’s just say colorful at times.
In the fall of 2003, I acquired this 1906 Stover 5 HP
screen-cooled engine from a fellow collector. This is the first
engine I have bought since the boys entered the scene. I found that
at the ages of 3 and 2 they can be a real help – that is in getting
into everything they shouldn’t and making the task of laundry
another challenge.
After several days of cleaning and making necessary adjustments,
it was time to see if we could get the old girl running – after
sitting for nearly 50 years. Let me paint the picture: I am in my
shop with Mavric and Kolton standing by, covered in grease and oil
and reeking of gas. Wrenches, screwdrivers and hammers are
scattered everywhere. Are you getting the picture? I start to turn
the engine over and after oh, 10 minutes, still nothing but heavy
breathing and sweat running down my face. Let’s see – gas, spark
and compression, should run. Wrong! After further investigation, it
was a problem with the igniter, surprise, surprise. With a little
fine-tuning and more help from the boys, it was time to try again.
Here we go, turning, turning, turning (“come on you old @#$%?!!”
going through my head). While the boys were anxiously waiting I
finally said, “Come on Baby” and at that time there was a puff of
smoke. The boys eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and I again said,
“Come on Baby” and the old girl started to run – ah sweet
success!
The boys have nicknamed the old Stover “Baby” and now we go to
Baby Shows. The boys are growing up way too fast and in no time
they will be able to start Baby on their own. Time is precious and
so are our children, this experience made me realize just how much
things really do change. See you down the road at the next Baby
Show!
Contact Troy Rudy at: (815) 297-4846; auctionbug@aeroinc.net
SPECS:
STOVER
Model: DO
Horsepower: 5
Year: 1906
Bore: 5-inch
Stroke: 10-inch
Weight: 1,800 pounds
Flywheel width: 2-3/8 inches
Flywheel diameter: 37 inches
Ignition type: Igniter or hot tube
Governing style: hit-and-miss
Unique features: Set up for hot-tube ignition and has an early
copper carburetor.
Interesting fact: This was the smallest horizontal tank-cooled
engine Stover manufactured. It was shipped to J.M. Pettera of
Highland, Wis., on Feb. 16, 1907, where it spent its life in a
creamery.
