Since you are reading this, I feel like it’s fair to assume you have an appreciation for items from the past. The engine enthusiast community is a group of treasure hunters and restorers, and a group that firmly believes in the saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. There are many ways your collection came to be in your possession. It’s safe to say none of you are the original owners of your toys, none of you had the joy of purchasing a unit off the showroom floor and bring the components to life, fresh from the factory.
Someone recently told me something they find amazing about engine enthusiasts is the way they help each other to find and take ownership of that coveted collectible. After reading and hearing many tales of finding treasures, I wholeheartedly agree.
Some of you came by your engines more easily than others, having them passed down from previous generations or maybe you purchased them from friends, family members, or fellow enthusiasts. But a great deal of you have had to put in the work. You’ve searched far and wide, put feelers out, attended auctions, driven many miles, scoured classified advertisements and the internet, enlisted the help of friends and experts until your search finally pays off. That makes the prize worth much more in the end. Then the new journey begins, finding repair information, manuals, parts, specifications… all the while researching, making contacts and friends, gaining knowledge from mistakes made, and asking question after question until… finally…
Perhaps the journey is never complete, and that’s what the hobby is all about. After all, where would the challenge be if the only maintenance required in gas engine collecting was dusting things off occasionally?
In this issue, we have some truly rare finds. An 1880s Lenoir that sold for over $240,000 at auction.
I’d be willing to bet every one of you has a fascinating story about how you came by your collection. Tell me about it and send pictures. Or write a letter to Flywheel Forum giving your buddy credit for helping you obtain an engine you wouldn’t have otherwise done solo.
Until next issue, enjoy the journey.
Christine Stoner
