General Category => Other Things Simplex => Topic started by: Mike Sal on August 27, 2014, 10:52:35 AM
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I got a call last night from a good friend in the Studebaker Club. He knew I liked motorbikes & thought this might be an opportunity.
His wife's co-worker is trying to dispose of her father's estate & discovered that he had a 2 story shop stuffed full of Cushmans & NOS cushman parts. She had never been in the building he had called "his toy shop" & was shocked. there are stacks of NOS fenders, tires, engines (still in crates), & who knows what else. There are a few non Cushmans too (Hondas, Puchs, etc).
She originally sent a note to the president of the Cushman club & even tried to call him, but he politely told them he wasn't interested in helping them. They then tried to contact the "Pickers" people to see if they were interested. No reply from them. They then got to thinking maybe the stuff wasn't worth anything & thought about calling a scrap dealer in to haul it all away. She remembered that her co-worker's husband tinkered with old cars & decided to see if he new if they were worth anything. They pulled a handfull of bikes out (there are over 30) & washed the dust off of them to take some pictures.
They are sending me a CD with over 100 photos of "stuff" she captured to give an idea of what they have. They would like to see someone swoop in, write a check, & haul everything away. They have even extended an invitation to stay at their home during the process.
I'm thinking that I have to step up to this challenge, but my knowledge of Cushmans is somewhat limited. Where can I do some real boning up on the subject????
More to come.....
Mike S
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Theres a Cushman meet thats going to be held here in town in October. There would be one way of finding the value of the bikes. If these are some of what they have there nice. The down side Cushman owners dont want to pay full price but will sell them for more than list. Besides you never go to the top dog to ask for help you need a crazed minion too help. Kinda like us and our Simplex's.
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Mike, when you get more pictures, post them here. How much are they asking for the whole stash?
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I should have the CD in a day or two. I'll post more photos then.
One story the gal shared with my friend is that her father believed his crowning achievement in life had been to buy a certain motor/tranny (still in the crate) from another old timer Cushman guy. It is some rare model of motor that he had coveted for years & finally was able to purchase it from a guy who was dying of cancer. The story goes that the dying guy told him that he knew he was being low balled, but thought it better for the motor to go to another cushman guy that he knew rather than a stranger. She says the motor is still in the crate.
We're trying to figure out when we can make the trip out to see the stuff in person & possibly cut a deal. They have no idea at all what the value is (and neither do I). As I mentioned, they had considered sending in the scrap metal guy before my buddy stopped them. One major piece of the puzzle will be the condition of the other bikes (by buddy said the hondas & Puchs looked nice). There are 3 trucksters setting outside the building because he had literally ran out of room to get them inside.
Mike Sal
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Mike, I might interested in one or more bikes myself.
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Mike, if you decide to pass on them, you might call Wayne. He supplies Cushman handlebars to a guy named Steve, who owns Arcadia Cushman.
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I'm with VW I would like to get one of the bikes also if the price is right.
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Same here depending on the price. I"m also OK with a project bike if there are some of those.
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The baby blue step through I'd be interested in
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Mike, any updates?
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I guess Mike has taken tje cushmans and ran. Never to be heard from again.
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or he took one for a test ride and is still pushing it back home? LOL
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Did not think about that Mike could of gotten lost also. So everybody y'all need to check your local milk cartons for his picture.
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But those usually involve a "reward"? Maybe just an Amber alert.
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Question ? Does a Amber alert work if no one is looking?
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Maybe Mike is spending his time on TheSamba?
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Email sent
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Hi Ho all.....sorry I've not been on for a while.....going too many directions all at the same time....
We've been plagued with delays due to schedule conflicts between us and the people with the cushmans. Hopefully in the next week or two we'll make it. They are trying to accommodate us as best they can as they would like to get the stuff out of their hair. Turns out there is an elderly step-mother who suffers from alzheimers with some half brothers & sisters that have that "we want our share" attitude.
And yes, I have been trying to troll the Samba site......I've got this hankering to own a vw squareback station wagon....I'd like to have a karman ghia too but don't have room for both......
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"..I'd like to have a karman ghia too but don't have room for both......"
Isn't that exactly why they invented car covers ? ;)
Pete . :)
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Mike, did you ever look at this collection?