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Tale of two Pochers


Mr_Wags

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Out driving with the Misses when she wants to stop at a yard/garage sale to look around. Gentleman was retiring and getting rid of mostly household knick-knacks and stuff. Garage/shop/barn is open and there is an old restored tractor I see, the ladies are yabbering so I ask him is that an old MF 990 with the supercharger? He says yeah but in reality it is just a rebadged Oliver 98. He then tells me to come check this out and slides open a door that leads long L shaped extension off the back that is not visible from the front. Lined up are 14 old Oliver tractors of various years most at least partly restored. By the Back sliding door I see a Cadillac CTS convertible parked next to a Corvette ZO6 convertible. As my head turns to the shelving lining the walls I see it …a Pocher Spider touring Gran Sport box. I ask him if he built it and said he bought it 40 years ago and started it but nothing fit and he gave up. I told him when younger back in the late 70’s I had purchased a Pocher 8C 2300 Monza as a Kmart blue light special for like 30 bucks which was a lot of money back then for a teenager and that  I too had started it and gave up. I told him that I wished I had never gotten rid of it and have always wanted to attempt a Pocher again. He says I am not ever going to do anything with it if you give me Two hundred bucks for it it’s yours! Knowing that missing parts are common I ask if I can see it. He grabs it and takes it to a table and open it up. The engine is in a zip lock bag mostly complete the carburetor has fallen off and the rubber holding the water pipes is cracked and broken, one tire has on row of spokes done and everything else appears to be there with most of the bags still stapled to the inner cardboard flaps.  I am starting to get excited but my conscience gets the better of me and I tell him that the old Pocher Kits a hard to find and people pay good money for them sometimes a lot, it is one of the reasons I have yet to pick one up. He says I know they go crazy for them … a deal is a deal  … Two Hundred!  Since it looks complete I tell him it is honestly is worth more than that to me and that I would probably go to five hundred but only have four on me. He say he will take the four but only if he is allowed to throw in a surprise. We shake on it and I am beginning to worry what I am going to tell the Misses as I walk out of the barn with the big Pocher box. The gentleman goes and talks to his wife who then goes inside the house. He has got this cat ate the mouse grin on him … Out she comes with  a Pocher Sedanca Coupe Phantom II not in the original shrink but wrapped in clear plastic and sealed with tape. Your surprise I am throwing in …. look at that box it is in perfect shape .. opened it and looked at it then sealed it back up been that way for 40 years. I tell him there is no way I can accept that! He replies a deal is a DEAL …you SHOOK ON IT!  You are not leaving without it.  So I am now the proud owner of two old Pocher Kits one started one pristine for four hundred bucks. Sometimes you are just blessed …or lucky!

 

Lester

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You are blessed AND cursed. Great deal - heartaches galore to build right. If you have model skills and plenty of tools - that's the tip of the iceberg...

See the pinned thread atop the WIP forum...:banghead:

Edited by Codger
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thats a really good score  I think, karma is balancing that one out with me Today have had a whole string of bad luck Today

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Thanks Codger, John

Think I am alright on the tools, now the skills that my be a different story .... Knowledge of many, master of none.

At least I have 40 years more experience under my belt since the last time I attempted a dreaded Pocher. 

Been a occasional lurker here since about 2015 ... Followed a lot of great Pocher WIP in that time your RR included. Thought I should officially join up so you all can tell me what a knucklehead I am.

 

Lester

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Well, that’s a great deal. Who cares about fit, nowadays. That’s so 2019.😉

It will be a challenge, but, if you take us along on these journeys, I’m sure you will be provide with help (ask and unasked).

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