estate sale, so cal

[bobH]

Someone here might be interested if your in so cal this weekend.
Bernie Long estate SALE. Bernie collected for many, many years. Much of it from the wooden spoke wheel era, some post war. Lots & lots of rusty iron to look at. Some complete cars. Some flathead stuff, but not very much. Lots of old orchard trucks.
For info only. I have NO connection to this stuff.
Bernie Long Estate Sale, April 19, 20, 21
18929 Slover, Bloomington, 92316

[bobH]

The pictures I've posted probably cover less than half of what's there.

[40cpe]

Here is a link to an aerial map. It must be a sickness.

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0627.../data=!3m1!1e3

[TJ]

A lot of that stuff will go to the steel mill and come back as Chinese parts

[cas3]

interesting tat he had all that stuff in town! the city must have been on his back for years and years. they are celebrating now i bet

[J Franklin]

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Originally Posted by TJ

A lot of that stuff will go to the steel mill and come back as Chinese parts

It looks like the place is surrounded by scrap yards!

[jimTN]

The rarest of the rare truck is in there. A Fordson.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by cas3

interesting tat he had all that stuff in town! the city must have been on his back for years and years. they are celebrating now i bet

Maybe 6 miles from me. Been by there hundreds of times, never knew that stuff was in there. Both Fontana and Colton have a lot of places like that. It's slowly "cleaning" up, mostly as property gets more scarce due to the building of mega-warehouses..... which have sucked up lots of real estate in the area.

Come to think of it, apparently Bernie Long's place was the one featured on a SoCal episode of American Pickers.... he was another "I don't wanna sell anything" type. Always wondered where the place was- I knew it was local though.

[34pickup]

At what point does a man stop and look around and realize that it would be impossible to do anything of substance will all that he has collected over the decades? With me it was when I reached about 60. I realized that a lifetime goes by too quickly to ever complete even a fraction of what I had and then I started selling stuff. It is now manageable but I still have too many.

[Chris Haynes]

Bernie was a wonderful guy. I bought parts from him. He owned a junkyard. When anything interesting came in he took it home rather than scrap it.

[Old Redneck]

My kind of sale. I would try to buy it all. Then my wife would kill me. I make her load it and bring it home. Put it in the front yard?

[bobH]

Originally Posted by Chris Haynes

Bernie was a wonderful guy. I bought parts from him. He owned a junkyard. When anything interesting came in he took it home rather than scrap it.

I also believe Bernie was a wonderful guy. I'm proud to have called him my friend. We shared many great 'chats' (He did most of the talking). I first met him and Margaret on an EFV8 tour to Death Valley, a wonderful four-day introduction. My 34 even has one part that Bernie 'gifted' to me, for which I will be forever grateful.

[Flathead Fever]

I was there today. It had already been picked over real good before I got there. There is still tons and tons of stuff. The daughter's had already been selling stuff off long before the auction. I never heard about this stuff being for sale until this post on the Ford Barn. There were flathead intakes and heads laying all over bu I only saw one engine? I asked what happened to them? They had previously sold 70 flatheads engines to H&H.

I was in there maybe 30-year's ago. It was full of some really rare trucks, chain drive-trucks. trucks so old they had wooden frames. There use to be some '33- 34 pickups in there, that's what interested me. I was hoping they would still be there They were long gone. Anything truck related from the 1930s on back use to be in there. You can't imagine what all was in there. He owned a wrecking yard back when really old trucks were being scrapped. He kept this separate lot from his wrecking yard to store this stuff. So much of these parts are off trucks so rare that nobody will ever know what they came off of. A lot of it was disassembled and left out in elements and just got destroyed, piles and piles of gears and rear ends that will just have to be scrapped. You could not count the amount of wire wheels on racks. Adjustable 16" wire rims but they were not Ford bolt patterns. Even 16" adjustable spoke rims that were a 4-bolt pattern? Shipping containers of truck wooden spoke wheels. It was fun just crawling through the stuff. In the end I only spent $5.00 on a gauge.

[Flathead Fever]

I remembered something else. Somebody told Berinies stuff had been featured on American Pickers. When they cameout Bernie refused to sell them anything. The later came back and bought a car and paid with a check. "Alledgedly" after they got the car they stopped payment on the check. I doubt that happened with a major TV show but anyway that was the story I was told. I can definitely see Bernie not selling anything to them. I ran into him at a Model A swap meet a couple year's ago. He was in a wheelchair and being pushed around. I talked with him as his assistant helped him pee into a bottle. That was a little ackward. I wanted a '34 pickup cab and asked him if he had any. He said he had several. He said, "what are they worth". I was honest and said the ones I have seen lately have been around $1500.00 without doors but they have been all rusted out. He said he had some rust free cabs without doors for $1600.00 each. He said I can't find any good doors. This is former orange grove country around here. He said the first thing the farmers did with those pickups was take doors off because they got in and out of them so much tending to the orchards and that's how doors all vanished on them. I've heard the same story from several people.

Today, they had two thick binders of pink slips out. One pink slip on each page with the car they went to written in bold letters on the same page. They were tryng to match pink slips up with the trucks and cars that were selling. There might have been 100 pink slips in there? I glanced over as they were flipping pages and I saw pink slips dated 1947, 1949.... That's probably when he started hauling this stuff home. This was not a hoarder as some people might think looking at the photos. He ran a legitimate wrecking yard across the street. There is a big story behind that. The city sued him because it did not fit it with their redevelopment plans and gave him a dead line to get rid of all the cars in the junkyard or they would remove them and charge him for doing it. He had to move the stuff, they were scrambling to get it it all off the property with about one week left. I didn't know Bernie or ever seen his truck collection. I just happened to be driving down the street that day and stopped to look at the vehicles that were coming out of the junkyard on wreckers, Falcons, Rancheros. Typical old junkyard with 1960s vehicle stacked on top of each other. When I stopped they told me what was going on so I stayed awhile and helped move vehicles. That was when I got to see the secret vintage truck junkyard across the street. Later he sued the city for seizing the junkyard. I believe it was $2,000,000.00 he won. It was in the newspapers at the time.

[Flathead Fever]

I went back today to the estate sale and dug some more. I took a lot of photos. These old trucks are so interesting you could hooked on them.T They had rounded up some of the loose radiators into one place. Here is a lesson in radiator core designs. I tried to buy that 1917 to 1920 Fordson Tractor radiator. It was beautiful, not a rust pit on it and it still had its Ford Script radiator cap.That was being sold with the Fordson truck which you will see in a minute.

[Flathead Fever]

This was being loaded on a trailer when I got there today. I think they said it was last registered in Bernie's name in 1949.

[Flathead Fever]

The Fordson Truck. Its the only one I have ever seen. I got a quick lesson on it today. The radiator with Fordson down the side is from a English tractor or truck. This was an American Fordson Truck. The correct radiator was that one in the stack of radiators. That one was going with the truck and it probably should since the phone bidder at the auction bought it for $50,000.00

[Flathead Fever]

This might be 10% of the rims. They are everywhere. Today a guy bought every single wire and wooden rim. I have to get back down there and go through the wooden rims and look for ones that might fit the project I bought today. I must have lost my mind!

[cas3]

aw comon! your not going to show us what you bought? now i feel cheated! that fordson truck is interesting. never heard of one before. it appears to be in the model t era, model t headlights, and the doors look very much like a model t tudor. but i see a shift lever, and henry would not have gone for that!

[RobR'35]

Absolutely incredible. Thanks for sharing the photos!

[Flathead Fever]

Originally Posted by cas3

aw comon! your not going to show us what you bought? now i feel cheated! that fordson truck is interesting. never heard of one before. it appears to be in the model t era, model t headlights, and the doors look very much like a model t tudor. but i see a shift lever, and henry would not have gone for that!

I'm working on it. I type slow! Plus I have to convert the photos to a smaller size. I'm tired, I crawled through tetanus infected sheds all morning and then still had to go to the family Easter Egg hunt.

Don't laugh at me! For some reason this pile of parts spoke to me? They think it is a 1906 Autocar truck chassis. Its two-cylinders, really short wheelbase and it has that nifty three-spring rear setup except I don't think the "C" clamp is original. No rust pits in the frame. Looks like a pretty solid chassis and it has that steering, similar to the red wagon I had as a kid. Next time one of you cries about how hard your Early Ford steers I'll let road test this thing with its tiller steering and hard rubber tires. I have to do some research tonight so I can see If there are parts laying around that go with it. I have no idea what this thing is suppose to look like? I left a deposit since I didn't leave home looking for a 1906 Autocar this morning. $1500.00. I'll get that much entertainment out of it even if it end sup yard-art. What's wrong with me?!

[cas3]

i have a friend here that has two auto cars, ott5, and ott6 i believe, he has kinda become an expert on the subject. he made a new differential from scratch. chunk of billet weighed about 75lbs to start, and 15 or so when done if i remember correctly. i have an ott 9 maxwell jr, done the new london to new brighten run several times. check it out here http://www.antiquecarrun.org/

[Flathead Fever]

Wait, that's not all I bought. How could I possible pass this up for $200.00? I barely recognized it at first as being a flathead Ford. Its a flathead, its a 115V, 45A generator at 1800 rpm and its a compressor. At least it use to be. Lots of broken parts, some missing parts, heavy rust but its just so interesting! If nothing else I can make an engine test stand out of it. I might put that intake on a hot rod and watch people scratch their heads. I's call it a broww ram intake. I found one of the missing caps for the one head. It has that high performance oil pan breather which is unique. There is a big metal plate with the specs on the generator housing. It says 30 hp. If somebody asks you how much horsepower a 4 cylinder Ford V8 has you can now tell them.

I wonder how much CFM this puts out? It would be neat to sandblast my early Fords using a flathead compressor?

I don't know what it weights. I didn't bother tying it down on the trailer. I just hope my tractor will lift it off of there?

[Flathead Fever]

I have a lot more photos to post. You got to see these trucks. First I have to go out and get that paper weight I brought home off of the trailer so the trailer will be ready for round two, the Autocar.

[ABento]

Did you happen to hear what the Twin Coach bus sold for,or did it, it had a roll back canvas top.

[cas3]

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now i am truly jealous, i think you had too much fun, and perhaps should take a day or two off before returning to the shop...keep your blood pressure down etc.

[nelsb01]

You should be able to find out lots of information on the Schramm Air Compressor. There are quite a few out there. Some are built on a two wheel trailer, others are stand alone as yours looks like. Google Schramm Air Compressor -- lots of info out there.

[Flathead Fever]

Originally Posted by nelsb01

You should be able to find out lots of information on the Schramm Air Compressor. There are quite a few out there. Some are built on a two wheel trailer, others are stand alone as yours looks like. Google Schramm Air Compressor -- lots of info out there.

Thanks, I've seem some brochures for them but I never paid any attention to them since I never thought I 'd drag one home. Just what I need, to get into vintage compressor restorations.

[Flathead Fever]

Willys Knight they auctioned off. It uses no valves or cam? I watched the video and now I'm even more confused. I got a good tour today. They were slow so the guy took a lot of time to educate me.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBwQbDV7vw0

[Flathead Fever]

Some of the trucks

[Flathead Fever]

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20190421_102717.jpgHere are some more

[Flathead Fever]

This "C" Cab was beautiful. I don't think you would ever find a nicer one. I don't remember if I mentioned this? A guy from India was there and bought 60 of these vehicles to ship back to India?????

[Flathead Fever]

I was going to ask about this gas pump and forgot. It was overwhelming there. Anybody have a clue about it. It was strange nobody was interested in it. Most people don't want these but they are neat. Its real old and larger than the early ones I usually see like these.

And what is this other thing with the wooden chute? Do I need it?

There were horse buggy parts. I found a bunch of NOS curved wooden plow handles to go on horse drawn single plows. It took me a minute to figure out what they were.

That wooden car body was neat. The wood was unbelievably nice.

[cas3]

the willys knight club always has a cutaway sleeve valve engine on display at the chickasha swap. you can crank it over to see how it works. i guess they were good, but too expensive to produce. india?????

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

Wait, that's not all I bought. How could I possible pass this up for $200.00? I barely recognized it at first as being a flathead Ford. Its a flathead, its a 115V, 45A generator at 1800 rpm and its a compressor. At least it use to be. Lots of broken parts, some missing parts, heavy rust but its just so interesting! If nothing else I can make an engine test stand out of it. I might put that intake on a hot rod and watch people scratch their heads. I's call it a broww ram intake. I found one of the missing caps for the one head. It has that high performance oil pan breather which is unique. There is a big metal plate with the specs on the generator housing. It says 30 hp. If somebody asks you how much horsepower a 4 cylinder Ford V8 has you can now tell them.

I wonder how much CFM this puts out? It would be neat to sandblast my early Fords using a flathead compressor?

I don't know what it weights. I didn't bother tying it down on the trailer. I just hope my tractor will lift it off of there?

Looks like you got the governor with it.

[cas3]

the pump is an early "curb side", a bowser red devel, or red somthin i forget. they are historically significant, but most folks like the art deco jobs from the early 30's better. your autocar's first owner bought gas in a 2 gal. can at the drug store, or hardware store. next up was these curbside pumps starting in the early teens, then we got gas stations after that

[Flathead Fever]

Flathead Scraps. Yesterday I was told H&H flathead bought 70 flatheads. Today I was told they bought 100 of them for $50.00 each.

They missed one, can you spot it?

Early Ford rear ends all over that place but no '32 to '40s. Like I said the place had already been stripped of the good stuff. Hundreds of carburetors and not one Stromberg?

[cas3]

with the size of the "car culture" in so cal, i am surprised that place existed. i have always had a theory, when you see a pile of old stuff like that, there is a reason its still there. too high price, not for sale, i'm gonna, i'm gonna, some day maybe, etc, but theres a reason its still there, and you arent the first one to see it. i understand, this case is different because he was in business, but still, its 2019, that stuff should have all found a new home long ago

[Flathead Fever]

This '33 truck was better than it looks. The cab was rust free, it could use a new roof. The windshield frame was perfect. The dump bed was restorable. It had that accessory rear window treatment and it came with a tree in the engine compartment. It was already sold. You would be insane to not go out and buy a decent running truck instead of tackling something like this. It does not pay to start out with junk. You will spend way more in the long run and you will still end-up with a piece of junk covered with a new paint job.

The cabs up on the container were junk. They sold right away (twice) They forgot to put sold signs on them. They had to have been real cheap. The shortened bed was already sold.

[Flathead Fever]

Originally Posted by cas3

with the size of the "car culture" in so cal, i am surprised that place existed. i have always had a theory, when you see a pile of old stuff like that, there is a reason its still there. too high price, not for sale, i'm gonna, i'm gonna, some day maybe, etc, but theres a reason its still there, and you arent the first one to see it. i understand, this case is different because he was in business, but still, its 2019, that stuff should have all found a new home long ago

Just a couple blocks below the 10 freeway halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. 99% of it was junk but it was still fun.

[Flathead Fever]

More scrap metal.

[Flathead Fever]

Every once in awhile your had something like this. Hemet, CA first fire engine. I can't believe the town would not have bought it back. This one was pretty special.

[95476]

Thank you for posting the photo's.
He sounds like he quite a guy.

[Brian]

What a treasure trove. Thank you for the excellent report and photos.

[cas3]

yup, thanks for the photos. i have driven i10 to la a dozen or more times, too bad i never knew the place was there. shucks, i thought i was a good hunter too, maybe not. these places were common thru out the west in the previous 3-4 decades, but not so much any more. its always the same, the old guy dies, the family wants the cash. if you find a buyer for the whole deal, he now has a big payment to make, easiest way to make a payment is to start scraping. this place was never advertised, i have been a hemmings guy since about 71, and i remember easy jack in kansas had adds back then, and of course the best places were the ones you found on your own. but...another one is gone, the era is disappearing just as we old geezers are

[mercman from oz]

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That Fordson is very unique and very odd. Glad that it found a new home. Thanks for posting these interesting photos. It is amazing what is still out there. Glad that some of it is getting saved. It would be a real shame if everything went for scrap.

[mercman from oz]

This pair of 1939 Ford "Beer Barrel" Trucks look interesting. Hope that somebody save them?

[38coop]

Thanks for the photo's. I would love to roam around that place.

[deuce5wndw]

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/album.php?albumid=5013
Thanks for the photos flathead fever! I first went there in 2007 on my first trip to the LA Roadster show. A friend had bought a 1924 Lincoln touring that had been made into a wrecker for one of the dealers in LA. A garage in Barstow had used it before Bernie got it in 1949. I hauled it back to Shelbyville IN. for him. If you would like to see what it looked like then click on the link to my album.

[Zeke3]

Now that is my kinda Easter Egg Hunt! Thanks for the pictures Flathead Fever and Deuce5wndw.