Motor and Battery

I got the motor I'm going to use yesterday and I decided to snap a few photos to show you all how big this thing is.

www.flickr.com

Getting this motor was an interesting task, one that has probably changed the way I view life itself. Sounds kinda corny, but it could be true. I had been looking around online for a motor powerful enough to get the job done, and I had only come up with ones in the $500 variety. I then began to consider the scrap yard option, as in, scrounging around for one. I've been watching as much Junkyard wars episodes as I could get my hands on, and I had this glorious picture of mountains of junked vehicles and parts everywhere, being able to run free and look for what I wanted to my hearts desire. I proposed the idea to my father and he said he knows of three junkyards in Morrisville we could check out. Excitement grew.

However, while I was still looking online and planning stuff out, my father had called around and asked if they had anything I could use. I was surprised he did this, and a bit unhappy that I had not done it myself. He told me about this man, "Rocky" who had found a large starter motor that changed its purpose from boat engine, to large truck engine, to airplane turbine engine multiple times before we got it. It seemed every time my father called him to ask if he had it yet, something had come up. After two weeks of calling, he finally got it one day while I was in school. My dad sent me a text message stating "gon pick up motor after work." I became more excited still.

Now though comes the reality. We drove out to what I thought was a scrap heaven, which turned out to be a auto body shop that seemed to be just in some neighborhood. My idea of "Rocky" was also a bit off from the truth. I imagined a perhaps partially crazy guy hoarding over a pile o' junk and saying "whatever, anything's $2!" Instead I got what appeared to be a regular guy!

We spoke with him a bit about my project, and how he couldn't get it to us sooner because his basement had flooded, and then he took me out front to the trunk of a old Cadillac. Inside was not exactly what I would call a motor "worth a thousand dollars new." It was black and somewhat rusty, with a metal-stamped label riveted to the side that said Delco-Remy in less than modern font (see the picture above). He was glad to show me the ins and outs of how the thing worked, what the solenoid did, and he hooked an emergency battery up to it to show me how well it still worked. He seemed to enjoy talking about it, even though I kinda knew what everything was, I let him tell me anyway.

After lugging the 80-pound behemoth to the back of the van, we talked some more. He refused any kind of payment for it, I guess content that he was helping out a student with his project. We talked about his job, how he's still doing it after 43 years. He's got six kids, all of which at one time worked at the auto body shop (if that's what it can be called) and 14 grandchildren. My dad said he was the perfect example of a hard-working American. He's always worked hard and had little more than a house in Levittown, and he's perfectly content with that.

He gave me some good ideas, some sage advice, and then sent us on our way. Talking to him has certainly changed the way I look at society now. I was surprised that he not only went through two weeks of calling around and searching to find this thing for me, but he did it without any reward. Quite a different approach than this cut-throat, buy or be bought world I'm told I'm in. Hopefully I'll meet more people like Rocky, friendly and eager to help.