I know everybody is waiting to hear about this. The wait is over. I know how the aeronautical engineers at the skunk works must have felt when they finally rolled a new aircraft out into the sunshine for the first time. Stage one of my restoration of my 1953, or thereabouts, Cushman Pacemaker, model 62 is completed. It sits there on it's own wheels ready to roll out into the sunshine when the confounded cold, wet, windy weather permits.

This is only stage one, the mechanical part. I have serviced the wheel bearing, installed and adjusted a new brake cable, painted the wheels and installed new tires, wired the lights, and now the engine shakes, rattles and roars just like it did when it was new. Everything works.

Stage two will be cosmetics; the body work, and the new seats. Yes, seats, plural. This is a big scooter with a 7.2 horsepower engine that will pull two people. If it rides the way I expect it to, I will tear it down again next winter and do the bodywork and painting. This is not a show scooter. Scooter collectors will refer to it as a "rider," meaning that it will look good enough to ride, but won't take any trophies. Cushman people will see minor defects that would not be noticed by the average person.

When I do the bodywork, I may add a few incorrect things that would be instant disqualifiers in competition. I'm talking about a brake light and an extra rear view mirror. This model came with a non-electric claxton horn, but I may install an incorrect elecrtic one. A rider needs all the safety stuff it can get these days.

Our first scooter meet is almost six weeks away, but I'm ready now. Aren't you glad I told you about this? If you didn't finish reading it, be sure you tell me where you got bored and stopped.
Howard