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Anyone here collect/restore old parking meters?

Started by Fushigi Ojisan, April 23, 2018, 06:35:56 PM

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Fushigi Ojisan

Its probably a better question for the paystation side since they are kinda similar but its definitely off-topic. 

Many years ago, I received a Rockwell parking meter as a Christmas present, its a four-hour that handles dimes and nickels.  Its kind of a cool bank but I want to upgrade.

Apparently Duncan is the parking meter equivalent of Automatic Electric, and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with them.

I've seen some rough ones on eBay for cheap, but not sure what I would be getting myself into.

Fushigi Ojisan
Otaku with interesting hobbies

Doug Rose

I do, but the phones  got in the way  8) ....Doug
Kidphone

Butch Harlow

I have an old Duncan model 60. It's a 2 hour, penny nickel and dime meter. It's hard to get a complete one. You need the bolt and wedges to pole mount it, the tin collection cup, and the key. I have everything except the key. Mine is unlocked, so it doesn't really matter. I have never done much with it, it sadly sits in my storage bin. One day...
Butch Harlow

DoubleTone

Well, you asked.

RB

Did not know there were so many colors!
ours are just grey...

Argee

I've got an early Duncan 60 from before they removed the clear eye and glass parking times panel. 

DoubleTone

From the factories, parking meters were supplied in a few predictable colors, but once installed, they ended up all sorts of colors because municipalities painted them as they chose to.  Blue paint left over after repainting the elementary school?  Blue meters on Lincoln Avenue.  I've worked on meters with four layers of paint, each layer a different color.

Doug Rose

Your Parking Meters are fantastic. Are they repainted? They look too good...you should be very proud of them. Mine is just a battleship gray, but I love it.

I did the bad thing of making it into a lamp and it works off of the meter. Put a nickel in and you get 1 hour of light. I love the clicking. Still works after all these years.

My friends father did most of the heavy lifting to get it to work. I backed into it an knocked it off its base and the whole meter lay on the sidewalk! It was late at night. Alcohol was involved.  We lifted it into the trunk and hightailed it out of there. My Camaro remained unscathed. The Red Rat, way too much for a youngin'....  I was 17....many moons ago....Doug
Kidphone

DoubleTone

QuoteYour Parking Meters are fantastic. Are they repainted? They look too good...you should be very proud of them. Mine is just a battleship gray, but I love it.

Repainted--yes.  But I've tried to repaint in colors as close as possible to the originals (i.e., the last color used on a meter), although working with spray can paint has meant some compromises.

Seventy+ phone restorations led to the parking meters, which led to restoring another type of device. Samples appear in the pictures below.

But, of course, your phone room puts anyone's collection of anything to shame.  ;D

Doug Rose

Kidphone

Fushigi Ojisan

Would love to get an old Duncan made into a lamp!

Amazed at all the meters available out there, and the ability of the restorers.

Fushigi Ojisan
Otaku with interesting hobbies

DoubleTone

QuoteAmazing!! You do outstanding work....Doug
Thanks!  Whatever I know, I owe to phones.

QuoteWould love to get an old Duncan made into a lamp!
Sacrilege!  ;D

andre_janew

I think someone on this forum had a parking meter hooked up to a phone or joked about having one hooked up to a phone.  I don't recall who it was.

Fushigi Ojisan

Quote from: DoubleTone on April 29, 2018, 10:24:05 PM
Thanks!  Whatever I know, I owe to phones.
Sacrilege!  ;D

Okay, I would be content with a three-slot (nickel, dime, quarter) 4- or 6-hours that I could use as just a bank.  In fact, saw a nice mech on eBay and was wondering if I should go the route of buying parts.

Doesn't have to be a lamp, just my older brother had one.
Fushigi Ojisan
Otaku with interesting hobbies