Sniping, it's an art

NICE! Years ago I pickup a ruff one and the head color had fade and thats what got me into anodizing!
This is the first 1/2a (Duro-Matic) Dick McCoy designed, c.1951, "Baby Mac". I think it was about par with the rest of the first wave of small engines that were designed to take advantage of the new "glow plug" technology...which yours has the original style glowplug, so probably a "low timer". It looks like it will clean up nice, add some black oxide to the cylinder and if its gonna be a display piece, hit the head with a red sharpie, also need a large black washer and a black fillister screw.

I am not a McCoy fan, although that little engine had a lot of thought put into it. Nice one Mark.

Lol, a blue strato bug, and a lot of the later collectable cox engines, but don't have much interest in those. I am looking for the brass tank wen-mac and a Paggo .09 (? )
I think I got tubing, I'll look tonite.

rsv1cox wrote:ebay is evil, well maybe just the people that play the sniping game.  With time to fill last night I spent some time looking for vintage Cox engines.  I found a couple of  Space Bugs with the “white” fuel tank both with minutes remaining.  I made a reasonable bid that remained the high bid until the last second, then wham....lost out.

Well, I thought, two can play that game.  Waiting until the last second on the other Space Bug I cast a bid that I thought excessive and much more than my bid on the first Bug.....and wham again.  Lost out.  A two time loser I slunked off battered and bruised.  

Not really disappointed though as I already have a couple of nice white tanked Space Bugs, but like the red tanked Bug I recently won @$32 I wanted another to actually mount and use on a plane.

But then late last night - redemption.  I proxy bid and won this Baby McCoy



at $28.52 with free shipping after losing out on an identical engine that went for $77.00 plus shipping earlier in the day.  Go figure.  

I haven’t ever seen one of these.  Anyone have any information regarding them?  

BTW, I have nothing against sniping.  To the victor goes the spoils

HA! I had the very same thing happen, got sniped two times in a row. Wrote a page and a half blog/Rant on how evil the snipers and their software is for the whole world to see. Then before I sent it to anyone I had second thoughts....If I can't beat 'em...Join "em!! Got a 10 day FREE Trial, cool. I won my very first auction with it this morning, while I was at work. I could not wait to get home and check to see if I'd won.   I DID. My very first bid of $4  was the winning bid, the snipe software placed a 2nd wining bid just seconds before the close of the auction. Unbelievable..Holy Cow,  No one Else even placed a bid. Ive seen similar items go for over $50 and I won this one for $4?? After watching it for days..I won with no competing bidders. Especially with the "Little" surprize in the box, i guess nobody else looked at or read the description..Check the Red thing in the corner of the Box and then the 5th or 6th picture of this unknown stuff:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Cox-Sky-Copter-Used-Untested-/191588545348?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9b913344&nma=true&si=eF060VU9l1WOnj%252ByAcjnlRlquIM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Well, all I've got to say is I now have to spend more time on the building bench, and a whole lot less time searching auctions

Now that's what I call a deal! Even if that "unknown item" would need some cleaning up.

Congrats Marley!

First off since I stopped laughing now , Bob that's a nice looking Mac and Marley you lucky dog you . I don't pay to snipe but do do a lot of timing and waiting for something I think I need to want , last 4 seconds are really tedious I am lurking at some parts now same guy broken down to difft. lots I said I would never buy any more parts to build engines after that last batch but I will need something to do this winter

Sniping is fun and all, but I just got tired of doing it.  You have to expend so much effort, so I just changed my strategy.  Especially since I pretty much eBay’ed all the engines that I really wanted already.  Nowadays, I just do a search for engines or things I want, and make one bid at what I think I’d pay for it.  Then, a few days later, I look at my “Didn’t Win” tab and see what the items sold for.  I’ll usually look at an item I didn’t get and think to myself, “That’s not a bad price.  I’d pay that.”  

But, sometimes it works.  I saw this new Testors 8000 engine still in the original packaging and bid on it.  They seem to usually go for about $25-$40 for a clean NIP specimen, depending on how bad the people want it, but I bid the minimum $9.99 for it when it was listed and left it alone.  A few days later it was mine.  No one else bid on it.  You never know.



The Patient Mark

rsv1cox wrote:I thought of you when I noticed this auction Eric, but your probably on to it already.  55 cylinders, maybe one of every model .049 that Cox offered.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cox-049-Model-Airplane-Engine-Parts-Lot-1-2a-Control-Line-Plane-Motor-Junk/111685805949?_trksid=p5713.c100041.m2061&_trkparms=aid%3D333008%26algo%3DRIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140109102600%26meid%3D08122d8a59c04570bae0044922ff769f%26pid%3D100041%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D23%26sd%3D141680990409

I think the same fellow has another plastic compartment box of other engine parts too.  Everything but needle valves and springs, the most sort after parts.  

Yes Bob I seen that and some others that were broken up engine parts // you would need theses to go with it http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cox-049-Model-Airplane-Engine-Parts-Lot-1-2a-Control-Line-Plane-Motor-Junk-/121667830224?_trkparms=gh1g%3DI121667830224.N15.S2.M-8326.R5.TR7&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=W64O5T27GPWFiY5kFJ8L9YerXzY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc and still no tanks or back plates

I no the feeling Mark it does take out some time and a lot of effort , I just hate it when it goes for a few cents more than my bid Nice Testors and good price

rsv1cox wrote:Thanks Mark, Is there an engine that you do not have..... I think it's great that you share your knowledge and experience.  The little things like the original glow plug on the Baby Mac would have escaped my attention.

The other Baby Mac was marginally cleaner but that's it.  Both are in nice condition. The other bidder and I swapped bids until the bitter (for me) end.  But I knew this one was waiting in the wings.  The head should clean up. The cylinder will be media blasted and restored.  I use Brownell's Oxpho bluing that does wonders on Cox and McCoy cylinders.  I may only clean the case leaving the original finish.


Bob

The prop screw may be a 5 x 40. You already know Brownells. They have black 5 x 40 fillister head screws. They are 1 ", but of course you can cut they back with a dremel. They also have 4 x 48, 5 x 44, 3 x 48 and other sizes of fillister heads you won't find elsewhere. Brownells is a great source for restoration materials.
Probably a 4/40 on that fillister, no problem on that. I can probably find a washer and blue it but finding that clear tubing in the proper size is always a problem.

An interesting note on the topic... There were 2 eBay auctions ending minutes apart Thursday night (Friday morning) at 2AM my time (same seller) and they were for Medallion .09 engines.  I didn't see the auction until Wednesday and didn't know how long it had been up but the thing was there were no bids on either and the starting price was $19.99 for both with $6 shipping from California.

I set my alarm for 1:55AM, logged in and lo and behold, still no bids.  I found it's not a highly prized engine but I thought the price was right so bid on both with 5 seconds to go in each and apparently was the sole bidder, and winner of both.  Then I asked the seller to combine shipping cost and it brought my net down to $24 each.  The seller did not clean the engines though they look good in the photos.  I think once I can run them, clean and polish, I can resell one to recoup my investment. I couldn't see any mounting marks on the case and the back plate grooves looked pristine. That would be really cool if it was new. Highly doubtful I suppose.

EBay is a funky animal, sometimes you can really get a bargain if you're patient.  This buy doesn't seem like a big bargain but if I break even I'll be tickled pink.

What do you guys think about this engine?  Are these disirable or is there some sort of issue with them that makes them unpopular?

Greg
Here's one of them I bought:

Greg, that's a nice looking engine. $25 total for a Medallion .09 in good shape is a fair price. They're good engines. I just don't think many models were designed for that size engine compared to the .049 engines. If you're looking for a design to build, try looking on Outerzone and search for 1.5cc engine designs. Seems like the Brits came up with more designs for that size engine than we on this side of the pond did for .09 engines. I have my share of Medallion .09's, and like them. You'll enjoy whatever you put it on.

The Satisfied Mark

batjac wrote:Greg, that's a nice looking engine.  $25 total for a Medallion .09 in good shape is a fair price. They're good engines.  I just don't think many models were designed for that size engine compared to the .049 engines.  If you're looking for a design to build, try looking on Outerzone and search for 1.5cc engine designs.  Seems like the Brits came up with more designs for that size engine than we on this side of the pond did for .09 engines.  I have my share of Medallion .09's, and like them.  You'll enjoy whatever you put it on.

The Satisfied Mark

Thanks for that Mark! I appreciate it.
Greg

Greg I had a watch on those engines and could not make the seen at 2.00Am NICE grab !! , I have an .09 but have not ran it , glad to hear Mark say that he enjoys his .. Wonder what he has them on? O Bob was wondering what U were up to but I have been busy with Roger H.