I found a BUDA, if not enlightenment.

This is not a Buda

Alright, that really isn’t quite true. The Buda found me. Nirvana achieved — in Bellevue Ohio. Who knew?

When you have an obscure website featuring old cars and odd bits of machinery, sometimes nice people in search of information about odd bits of machinery go searching and find you. Google . The all knowing, all seeing eye in the sky.

Back in August of 2019, I got a comment to my website (this very one). Jim Walter asked if I knew anyone that might be interested in a BUDA engine. That prompted a correspondence, exchange of photos and several phone calls. No, I didn’t know anyone that was looking for an engine, but I might be interested. It turns out that Jim’s lady friend, Mary Sieger was selling her fathers property in Bellevue, Ohio. On the property was a garage, in the garage was an old Buda engine & radiator. The engine was on blocks, had a tag on the crankcase, and had a fly-ball governor and exhaust whistle attached as well. Mary explained that the engine was used by her grandfather & uncle to power a sawmill. It was a Buda, “T” model engine.

This is a Buda.   Mary & Jim sent me this photo – among others.

This is precisely the engine that is in our MICHIGAN car. (without the blocks, fly-ball governor or exhaust whistle) So, seeing the opportunity to acquire a “back-up” engine for parts and whatnot, Jim, Mary and I came to an agreement as to price and how I would arrange to come get the engine. The soonest I might be able to get the engine was in October 2019, when Janet & I would be visiting Janet’s sister, Sally & brother-in-law, Clarence in Hobart, Indiana. Janet was going to attend the 150th anniversary celebration of Purdue University and visit with Gamma Phi Beta sorority sisters she had not seen in many years. I was NOT enthusiastic about attending that event, but…….. maybe, just maybe, I had a really great excuse for NOT being able to attend. Like maybe I needed to go retrieve the Buda in Ohio. Perfect excuse. I went with it.

Hobart to Bellvue – approximately 4 hours each way in perfect conditions.

On October 14, 2019, brother-in-law, Clarence Davis and I, packed up his Toyota Tacoma with straps and chains and headed East on Interstate 80-90, bound for Bellevue OH. Bellevue is located almost due South of Sandusky and about 500 miles, round trip from Hobart. This was going to be a long day of driving.

We met up with Jim & Mary a little after noon. And there, on a flat bed trailer was the Buda, in all its rust encrusted glory.

Now we needed to get the motor off the flat bed and into the back of the Tacoma. Jim had a buddy with a fork lift just South of town. Way South. Jim and the flat bed led the way. We thought we were for sure headed on back roads to Kentucky – which is a nice place and all, but we did have a schedule and a long drive back to Hobart.

Once we made it to the farm with the fork lift, the Buda quickly rose up and levitated over to the Tacoma where we secured it with straps and fasteners for the trip back to Indiana.

Clarence prepares to install lifting straps.

The Buda levitates for the first time that day.

Craig happily surveys the well secured Buda while refueling in Bellvue.

Craig & Clarence meditate on the how the Buda is to become enlightened.

Enlightenment is achieved and the  Buda is levitated again. This time at its temporary home in Hobart.

That evening, just as the sun went down, the Buda was placed on a nice wooden pallet in Sally & Clarence’s barn where it now awaits for the appointed time to journey to California.

Some might say, “The Buda abides.”

The Buda is enthroned on a nice wooden pallet.