Story Photos
 Donn Dale's 1960s-era Cushman scooter takes him everywhere he wants to be around his property in Toutle. Brenda Blevins McCorkle / The Daily News
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People and Their Wheels: Donn Dale's 1960s-era Cushman scooter
Friday, June 27, 2008 11:57 PM PDT
By Brenda Blevins McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleBackground: Donn and his wife, Doreen, have lived in Toutle for about a year and a half. They moved there from Waldport, Ore. Before that, the couple lived for several years in Prescott, Ariz.
Donn is retired from the hospitality industry, and Doreen is retired from medical office management. They have a combined family of three children and one grandson.
His wheels: A 1960s-era Cushman scooter he acquired through his friend and neighbor, Ken Hamilton.
“His (Ken’s) dad passed away this year at 93, and he had three of these little Cushmans that sat out there,” Donn said.
The former owner used them to do chores for 20 years on his 30 acres in Sequim, Wash.
When Donn got the Cushman, it needed a lot of work. Donn said he relied heavily on the help of his friend, who restores vehicles for a hobby.
“I had never attempted this before,” Donn said. “It was fun.”
He is researching the vehicle’s serial numbers to find out the exact year it was made. He estimates it to be from the 1960s. The odometer stopped working at 30,939 miles, he said.
Because of its age, the scooter required “lots of Bondo,” Donn said.
“I put in a new floor. I had to get after-market parts, and had the vent covers and jockey box (glove box) made,” he said. “I got the headlight on eBay.”
He redid the entire vehicle, including the one-cylinder, 18 horsepower OMC engine.
“It didn’t have an air cleaner or fuel filter on it, so I put those in,” he said.
Now the scooter runs great, Donn said.
“I run it down to the end of the properties and fish on the Toutle,” he said.
He also uses it for odd jobs around the home.
“I’ve got my garage door opener, gate opener, mailbox key in here,” he said, rummaging through the glove box. “I cut my grass today, and I put the barrels in the back with my grass in them and took them over to my burn pile.”
The scooter has a small bed, which Donn sprayed with a bed-liner, but he also bought a wagon from a neighbor. He refurbished the wagon and uses it in tandem with the scooter.
In addition, he added new decals, which he found online, to the scooter and the wagon — Cushman for one and Radio Flyer for the other.
“My wife said that it looked like it could be a little red wagon,” Donn said, smiling.
With the headlight and taillights, Donn said he’s in the process of having the scooter inspected for road use.
“It will probably do about 25 miles per hour, which is good for around here. I take it up to get the mail and paper,” he said. “I’d like to get it street legal so I can take it up to Drew’s (Market) and get my newspaper, or lottery ticket.”
He also is planning a little run as Santa Claus at Christmas time. With a baby grandson ready to appreciate the wonder of St. Nick, Donn said he plans to rent a suit this year and might delight the neighborhood kids with a visit from the jolly old elf.
“You provide me with a present, and I’ll dress up and putt putt around and play Santa,” he said.
With the success of this first project, Donn said he’s looking for another one to work on, perhaps this summer.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was a mess, but I’d like to do it again.”
If you know of someone to feature in People and Their Wheels, submit their name and contact information to Brenda Blevins McCorkle at 577-2515.
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