AMERICAN Scavengers star Jon Slazay, also known as Jersey Jon, surprised fans with an antique that many said they had only seen in museums.
The History Channel fan favorite shared the nearly 100-year-old Indian Motorcycle Company engine on his Instagram page.
Jon’s post on Thursday featured a slideshow of photos showing the silver engine, made between 1929 and 1930.
Although the Indian Motor Company was best known for making motorcycles, this was an outboard motor, a propulsion system for boats.
A photo showed that the boat’s engine logo was completely intact.
Another showed that the instructions for “lubrication” and “starting a cold engine” were all engraved on the sides.
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Almost all of the text was readable, making it an Insta-worthy piece.
“Did you know that the Indian Motorcycle Company made outboard engines?” Jon captioned the post.
“Yes they did! They only made 150 in 1929 and 1930, this survivor is the most beautiful original paint engine I have ever seen and it is for sale, please, serious questions only.”
‘INCREDIBLE!’
Fans flooded the comments section and were excited about the discovery.
“At first glance. I thought it was something out of Star Wars,” commented one fan.
“Wow. Very cool. Always expected to stumble upon one,” wrote another.
“This is amazing,” wrote a third.
“There’s one in a museum on Vancouver Island BC. Very cool!” she wrote a fourth.
Jersey Jon – who grew up in New Jersey – began appearing on the show in season 7 and quickly became a fan favorite due to his vast knowledge.
In December 2023, it was revealed that he would become a permanent member of the show’s cast.
MEET THE CAST OF AMERICAN PICKERS
American Pickers has had some cast changes, but the current season finds Mike Wolfe, Robbie Wolfe, Jon Szalay and Danielle Colby scouring the country for rare antiques.
Mike Lobo
Mike, an Iowa native, has been with the show since its launch in 2010. The star originally started the show with his friend Frank Fritz, who left suddenly in 2021 amid a feud with Mike.
Mike has a collection of business ventures outside of the show and also spends a lot of time with his model girlfriend Leticia Cline.
ROBBIE LOBO
Mike’s brother, Robbie, has joined the program on many antique hunts since Frank’s departure.
Just like Mike, Robbie has an antique store to run when he’s not on screen.
JON SZALAY
‘Jersey Jon’ only became a full cast member in December 2023, but has a lot of history with the Wolfe brothers.
According to his History Channel bio, the newcomer is a “longtime friend of Mike Wolfe.”
DANIELLE COLBY
Danielle appeared on screen with the team when the show began in 2010, becoming known as the charismatic store manager.
When ‘the Rust Queen’ isn’t hunting for antiques, she can often be found sharing raunchy burlesque videos on social media and putting on shows across the country.
NEW SELECTORS
American Pickers fans can mark their calendars, as lead star Mike Wolfe recently announced that new episodes are coming.
Wolfe said new episodes of the iconic reality show will premiere in October 2024.
Mike, who created the show which debuted in 2010, quietly shared the exciting news in the comments section of his Instagram.
A fan had commented on one of his posts: “Man, I miss your shows ”.
“New ones starting in October,” he replied.
The announcement comes after a long hiatus that has left fans eager for the show’s return.
American Pickers follows Wolfe and his team as they scour the U.S., searching for valuable antiques in dusty garages, attics, and barns.
LET’S BE FRANK
Wolfe and Danielle Colby originally co-hosted the show with Frank Fritz for ten years before he abruptly left in 2020 without explanation.
The reason Frank left the show had to do with his health.
In addition to his back problems, he revealed that he had Crohn’s disease and suffered a stroke in 2022. This terrible situation left him temporarily confined to a wheelchair.
That said, Frank revealed his feud with then-co-star Mike during a 2021 interview with The US Sun.
Frank said: “I haven’t spoken to Mike in two years. He knew my back was hurt, but he didn’t call me and ask how I was. That’s the way it is.
“The show is 1,000% leaning towards him. I can’t even bend over so much to show how much.
“Okay. It’s like you have Aerosmith and Steven Tyler and he’s the lead singer. I’ve found my place, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s not a problem for me, maybe he has a problem. ”
He even admitted, “I think Mike wants to bring in his brother Robbie to replace me. I don’t know why he’s behaving like this towards me.”
In July 2022, Frank, 58 years old, had a stroke and was hospitalized for a few days.
His former co-star and friend, Mike, shared the news on Instagram.
“I’ve been very private this past year about Frank’s life and the journey he’s been on. There have been a lot of opinions regarding Frank and I’s friendship and the show, but now is not the time to set the record straight. Now is the time to pray for my friend,” the Pickers star wrote.
“Frank suffered a stroke and is in the hospital. Please keep him in your hearts and thoughts.”
Mike added that he was praying that Frank would get through this and that he would love him.
He was hospitalized again when he suffered seizures and pneumonia a few months after the stroke.
Frank was placed under conservatorship in September 2022 after failing to look after himself – which he is still under.
Frank is doing well now health-wise, as a source recently told The US Sun: “Frank has been fine, eating ice cream and watching the Olympics.”
Fans have lamented his absence since 2020, saying the show isn’t the same without him (and the ratings reflected that).
Wolfe highlighted Fritz’s contribution to the show when responding to another Instagram user’s recent comment.
“Nothing will ever replace Frank, we miss him. Just as you feel,” Wolfe wrote.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story