Andy Anderson

[c.o.]

In thumbing through a bunch of back issues from the mid 80's to the early 90's, I noticed that Andy really got around to the meets with his '02-'03? Indian. I've also seen Indian Summer a bunch of times and really enjoyed his interview in the film. It seems to me that he was quite a knowledgeable member and knew Oscar Hedstrom personally. WOW!!! Now I know that he has since passed, but did any of the members on this forum know him? I certainly hope somebody was close enough to him and managed to gather some of his knowledge. I'm also still trying to find info on his Warwick (Indian clone) for curiousity sake. This photo was taken from the 1990 Fall issue of the club mag.

[c.o.]

Surely somebody knew Andy????????

[Tom Wilcock]

Andy Anderson

When I first started going to meets in the late 70's Andy was always there. I did get to know him. He was a diver for the navy. I remember him talking about being at the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. I unfortunately did not pick his brain for information on his knowledge and experiences with Hedstrom and the early Indians. I know other AMC members who may have information. Tom

[Buzz Kanter]

Andy was a fixture at most of the New England events and often brought around his '05 and 1910 bikes. He even had a buisness card that said something like "Woolworth's had a 5 and 10...Andy Anderson also has a 5 and 10."

He always seemed to have a smile on his face and a pretty girl laughing with him nearby - usually 30 or 40 years younger than him.

[c.o.]

Thanks for the response fellas! I knew somebody had to know him. As I continue to pour through back issues of the Antique Motorcyle, I see that he certainly must have been a fixture. I just finished reading the Fall 1994 issue and see that his '03 Warwick racer took a Junior Second in the competition class at the Perkiomen meet. I'm still curious as to what happened to the Warwick and it's history.

[WLAHAL]

Andy by the river

When I was a young guy in 1978 I was working as a lawn mower mechanic at a hardware store. My '47 knuckle was parked out front. Andy saw it and came in to see who owned it. A few days later on Andy's invite, I went to his house by the CT River to look at some old 'project' bikes. I remember Andy telling me in small-talk how he would deal with anyone who came to his place to steal something. He described a spot by the river where he had located a soft spot like quicksand, where he had lowered an old engine block on a steel cable to see how deep the spot was. He said he ran out of cable before it hit bottom. Andy said (with a smile) that he would strap said burglar to an old engine block and toss them in. Just insurance I guess. I had a great visit, and learned a lot. I remember seeing Indian frames here and there in the tall grass, 'out to pasture'. Andy tried real hard to sell me a military box truck with a machine shop setup in it. He said I could make good money doing house calls on power equipment. Maybe it was a good deal at $800? Instead I came home with two disassembled VL's for $350. Shortly thereafter an acquaintance of mine bought a complete original (well faded) VL that I saw at Andy's for $750. Shortly after that, my acquaintance got into some financial trouble and had to sell the VL. He advertised it in The Hartford Courant, and I remember him complaining that nobody would give him $850 for it because 'it was a dinosaur'! Andy was really in love with his old early Indian single, and he loved to 'talk Indian' with other enthusiasts. He was a real character and horse-trader, and I enjoyed the times I visited with him. At the meets in later years he had his 'celebrity hat' on, and was harder to corner and just hang out with.

[c.o.]

Well WLAHAL, that was a super cool story. It sounds as though he was quite the character! I first became curious about the man and his bikes when I found a little pic of him with the Warwick racer he had. No chance you've laid your eyes on it is there? I'm real curious about the history of the machine. He sure did seem to show up to a lot of meets. He usually seemed to win the oldest bike award. But I noticed different dates for the machine have been printed over the years. Anybody know if it was an '02 or an '03?

[Paps]

I never met the Gent. But ????? My kind of Bro !!! Paps

[INLINE4NUT]

I too had the great fortune of meeting and" trading lies" with him at various meets around New England and the mid Atlantic region when ever he happened to spot me his opening line was" hey kid what have you uncovered up in Maine sense the last time I saw you!" we would chat and that would leave us both with a smile! I have not thought about him in a long time and thanks for bringing him up!

[c.o.]

I have to admit I envy you fellas for knowing the man. After doing a good read through back issues of our mag it seems that he was quite the man. Here's a cool pic I found in the Winter '88 issue.

[c.o.]

mmmm.... bad copy of a cool pic. I'll have to work on that...

[Somer]

I remember him always being at meets in the 80's.His Indian I believe is now in the Barber Museum in Birmingham,Al.

[c.o.]

Thanks for the info Somer! Looks like I'm going to have to get down that way to see it one day. Do you ever remember seeing his Warwick racer???

[Barry Brown]

Andy brought one of his younger girlfriends to Wauseon in the eighties and kept all his camping neighbours up all night with all the moaning etc. emanating from their tent! He said his barrel chested torso was from deep sea diving . Quite a character.

[c.o.]

Good story Barry! Cool card too.........I see it had to be censored..... Now can I pick your knowledgeable brain and ask if you had ever seen the Warwick??? I've only seen the one picture and it's got me curious!