Define original

Anonymous-0 · Mar 15, 2009

There are discrepancies with the decal placement between the IH drawings in Guy Fay's Letter Series Originality Guide and the decals as they were actually placed on my tractor. It is very apparent that the tractor was never restored before I bought it and the decals definitely look 50 years old. The shift pattern decal is on the light bar (SH by the way), the IH drawing show's it on the gas tank. The O/D/B decal for the light switch is on the left side of the switch, the IH drawing show's it above the switch. What is original? How should I place them? I actually think they look better where actually placed, especially the O/D/B, vs. the drawing. Ah, such a dilemma

Janicholson · Mar 15, 2009

My take on this (it is an opinion with nothing to support it but personal experiences with decals, and the production methods common at the time) is that Employees at IH placed the decals by hand. There were few templates or guides, just a good Eye, and do over if the foreman didn't like it. I know the decals on original tractors were not perfect when compared side by side. I think they should be placed as close to the center of the geometry of ribs and knob shafts as possible so they show that symmetry. Concentricity is visually correct. Crooked is just that. JimN

Dave H (MI) · Mar 15, 2009

For those, like me, who needed it to understand that response....

http://dictionary.reference.com/

(since were are talking about definitions! )

the tractor vet · Mar 15, 2009

I am old enough to remember how they were when new . And the light switch decal was on the left of the switch and the gearshift was on the light bar. to the left of the steering wheel shaft.

SDE · Mar 15, 2009

I bought the last shift decal that my dealship had. I wanted two, but he said the last one was purchased 22 months ago and that they were not going to order any more. Part # 1000707R1.

I am going to try and scan this one on to my printer and then reprint it on to an adhesive tag from work.

Have any of you had simulair decal problems and how did you resolve it?
SDE

karl f · Mar 15, 2009

well if you didn't have a light bar, the tank would be the next likely location. maybe the drawings were taking that into consideration? The drawing might not be the final decision, as the documents that survive often are not the exact ones used. or maybe the drawer and supervisor had never been on a tractor, so the guy doing the work couldn't see the decal from the tank and rebelled thinking of the end user.

good example of corporate vs production line life.

karl f

rustyfarmall · Mar 15, 2009

(quoted from post at 08:15:52 03/15/09) I am old enough to remember how they were when new . And the light switch decal was on the left of the switch and the gearshift was on the light bar. to the left of the steering wheel shaft.

Exactly, that is how I remember it, and that is how I place them now.

CNKS · Mar 15, 2009

Go by Guy's book, he has done the research. As stated, some factory employees may have misplaced them. The gearshift decal was factory placed on the gas tank on my dad's H, that I am positive of. The operator's manual shows the ODB above the switch. The LHDB on cutout equipped tractors was to the left, that I am also positive about. The 3 position switch was apparantly turned differently on the voltage regulator tractors. We did not have an H with a voltage regulator, so that comes from the manual.

John M · Mar 15, 2009

Ive never seen a Super H without a light bar, and Ive never seen a Super H with the decal on the lightbar.(However, Theres no way for sure the tractor hadnt been repainted, unless youre the one who bought it new.) Remember even then, lights were still optional. I see no reason, other than the employee having a little fun, that they would have deviated from the norm. But the experts have spoken, and all the research Guy did is useless!

georgeky · Mar 15, 2009

The shift pattern decal was also on the light bar of my 1950 M when dad bought it new. That was a bit before my time but he repainted it twice over the years and put the decals back where they were to start with. Light switch decal was also to the left a bit. Same as my C and SC.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 15, 2009

Since the letter series tractors preceded me by a few months [born September 1954], all I know is what I've seen over the years at Pappy and Grand-dad's Farmall garage. On H's and M's that came factory equipped with the light bar, most I ever saw had the shift pattern decal on the light bar, as Tractor Vet described. On the tractors that had the light bar added, the shift pattern decal was on the gas tank.

And there were probably some early tractors that had the light bar, but came with the decal on the tank as well. So I'd suggest...and this is only a suggestion, mind you...that if your tractor is a prewar model, put the decal on the tank. And if it's a war years or postwar, put it on the light bar, if your tractor is so equipped...and if it's not, put it on the tank.

Just don't put the circle with the model on the grille, instead of the hood.

NDS · Mar 15, 2009

I doubt that trivial things like shift pattern sticker were chiseled in stone. On something that I know is original--casting codes- I have seen them horizonal, vertical, upside down, different locations and with actual date instead of year code.

burnsg2003 · Mar 15, 2009

I have a super H that was my grandfathers. When I repainted it my grandfather was still living to verify the decals had never been moved since he bought the tractor new. The shift decal was on the gas tank and the light decal right above the knob. I read someplaces that the shift decal should be on the light bar but grandad was adamant it went on the fuel tank. He also, had and M and that was where it was placed.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 15, 2009

Thanks to all for your input. I'm going to put the new ones back in the same place. That's original, to my tractor anyways.

mkirsch · Mar 16, 2009

No offense Mr. Mayor, but how can you be sure? A 50-year-old paint job won't look any different now than a 40-year-old paint job, or a 30.

That said, it's your tractor. The only thing I'm wondering is if the light switch knob has a pointer on it. If it does, the ODB decal should line up with the pointer.

ScottyHOMeY · Mar 16, 2009

Those dawings are useful and even helpful, but Guy also botes in the text, in a couple of places IIRC, that you will find variations.

One in particular he described (with a picture)was the light switch decal -- on top or wrapped more around to the left? The variation there could just be sloppy placement, but it could also have to do with the position of the knob, which has a tapered hex fit to the shaft of the switch. If the fella that mounted the switch to the face of the panel was off by 60* one way or the other with where the pointer goes, and the fella that did the decals was lining up the decal to the B or the L or O position, it would have been easier to index the decal to the pointer than it was to remove the knob and put it in a standard position.

Define original

Anonymous-0

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Janicholson

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Dave H (MI)

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the tractor vet

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SDE

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karl f

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rustyfarmall

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CNKS

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John M

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georgeky

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Anonymous-0

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NDS

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burnsg2003

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Anonymous-0

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mkirsch

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ScottyHOMeY

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