general question about tractor restoration

From the point of view of trying to create a "restored tractor" do you think it's better to try to keep as many original parts as possible???

For example, would it be a strike against the thing if I bought a new carb rather than trying to fix/repair/refurb the old one, keeping as many of the original parts as I could?

Slip down to Page 3 (that's where it is now ) to a thread headed "difference" for a discussion of your question.

Scotty,
I read the thread...quite interesting.
So I'm still wondering what the average Farmall enthusiast would say if he saw a 1941 tractor with a 2009 carb. Not for people at either extreme end of the restore/refurbish debate, but for the typical people involved in this avocation.
RGK

During any restoration, quite a few original parts might get tossed simply because they are no longer functional and are beyond repair. So long as the new part that replaces the broken one is considered to be a direct replacement (carburetors), no one will complain about the tractor not being original.

The typical person would acknowledge a Zenith 14007 (modern carb) as a nod to getting it running and go on to evaluate the rest of the work. That'd me my take, having dealt with any number of carbs that were beyond salvation.

There is a class of purist that would go ballistic and discount every other piece of good work that had been done on the tractor, based on nothing more than the presence of that carb. If the former happens and it bothers you, blow it off and persist in trying to find an original, but don't stop running the tractor.

Don't worry about it, your the only one that you need to satisfy.

I don't worry about minor details, or the correct police. If you can afford new parts, buy them. If you don't want to pay the price and can use salvaged or reconditioned parts, use them.

It is so much easier to forget the word ""RESTORED"" and settle for a "Nice running old tractor"... New paint and decals will make them look alot better if they are rusted, but I have seen old tractors with original paint that I would not dream of repainting..

Then for the tires;; There are lots of original tire sizes that are no longer made; you have to settle for the "modern" tire specifications...So the 100% perfect restoration goes out the window with those "incorrect" big black tires..

So, A 100% perfect "RESTORATION" is one heck of a challenge.... Hats Off to the folks who achieve the perfect job..

Those reproduction parts and replacement tires can be the difference between a tractor sitting in the back of the barn or being enjoyed by many folks; both at work and play....
How could anyone say this is wrong??

(quoted from post at 17:11:21 08/23/09) I don't worry about minor details, or the correct police.

Click to expand...

Personally, I [i:225de6d291]like[/i:225de6d291] the correct police. I find them very amusing as well as a great source of entertainment......

Seriously, I have three letter series farmalls; none have been restored; probably none will as long as I own them. One will not be repainted, one was already repainted when I got it, and one will be repainted in the future. I enjoy using them and just simply playing with them. All three will be preserved. I try to keep them clean and in good mechanical condition.

One of the things I like best about this hobby is that it is so laid back - tractors in all kinds of condition are welcomed by most of the participants. There is not a heavy emphesis on judging at shows - and I certainly hope there never will be. (It would be a BIG mistake if shows drifted in that direction.) Antique tractor people, for the most part, are above average folks, in my opinion.

Now, back to the correct police..... fun to bash, but they [b:225de6d291][i:225de6d291]can[/i:225de6d291][/b:225de6d291] be a great resource if you want to know how something was originally. So, they do have a very useful purpose. Plus, I believe many of them are trying to be helpful, although often they don't seem to know how without sounding critical.

Inflation:
"What this country needs is a good 5-cent cigar." Cactus Jack Garner-1934
"What this country needs is a good 5-dollar cigar." Mike Durhan-2009

mike

Without any big structure of restoration rules, everyone is pretty free to do as they see fit with their own tractor then bring it to a show. However, "restore" is an honest-to-god English word that has a meaning. If your computer crashed and you took it to a shop that said they would restore it, would you be happy if it came back with DOS 3.1 loaded on the disk and a rattle can paint job on the chassis?

A few years back, there was a tractor at RPR. I was a nice tractor that almost anyone would be happy to own. I have forgotten the details of the tractor, but it was similar to this: A 10-20 with an engine built in 1939, a rear housing that was from '37 or '38. The magneto was only right for '32. This was all fine, except it was finished off with a big sign that said something like "Oldest known 10-20, restored to factory condition." The owner of that tractor is deserving of anything the Correct Police hand him.