Another Detroit Diesel M Found.

Had my eye on this tractor since I found it a month or so back. Appears to be a GM Prototype but the auction company couldn't / wouldn't provide any known provenance. I was even willing to pay to have the blue prints reproduced since I've been trying to research this package and it's history. No dice. I had requested photographs and information and I am not sure what to make of some of it. Engine S/N puts the engine roughly @ a 1939 / 1940 production (production started in 1938 and S/N is 2A-1433). Tractor is a '46 and has stamping in the bell housing below S/N tag that I cannot fully make out except for the "Detroit Diesel Div" "General Motors Corp" and a few other letters. A request for photograph showing area clearly was not provided. Blueprint of bellhousing appears to be prototype level showing modification of a existing bellhousing welding adapter plate to it. It references the production 1 piece cast bellhousing P/N. Assembly / installation instructions appear to be the same crappy photocopies that I have so they may have come from the same source. Reproduction decals are in black and white, the ones I found on mine (and publicly documented) were clearly colored. So I am not sure if those were somewhat plagiarized from my information. Do not know where the blueprints were acquired or where the owner saw the originals and made copies (they are copies). It is an interesting tractor to be sure.

So I put my max bid in and well, I guess I should have at least doubled it. :shock: At least I don't have to travel to the PRNY to fetch it. Will be interesting to see if it shows up on the internet and what it's story is. Final bid that took it was [b:96255b27ac]$20,000[/b:96255b27ac].

Guess the money I invested in mine was well spent.

























http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8bmexwzypU

Well there was a W9 with a 4-71 and a M with a 3-71 just on the other side of town back in the fifty's and they were used to chop corn and fill silo's . They were built out of need for more power and yep they looked factory but they were a BARN YARD BUILD . Just like the 706 that had a 549 in it south of me sure looked factory or the many M's and 88 Oil all Overs with caddy and Ford engines that came out of the same Barn yard shop. And would i pay that kind of money for one Nope not on your life. If i wanted a Detroit powered what ever i would set down and build it it is not rocket science Just like the 5.9 Cumming in the 1855 we did three years ago or the 8.3 Cumming in the 2150 FWA we did last winter. That one took a bit more work with the mod.s to the oil pan . Oh and would i like to set in the seat of something Detroit powered ever again Now way in hello as i have run the the Detroit's for many years and i did not care for them back then .

Do you really think it sold for that price or do you think the seller bought it back?? Even on EBay I have seen auctions that ended for more than I would pay. When you drive by the sellers house he still has the truck sitting in his yard. Never sold at all. He was just checking to see what people would pay for it. oldiron29

I am not sure what you are getting at Vet, other than being grouchy. The 2-71 package was offered by GM and installed either by the owner of the tractor or a GM distributor. The 3-71 in an M would be a very difficult "fit" as it is a little "long" and would require frame rail lengthening among other things. The 3-71 was never offered as a retrofit kit from GM for a Farmall M. GM did offer the 3-71 kit for other tractors such as a Case LA and I believe a W-40

(quoted from post at 12:08:53 12/18/13) Well there was a W9 with a 4-71 and a M with a 3-71 just on the other side of town back in the fifty's and they were used to chop corn and fill silo's . They were built out of need for more power and yep they looked factory but they were a BARN YARD BUILD . Just like the 706 that had a 549 in it south of me sure looked factory or the many M's and 88 Oil all Overs with caddy and Ford engines that came out of the same Barn yard shop. And would i pay that kind of money for one Nope not on your life. If i wanted a Detroit powered what ever i would set down and build it it is not rocket science Just like the 5.9 Cumming in the 1855 we did three years ago or the 8.3 Cumming in the 2150 FWA we did last winter. That one took a bit more work with the mod.s to the oil pan . Oh and would i like to set in the seat of something Detroit powered ever again Now way in hello as i have run the the Detroit's for many years and i did not care for them back then .

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(quoted from post at 12:09:26 12/18/13) Do you really think it sold for that price or do you think the seller bought it back?? Even on EBay I have seen auctions that ended for more than I would pay. When you drive by the sellers house he still has the truck sitting in his yard. Never sold at all. He was just checking to see what people would pay for it. oldiron29

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This I do not know. There were at least 3 or 4 bidders on the floor and the bidding began at 10K (my internet bid) and went up to 20K in 1K increments over a matter of 4 minutes. Therefore if the owner bought it back then there was at least one bidder willing to spend $19,000 for it.

This auction was through MacFadden & Sons in NY

Sheppard diesel also offered a conversion kit for the Farmall M, but that didn't work out so well either.

(quoted from post at 12:29:46 12/18/13)
Sheppard diesel also offered a conversion kit for the Farmall M, but that didn't work out so well either.

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This was a RPRU in Lima, OH last Summer....

Yes i know it was offered as a kit and yes Brickers M had a 3-71 in it . Anything CAN be installed and yes i have done my fair share if Barn Yard building . Grumpy not really as you never want to see me grumpy . I am just stating my opinion here . and that my boy i am untitled to as i have earned that wright . Also Cumming also had a kit for the red tractors as i have seen a couple of them over the years . Any tractor that has a frame it is easy to install some other then factory power source . Does it make it more valuable not to me as it is just another tractor . Why do we collect old tractors?? , why do i have a S/MTA , because it was the first wheel tractor new that i ever drove in the fall of 54 during tater harvest and it was a White Demo with wide ft. and it had POWERFUL steering . why do i have and 806 here again the third NEW tractor i had ever driven . The second new tractor was a 560 D and for some reason i never liked it and i had a 460 and that confirmed to me that i did not like the 60 sires . Will i spend outrageous amounts of money for something that i could not use when needed nope . Some guy asked me at the 94 Red Power show you surly don't use that S/MTA do you , yes i do just because it has a nice shinny paint job does not mean that it does not get worked . To me the tractor is still somewhat useable where as the S/H that i have is worthless . Just like me wanting a 68 Plymouth Road Runner again , why would i give 20-40000 grand for a car that i had new that i gave 2400 for and end up with 1200 buck after trading my 61 Ford rag top for . And one more thing to keep in mind when you go to and auction it only take two people to have a auction , YOU and the Auctioneer.

You really educated me there Vet... :roll: pretentious much?

(quoted from post at 13:16:25 12/18/13) Yes i know it was offered as a kit and yes Brickers M had a 3-71 in it . Anything CAN be installed and yes i have done my fair share if Barn Yard building . Grumpy not really as you never want to see me grumpy . I am just stating my opinion here . and that my boy i am untitled to as i have earned that wright . Also Cumming also had a kit for the red tractors as i have seen a couple of them over the years . Any tractor that has a frame it is easy to install some other then factory power source . Does it make it more valuable not to me as it is just another tractor . Why do we collect old tractors?? , why do i have a S/MTA , because it was the first wheel tractor new that i ever drove in the fall of 54 during tater harvest and it was a White Demo with wide ft. and it had POWERFUL steering . why do i have and 806 here again the third NEW tractor i had ever driven . The second new tractor was a 560 D and for some reason i never liked it and i had a 460 and that confirmed to me that i did not like the 60 sires . Will i spend outrageous amounts of money for something that i could not use when needed nope . Some guy asked me at the 94 Red Power show you surly don't use that S/MTA do you , yes i do just because it has a nice shinny paint job does not mean that it does not get worked . To me the tractor is still somewhat useable where as the S/H that i have is worthless . Just like me wanting a 68 Plymouth Road Runner again , why would i give 20-40000 grand for a car that i had new that i gave 2400 for and end up with 1200 buck after trading my 61 Ford rag top for . And one more thing to keep in mind when you go to and auction it only take two people to have a auction , YOU and the Auctioneer.

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Probably been in the bottle already this morning!

Being at macfaddens I would question if they really even had
one for sale or just said they did.

It's Cummins.....not Cummings.

don"t know why anyone would even want one of those useless jimmies anyhow. have to be reved up for power and sure no good a tractor. no lugging power with a jimmy. and if they were any good you would see them in tractors! they are a generator engine. and a stand by engine also for power. when power goes out say in hospitals they can be started and at full rev"s at the same time.

I worked on GM engines on generators and graders in the Army. I can't vision sitting behind that racket all day...nice toy...but no thanka.

For someone that has done so much work on putting new engines into tractors you would think that he would know that it is a Cummins Engine, not a Cumming Engine!

Tackaberry's in Athens Ontario bought that tractor.