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To paint or not to paint

R

rrlund

Well-known Member
I painted the wheels and grill on this little devil a few years ago. It needs to be split and a new PTO clutch put in,then I was going to paint the rest of it. I'm starting to have second thoughts. We reluctantly took it to a show featuring Oliver this weekend because the 500 I wanted to take wasn't ready yet. Amazingly I wasn't all that ashamed of how it looks. It's not original paint,but it doesn't have all that bad a look to it when it's sitting out in the sunshine.
Somebody has stuck some crappy decals on one side and has the placement wrong. There aren't any on the other side,but I think with a nice set of die cut decals with the proper placement,that little dickens might be good enough for who it's for with the paint that is has. I think I can steam those decals off that are on it now. They're not even on there all that well.
a235830.jpg
 

I was looking at it up there, and thought it looked good. A hair dryer works good taking decals off. That's what I used to use on my trucks.

I didn't happen to see you there. I was looking for you for a while, I think we left about five thirty.
 
Maybe try some "Color back" on a panel that would be hidden if you did not like the results. It looks like the tractors has good paint but it is faded. On tractors like this I have had good luck with Color back.
 
rrlund,

It's not my tractor, but I do like to see some shiny and painted parts...especially the ones that were replaced or rebuilt.

D.
 
With the high cost of paint and primer (urethane/epoxy) and with the amount of time to prep everthing. I would wax it or use color back as mentioned and call it wonderful. After taking two tractors clear down and apart to prep and paint, I really don't have much desire to do it again. But I am going to on a couple that don't look at all as good as yours. jmo gobble
 
I didn't make it. It started raining way too early. I didn't get started grinding feed in the morning like I'd wanted to. It didn't let up until after one thirty. It was going on two before I got started grinding and almost four by the time I got done and put everything away. By then,I just didn't think it was worth the trip.
I probably should have though. We got there about eleven thirty this morning and the place was a ghost town. JD John was the only one there off here. Some of the steam guys were out back. The flea market vendors were already packing it in by then.
I did get to talk to an old guy who had worked at the Oliver dealer in Clare though. He said his brother had worked for the dealer in Mt Pleasant. Had a real nice talk with him.
 
I can appreciate a shiny waxed up tractor if somebody has done all the work to truly make everything about it look like new,but there aren't all that many of these old tractors around that still look nice but still look like you wouldn't be afraid to drop a draw pin in them and work them a little. I guess the older I get,the more I miss seeing these tractors the way they looked on the farm when they were 10-15 years old instead of how they looked new on the dealer's lot. Worked,but taken reasonable care of.
 
The paint scheme on the Old Olivers is so nice, it's hard to make one look bad. Paint it or leave it, it will always get plenty of attention at shows.....everybody likes them.
 
Ya,it's just getting real hard to find them in what you might call a "moderate" condition. They're either restored or rusted right in to the ground.
There've only been two new tractors here on the farm. A new Oliver Hart Parr 70 in 1937 and a 4040 Deere in 81. Most everything else was a 10-15 year old trade in that had reasonable care. That's what I remember a "new" tractor being. A lot of tractors of that vintage were original and being used when I hauled milk too,so that's what I have the most memories of. If they needed paint when a dealer got them,they usually didn't end up being painted original. The Olivers ended up with white wheels and grills,the John Deere A's and 60's and what not got a yellow stripe painted on the side of the hood,some of the Farmalls ended up with some ivory paint somewhere,the red and gray Fords wound up blue.
To me,a nice used one just has more emotional appeal. I made the mistake of painting a half way decent Oliver 1550. It's nice,but it's not original anymore. I've got an original 1600 and an 1850 with the original dealer decals,and those two won't ever see any new paint as long as I own them.
 
My Super 55 looks just like yours. Mine is a key start '57 also. 1500 hour family tractor with most of its original paint. Mine has had the front wheels, the yellow grilles, and parts of the fenders and dash touched up. I won't paint it as it has all the original decals, which can never be reproduced once taken off. My great uncle was meticulous about repairs, I only wish I knew how a small dent got in the upper nose and one of the rear fenders is dinged on the rear corner. Mom said those stories likely involve lots of beer.
 
I like it in it's second-hand outfit. :)

But it would look nice painted too.

I know, I know - I should get a job working for my unlce (Sam)... am able to take a stand on either side of the fence. LOL
 
If its been gone over once already I wouldn't worry about doing it again right. It doesn't look bad but with those painted wheels and centers I think I'd keep going.
 
Sounds like you already have a few "originals". This one is not. I vote to make the Mrs. happy and since it's already started, make it one of your few "shiney and straight" little jewels. First comment most will have (silently) is "will be nice when he finishes it".
 
Dang Randy,
I have a 55 Super 55 that don't look that good!
You get kinda good and might have you work on mine "in your spare time"!

PS :Hope Kent SPMN don't see this
 
There is not a thing wrong with the way it looks. They both looked good at the show. You can still use it and not have to worry about scratching it, if you had/wanted to. If you want it to sparkle paint it! Does the Mrs. want it painted?
 
I have always figured if it had been repainted in the past it is a candidate for full restoration including a paint job. That is where we are on this one.

The only ones I would consider not doing are ones with the original paint in just about any condition. They will only be original once.

That being said it is your tractor and you should do what makes you happy. That is one of the things I love so much about the old tractor hobby.

jt
 
What JT said, x1 seeing its already been done, and its not like one of these you find that has nice original paint or varying degrees of patina, wear or age of its original paint. I would not hesitate if I was considering painting it. I just saw a neat old tractor on Wengers site, there is an offset ford 2000 in their parade or tractor drive, original dealer sticker, and what looks to be really nice original paint, something like that, I would not paint as its in its true form, not many like that, + a much more less common model.
 
that tractor has a nice patina, i like them painted too, but when there this nice it might be nice to clean it really ,really good, then clear coat it just like it is with some high quality clear, that is gaining some ground in the car community, and on certain ones actually looks good, saves the originality while preventing rust and gives it a shine too
 
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