options for old tractors

alnciowa · Sep 6, 2019

Several years ago there was a web site that showed all the optional things that could be added to tractors of the 50's and 60's such as power blocks, power steering units, steps, over drives, live pto's etc. Does any remember that site and care to share it.

rustred · Sep 6, 2019

ha, this reminds me of my uncle when he would go buy a new 1/2 ton. he would say to the sales man I want so it have 4 tires and a steering wheel. he would buy 6 cyl. 3 speed chev. not even a radio. referring to 1964 and 1974 trucks he bought. then he bought a 1989 dodge 1/2 ton, that one did not have a radio either. it had the full hub caps and he made me take them off and put just the plain old centre ones on. I now have that dodge. his thing was ? no options.

Goose · Sep 6, 2019

Around 1986 I stopped into a Chevy dealer in the Nebraska Sandhills. They had a whole lot full of mid 1970's to early 1980's pickups--all with manual transmissions and no A/C.

The Sales Manager said for years cowboys didn't think it was macho to have an automatic transmission or A/C in a pickup so they bought them without.

Then in the mid 1980's the cowboys all decided it wasn't bad after all to have an auto transmission and A/C in a pickup so all of these previous ones were traded back in.

I had a used car license at the time and I could have bought a lot of these pickups wholesale, but in my area you couldn't hardly give a pickup away with a stick shift and no A/C.

ADB-Ia · Sep 6, 2019

My landlord back in the 70s bought a new pickup. 6 cylinder, 3 speed on the column, cheapest he could get. He had them take the radio out - $40 cheaper. Had a hole in the dash where the radio was. Then he went and bought the most expensive Chrysler you could buy. Always kind of puzzled me. He was a bib overalls kind of guy most of the time, putting around on his JD 40 or grubbing out brush with his JD 350 dozer. But he would change into a suit and tie whenever he had to do business. I guess he played to the audience.

Bruce from Can. · Sep 7, 2019

In 2015 I bought the barest pickup I could find. It still came with AC and Auto, as standard equipment. It had 3 options, chrome bumpers, radio, and limited slip rear end. It was on the lot brand new, and I paid $24,500.00. And if I wanted paired bumpers, no radio, and no limited slip rear end, I would have had to order the truck special, and it would have cost a extra 2 Grand!

DPittman · Sep 7, 2019

I'm not gonna be able to answer your question either but it does remind me of a man I talked to who in a roundabout way was into restoring old tractors through his shop class. His policy about "putting it back original " was you had to know how the tractor came from the factory or dealership in the first place to put it back "original ". In other words if you go looking for options that were available at the time but were never put on the tractor or truck or whatever you are not putting it back original. He also thought it's your tractor to do with what you want. If a hex nut works better for you than a square nut, use a hex nut. Originality police didn't bother him much. During our conversation he told me somewhere around 80ish tractors had been worked on by the students in his class. What degree of restoration or refurbished I don't know but that was 20 years ago. I wonder what that number is now.

Eagle Beagle · Sep 7, 2019

In 1986 I bought a Ford Ranger S, no radio, no AC, 5 speed stick, $5995. It was a fun little truck for what it was.

Beagle

K Effective · Sep 7, 2019

In 1987 I bought a repo'd 1986 Chevy K30, no radio, no A/C, no cruise, no tilt wheel. 350 four barrel, 4.10 gears, 4X4, plastic floor cloth seat. It burned a gallon of gas every six hours with the motor shut off, got 10mpg when running. Would push snow a mile high and pull anything. Rusted out in five years.

rdandersom · Sep 7, 2019

Those were great little trucks. My favourite out of all the vehicles I have ever had.

LA in WI · Sep 7, 2019

Ordering new 1950 H Farmall:
(List prices)

Belt pulley $45.50
Pre-cleaner 5.75
Swinging drawbar 5.25
Elec. starter & lights 68.50
Combo rear light& taillight 4.00
Fenders 15.75
High 4th gear 3.75
Lift-All 56.00
Muffler 3.75
PTO 36.25
Hydraulic seat 20.00
Rear weights, set of 2 28.25

Farmall H with 5.50 X 16
front tires, 11 -38 rears $1514.50

With 10 -38 Deduct 26.00
With 12 - 38 Add 51.00

My dad's 1950 H, with all the above options, minus the high 4th, cost him $1800.00

I still have the tractor; made front cover of "Red Power" magazine May 2005.

Billy NY · Sep 7, 2019

I did about the same thing in early '17, bought a left over '16 F150 XL regular cab 4x4, 2.7 Eco-boost, towing package, vinyl floor (which I prefer over carpet). A/C, auto 6 speed with the manual/sport mode, I hardly ever use that.

It had some options which I am sure the dealer ordered with it, that actually made it pretty nice for todays bare bones truck. $26,000.00 before I added undercoating and extended warranty. Also added a drop in bed liner. Some of the extras were the tie downs on the inside of the bed walls. Whomever specified the options did a pretty good job without going overboard. I've been to Kentucky and back, + other trips for work and pulled a trailer with all my tree and wood equipment, splitter etc. did a great job handling that.

MARK ROBKE · Sep 7, 2019

I don't know of a website for options either, but my Dad and Uncle started modernizing after WWII with 8n fords. Besides the usual 3pt equipment, they had a cordwood saw, a pto driven hydraulic 4' chain saw(Von Rudin?), a pto driven grinder with a hand held grindstone, and a pto water pump. They also built a sprayer too. These are items that I remember, and saw used at least once for a couple of them. Mark.

options for old tractors

alnciowa

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rustred

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Goose

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ADB-Ia

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Bruce from Can.

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DPittman

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Eagle Beagle

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K Effective

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rdandersom

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LA in WI

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Billy NY

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MARK ROBKE

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