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Restoring w/ original paint - Clear coat?

D

dstates

Member
About 6 years ago I was at the John Deere World Headquarters and they had an older tractor (I want to say it was a B) that was on display w/ all of the new stuff. The neat thing about the tractor was that it was "restored" without repainting. It seemed like they did something to preserve the original paint condition. It looked like they took a tractor out of the barn, powerwashed it and then sprayed a coat of clear. I thought it was a pretty neat idea to basically preserve the tractor as it was.

I'm going to be getting my grandpa's Farmall H that he bought new in '52 and I'm toying with the idea of doing something like this. My questions are, does anyone else do this? Is it as simple as putting clear coat on the tractor after it is cleaned up (and seals replaced so it doesn't keep leaking)?

Thanks!
 
I've never seen it done, but if the original paint was intact and maybe just faded, clear coat would put a shine on whatever was there.

But--if you had bare metal, obviously all you would have was bare metal with a shiny finish.

I have a '52 H that's been in the family for 50 years. The paint is gone, and I'd like to put a decent paint job on it, but I use it almost every day and I don't want to be without it that long.
 
There was just a post on this in the last week or so. But. I don't remember which category it was under.
There are products that do exactly as explained. Auction companies use em to Shine up old equipment to make pertier to sell. Maybe someone will name it for you. Otherwise you may try searching the archives.

Ben
 
While I am sure mother Deere has something fancy that they use at world HQ, I have found that a coat of WD-40 works remarkably well at shining and preserving original paint and metalwork. It gives it a nice luster, helps protect the exposed metal and slows the existing rust.
I just spray on a nice coat then polish it with a rag. Gives it a nice clean yet original look.
 
Here in the UK an unrestored tractor with history as far more value and intrestet than a shiny painted one. I have beed using WD40 on my unpainted tractors for several years now. Later on today i will be getting out my 1956 Fordson Major Diesel tractor wich as been in the family from new and is totally origernal and taking to a local show. It will have a spray coat of WD40 before i take it. MJ
 
Maybe linseed oil ?

I sprayed some clear from rattle cans on our 530 to try and preserve some of the original finish,but keeping it inside a heated building likely does the most good.
 
Don't just go throwing any old "clear coat" over original paint.

Even after 50 years, the solvents in the new paint can still react with the old paint, causing it to shrivel and lift off the metal.
 
I had a duel tandem goose neck that was realing fading(Black) from sitting out in the sun here in N M . I didn;t want to paint it and lose the neat pin striping, so I got a gallon of clear from the AP store and it looked like new when finished, and lasted several years tell sold...Jim in N M
 
I am opinionated. To me restoring would mean it would be taken back to as close to factory/showroom condition as possible.

What they did, in my opinion, is to preserve and refurbish the old tractor.

I much prefer to see refurbished tractors. Much more functional than a trailer queen as so many here call them.
 
Thanks everyone. I hadn't heard of using WD-40 before. That might be the ticket if I go that route and "refurbish and preserve".
From what I remember of the one on the showroom floor at JD it did have some bare metal areas as well as faded paint, but it was clean and fairly shiny. If I remember it right the display was donated or on loan from someone and they made mention that this is what a well used tractor looks like after ?? years.

I still have plenty of time to make up my mind, but I remember my grandpa on his tractor as it sits now... not on a shiny red one (and it still looks pretty good). I will replace the seat, though :wink:

a135112.jpg
 
I have used wd40 to, on my old plow truck the paint is faded from too much sun I use a product called tire wet or tire shine, spray it on and rub it in and buff a little with a dry cloth, maybe even give it a second coat, makes it look so nice it's unreal, even makes the rust shine.
 
The nice thing about trying the WD40, is that if you decide later to paint it, you can just degrease the thing and start from there.
 
you can't just wash your old tractor and spray clear on it. the old paint will wrinkle and the you gt a mess of a tractor to deal with
 
Linseed oil works best on old paint and rusty old tractors to make them shine. It also dries to a pretty durable finish. Much more resilient than WD-40. I will do a whole tractor this way some time. They look like you just sprayed water on them.
 
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