500 "Special" question

[Ken B 3,189]

I'm wondering if any of the Indy 500 Special's came with electric start on the Tecumseh 6hp's or were they all recoil only? Before I get started I'd like too know. Thanks for any help.

[jimt1971 237]

Ken,

From what I have read they were recoil only.

Jim

[Sparky-(Admin) 23,147]

I heard that they were recoil only but that some dealers installed an electric starter to make them sell better. Kinda tough to sell a yank start tractor with an electric start unit sitting next to it on the showroom floor.

Mike..........

[Ken B 3,189]

Thanks guys, electric start it shall be. Restorers preference as well. B)

[rickv1957 74]

The Indys are very neat little tractors!,Rick

[Ken B 3,189]

The Indys are very neat little tractors!,Rick

Rick you got one? Pics?

[sorekiwi 761]

All recoil start H60's, but as Mike (Sparky) stated a few were bastardised on the showroom floor to make them easier to sell.

Do you have a 500 Special Ken? If so I'd like a few details, I have two that have a few different details on them so I'm compiling a list of serials, steering wheels etc to try and pinpoint the different production batches of this model.

[Ken B 3,189]

All recoil start H60's, but as Mike (Sparky) stated a few were bastardised on the showroom floor to make them easier to sell.

Do you have a 500 Special Ken? If so I'd like a few details, I have two that have a few different details on them so I'm compiling a list of serials, steering wheels etc to try and pinpoint the different production batches of this model.

Hi Mike, no I don't have it, yet. B)

[sorekiwi 761]

I like the 500 Specials.

As is the case with a lot of the Wheel Horse "Specials" they seem to be a very basic, "lets use up the parts on the shelf", no frills tractor. But I think they are a good looking tractor.

One of mine is half way through a pretty extensive rebuild which is documented here: http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?showtopic=8138

Things stalled on that project last year, but I intend to jump back on it with a vengeance as soon as it warms up a bit. Its either going to get a (recoil) Kohler, or possibly a brand new Tecumseh Snow King engine I have sitting on the shelf. I want a small tractor to mow up close around the house and gardens, and I think this tractor would be ideal.

The second one I picked up is complete with its original engine (that is locked up), I hope to keep that one H60 powered.

There seem to be quite a few versions of the history of these tractors, which is why I have started to collect some data on them. One version is that there were about 3000 made, and that they were built in 2 batches.

From the serials I have collected it seems that there may have been 4 or 5 batches made.

Another story is that the early ones had the "6" on the checkered flag decal, and the late ones didn't. It seems to me that the decals were all over the place, I have numbers showing early and late tractors with both types of decal.

There also seems to be 2 different types of steering wheel used, but no pattern as to which wheel was used when.

About the only "constant" I have found is that the last batch had no hole in the hood for a headlight assembly, whereas the earlier ones did (and was covered by a plastic escutcheon plate).

There are a few members here that have them, and there are a lot of pictures of them amongst the 2008 show pictures, where the 500 Special was the featured tractor.

BTW, there is one member here that bought a tractor from it's original owner. It was apparently bought brand new with an H70 electric start Tecumseh. It was probably cheaper, "back in the day", to replace the whole engine with an electric start one, than to convert the recoil engine over. B)

[Michael Bullington 5]

great Research there mike...Ill have to file that in my resourse book of information B)

[sorekiwi 761]

Hopefully I'm not done yet Michael.

I have serials for 27 tractors so far, and about 1/2 of them I've found out what steering wheel they have, whether they have the headlamp cutout, and what decal was on the side.

I hope to find information on a few more, so if there is anyone out there that has one (and I havent already harassed you!!), please PM me!

[rickv1957 74]

Ken,had one a few years back,but sold Rick

[Hammerhead 817]

I have a pile of Wheel Horse paper work on the Indy 500 machine! It was the papers that came with the tractor and also the original receipt with Serial Number, Engine Serial Number and the mowerdeck Serial Number and the price too! Wowsa, wouldn't that be cool if we could find the Indy 500 tractor and reunite the tractor and this paperwork! It would cost ya big though!

According to the papers, this 500 Special was bought new on July 29th 1968. It cost $599.95 with Tax of $24.00 for a total of $623.95. with a 32 inch mower deck. Bought from Jones

( my last name, how cool!) Mobil Service in Piqua Ohio by Mrs. Thelma H. St. Meyers of Piqua. I didn't get a owners manual with it, but it had everything else that came in the yellow plastic bag with the hanging string. One peice is the WH 500 Special Specification Sheet in color. It lists a 6 hp Tecumseh engine with recoil start and I have the 6 hp. Tecumseh owners manual. Written in ink is $529.95 with out electric starter and $599.95 with electric starter. The pile also has the WH Products Safety Sheet, a cartoon type of drawing on tractor safety, WH 2 year Warranty Card, Prestolite Battery Warranty Card and the yellow WH Quality Control Tag, Packed by #022, a WH Employee at the factory no doubt. Serial number on the tractor is, drum roll please, #497963....Any one own this 500 Special??? Keith

[sorekiwi 761]

Serial number on the tractor is, drum roll please, #497963....Any one own this 500 Special??? Keith

Wow, that is another oddball serial!

I havent "seen" a serial starting with 497XXX until this one. There is bunch of them in the 490XXX range, and then another batch in the 501XXX range. I know of a couple of Raider 9's in the 494XXX range and a 68 Lawn Ranger which was 497224.

Through all this I have been assuming that the factory ran a batch of so many tracors at a time, and they were numbered consecutively. It would make no sense to not make a decent sized run of each model.

Maybe there was a few more runs of these made than I thought?

Good find, Keith! I think its the history of these little machines that makes it interesting!

Hope I'm not Hijacking your thread too much here Ken? B)

[Ken B 3,189]

No Hi jacking at all Mike. I'm a history buff and I love all the details you and others have given.

To be totally honest, I'm going to be doing a Tribute? No. Clone? No. Recreation? No. Fake? Yeah thats the ticket. I'd like to do a "Fake 500" restoration. I've been trying too find a tractor that I can do an every nut and bolt, total rebuild restoration on with a paint job as smooth as glass on it. I've always liked the short frame tractors and I think the 500 was the coolest one.

[sorekiwi 761]

OK, I hear you Ken. The 500 Special is almost the same tractor as your Workhorse 700. The seat is different (the Special uses the fibreglass one piece one).

Beware though, a nice shiny tractor is really of no use at all. Its like your old beat up pickup truck is way more useful than the nice shiny new one you traded it for.

I'm trying to make my Special as nice as I can, but I keep telling myself that its gonna need to earn its keep. No room for "garage queens" round here!

[Ken B 3,189]

OK, I hear you Ken.