D-200 Automatic restoration project (re posted)

[Anglo Traction 759]

Excellent work Andy, glad your on the mend. The 'Ole Little Monster 'D' is looking really smart. I'd Also like to get my hands on a more complex WH some day.

[meadowfield 2,545]

yeah, looking great Andy...

I'm nearly there with the decals, so will try arrange a visit in the not too distant future !

mark

[otrelwood 32]

there is a mule drive on evilbay for your d but i dont know what shipping would be for that trip

[JamesBe1 80]

Fantastic work Andy! We're all proud of ya.

Kinda curious how you sort out the gas cap issue. I have one needing a gas cap. One of my D's has a quarter turn gas cap on it, but I can't find any identifying markings on it. Perhaps I'll take a picture and put it up to see any anyone can ID it.

BTW, is that a mini I spy in your garage?? One of my all time favorites! I'll trade you straight up for my two D's any time. How could you possibly pass up an offer like that.

James

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Thanks for all the positive comments guys, they're much appreciated though I'm not sure that they're fully deserved. I just try to do the best I can and although it is said that the camera never lies, I do think it can be, shall we say, 'kind' when it comes to my resto pics.

BTW, is that a mini I spy in your garage??

It sure is James, we have several, two of which are 'on the road'. The red one in the shop was my son's first auto and is waiting its turn for a resto as the body shell is pretty rotten. We have a shell that's in much better shape but needs some work and one day his aim is to restore it to factory. If it were mine I'd take you up on the offer - no second thoughts!

Re gas caps for Ds I'll send you a pm James.

Thanks for the tip re the mule on fleabay Lonny, problem with bits like that is the cost of shipping. Fabbing one will be a nice challenge for me though.

Andy

[JamesBe1 80]

Thanks for all the positive comments guys, they're much appreciated though I'm not sure that they're fully deserved. I just try to do the best I can and although it is said that the camera never lies, I do think it can be, shall we say, 'kind' when it comes to my resto pics.

BTW, is that a mini I spy in your garage??

It sure is James, we have several, two of which are 'on the road'. The red one in the shop was my son's first auto and is waiting its turn for a resto as the body shell is pretty rotten. We have a shell that's in much better shape but needs some work and one day his aim is to restore it to factory. If it were mine I'd take you up on the offer - no second thoughts!

Re gas caps for Ds I'll send you a pm James.

Thanks for the tip re the mule on fleabay Lonny, problem with bits like that is the cost of shipping. Fabbing one will be a nice challenge for me though.

Andy

Would love to see some pics of the other mini's, but don't want to turn this into minicooper forum (or maybe I do). Someday I'm going to find a left hand drive one over here at a reasonable price. They are getting scarcer and scarcer every day. My first car was an Austin-America. Fell in love with British Leyland and the SU carbs. Great car with a great little engine.

Anyhow, here a couple of pics of the gas cap that I am using on my D. I sure wish I knew what it was originally for. Mayhaps one of the experts here can identify it.

[JamesBe1 80]

Well, after a little searching on the net, the gas cap I am using goes to several tractors:

http://www.steinertractor.com/MHS043-fuel-cap-with-gasket

The price is right - $9.95 I'll probably order a new one to replace my rusty one, and another to go on my other D with the wrong type of cap.

[wheeledhorseman 573]

I have a sneaking suspicion that a mini gas cap may fit a D - I'll see if I have one lying around that I can try and let you know.

Would love to see some pics of the other mini's

Send me your email address in a pm James and I'll see what I can do.

Andy

[meadowfield 2,545]

Andy,

your decals are here and fingers crossed will be down tuesday evening! theres a lot of them - hope you will be happy.

As a taster here is one of the 12mm (15/32) square ones...

it's tiny - but surprised how well the horse and text showed up.

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Great news Mark - look forward to meeting you on Tuesday.

It's really about time I posted another update - will do my best in the next few days but for now I'm wondering if any guys out in 'D' land have come across these on their tractors or if not can guess where the tiny vinyls were found on my horse.

I almost overlooked them assuming (wrongly) that they were just bits of tape that had been used to cover a couple of holes or something before the tractor was painted over at sometime in the past. It was my son who was determined to find out what they were so I have him to thank for the discovery.

Andy

[JamesBe1 80]

Very interesting Andy. I don't believe I have seen them on either of my D's, but I'll have another looksee.

My guess would be that they went on the sides of the hood.

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Your guess is correct James, they were on the sides of the hood at the front.

I didn't see them with the decals listed on the Toro site, perhaps just a feature in a particular year?

Be intersting to see if anyone else has them.

Andy

[JamesBe1 80]

I took a look at mine, and what little trace of decals there were left, didn't show any of these.

Just a lucky guess on my part, probably saw a picture of them at one time or another.

BTW, what size are they? They aren't the same size at the decal between the headlights are they?

[wheeledhorseman 573]

James, I'll post an update tonight with all the bits and pieces from the last couple of weeks including dimensions of the tiny decals and where the pto clutch return spring goes etc etc.

Andy

[meadowfield 2,545]

Andy,

your decals are here and fingers crossed will be down tuesday evening! theres a lot of them - hope you will be happy.

As a taster here is one of the 12mm (15/32) square ones...

it's tiny - but surprised how well the horse and text showed up.

the answer was in the second line...

"As a taster here is one of the 12mm (15/32) square ones..."

they are 12x12mm or 15/32" for the US guys :)

[JamesBe1 80]

Yeah, I guess I should read more closely instead of just skimming.

I have to say, the graphics did turn out great for being 15/32"

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Time to put together an update then......

First an answer to a question I was pondering in the last update i.e. whether the spacers that sit between the turning brake calipers and the frame were factory or not. The answer came in the form of a photo of a NOS kit on fleabay and yes they are (I've put a ring round them in the following hi-res photo.

So it looks as though the return springs (on mine at least) were meant to go to these after all.

Finally got round to stripping back the hood and it was my son who intervened and insisted on investigating what looked like bits of white insulating tape that had been painted over.

I hadn't given much thought to them - there's been no end of odd things done by a PO and they were surely too small to be decals. My son insisted that we find out what they were.

Tiny Wheel Horse logo - no less! Here's where they were located.

The discovery was made on the day when Mark (meadowfield) was about to close the order book but I managed to get them added even though Mark was uncertain how such a small decal would come out. Well, you've already seen that he's done a real good job for me.

A question appeared on RS today re the need for a return spring on the pto lever and how / where to fit one. Seems with several of us all working on 'D's at the moment we all encountered the same issue.

If you look at Coldone's walk around video of that 'D' he acquired with just 200 hours on the clock, and that's probably as close as we'll get to a factory example, in the closing frames of the video there's a glimpse of the spring and how it's fitted. For mine I found what is probably a throttle return spring from something I've dismantled in the past and it does the trick.

It was Coldone who photographed the original material used for the foot rest / brake pedal pads for me.

I have vague memories of similar type material being used in old cars (autos) here but trawling through all the usual vintage car supplies people failed to turn up anything simlar so I opted for some standard ribbed rubber mat.

I used fine ribbing type as it looks perhaps closer to ''original' than the wide ribbed stuff. (at a distance)

While I was fitting the mats today I couldn't help feel that I was being watched.

I've had a major tidy up in the barn and moved things round recently but it was only kneeling down to fit the mat that the photo opportunity became apparent. They're obviously interested in how 'Big Brother' is turning out!

The hood's painted and back in place so he's beginning to look like a finished item even though there's still much to do.

The 'Mule' arrived in the post today - thanks so much for sending that over Lonny

I was in the process of collecting together the bits of steel to make a press brake so I could bend the steel to fab one up but now I have an orginal it's very much appreciated.

Mark's turning up tomorrow with the decals - thanks for what I know will be another stunning job! There might even be time to stroll down to the local for a beverage

I've sourced a gas guage cap by Kelch, who I'm pretty sure made the original for WH. The supplier they suggested has been messing me about for a couple of weeks now but hopefully its on its way to JamesB at last who's going to forwrd it on. Thanks for that James

Also sourced the correct hood latches from a 'D' being parted but no news on that front yet. I'm sure it will work out but if there's a prob then I'll go back to the original plan to get a pair from McMaster's.

I think that about wraps it up for now.

Andy

[JamesBe1 80]

Wow Andy. That's quite a heard you have there. Love the jeeps too.

Take a look at this pic from the parts manual. Notice the tiny white spec towards the front of the hood? Look familiar?

I don't have the ability to quickly circle it, but I am sure you can see what I am talking about. Could that be the infamous tiny sticker??

Anyhow, your gas cap arrived earlier. I IM'd you about it. It should be on it's way to you tomorrow.

James

P.S. I think the mats you put on the foot rests and pedals is better than the OEM stuff. I might be inclined to go with the same material myself.

[otrelwood 32]

I'm glad the mule arrived . Nice looking herd you have . what size tires do you have on that D they look like the ones on the rear of an 18 automatic ,just curious How do I become a member of the "disfuntional " D" family"

[wheeledhorseman 573]

I'll try to remember to check the tyre size when I'm at the barn tomorrow Lonny. The tyres were on it when I got the tractor.

I'll send a pm about the "disfuntional " D" family"

Andy

[AMC RULES 36,954]

While I was fitting the mats today I couldn't help feel that I was being watched.

They're obviously interested in how 'Big Brother' is turning out!

Really neat thought Andy...loved the photo too. :thanks:

[coldone 35]

Out of town ATM, when get back I will see if I can get a pic of the return spring setup. It will be this weekend or later.

[neil 2,398]

Love the Willys jeep Andy & what series is the landrover ?

[meadowfield 2,545]

Series 3 if I'm not mistaken !

Managed to drop in last night as part of my tour of the south of England... Andy has a great collection and the D is awesome... I can't believe the size of it, way bigger than a GT14 !

Look forward to seeing it finished with decals...

Mark

( and yes we managed to get those beers too)

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Great visit thanks Mark hope to start getting some of the decals on soon. As I said at the time, it felt a bit like a visit from 'the Godfather' who's been touring the South visiting his RS 'family'.

Re the 'Landy', yes its an ex-army 1980 Series 3 long wheel base FFR (fitted for radio) so it has 24 volt electrics. It belongs to my son.

The rear tyres on the D-200 are Goodyear Super Terragrip 27 x 8.50 - 15 4ply. No idea if that's correct for the tractor as they were what it had on it when I got it.

Andy