supercharged65 1 #1 Posted April 18, 2012 I just picked up this tractor today locally. Vintage Wheel Horse tractors are extreamly rare out west. I'm in Colorado. The gentleman i purchased it from has had it since 1961. He only used it to snow plow his drive. Best I can tell, it is an RJ-59 model based on some of the later features. Serial number is 20,3xx (can't read the last 2 #'s). It has the clinton motor in it, which the block is painted a blue/gray color and the cover is red. See attached pictures. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rooster 191 #2 Posted April 18, 2012 Great Find! But I am going to guess...it is an RJ 58 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 36,961 #3 Posted April 18, 2012 Who knew we have horses a mile high in the sky. That's a really nice score right there. :WRS: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 991 #4 Posted April 19, 2012 nice find,sounds like here with the real old horses,few and far between Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Kuhn 1,547 #5 Posted April 19, 2012 :WRS: That is a nice horse you bought! Jake Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 16,050 #6 Posted April 19, 2012 Nice score! Uncut hood and a Clinton That's not quite the smoking gun but getting close. The theory out there is that all RJ-59s used the 58 serial tags. This would explain why a 59 tag has not been confirmed yet. Being over 20,000 for the serial number should make it a 59 along with the solid seat pan. You can also check the numbers cast into the trans. Of coarse, there will always be some doubt because who knows what could have been changed, added or replaced over the years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VinsRJ 721 #7 Posted April 19, 2012 Looks like a very nice RJ. I'm with Wallfish on this one. Your tag indicates that its a RJ58 so we have to go with that. Your tractor does have a lot of the later 58-9 model aspects like the seat pan and front rims. BTW the Clinton is not the original. It may of had a Clinton on it... just not that one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
supercharged65 1 #8 Posted April 19, 2012 Here's the casting that I found in the trans. Reads "F19-8" I'm just learning more about these little tractors. They are a neat piece of history. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 16,050 #9 Posted April 19, 2012 June 19, 1958 It sounds like the guy you bought it from could be the original owner. Did you ask if he had any paperwork for it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
supercharged65 1 #10 Posted April 19, 2012 He was 86 year old. He said he bought it used in 1961 and it was 2 years old. He did say that he had never replaced anything on it over the years, just kept it serviced and parked in a shed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,060 #11 Posted April 19, 2012 If you decide to do any clean up on it I would only paint the seat and the wheels. Keep that one original ! Nice one- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speedyleedy 205 #12 Posted April 19, 2012 Nice little rj you got there ! :WRS: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowtiebutler956 649 #13 Posted April 19, 2012 Very very nice find! Congratulations, and Matt :flags-texas: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Monkalunka 7 #14 Posted April 19, 2012 Good lookin RJ.... ...ya thinking about doing a resto or going to leave it as is? Either way very cool!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pilot78 7 #15 Posted April 19, 2012 Nice find....glad to know I am not the only one out West looking for Wheel Horses. Nice plow....that's what I need here in Utah for the winters. Brian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,060 #16 Posted April 20, 2012 Interesting... I did not even look at the plow until you mentioned it. My RJ58 has a much different plow set up. Yours is a plow for a Suburban. Can anyone chime in on th type of plow on this? If you have a close up pic of the plow attachment that would be helpful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 16,050 #17 Posted April 20, 2012 It just uses a different mount to attach to an RJ. Everything else is the same. I have one around somewhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grnlark 479 #18 Posted April 20, 2012 This reminds me of the '90's when scoffing up Chevelles, GTO's, LeManns' and Cutlasses was hot. It seemed like every day someone else on the forum(s) was posting pictures of their new finds. Now they've pretty much all been discovered and stripped, sold or eBay'd. Lord knows my brother and I cut up our fair share. And its cool to see on a daily/weekly basis here that the RJ's and Suburbans are being discovered and saved - thankfully not hacked and stripped. Great find! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 36,961 #19 Posted April 20, 2012 That's good to know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikesRJ 552 #20 Posted April 20, 2012 Great find! :bow-blue: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eriks Red horse herd 43 #21 Posted April 20, 2012 And another Horse saved from the glue factory ( junk yard) ! Keeping up the preservation, one horse at a time. Great save by the way! Your on your way to a life long addiction. You can't just stop at one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
supercharged65 1 #22 Posted April 21, 2012 My plans are for it are to get it running and operational, then do a full restoration on it later (probably over the winter). It's missing a few parts that I can tell. Original throttle linkage, carb air cleaner, belt cover, and exhaust cover. Also could use a set of front tires. If anyone has a lead on any of these parts, let me know. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
