fireman 1,022 #26 Posted July 2, 2012 Looks like your making great headway Derek. Hope to see it next year at the Big Show. Does the engine still have the serial plate (Can't remember)? If so, what is the serial number? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
octfst 378 #27 Posted July 2, 2012 Looks like your making great headway Derek. Hope to see it next year at the Big Show. Does the engine still have the serial plate (Can't remember)? If so, what is the serial number? no the serial plate is missing. my understanding this would be where the year would be. research has narrowed it down to 1953 or 1954 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,022 #28 Posted July 2, 2012 Yours looks exactly like mine. Most of them at the show had the short spokes on back rims. Yours like mine has longer spokes. Bill Jenkins said he was pretty sure mine was a 55'. My serial number puts my engine as being assembled in January of 54' so I can assume mine is a 54'. I don't think the engine would have sat around for over a year before it was sold or installed but you never know. The first two pictures show the other tractors with the shorter rear spokes which is a wider lug bolt pattern. The last is mine like yours with a smaller pattern. I have to research Ford and find out what the difference between the two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
octfst 378 #29 Posted July 2, 2012 fireman I notice that too about the wheels. My understanding is the 1955 & 1956 were the only ones that used the hoods. mine looks like it never had a hood. also was told they didnt use the cable brakes till later years mine has cables but have seen hooded models with rods Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,022 #30 Posted July 2, 2012 I talked with Mike Martino, Bill Pearson and Bill Jenkins at the show at length about the Seniors and their history. I also talked with a bunch of other owners to try and find out as much as I could while I had a captive audience. The consensus about the hoods is like you said. They were produced in 55' and 56'. But also that some owners ordered them after the fact for their older models. I assume the 55' Senior used the same engine stop switch as the 55' Juniors did. That hole pattern was a large hole with two small holes on either side as shown in the first picture two pictures. My hood does not have this pattern. It is just a single 1/2" or 5/8" hole in the same location shown in the second picture. This could mean that mine was an early production hood made some time in 54', or it was ordered after the fact but I would think it would have the same three hole switch mounting setup as the later models. My tractor has the metal bars for brake actuation. Mike Martino also agreed that the brake cables most likely came after the metal bars. It's all just more added to the mystery. I wish Cecil was still around to possibly answer some of these questions. I know I would have flown or driven down to Florida to see him and try to get some of the answers! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,022 #31 Posted July 2, 2012 Derek, I noticed your shifter is bent. Most that I have seen that didn't come with a hood had their shifter in the original format as in these picture. The bend like yours looks as if it was done just for clearance of the hood so yours may have had a hood at sometime! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,022 #32 Posted July 2, 2012 Wow the more you look at the pictures the more you notice. Your throttle stand and steering mount is just the one vertical metal bar. I looked at pictures of mine (below) without the hood and it has two vertical bars with a cross brace! More mystery! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,541 #33 Posted July 2, 2012 Love it Jeff ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
octfst 378 #34 Posted July 2, 2012 Thanks fireman the pics & info are very helpful. still a long way from being ready for next years show. I knew about the hood stand and mine looks original as for the shifter thats not the original trans not sure about the shifter. Just got back from Greentown Ohio picked up a pair of tires & tubes off CL for 50 bucks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
octfst 378 #35 Posted July 9, 2012 got 9" clutch & pressure plate throw out bearing & transmission inspection cover today off CL down to flywheel and back gear then should be time to put it all together Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tommyg 154 #36 Posted July 17, 2012 Reminds me of my dad's old Gibson tractor. Had a Wisconsin engine that just wouldn't quit. Pull rope that you had to wind each time you started it. The original steering had handles, not a steering wheel. Not sure how you even operated it. At some point, it got replaced with a steering column from an old Mustang. That tractor worked hard. I remember most the work he did on our 2 acre lawn he put in using it. At one point, a bearing went out on one of the rear wheels. Had to tear the transmission apart. When he put it back together, I remember he had 3 reverse gears and one forward. Had to tear it all back down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
