A fine whine on restoration

[MarkPalmer 81]

This is just a rant-n-rave, as I had a few fellows I know look at my 867 recently and say things like, “Bring the sheet metal to so-and-so in town and he can strip and powder coat it,†yadda-yadda. It just got me a little annoyed.

I understand the show thing, and have appreciation and respect for the excellent work people can do. I have done a few show queens myself, and know the work and resources that goes in to it. I also have a mixed emotion towards it, which is why I don’t do very many show pieces. You face the fact that show tractors have a very limited audience, in that only others interested in small tractors are going to bother going to a show to look at them, thus the effort only appeases your peers in the hobby. Also building a tractor solely for show completely takes away its intended usefulness and its originality. To me, there is more beauty in original “patina†(or whatever the stupid word for old finish with some wear in it is) rather than looking at a tractor made to look like it just came out of the factory. Guess what? It ISN’T original, no matter how good a restorer you are.

I agree there are some very rare tractors that should only be museum or show pieces today. But I know that there are guys putting hundreds or thousands of dollars in to restoring for show some very common lawn and garden tractors- take the John Deere 110 or Cub Cadet Original for instance. These are NOT rare tractors, and likely never will be! It would be 100% more useful and meaningful just to spend a little money to fix one to use and have fun with rather than spend $300 on base/clearcoat paint alone just to have a show queen to impress your friends and have to worry about getting a scratch in it if you are daring enough to run it.

Rant over. Please comment

-Mark-

[octfst 378]

You can restore any tractor. once you restore it you can never get that patina back. some tractors need restored but if it has that patina leave it alone.

[Save Old Iron 1,571]

Shoot Mark ,

now I have to take back all my low speed bits for the Titanium Track Vac I was protyping !!

[rmaynard 16,268]

The tractors that I have restored were well beyond the "patina" stage. One built from the ground up from rusted-out scrap tractors, one that had been burned in a fire, and the third that had been painted with a brush. So to spend $300.00 to $400.00 on sand blasting and paint is worth it to me.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say. If you think that a tractor in it's "patina" condition is appealing, so be it. If you think that a total restoration should include powder coating or professional painting, that's okay too. My personal opinion is that if you are going to go to the trouble of doing a total restoration, then a new paint job is only icing on the cake.

Right now I have two worker tractors that have their original patina. I don't plan on doing anything with them at this time as they are currently without proper shelter so that I can keep the "queens" happily sheltered out of the weather.

Just my worth.

[312Hydro 474]

That's the beauty of owning a tractor you like. YOU decide what you want to do with it and follow through. The important thing is the enjoyment that it brings YOU . That's why it is easy for me to admire the work of others. It takes effort and care whether it's a show piece or your working tractor. Just my .02 OH,and either way you saved a piece of Garden Tractor history. That's got to be satisfying by itself! :handgestures-thumbupright:

[SousaKerry 503]

I have one tractor that is on the lower end of show quality, never done always need one more part....

And I can say that I enjoy driving my beater far more. This is a hobby after all, I used to be heavily into Model Railroading and was in a club that was absolutely obsessed with quality and realism. Without tooting my own horn (pun intended) it was perty damn good, probably one of the best modular traveling layouts I have ever seen. But when we took it to shows the only people who appreciated it were fellow hobbyists. If we were displaying at a swap meet we had a large crowd and lots of complements. If we were anywhere else the only people who came near were kids most asked if we had "Tomas the Tank Engine" (we didn't and even if we did we would not run it for not being prototypical) The club eventually disbanded, I moved away, the guys were tired of hauling the thing all over and sacrificing weekends, personal feuds ect.

The point is the general public couldn't give 2 $@!ts about it and the work it took to make it happen, kids just liked it cause it was a train and trains are cool if your 5. So it's not just our hobby it's pretty much all hobbies you never get what you put into them and no-one but your buddies appreciates what you have done. If it was mass appeal everyone would do it, but it's just us special people. Maybe we should call up TLC or Discovery and tell em we have an idea for a new reality intervention show Wheelhorse/Tractor Addiction. :ychain:

[stevasaurus 23,253]

I do not think Mark is talking about this like it is a hobby. I think he is talking about the fact that no matter what you do with one of these tractors, it is never good enough or perfect enough for some people. Bob Maynard went through it a couple of years ago when he brought one of his excellent creations to the big show. If we look at this like a hobby, I think anyone gets into a hobby because they think THEY would enjoy it...it is something they want to do...not to please everyone else. You are never going to impress me with your stamp collection. As far as I know, the only hobby that has major appeal, understanding and almost everyone's interest is making homemade wine. Everyone wants to see the wine room, and almost all go home with a bottle of wine...if they want. That is the best hobby I have found if you are trying to please everyone else...including yourself. :)

[buckrancher 2,694]

beware of the dreaded wheel-horse police :banghead:

[rmaynard 16,268]

beware of the dreaded wheel-horse police

Not worried about them as long as they don't touch the Stevasaurus wine!

By the way Steve, I thought you were going to meet me at O'Hare last week with some of that Plum wine. :ychain:

[stevasaurus 23,253]

Dang Bob...I remember you were coming through here...I would have met you there for sure. That would have been AMAZING mate.

I still like that short frame square hood Mark...I would not change a thing.

[squonk 43,577]

I sort have an idea what he's talking about. I have a Cub Cadet that just came out of a barn. It was in storage for about 10 years. It's an unmolested Original. I'm selling it and a guy offered me a price lower than what I want for it. He collects Cubs and said he just bought an Original a week ago and said he paid slightly more than his offer for an "Older Restoration" Mine hasn't been altered or touched. I did replace the head gasket (blown} and changed the oil. But it's got history written all over it. I almost didn't want to wash the dust off of it. If I was keeping it, I'd leave it un-restored. Once you start,you can never go back.

[JimD 3,347]

I think in the end the only one we need to please is ourselves. You do your tractor the way you want, and I will do mine the way I want. I'm not a show tractor kinda guy myself. I'm a "tweener". Somewhere between the leave em alone guys, and the true restoration guys. I have done three tractors to my own specs. I clean em up, repaint em so they look decent, and then use em. It makes me happy. Your tastes may differ. :)

[Ken B 3,189]

I can go either way. If a tractor looks fairly decent with its original "Patina" I leave em be. BUT, if its past that point where I think it would look better restored then that is what I'll do. 50 yrs. from now a restored tractor will have that "Patina" all over again and not a soul will know the difference, and by then I doubt anyone will even care.

I came across the correct cops more than 10 yrs. ago when I was into Cub Cadets. I restored a Cub 100 that was trashed and I added a few touches that weren't stock. I spent almost a yr. restoring that Cub 100, for me that is a VERY long time. I wanted it to look as good as I could possibly make it. Yup, I blew at least a few hundred bucks on paint alone. I'm sure I had quite a bit more than a grand into restoring. I'd have at least a few clowns at each show I took it to come up and tell me what wasn't correct on my tractor without once uttering the word nice job. Pretty discouraging if you ask me. Personally, I couldn't care a less what one guy does with his time and money. Should I have not restored this?

[AMC RULES 37,194]

OH...some cheese with your whine good sir?

To think...I started messing around with 's to get away from the car club restoration snobs.

[buckrancher 2,694]

I think she looks great Ken

but as you know I'm only completely true to original manufacturing correctness :laughing-rolling:

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,527]

My rule of thumb is this:

If the tractor is all original and never been repainted AND the paint it is good enough shape to just clean it up and preserve it with a clear coat or light oil I will leave it as it. You can always restore it at a later time. I may repaint the wheels/tires and seat only. Once a tractor has been repainted (unless it was done a very long time ago) I would agree that a proper paint job would look much better. What i have an issue with is when someone takes a very nice clean original tractor and gives it a terrible "rattle can restore". I tell my kids "do it right or don't do it at all".....

The other thing that gets to me is when someone parts out a perfectly good and original tractor just to make a buck or two... (had to say that)

[MalMac 1,332]

To each his own. I personally like all the different ways people on here restore, fix, modify, etc. etc. Makes this hobby more exciting. If we all made perfect tractors by the time we were done doing whatever we do to them it would be quite boring don't you think. Also the term show room new. Let me tell you after assembling several dozen new ones right out of crate from the factory when we were a dealer, I can tell you a lot of the tractors on here that have been restored by some of the members are well past what they looked liked from the factory. Fresh from the factory was really not always all that great. I can tell you that first hand. Believe me.

[Ken B 3,189]

OH...some cheese with your whine good sir?

To think...I started messing around with 's to get away from the car club restoration snobs.

me too!

[AMC RULES 37,194]

To each his own. I personally like all the different ways people on here restore, fix, modify, etc. etc. Makes this hobby more exciting. If we all made perfect tractors by the time we were done doing whatever we do to them it would be quite boring don't you think. Also the term show room new. Let me tell you after assembling several dozen new ones right out of crate from the factory when we were a dealer, I can tell you a lot of the tractors on here that have been restored by some of the members are well past what they looked liked from the factory. Fresh from the factory was really not always all that great. I can tell you that first hand. Believe me.

:text-goodpost:

[squonk 43,577]

OH...some cheese with your whine good sir?

To think...I started messing around with 's to get away from the car club restoration snobs.

I thought the JD guys were bad at times but I got a local IH club here that I'd just as soon throw thru a running snowblower. :*****:

[AMC RULES 37,194]

:wwp: :ROTF:

[jimt1971 237]

Karen and I got into this hobby too get away from the car hobby. I own a nice 64 Impala. But, when I go to a show I get that this is wrong or that is the wrong color. It just got me to the point that I do not show I just go to cruises. Even at those events you still get the moron that thinks they know more about your cat then you do and you built the car. They are the same people who when asked do not even have a car at the event or even own a classic car. Ok my rant is over.

Jim

[stevasaurus 23,253]

There seems to be a lot of pent up frustration here.. A glass of wine could go a long way.. :orcs-cheers:

[6wheeler 669]

I buy em' . Use em' . Break em' . Fix em' . Use em' some more. Break em' some more. And, Fix em' some more. Then I buy some more, and the whole vicious circle starts again. You know, Yadda Yadda Yadda. Wait, I'm sorry Mark. Do you have a copyright on that phrase? . By the way fellas. What is Patina ? I did however, accidentally spill some paint on one of my tractors once, wiped right off. Boy was I happy . I'll stop now and get back in my box .....Pat