My local dealer visit today

[Sprocket 48]

Well, I dodged the rain and had time to stop into the local WH dealer - he's very well known in these parts for having parts and a very specific customer service - uh - "style".  I went in hoping for some history on my machine and I got the original buyers name but not much more - I was hoping for service records and such.

Well I was asked by the gent that owns the shop if he could help me - he was holding a mason jar of seafood chowder (not just clams) as it was lunch time.  I did the polite thing and let him eat at his pace while we talked about this machine of mine - model number, year and so on.  He teased me several times about it's age, my age and how it was time for a new tractor (I think he said it 4 times total).  Anyway, I wanted to get a new drive belt for the thing.  That's when things got really good.

I think 4, maybe 5 guys - all of whom could be grandparents - traded info, raced computer skills, bantered numbers and knowledge like it was some sort of competition about vintage machines.  And then - we finally found the right number - the joke about research fees popped up - and we started to look at the racks overhead.  They used micro-fiche...I haven't heard the term since I was in high school but these guys have one and use it every day - some cards are very scratched from handling...

Guys - I saw more OEM out of production belt sleeves, etc. up there.  Holy crap what a treasure trove - I felt like those kids in the Goonies when they saw the ship.  Anyway - they finally settled on a belt that would work for me and charged me less than $25 for it - Guys, the show was awesome and worth every penny - I don't know if the belt even fits yet but I loved just being able to go to a shop where a "not kid" can find a part for a 50 year old tractor and do the cross reference math between books, etc.

That said, it's just one more reason I like working on the old stuff - it's such a puzzle at times.  Anyway, if anyone here is looking for old OEM stuff and has a part numbers I'm willing to go up the street and talk to the guys at the shop.  I won't be doing any "How much for the whole lot" negotiations but if you're having a hard time finding something specific I'll try to help.

PS: a T607 with 32" deck would have sold for about $600 back in the day - 48 years later it sold for less than half but not a lot less...

I'm sure I'll get around to it at some point but there's a 1964 round hood (Suburban?) in the window as a display.  The only reason the first tractor this dealer sold is on display now is because he couldn't find an appropriate mower deck to sell with the unit when he bought it back.  We're Yankees and frugal may not be our middle name but he's a cousin of ours - and he is a businessman first an enthusiast second.

Thanks for looking - I know there's not a lot of real info in here but it's kinda topical for guys like us.
Cheers!

[squonk 39,135]

Tell them I have a deck for their tractor. 

[AMC RULES 36,961]

Here's hoping...
the belt fits.  

[953 nut 52,204]

Great story, wish I could find a place like that! Please take a photo or two next trip.

[CasualObserver 3,406]

That is a great story. There are so many of those "treasure trove" dealers still out there with their back rooms stocked full of NLA parts. It's an odd mix to be in... most of them are older and don't care about computers and collecting, or they have to stay up with the "new" product lines that they are dealers for and the old obsolete Wheel Horse stuff just goes by the wayside and is forgotten. As far as they're concerned that stock is long ago bought and paid for. One of the downfalls of the independent dealer franchise store kind of thing is that all these hundreds (potentially thousands) of this kind of lost inventory is not linked to any other computer or distribution warehouse like is common nowadays.  Every brand has it. You just gotta find them.  That was one of the reasons I started the "Vintage Dealer List" here on the page.  Hopefully  you've submitted it to the list already, if not, please consider doing so and helping out your fellow Redsquare members find parts they're looking for!  

[rexman72 210]

nice to hear

[can whlvr 991]

funny up here our dealers don't have any wheelhorse parts,they allways have to order,allways

[Sprocket 48]

"Cape Ann" + "wheel horse" on a search = one place...  Starts with M
I won't name names because I'm not promoting them, they may not want to be on a vintage vendor list (for whatever reason).  They may too busy to handle us "crazy old iron folks" to make any real money on stuff.  If you have a part number they can look up and/or cross reference, they will.  I think I hit things just right when I spoke with the owner and found the guys at the counter off guard.  I may be wrong but they seem like the old iron projects don't pay every day bills.  It was a slow time on a slow day, I think I got lucky - if anyone tried to do the same thing via phone you may have had a different experience.

Squonk - I'm sure you do.  If you're ready to part with it for 1967 prices they may add it to their show piece... I'd use the word "shrewd" to say the least.  The '64 has been there for at least 2 dozen years and given the disposition or the Gent that owns the company it will stay there for as many more.  He's a peach of a Gent though and I think he'd appreciate new, good customers.

Next time I'm in there I'll ask about showing them off around here - They will probably say OK but I won't over step my limits and assume they will.  Heck - they may just love the old stuff as much as we do but I don't want to miss-speak and lose a great resource in the process.  These guys have forgotten more part numbers than Hugh Hefner - That's not to say they don't appreciate the great models from the past.

Us Yankees can be hard to read at points - this such a one.  Please understand my position.  That said, if anyone here needs help locating something specific, I'm glad to help if I can.  The parts I saw are mostly newer model stuff but I'm sure those old model wear items may be hidden back there somewhere.  They seem to have an unwritten motto something like, "It' already on a shelf, bought and pair for, it doesn't cost anything to save."  I just feel that at this time I'm not sure how receptive to the "resto club" crowd they want to handle.  I'm hoping I can open them up to the idea - after all, they just met me and courtship can be a fickle thing.

If anyone wants to PM me for more info feel free
Thanks for looking.