A Christmas wish come true.....and then the strangest thing happened

[Skipper 1,788]

So as some of you know all too well, I have recently upped the stable quite a bit. Most of it was taken in to pass on to new owners here in Denmark, which was also the case with this little horse. 

 

It all started a few months back, when I was sorting out all the jump thru hoops of getting horses corralled in the US, and herded into a container bound for Europe. One day my phone rang. It was a young lad, about 10-12 yo, and he said to me: Mister, I have heard that you are getting a s...load of horses send home from the US. Would it be possible for me to get a horse in there among yours?. Damn! that was a boy with some spunk. (don't know if I'm allowed to say that, but I did anyway ) Then he finished it of and said: You should know that I do not have all the money, and that you may have to hold on to it for a short while until I get my dirt bike sold!.............. Well what do you say to a young boy that calls you up like that? Of cause I said yes, and he told me what he was looking for. 

 

Meanwhile, the resident forum dinosaur  was helping me getting a foot to the ground on this whole deal, and as if it was meant to be, this very helpful friend of mine said: Eeeerrh you wouldn't want my old Raider 10, would you? That Raider was spot on for this kid, and he was ecstatic about it. Time went, and this whole thing became a reality.

 

That Raider 10 was of cause the first tractor I picked out and began prepping. I had promised him he could have it at cost, but I couldn't bear handing him a tractor that would not start, so I ended up giving him a little Christmas present. He is not aware of it, but the look on his face when he saw it, and fired it right up was perfect, and all I hoped for.  I started by cleaning the fuel system and carb. It had not run for years, so it took a little elbow grease. Gave it new fuel filter, checked hoses, redid some wiring, swapped out the front plate on the starter (the old one was worn out totally in the bushing), gave it a new bulb in the headlamps, checked fluids, gassed it up, gave it a new battery, adjusted the points, had the wife sew a few tears in the seat cushion, cleaned it up nicely, and heck, I even put air in the tires. After letting it run without spark plug a bit to get some fresh gas thru the pump, I connected the fuel line to the carb, and let it fill up the bowl. In with the plug, and it fired right up. Minor adjustment to the carb, and it ran nice. 

 

I took it for a little spin to make sure everything was OK, and parked it when I was satisfied. That same evening, the kid calls me up: I'm selling my dirt bike tomorrow!. Can I come pick it up? Talk about things happening in just the right order.......

 

Next morning I took it out to shoot a few pictures for the PO, and that was when this strange thing came crawling in the back of my mind. This little tractor was not even close to anything that suited my needs nor desires, and even though the kids laughed at me, and the wife figured i looked like a giant buffoon on a toy tractor, I couldn't help taking it for another spin, contemplating what it would be like to keep it, and if I had room for it, and if I really did have to let it go. ...........Strangest thing. Must be a bug.

 

But as you may have guessed, yes of cause the kid got his horse, and he was proud as could be, and I do not blame him one little bit.

 

 

[KC9KAS 4,741]

@Skipper That is a great story and you did a fine job fixing up that Raider10 for the youngster!

I bet he had a smile on his face from ear to ear!

[Skipper 1,788]

Thank you Sir

 

It was just a light touch up, but yeah, I think it looks nice. And yes he sure had a big smile plastered all over. It puzzled him a bit though, how it had turned up nicer than the pictures he saw of it initially. I just blamed it on the Previous owner like all used car salesmen do 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by Skipper
Edited because a spell like a broken arm

[jellyghost 378]

That looks great! What is going on with the muffler?  Is that a common modification?

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,487]

A great story, strange how things work out. Good for you.

 

Glenn

[Skipper 1,788]

5 hours ago, jellyghost said:

That looks great! What is going on with the muffler?  Is that a common modification?

 

I have newer seen that before either, but it was rather quiet, so my guess is that it functions as a resonator.

 

@stevasaurus Perhaps the PO knows the story behind that?

[stevasaurus 22,227]

Thanks Tom for letting me know what happened with that Raider.  I'll bet my Dad is smiling also.  Just so you know, it only set for 2 years because I was not mowing my Mom's yard anymore...glad you figured out the starter.  I'm not sure if my Dad did that muffler thingy, but it does work.  That is all galvanized, threaded pipe.  Here is a good picture of the muffler system. 

[Notfishin 64]

very Fine think you did , and truth be told i kinda like the muffler thing . LOL 

[jellyghost 378]

Is that pipe supported some way?  That seems like a lot of pipe to just be hanging.  If it really cuts the noise, I would like to try it.

[Skipper 1,788]

It's not supported. That's my concern also, but it seems to hold up well. Was it a tractor for my self, I would fab an exhaust that could really do something about sound reduction. This helps, but it is not anywhere close to quiet, just a step op from that loud std. muffler.

 

On a C120 i have, the muffler is a small back box from a car, and that is a whole lot more effective. You can get one of those , and a good strong battery when you are there, from a scrapyard/car recycler for peanuts   

[stevasaurus 22,227]

I always thought that pipe set up was a lot to be suspended also, but it does not move or rattle when using the tractor to mow.  I've mowed my Mom's since 2003...once a week and about 1/2 acre with no problems with that horse.  The starter problem was actually with the starter on my B-100...I switched them a few years ago.  I just never got back there to fix the one I switched.

   That horse is on the loud side.  I doubt there is some kind of baffle inside that larger pipe.  Also, those little can mufflers like what is on there, are not that great either. 

[Goofey 89]

Just stumbled on this. Know it's an old thread, but couldn't help being a little touched by it. Thanks for that great story. Think it tells a lot about the kind of people that are on this forum. Thanks

[ohiofarmer 3,155]

 A Raider 10 is what got me started on WHA. I already had a 416 and 520, but they do not speak to me as the old ones do.  I just picked up another yesterday...