bottjernat1 2,194 #1 Posted July 27, 2020 Wanted to just share my pride and joy of my collection. My late dad got it for me as a kid and I took many years to get it done. 2015 to be exact LOL. It was beat up badly and had a bracket on it with a 2 piece cast rear end. It took a few years and we found the correct rear end. I worked really hard to get it to this condition. It sits most of the time under 3 blankets in my shed. I love this old gal. It is a 1958 rj58 with the veritable height added(not by me). It was that way when my late dad bought it. But he helped me get the right rear end other things. The only thing left i need to do is get the correct rear end pulley. The one on it is way to small. I got the side belt cover from old man Kirkwood who is now passed away. What a good guy he was. I also had lots of help from Joe papke,Dave fike(fike sandblast shop Laotto Indiana), Jim Eberly,Craig Bottjer(my late dad),and the most important person my wonderful wife Stacey. She is the one who kept seeing the thing torn apart on shelves and said you better get it done or you never will. But what Im proud of most is at least my late dad got to see me show it off before he died. He was very proud I could tell he didnt have to say anything to me. He was so proud at the show he actually told some Amish dad to keep his kids off of it. Unless he wanted to buy it. I was away enjoying the show. My 6'3 dad was the bouncer for the old gal. LOL I have a stupid amount of money and time in this old gal. Worth every penny specially when I see folks light up when they see it. It was a total gut job motor and transmission. I have alot of paperwork with it. Here is a video of me having it running on saturday. 2nd pull and she fired right up. I took my grand daughter for a ride. 7 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 29,478 #2 Posted July 27, 2020 Soooo Sweet !!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 10,807 #3 Posted July 27, 2020 1 hour ago, bottjernat1 said: I took my grand daughter for a ride. One of the best uses for it! Your dad would be proud of that to. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bottjernat1 2,194 #4 Posted July 27, 2020 Unfortunaly this is the only photo i have of my rj being put back together. and some right after i painted what i didnt let the body shop do. and my daughter Lillian. I painted the transmission and motor. The rest was done by Dave Fike sandblast shop in Laotto Indiana. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ro-Go 76 #5 Posted July 27, 2020 Perfect. Thank you for sharing. I'd love to ride one of these. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pollack Pete 2,273 #6 Posted July 27, 2020 Nice tractor................NICER story. 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bottjernat1 2,194 #7 Posted July 27, 2020 34 minutes ago, Ro-Go said: Perfect. Thank you for sharing. I'd love to ride one of these. They are awkward little boogers we use to own 2 but sold the one to a local guy who is still using it on a farm. My wife sold hers because she burned her leg on the exhaust shield. The shield was a homemade one till an awesome friend of mine sent me one for free in the mail. I didnt ask for one he just sent it. I was so blown away and thankful. I have passed on the good deed 10 times over. Here was our other one. I took mine apart after it was restored to have the steering made for hers. The guy that owned it before the guy my dad bought it from screwed up the steering bad. it wasnt even close to original. I spent alot on the steering to be the way it was originally. I also bought an original seat it had a galvanized seat pan and i bought the tool box and fenders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
