New! Tractor Restoration Stories & Photos
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1959 Ford 601 Workmaster owned by Earl Terpstra, Washington, Indiana. “I bought this 601 from my neighbor when they moved,” Earl says. “After I pressure-washed years of dirt and grease, I turned it over to my friend Earl Anderson. He did some minor repairs and painted it in time for our 35-mile tractor ride the week after Labor Day. I have 36 vintage tractors, and this is my only Ford.”
1951 Case VAC restored by Harvey Picha, Shiner, Texas. “On Memorial Day weekend in 2002, my wife and I drove to an antique tractor show. When the show sponsors began auctioning off the VAC for a fund-raiser, I was just an innocent bystander. But only three people were bidding, and I couldn’t let it go so cheap. It took 1 year and parts from three junk tractors to get this beauty back in shape.”
1958 John Deere 720 diesel and 1962 Allis-Chalmers D19 diesel restored by Don Dittmar of Millersburg, Michigan. “I found the 720 in a shed with lumber and drywall piled all over it. The sheet metal was good, but when I got it home, I found a cracked cylinder head. The number two cylinder was full of antifreeze and the block was pitted. We had to bore out the cylinder .090 inch to clean it up. It also needed a new fuel injection system.
“The Allis, on the other hand, was in great shape. The engine needed a new head gasket and turbo. The D19 diesel was the first tractor to have a factory-installed turbocharger. Other than that, I knocked a few dents out of the sheet metal, rewired it, replaced the gauges and gave it a new coat of paint.
“Now, however, I can’t decide which I like best. My family always had A-Cs, and the D19 is quiet, powerful and nimble for its size. But the Deere is a great old tractor. The 720 is much louder than the D19—although I can’t decide if that’s a pro or con. It also starts easier in cold weather with its pony engine.
“I guess all tractors have qualities that make them unique. And remember, not all iron is created equal...only the best becomes a tractor.”
