1950 Case VA....Should I buy?

I start by admitting I know very little about tractors. However I have convinced my wife that I absolutely 'need' one :)

I have been offered a 1950 Case VA. Its been in regular use until last month when the original owners son (who is over 60 himself) finally broke down and bought himself a nice new JD.

The tractor comes with Eagle 3pt and a Wagner (spelling?) loader. The loader comes with both grader blade and scoop. Also included is a rear box scraper. This is exactly the setup I am looking for one of its duties, some infrequent gravel road maintenance.

The tractor starts fine and runs without smoke. Oil leakes appear to be minor. The loader seems to work OK too.

Now the bad news.

This tractor has lived an outdooor life. All sheet metal has ben removed for access. I did see the hood lying off to the side, all red with rust. I need to confirm if the other sheet metal is still available.

Much of the paint has peeled and surface rust is everywere, especially on the loader. None of it looks bad, but a good sandblast and new paint job are long overdue.

The 3pt lift moved, but only just. The owner thinks it may be low on hydraulic oil because he seems to remember it worked OK. The PTO shaft looks moderately worn, but it turns OK when engaged.

I could really use a smaller and more nimble tractor (8n?), but I am guessing that any older tractor with a loader is going to be a *$%^@&* to maneuver.

The asking price is $2500. Given that this is California and not the Midwest, running tractors for $500 just arent available :)

I suppose I could rent a new tractor for what I need, but where's the fun in that??

Does anyone have any opinions, suggestions or comments?

-Colin

Good advise. I have been looking, just havent seen what I wanted yet. Wanting a loader makes it difficult.

I have been looking for a small tractor with a loader. They sell fast at similar prices. Unfortunately EVERYTHINGS more expensive in California :)

Still, good point about buying out of state and shipping. Though I wonder what the shipping on a 4500lb tractor would run. Hmmm... let me check the FEDEX schedules :)

-Colin

Both rear tires are brand new. One of the front tires is showing some age and wear, the other is good as new.

The rear wheels are both weighted with steel plates and the wheels were shimmed out for a wider stance on hills. I would guess they are each an additional 4-6 inches outside the fenders.

Instruments and control panel are in poor shape. The battery and coil were 'upgraded' to 12V, but the generator wasnt so the battery is manually charged when needed.

The loader scoop looks like it would hold waaay too much gravel for the tractor. Perhaps filled with manure it would be OK, but not anything heavy.

I have been looking in the classifieds. I see similar tractors fairly frequently, but none for a month once I became serious. I got impatient, and placed a wanted ad. This was the ONLY response that came close.

From what I have seen, prices for other likely tractors were ousually in the $2500 range, but I dont know what shape they were in. I suspect they were better though. They sell fast as whenever I called they were gone. That was another reason I placed a want ad.

Thanks for your advise. I should probably pass and keep looking.

-Colin