I need an H sanity check...

Now, here's the story. (prepare for long windedness) You guys have seen my '46 H, and may know of the LONG list of parts I need to restore it to an original show condition. Full rear wheels + tires are the most expensive... plus a whole host of other things. I was browsing the YT picture classifieds and found a local guy selling an M. I said hi and asked if he has an H parts. Worst case is I meet a Red Iron guy who lives close. Anyway, he has a '48 H that is COMPLETE, but doesn't run. Motor is not stuck, and he said it had good compression, but doesn't start. It has the wheels with GOOD tread, the H4 mag, the PTO cover... those parts alone would cost me $1000! He wants $800, and won't take less, which I think is fair.

So, my plan: Get my H cleaned up and running better, replace the coolant, oil, tranny fluid, and gas, replace the pipe and add a mufler... then sell it. I'll ask $1000 and take $800. Put it on Ebay and give it a reserve. Then I could buy his! Financially it sounds smart... my only concern is that it isn't running.

So, what do you think?

One last thing- look those tires over GOOD. I've seen many a tractor tire with good, almost new looking tread on it that has sat out in the sun so long that it's weatherchecked and/or dryrotted to the point of being darn near unuseable.

Try to get the 'new' non-runner running before you buy it. At least check the compression, timing, spark, carb, etc. It would also be nice to know that it has all six gears and the rear end does not sound like a gravel crusher when it is moving. As was mentioned farther down, rebuilding an engine could run you $2000 (or more).

The obvious answer is that you need two tractors. It sure made my life a lot simpler...

Greg

Good luck Mike~!

If you were to have $1600 in two H's and one of them runs good, I would say that is a good deal. I paid $1500 for my latest H:

Bri

Randy