Question: The Correct Police Phenomenon

If that's true, I guess I feel this way. It takes all kinds of people to make the world lively and interesting, and that's the way it should be. I can appreciate that a person who KNOWS what the factory did originally thinks a restoration should reflect that as closely as possible. In a way that makes it more accurate, legitimate, real. But I also recognize the point of view that it's your tractor and should be what you want it to be--whether the facory made it exactly that way or not.

I'm a bit in the middle.

I think a vintage Farmall should be driven, not put in a glass case and just stared at, but it should be clean and run well and be painted so it looks shiny and red. As we used to say at the ag equipment shortliner company where I worked, "It's just iron, my friend." But the iron should be well-kept and maintained and a source of pride for the owner. If a bolt or wire or headlight or seat cover is different from the original, who cares? How important is that?

The most meaningful thing to be about this world of vintage tractors is the PEOPLE you meet in it. Nice people--most of whom are glad to share their knowledge and experience and will help others, newbies like me, as much as they can. It's the tractors, especially the red tractors, those glorious machines, that bring us all together.

As others have said many times on this forum, that's my $.02 worth. I'd like to know anyone's ideas on this "correct police" phenomenon.

David

Last year I decided to do something about those front tires. Aftermarket guys wanted $60. per rim for blank 4.5x16 rims and they couldn't supply lugs to match that rim to the 130 wheel. I discovered that donut rims from the last rear drive full size GM cars had a 4.5x16 rim. Using a grinder I took out the centers, made up a circle band 1/2x1-1/2, spot welded it inside the rim, then, welded lugs to that band to fit my 130. The rims are black, looks nice against the red. I have 6.00x16 front tires on the tractor. I also like them much better plowing snow with my front mounted blade. With the 15", I used to push far enough, and between snow behind blade and tires over an obstical, I couldn't back away. The 16" tires did 2 things; raised the blade higher and they roll over frozen obsticals much better.

Am I correct, yes I contend I'm more correct than the folks that claim they sell a complete line of rims for tractors. By the the way, I was with my dad the day he bought that new 130. The dealer had in stock that day 4 Farmall 130s and 4 - 230s, all equipped with 5.50x16 front tires. My brother currently owns one of those 230s and it still has the factory original IH 16" front rims. You try and find a dozen guys that remember 16" rims on those tractors. Your Ford probably had the same option. I know I'm trying to find a 4.5x16 rim for my 140, parts guy has them for 8N and Jubalee, same bolt pattern, but the offset is a bit different.

I don't know if that will help you find wheels for your 140 or not.

I like the flotation I'm getting from 12.4x24 on rear. When I changed my cultivator ground working tools from IH to new S tines, I needed a bit more ground clearence. I like the 12.4x24 for plowing, disking and my 6' field cultivator. They are a pain for backing a trailer or wagon, so I tend to do those jobs with SA on 9.5x24. Not much else you can do with a Woods belly mower under the tractor.

Now, I just have to find the time to drive to Ohio. Damn brokerage fees at broder would double price if they came small order by frieght. Since I want to see country, I may as well spend brokerage fees on gas.

In response to a guy's comment that a Ford Jubilee wasn't the correct shade of gray - "It's the shade of gray that I wanted it to be."

The time a guy stomped up and pounced on a buddy's 12 year-old kid, yelling at him that his JD-B should have a yellow seat and not the new black one that was on it - "We have three with yellow seats and they make me wanta puke. That's why I brought this one."

And one guy that jabbered for about 20 minutes, picking apart every detail that didn't suit him - "Do YOU own any $#%& tractors and are any of them here for US to $#$& look at?"

Other than the tractors themselves, my second favorite part of shows would be listening to how folks deal with critics.

One of my cousins owns several restored Fords and a 6 cylinder Funk that he's currently working on. The F-12 he's been working on for two years is just about finished. He told me the other day that he's got a spare pair of Ford fenders that he might put on the F-12 when it takes it to a show, just to raise a few hackles. ;O)

The FIL and I drove an hour to look at a 1066 and bought a 2 row cultivator for the H and 2 #8 plows for parts. On the way home we spotted a 706 gas and took a look, probably buy it. Then we went by the cemetary and dug a grave with the 300U backhoe. We unloaded our treasure, ate lunch, drank a beer then I pulled the 706D out of the way so I could pull out the 1586 and get the grain head up to his house with him following in the combine.

Then we got on the M and other 300U and did a little bush hoggin before we went to the other cemetary with the backhoe and filled in a grave.

After all that we went to the other barn grabbed a few beers and pulled up a few chairs. As we sat looking at this big thing in front of us he asked; Do we want to fix up a tractor this winter or get that picker working and mounted back on the M and do about 20 acres the old way, we got cultivators for the H now too??

Ok but remember, when the women get their winter time, all couped up, man hating fever it's your year to get skinned alive. Deal he says with a grin.

One more thing, are we ever gonna paint that yellow right rear wheel on the M silver I ask? Heck no he says, the paints still good.

By the way, at the time I did not know the id of the fabricator of that wide front. Turns out he was a guy I know very well. One day I walked in his shop. He said, "I understand you guys down in XXXXX didn't like OOOOO's wide front. It was trucked from the show to my place and I was told to get rid of that wide front. I had told him in the beginning it wouldn't wash." My point is if the guy that strains the budget to restore 2 or 3 tractors gets it 99% correct, there is no excuse for these big money guys.

The other groups I see are pullers, and I understand their agenda. Then we have the guys restoring 60s, 70s and 80s tractors for commercial use, a very good option in my opinion. Then you have young and old like myself, who keep a tractor in top mechanical condition for their own personal use. There is also another group, buy an old tractor, do bare maintainence, run until it quits, sell it and buy another. In my opinion these last groups can do any and every upgrade they deem necessary, to make the tractor suit their use.

TW

I prefer looking at tractors as they would appear coming off the assembly line. Yes, that would include electroplated galvanized rims and sloppy IH paint jobs. For the most part, I would not like to see signs of wear on seats or pedals.

While it might be interesting to look at Bonnie and Clyde's bullet ridden '35 (?) Ford sedan, I would spend more time looking at a similar car that was properly restored; particularly if I owned one.

The interesting part on the Farmall designation for me, is when I farmed, yes I had a lot of Farmall tractors, but I also had a Cockshutt, a John Deere and two Case. My tillage and planting equipment were IH, haying and forage was all NH and my combine was MF, and now I feel most comfortable with the Farmall guys here at YT.

There are those who will not use power tools or modern glue, but they design their own furniture. There are even those who want to cut their trees and mill the lumber by hand. Then there are those who don't care about what tools are used, but build traditional furniture from a bygone era which is hard for experts to identify as reproductions.

Blacksmithing:

Some insist on only using coal forges to do their work, and hand punch or hand drill every hole. No power involved. They may or may not use traditional designs. Then there are those who use propane forges, air hammers, arc welding, etc. but only make traditional designs.

Cars:

Street rods, museum antiques, drivers.

Antique Tractors:

I find it extremely amusing that people will go far out to have all round dot bolt heads, then chrome plate parts of the tractor. They worry about what is "correct" until it comes to what they like. Thinge like 6v system with clear coat finish.

I have sympathy for those who want to show a "factory fresh" tractor, I'm just not one of them. Those who truly want factory fresh can really go all out with braided wire, etc. In a properly judged show a shiney pain job is as bad as cut-offs. (I don't mind cutoffs: they are traditional, just not factory).

I have no sympathy for pullers, who destroy old iron in a useless competetion.

Then there is the vast in-between. They want an old tractor to show or use. They need to know how to repair it. They would like it to look original. Unfortunately some people are in desperate need of reinforcement so they will try to do what others think is right. In this day and age it is senseless to run an expensive 6v system when 12v is available.

Bottom line, this is an open forum and all can contribute. We can all respect one another while not agreeing with their view. You will definitely not change another person's ideas and view. I despise cutting the hood to put on an alternator but it is no worse than the guy who put a flip up hood on his. Crying over mis-matched casting numbers is about as bad.

After all, it is just old iron.

A C with crhome grill! It would not have looked good even in 1958 but it is a cover shot.