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The first question you need to ask yourself is: How committed are you to seeing this project through? If you are the stick-to-it-until-it's done-and-done-right type, you have the potential for a great project and a source of justifiable pride for years to come, the kind of machine that others will envy. But remember, you're probably going to spend more money for parts and more time in labor than you could ever sell the tractor for, once restored. (Search through the previous posts in this forum for an "article" I wrote a few weeks back on this subject.) If it is truly a 1918, it's scarce enough and of enough interest to collectors/enthusiasts that you could just sell it off for parts (or as a whole, a project for someone else) and spare yourself the lengthy process... As for the specifics, none of them is a show-stopper. Exhaust manifold rusted away? You can buy an exact replica of the 234 manifold assembly (complete with kerosene vaporizer) from Duane Helman of Rosewood Machine & Tool in Ohio (he has an impressive personal collection of early Fordsons). Engine is stuck? It's happened before. You can try to get it unstuck by pouring equal parts Marvel Mystery Oil, automatic transmission fluid and kerosene down into each cylinder and letting Father Time do most of the work for you. Magneto's no good? Not to worry -- it's not original to the tractor, anyway. When fresh from the factory, this tractor had an ignition setup much like the Model T's: four individual trembler coils (or "buzz-boxes"), which drew current off an array of magnets on the flywheel passing by a secondary magnet. (I can send you pictures, if like. It ain't rocket science.) Most importantly: Not much of a mechanic, you say? Then this is the perfect opportunity for you! When Henry Ford began mass-marketing his new tractor to American farmers, not many of them knew anything at all about internal combustion engines. They learned. And, with the benefit of 85+ years of experience, there's a lot of knowledge out there on how to fix the Fordson tractor. You can get exploded diagrams showing how the whole thing is put together. You can buy just about every part you need from any of several suppliers (The Fordson House in Escanaba, Michigan comes to mind - check out their web page). You just have to be willing to get your hands greasy. Yes, there will be some aggravation at rusty bolts that don't want to turn loose, or some aspect of the restoration that will take about seven times longer than you expected, but that's part of the deal, too... In summation, this can be a great experience if you choose to avail yourself of it. Think of the pride that can be yours when you look upon your restored tractor years from now and know that you breathed new life into that tired pile of iron you dragged out of the woods. Send along any questions you may have; somebody who follows this group is bound to have an answer for you. Kind regards,
Another Fordson Operator in Maine, third-generation operator of my family's 1922 Fordson
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