 I just got home from a 9 hour round trip picking the 1939 9N I bought off ebay. It is indeed a 1939 model - serial number (Star)9N 5429(star) is still very legible. I evaluated it some before I handed over the cash. It started right up, no smoke from exhaust or breather and no popping from exhaust until it got good and hot - then a tad. No huge leaks that I could see. Hydraulics worked quickly with just a tad of jerking while lifting - no noises. Brakes are oil soaked of course (the owner admitted to WAAAAY overfilling the hydraulic oil - it was leaking from around the shifter cover). No oily residue floating in the top of the radiator either. Drove it around a bit - tranny is loud (but I hear all straight cut gears are louder) but worked fine in all gears with no rythimic "clicking". Satisfied - I paid the man and loaded it up and headed for home. Just before getting it home, I pulled into a car wash and gave it a thourough de-greasing and power washing (I will change all the fluids anyway). Something caught my eye close to the oil drain cock area while I was pressure washing that area. Got it home and spent about an hour going over it with a fine toothed comb. Here are the results: PROS - Runs decently, hydraulics work, 1939 block, aluminum dash not cracked, aluminum battery box in good shape, one good smooth hub, starter and key switch on dash and working, all gears work, two rib 16 rivet fenders in decent shape, front grease zert spindles, steering decent, dipstick on shifter cover, wore tube in place and in good shape, new water pump, new gas tank (repro), original patent plate in place and in good shape, new-ish radiator, nice foot boards. 
CONS - Block has hairline freeze crack between drain cock and front welsch plug (not weeping or leaking) pic attached and looks like it was "V"'d out, oil pan has a few vertical cracks, back of block close to exhaust appears to have a crack that was JB Welded but it is low (almost to the bell housing area), rear hydraulic rocker pin hole on differential has a chunck missing, hood has a BUNCH of bondo, back of left side fender has a bondo patch, inside radiator fins slightly damaged from water pump failure, clutch pedal very loose on shaft, lift arm crank adjuster busted. Sure - not perfect, but I did not expect perfection in a 67 year old tractor :-) I will start keeping my eyes open for one 1939 smooth hub, lift arm crank, oil pan, and a workable hood to repair this one or to swap. I will not start on this one for several months - so I can start saving now. I will hope for now it does not have any internal cracks and keep an eye for water in the oil pan. Dan
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