tap in engine, price

1. It has a tap in the engine, the seller told me this was normal in old Ford flatheads.

2. He is asking $2,500 for it, it runs, however it is not restored and come with a wokring (but not pretty) brush hog, and a set of discs. Is that a good deal?

Any advice would be really helpful.

Mark...

$500.
Running for under $50
New tires, $400

• 500 2N

• 500 2N

Here is a pic of the 1939 9N I got for $1,400. Not pretty, but it ran and the hydraulics worked. No implements came with it. I would see if I could talk him down a bit, but that is not a bad price if it really is a 1939 9N. Those are pretty rare, and usually are a collectors item.

Plan on spending some money getting it in tip top shape.

Good luck,
Dan

• Hobby farm

with a friend like that you don't need enemies.

I would walk unless you can determine the wood pecker is something like a valve.

Then I would probably still walk unless he took repairs into consideration.

There are ones out there without the wood peckers for reasonable prices.

Also, if you have not looked through this, here is a discussion of things to look for. All Ns are similar enough for this to be applicable to your case.

Colin

• John Smith's Buying Tips

Here's a link to a recording of my 8N ('44 2N engine). The knocking noise you hear is a warped sheetmetal pulley and an exhaust leak where the manifold mates to the tail pipe.

In Central Minnesota, a serviceable disc runs about $100/foot. A good rotary mower will be around $350-$500, depending on brand.

If you consider that, you are purchasing a tractor in the neighborhood of $1,700 with or without engine trouble. I think that's a good price, but be cautioned that it may need some work. The question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you are prepared to do that work.

I hope that helps you some. Good luck!

Colin, MN

• Engine Knock

How do you know it is a 1939? I'd verify the serial number first. IF it is a 1939, they are hard to find. IF the tap is a valve, not a big problem. IF the tap is a rod or wrist pin, that's a bigger problem, but not a deal breaker.

When a seller makes a statement like that, my BS radar goes to full scan. I would verify everything he is telling you.

• 50 Tips