I hate it when

• Hobby farm

About 15 years ago my dad traded my Grandpa's old Ford loader tractor (I think it was a Jubilee) for a Massey 165 w/loader he found while servicing the parts washer at a dealer in Door County. The 165 was repainted and it looked great, even though it wasn't thew right color scheme. It was just painted because I'm sure it spent a good deal of time in the manure. It's a great tractor, I don't think it was advertised as "restored" or anything like that, but it probably was the new paint that attracted my dad to it. Now 15 years later the paint is really rough and quite a bit has chipped off where it was applied right over the old paint, making it look REALLY rough.

I restored my Grandpa's Oliver 1600 over the last few years and I'm still tinkering with it. The only thing I didn't tear into was the rear end, but I had no reason to because it worked fine and didn't make any noises. I had the engine rebuilt by a professional, so it was COMPLETELY torn down and hot tanked, crank was ground 10/10, and I had an overbore kit installed to bring it up to 1650/55 specs. I had LP exhaust valves installed and hardened seats, so I guess that isn't "factory correct", but it is an update to make it run better.

I had my brother paint it with a 1-stage automotive paint with hardener so it would be durable. My ollie sits outside a good deal of time, plays in the mud, and still has to earn it's keep around here.

The one thing I regret to a point, is having misc. parts chromed. Some of them were done poorly and are starting to rust a little bit. I complained to the guy who did it and he said "well you gotta polish it and wax it constantly and keep it clean." I'm sorry, but I don't have time for that and why does a truck bumper not rust to sh!t when the owner doesn't wash it all the time. I know it'll go quicker, but what's rusting on mine isn't anywhere near the mud. They were just done poorly.

In my eyes, that's what a restoration is. It doesn't have to 100% factory correct, but it should have a fresh engine, good paint, new tires if the old ones are shot or weather checked, (unless of course you can't find that size anywhere) And if you have to, go through the rear end.

What doesn't count is either just a paint job, just a new engine (come on now, thats just overhauled) or a new paint job and new tires, without ever opening up the engine to inspect things.

Donovan from Wisconsin

With that in mind, and thinking how many things in the technical world have been standardized, supported by society of this or society of that, which created a reference standard so everyone is on the same page, or going by the same standards.

Now these are tractors, all manufacturers considered, you could easily designate the major and sub categories of restoration, condition or repairs, and to meet that designation you need to qualify by performing X amount of work on said tractor, be it a combination of mechanical and finish type work. Everyone has their own idea on this, but if a guideline were established, and an acceptable means of documenting such classifications of restorating were established, certainly would make it easier for a buyer to understand what he or she is looking at.

Personally, be it cars, trucks, tractors, and you use the word restoration to describe it, say 100% restoration than I would like to think that should mean a complete tear down, or inspection of all components and a neatly done re-assembly with new parts as required to make the said unit as factory correct as possible, forget about the finishes, that will be a preference, now say you want a museum quality restoration well that may a apply to someone who will not polish the castings and use high gloss automotive paint etc.

Restoration A - Factory Correct / Museum Quality

Restoration B - Factory Correct / Auto. Finish

Restoration C - Factory Correct / Mechanically sound in good working order, orig finish

Restoration D - Mechanically Sound / Original finish field ready

I dunno, at least by organizing it, you could possibly level the playing field, of course the bad guys would probably forge the documents verfiying the class of restoration or condition.

One car I did was a plain jane 78 vette with a 350 chevy, 4 bolt main, steel crank, beefed the motor quite a bit, just under 400 HP, matched the trans with a slight stall out converter, suspension, drive train and tires and brakes, painted chassis and body, kind of a frame off restoration, ran fine as long as I had it, but it was just about completely taken apart and re-assembled.

That's the part I don't understand.

To me, RESTORE means to put it back as it was when it was NEW. Yet, to some, RESTORE means a $5000 automotive paint job. While there's certainly nothing wrong with that, that's NOT how the old beasts left the factory!

To the purists, every nut and screw has to be as-original, yet they smooth the castings, and paint them up like a shiney new 'vette, with exotic paint.

So, why the fanaticism about the correct details, and then ignore the original enamel paint?

Restored would mean that I need to paint it yet, and put new tires on it.