Seeking opinions

I've got a number of tractors in various conditions and am thinking about which would be the best, or most interesting way to combine them into one good tractor. Here are the tractors ...
1. A 1962 Ford 4000 industrial than was originally a diesel but has been converted to a gasser. The gas engine will run but is word out and smokes badly. It has an over under Sherman, lower steering and the HD front axle. Tin is good.. Has 14.9 x 24 wheels with decent turf tires and only 1 good rim.
2. A 1961 or so Ford 871 diesel. It is a SOS but is missing the shifter, shift cables and seat. The motor runs pretty well but smokes quite badly. One rear 13.6 x 28 is new, other tires ot good but rims are ok.
3. A 1956 960 row crop WF with most of the engine missing. It is a 5 speed with a dual function clutch and good PA wheels. Tires are marginal. I also have a NF that would fit.

Options ...
A. Put the 871's diesel into the 4000 industrial and the gasser from the industrial into the 960 which returns both of them to original but would require two engine overhauls. 871 becomes a doner and eventually goes away.
B. Put the 5 speed from the 960 into the 871. 960 goes away.
C. Put the 4000 rear half on the 871 front half and swap the HD front axle over as well. It would then be a hybrid as a 4 speed 871 or an almost 4000 industrial. Less work maybe but not an original tractor in the end. The 4000 engine could still be overhauled and put into the 960. I already have another 960 gasser so that would be redundant.
D. Put the diesel into the 960 just for the fun of it.
E. Restore the 4000 and the 871 as they now set and forget about the 960.
F. Other
G. Another other

Here are some pictures .... I would appreciate opinions and advice. Thanks in advance.

If the SOS is just missing the shifter and cable, I saw one on ebay for less than $50, no matter what you do, don't scrap that tranny, there are those of us that love them and would buy a parts tranny if ever needed, they don't eat much and are pretty quiet sitting in the corner of the barn.

Personally I would do the engine swap of the 4000 and the 960, but do the one you want first, so that you don't have two projects going on at the same time. I can personally vouch that taking one completely apart down to all the little brackets is a lot more work than it appears when you are looking at them, and also time consuming if you want it done to your personal quality level.

I wish I had your trouble, you seem to be project poor at the moment...

My own project would be further along, but I have to balance, work, project and cutting firewood to make the barn warm enough to work in... wasn't planning on tearing mine down until late this fall, so I didn't have enough wood cut ahead of time.

If you decide to scrap the 960 let me know I would be very interested in purchasing the entire wide front parts. Would even be willing to travel to pull them myself if the price is right.

I have a 960 narrow front and would like to convert to wide front.

BJ

Looks like you have plenty to do, 3 parts tractors with no good engine. I would fix the industrial and leave the rest until you have time to fix one or the other.

BJ ... I'm in Utah. Is your 960 the type that will unbolt from
your SF or is it one piece? Selling a few parts might help with
the other projects. What are the WF worth nowadays.

BJ ... Email should be open.

I'd looove the pa rims. immposible to find in texas it seems.

Yeh ... Some things seem to be regional. PA rims and single tire front ends seem plentiful in Idaho for example. Maybe I should just sell the PA's, WFE, and dual remote valve from this 960 and call it good.

And sell em to me. lol.

Sell enough parts, or tractors to buy the parts to repair the one you like the best.

Not sure on how mine unbolts. I am in Missouri so would have to an exceptional deal for me to drive to Utah to get it.

Let me know what you want for it.

Could not get to your email. Mine is:

[email protected]