Time to restore a Massey Ferguson 135

LSGUNSS

Member
Dad and I just got done restoring a Ferguson TO35 Prototype this year, it needed a little love and we gave it to her. Dad and I thought we would do the same to the MF135 we just bought. The Massey has 29xx hours on her and spent most of her life blading a drive and prepping a small garden. It is the 4 cylinder continental engine. Everything works but it needs more love than the TO35 ever did. Ill take more pics of it and show the things that need fixed. I plan on updating this thread to keep you guys up on our progress.

Here is a few pics of the TO35:
(this was my first paint job)





Here is the only picture I have of the MF135. It is the one that was in the ad.

 
Great job, old tractor looks good.

It has an interesting front bumper

I have a 1957 model TO35 an I came with a different
front bumper. It was beige and gray colors.

What year model is this one????

Good job!
 
(quoted from post at 10:55:33 12/08/13) Great job, old tractor looks good.

It has an interesting front bumper

I have a 1957 model TO35 an I came with a different
front bumper. It was beige and gray colors.

What year model is this one????

Good job!

Thanks! The TO35 is a 1955. We bought it from the original owner, our neighbor two years ago. The bumper is a factory option bumper that he ordered when he bought the tractor. I don't like how it has to set out so far but that is the only way the hood can open with it on.

The MF135 I'm not sure of. We will have to look.

Just for fun here is a pic of my truck hooked to the trailer the morning before we went to get it. I didn't get a loaded pic because it was dark on the way back.
 
Nice job on the 35, looks like she's ready to tear into things! I have a bumper on a couple, and going out that far is necessary for the hood to let you around the radiator. I put a ball on the end, and it is real handy backing trailers around. But maybe not your trailer... how the heck long is that? I wonder how many fergies you can fit on that?
Your original green looks black half the time doesn't it? I used a lighter- not quite right- version of hunter green on my '55... and my 135/MF20, pictured in a post above... well...people like to pick on it. What and how many colors you going to paint yours? Great job and good luck with both!
 
(quoted from post at 18:04:51 12/09/13) Nice job on the 35, looks like she's ready to tear into things! I have a bumper on a couple, and going out that far is necessary for the hood to let you around the radiator. I put a ball on the end, and it is real handy backing trailers around. But maybe not your trailer... how the heck long is that? I wonder how many fergies you can fit on that?
Your original green looks black half the time doesn't it? I used a lighter- not quite right- version of hunter green on my '55... and my 135/MF20, pictured in a post above... well...people like to pick on it. What and how many colors you going to paint yours? Great job and good luck with both!

Thanks for the kind words! Dad and I will have the TO35 for sale in the spring. It will be hard to let go but if we want to keep fixing tractors up we need to make some space and we WILL NOT let a tractor set outside.

That trailer is a 30' deck. It is my uncles by marriage, which is my dads best friend that we have farmed with for years. It was a little over kill for this but I am in the process of making my 18' bumper hitch the way I want it.

The green looks almost black if not black in the shade/shop but when the light hits it, it is green with metallic in it. I think it is the best color combo on the 35's in my opinion.
 
Today I re-did the prop that holds the hood up, the one that folds. It didn't do it's job and that makes it hard to do anything under the hood. Dad also bought a new battery because the one we got with the tractor wouldn't turn it over. Small steps right now. It is a little too cold to work on it in his shop (no heat) in 22* weather. I have a wood stove in my shop but he thinks I have enough projects in there right now...Zero turn mower, My 5.3 V8 S10 (finished), My trailer, building a smoker for next year. I guess I do have a few irons in the fire. lol

Ill update as we go and keep you guys updated on what we do. :D
 
The 55 should bring a good price,has alot of same as my 57,rear wheels, hood. I'm with you about the bumper.Saw a pic of one yesterday and thought they were one and the same. NICE!
 
Nice job on the 35, Good luck with the next project and keep us
posted on your progress.
Sam
 
Small update for you guys.
Here is a pic of the hood prop that I had to make:



Here are a few of the tractor. It is cold and rainy/slushy outside so this is all I could get.



 
OK over the winter dad did some small stuff to the tractor to get it ready for paint. He rebuilt the carb, sanded all the paint on the hood/fenders/grille, and ordered some stuff for after paint. Next on the list is to power wash it and sand some more. Ill grab some pics of it in a day or two and post them.

The TO35 that we did didn't sell so dad gave it to me since it was our first father son project. So here it is now in my shop.
 
Just noticed your restoration thread. Great job on the 35! I have missed a couple of chances at a TO-30 & a 35, but always have my hands full with something else.

I am enjoying the progress on your 135 too. I have a 165D worker that I will eventually get around restoring, but watching your progress will prod me on(hopefully).

My hat's off to your clean shop too!

Jeff
 
(quoted from post at 17:46:22 06/02/14) Just noticed your restoration thread. Great job on the 35! I have missed a couple of chances at a TO-30 & a 35, but always have my hands full with something else.

I am enjoying the progress on your 135 too. I have a 165D worker that I will eventually get around restoring, but watching your progress will prod me on(hopefully).

My hat's off to your clean shop too!

Jeff

Thank you! Both of the tractors, the TO-35 and the 135 are going to be resto workers. Dad is going to use the 135 to rake hay and pull a trailer around with. It should have an easy life. My TO-35 is the same, I only really use it to rake or pull a trailer. The most I see mine doing is pulling a small disk to do a food plot or to prep ground for grass.

Thanks for the complement on the clean shop. I do my best to keep it clean but with always having a project in it, it gets tough to keep it that way.
 
Your 35 is a classic...your 135 should be just a nice once you're done...paint looks good! ..I've got a '67 135 with the Cont. engine...so...I'm suggesting that while you have it "down" to its undershorts you should think about replacing the water pump...I knew when I bought mine (actuall from the orginal owner) that I would need to sooner rather than later...if you decide to do this, suggest you get the pump and pulley already assembled together as it will save you some time/work getting the pulley off your current one and trying to get it on the new pump without hurting the pump seals, etc (you have to press on the pulley to the new pump as well as trying to get the old one apart without screwing that up as well...good luck and keep the pics coming.. Bob in VA
 
I wasn't happy with my first paint job so dad and I sanded it down and I repainted it. This time I did about 5 coats and it is a lot better. It's still not as good as I want but if it doesn't look like a show car I'm not happy. That's just the way I am and I know it's not right. It would be more realistic if we had professional booth and equipment. Here are some pics of it baking in.





 
(quoted from post at 09:54:10 12/08/13) Dad and I just got done restoring a Ferguson TO35 Prototype this year, it needed a little love and we gave it to her. Dad and I thought we would do the same to the MF135 we just bought. The Massey has 29xx hours on her and spent most of her life blading a drive and prepping a small garden. It is the 4 cylinder continental engine. Everything works but it needs more love than the TO35 ever did. Ill take more pics of it and show the things that need fixed. I plan on updating this thread to keep you guys up on our progress.

Here is a few pics of the TO35:
(this was my first paint job)





Here is the only picture I have of the MF135. It is the one that was in the ad.

mvphoto26081.jpg

This tractor has been here on the farm since new. I spent the last 6 months freshening it up. It looks like your 135 was in really nice condition to start with. I had to rebuild everything on this tractor.
 
I am sorry my picture wound up on your thread. If you can figure out how to delete it, please do. I had tried to post a picture of the finished product of this tractor but the forum didn't accept it. Again, sorry for my picture amongst your pics of your beautiful tractor.
 

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