General restoration questions

vsteel · Jul 24, 2017

I am looking at fixing up my Oliver 77.

I am curious how much you guys put on new/different panels versus just pound them straight and paint them. I see so many pictures a really good looking tractors and just basically how deep into the metal working do you all go?

Do you sandblast the panels or just wire brush and then paint? Chem dip?

Are there a couple of parts suppliers you get the parts from or just all over the place and do a lot of searching? I am thinking especially gaskets and seals.

Here are a couple not so great pictures of what I am starting with, pretty straight overall.

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Oliver 500 Wa · Jul 24, 2017

(quoted from post at 11:04:02 07/24/17)......I am curious how much you guys put on new/different panels versus just pound them straight and paint them. I see so many pictures a really good looking tractors and just basically how deep into the metal working do you all go?

Do you sandblast the panels or just wire brush and then paint? Chem dip?

I have been hammering out the sheetmetal pretty extensively. Have had a few spots where I have had to cut out sections and weld back together to shrink stretched areas. Then a light grind with 50 grit and a skim layer of filler and sand. Then a bit more filler and sand. Repeat as needed until the desired straightness is achieved.

IMHO the key to what you need to do is determined by what you have to start with and what you want to finish with (and how OCD one is about such things).

Yours looks pretty straight to start with. My project started with straightening the hood. Had the tractor parked near a big tree, used some nylon straps, and a come-along to pull about a 20 degree tilt out of it. I turned it on its side a while back when the bank of a drainage ditch gave way while plowing alongside it. The hood was pretty messed up!

Married2Allis · Jul 24, 2017

Korves is a popular parts dealer and great source of info for these series Olivers. Family run and very friendly folks to talk with.

Dblair · Jul 24, 2017

Lynch farms tractor parts . com has many panels you may want to look at , if your into perfect .

rrlund · Jul 24, 2017

I've got all four side covers new on my 77. On the 66,the rears are new. I had two old pairs of the front ones here. I just took the best ones as far as not being beat to death,but rusted and pitted. I used sandable primer and kept building them up and sanding them down. They could be better,but look OK from a distance. Nobody has ever come up to me at a show and asked why I didn't do it right anyway.

I should get after the 70 now that the 500 is done. I've got a set of good rears on that one,but the fronts need a little welding done on them. In all honesty,a 70 isn't worth the price of a new set,so that one will have to be good enough for who it's for no matter how it comes out.

vsteel · Jul 25, 2017

Thank you very much for all of the information, I appreciate everyone's input.

I will get some better pictures posted and then as things progress keep everyone updated.

General restoration questions

vsteel

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Oliver 500 Wa

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Married2Allis

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Dblair

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rrlund

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vsteel

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