To restore or not Great Grandpa's CA

Rleii

New User
I recently acquired my great grandpas 52 CA because I have another ca and it had some parts I need, but the more I think about it I want to fix.
Rationally I think it may be too far gone. The engine is seized, all the sheet metal is damaged, fuel tank has big dent and rust, the Wide front end has weld repairs, the torque tube is a C tube because the original was broken. BOth rear rims are swiss cheese and need replaced, tires may be salvageable, but need tubes at minimum. It currently has a massey ferguson seat on it but would switch back to a pan.
It has not run in at least 10 years, and lived a hard life. If i have to replace everything except the transmission and final drives is it really still the same tractor? At what point do you decide it is just not worth the money / time / effort? how many parts tractors do you acquire to make a good one?
I really dont need two tractors, heck dont even need one but like to pull at the local fairs. I traded a 1947 Minneapolis Moline RTU for the CA that I already owned and it already has had all the tins replaced and runs decent. It is a snap coupler tractor where ggpa's is a pin hitch. I was thinking about getting a 3 pt adapter so I could use a box blade to maintain my driveway, but that is the only work I would use the tractor for.

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I wouldn't restore it but I would get it up and running. If the cylinders do not have water in them fill them with ATF an let it sit a week or 2 and then put a 12 volt battery in and use short fast taps on the starter with the plugs out to see if it frees up. If it does free up take the steps to make it run but other wise leave it as is. Those dents where earned by hard work over the years
 
Cylinder 1 and 4 look ok some speckles of rust, 3 is rusted pretty good and 2 is full of water. Tractor sat uncovered at least 10 years and had not moved due to clutch going out

This post was edited by Rleii on 06/29/2021 at 06:25 pm.
 
That is a wet sleeve engine so not all tat hard to pop the sleeves out of and replace with new. While I have not replace any with new I have had 3 or 4 Cs I had to pull the sleeves out of and replace the seal seals to make run again
 
the side weights I am going to put on my other CA that is in running condition to pull at local tractor shows and fairs. The rear wheel weights are case weights, don't know if my ca weights would bolt to them or not. So may stay on that tractor because they were on it when it was bought

This post was edited by Rleii on 06/29/2021 at 06:50 pm.
 
X2 on Only having Grandpas tractor once. Im working on my Grandpas combine. Pulled it in a parade recently with 6 of his Grandsons. Im the guy in the bibs.
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I'm pretty much with you on this one. Maybe get it in decent, but not perfect mechanical condition, but don't get out the paint sprayer, especially since decals look pretty good. When replacing parts, get used ones so new doesn't stick out. Maybe just get replacement wheels w/tires.
 
I can understand your feeling about all that is a problem with this tractor. However after reading all the other posts I think I agree, keep it and keep it as original as you can, just get it running sort of decent. You have another that can look good and be your show and tractor pull tractor. Keep this one as it ended up after a working life. And I agree, no new paint, it looks good as is and is original. Only original once, like only your grandfather's once. You can get a used piston and liner or two if needed. If not in a hurry, other parts may show up over time without looking too hard or paying too much. Used parts are available from tractor salvage yards too.
 
They make products that will bring that paint back better than you would think. Probably not as cheap as a can of wax and will require some elbow grease, but the results will be worth it.
 
It is easy to spend a few hundred to a few thousand dollars or just repairing not restoring a tractor like that. Will you be able to use for anything it once it is running? If you have a use for it the investment will have some return, if not then don't plan to get any investment back besides personal satisfaction. Myself, I would keep it for sentimental reasons, but I wouldn't invest any money into it until I had plenty of excess money to burn on it.
 
Hello. I would restore if it were my fathers or grandfathers. Lots of tractors are available, but
only one with sentimental value, which is an important factor. It is a wet sleeve engine and you may find that the slieves
and pistons will respond to a good cleaning with fine grit emery cloth, and new rings and bearings will have you running
You also might find more, won't know till you tear into it. The sheet metal and tank look like an easy fix. a few body shop
type of nail you weld on and pull with a dent puller will have you back close to where it should be and a very light skim with
feather lite bondo will have it looking like new. give it a good cleaning first. ( a big plastic garbage can and a battery charger gives a good hydrolysis bath)
and it works. I did a farmall A tank that way.
My farmall has about five pieces of sheet metal welded into the rust holes (wire feed welder) on the fenders Looks like new.
Now if you are going to R and R. it could get expensive. If you have a bit of time and are willing to invest some work it could be a fun. project.
Good luck whichever way. Keep it in the family. mHO. Kris
 
I would restore it.

We had great grand dads 41Farmall H. Back in 1974 the H spun a rod bearing while grandpa was mowing hay.

The H was parked in the pasture. I hated seeing it sitting there. I made up my mind that when I got older I was going to restore that tractor and drive it in the local parade. But when I was about 13. I went with dad to a neighbors estate Sale. And there sat my H. I told dad I thought we should fix it. He thought fixing a 30 year old tractor was crazy and pointless.

So I lost great grand dads tractor. I still have dads 57 WD45 diesel. I'm going to keep it.
 
And another thought... I think it would make great "yard art". Pick a spot, park it and put blocks under it so the tires don't look flat. Let nature slowly recover it over the next 50 to 100 years. I like the old keep it in the family stuff also but when a "restoration" means getting another tractor and replacing the one you have with it, it's really not much of a restoration. My boy is facing this exact situation with my dads WD.
That said, if it's your hobby and something you get enjoyment out of, by all means tear into it. Most hobbies are expensive, this one is no different.
 

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