value?

A charitable organization I'm with has had a 1939 Ford 8N tractor donated to it. We hold an annual dinner auction, but this is a very small town. We don't know if putting this item up for bid at an auction that will be attended by only 320 people max will fetch what this tractor is worth. Could anyone give me an idea of what to ask for it or what its real value is?

It's stored indoors in one of this gentleman's (heated and finished) garages and he has given us both a Ford Operator's Manual and a Ford Shop Manual that go along with it.

Help! Does our organization have a real treasure or is this a fairly commonplace vehicle?

I only took 3 photos yesterday, so here are the other two. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of the right side since it was parked fairly close to the wall. Some have asked if it runs as good as it looks, and I'd guess yes. The keys were in it when I saw it, and he plans on continuing the tinkering up until the auction.

I got some more information from the guy who was supposed to go check out the serial numbers, but I don't know if it makes sense. Maybe the print was too small for him to see?

This is what he wrote down for me:

The distributor is on the engine front, not the side.
The casting number on the rear end is 9N733B
The serial number says G or C (again, he couldn't tell) 159 8N.

Can anyone tell what the heck this could mean? The serial number is supposed to start with an N, not a C or G, isn't it?

Anyhow, here are the other pictures. If anyone seriously wants to put a sealed bid in just let me know. I could possibly mail you a bid sheet that could be mailed back before the auction date. The night of the auction all the bidding closes at 10 pm for the sealed bids and then they're opened and a winner is determined.

Sorry, I could only submit one picture at a time.

I delegated the task of getting the serial number and additional information to another committee member but I'll let you know what we find out.

To those near enough to consider a road trip: the event is Sept 28, but it costs $125 to get into the formal dinner/auction/dance. It's a nice evening...especially considering that it takes place in Cheboygan! However, on Friday, Sept 27, there is a FREE preview evening where anyone can come view all of the auction items and can place sealed bids. We serve FREE fancy-schmancy hors d'oeuvres and FREE wine and if you have nothing better to do DROP IN! It's at the K of C Hall in Cheboygan, from 7pm-10pm.

Thanks you guys, I'll post on a new thread when I do find out further information on the tractor.

I have to run out to another meeting and haven't had the chance to read through every response yet, but again, thanks so much for your help and opinions. We'll discuss tonight how we want to deal with this "gift" so I'll let you know what we decide.

BTW, the auction/dinner is in Cheboygan, MI. It's at the tip of the mitten (MI is shaped like a mitten) on the Lake Huron side of the state.

Let us know what you are going to do. I've got a brother in Lansing and my dad is down by Niles.

Sounds like a good reason for a road trip dragging an empty trailer.

Mikey

[email protected]

$25.00 a ticket, 5 for $100.00. You could probable sell a hundred of them just on this site!

Seriously!

Mikey

Where is this thing, anyway?

Hey Evil Steve - do you park Chigger inside the house like this?

Might get Mrs. Evil Steve to do it for me. She's a puter geek. LOL (but don't tell her!)

If I learned how to post a pic myself I might turn to putting N board member's faces on buttons or cartoons.

After all, I am EVIL STEVE and prone to all sorts of misdeeds! LOL

Also of note is the fergusson system badge on the front. The grill would apear to be from a 9N or 2N. However the Ford oval on the hood is wide, like an 8N. Everything else looks like an 8N from 1948 to 1950. The chrome accents are interesting.

If someone were to come up to me and try to sell me a raffle ticket for $20.00 for the tractor, I would buy one.

By the way, I bought a marginal 2N for 2600 dollars two years ago.

But in reality, it's just another 8N with a 2N grille and a "custom" paint and chrome job. It shouldn't bring any more than any other 8N which right now is around $3200 tops, because you can buy other 8ns(not quite as nice)for $1000-2300.

Now, if y'all think this tractor is worth $5000-6000, send her a check.

If it's REALLY worth $6000, put yer money where yer mouth is. ;^)

There are people who will pay that kind of price even with some "improvizations" as this tractor has. Check out Bill's Tractor page (this site won't let me put in a link to the page). just type in "bills tractor" as word search.

I've seen these and a host of other quick and cr@ppy restorations and the guy is selling them right out of his lot all the time. Crazy if you ask me, but people will pay high $ for pretty tractors.

Curious that the owner restorer has no clue what they are giving you...

Mama always said that Bourbon would be the death of me...

Salmoneye

;-)

Looking at the picture of this beautiful tractor, it looks like an 8N because I can't see a break pedal on the left side.

HOWEVER, the engines on all Ns were interchangeable with older or newer tractors and your engine could have been replaced with a 9N engine. Only way to tell is to look at the serial number located behind the oil filter on the left side of your tractor and then go to Smth's 8N tractor page (or this or other sites) and look up the serial #.

A far as value, IF it's an "all 8N" tractor and if it's hydraulics and engine operate as well as the tractor looks in your photo, someone (not me) will pay $6000 or more if you market to a broad enough market and someone who has to have a "trailer queen" wants it.

I seriously doubt you will get top dollar at a local auction. If you still want to sell it at auction, please write to me at [email protected] and I might make the trip to bid. But my bid will stop far short of this tractor's highest possible value.

John Smiths 8N for St. Jude