Dooooodlebug....

So I gotta say....you hear about these barn finds only so often. My nephew was helping a guy fix a barn roof and him and his brother were crawling all over this piece of machinery while putting the new roof on. So he was asking the guy what the contraption was, and he said he didn't know, the thing was in the barn when he bought the farm. So he told my nephew if he wanted it, he could have it!! He found out it's a 1933 Chevy based doodlebug conversion. Dual tractor wheels on the back with chains on the outside tires. After about a week piddling with ignition parts he got it running! I told him about this site, so I'm sure he'll become a member soon.

So just curious. I know he probably won't ever sell it, but what's doodlebug worth? Anyone know?

I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess, but one of the local shows here features them quite often. It's fun to look at some of the contraptions that come in.

A doodlebug is usually worth the sum total of its parts. If it has a good radiator and grille, somebody restoring a 33 Chevy would probably pay a few hundred for those non-reproduced pieces. The old babbitt-pounder stove-bolt 6 isnt a very desirable engine with its splash lubrication system, but again, if somebody insists on having one instead of installing a near identical looking later model 6 cylinder with a pressure lubrication system, they might toss a few hundred dollars your way, depending on how it runs and how original it is (correct carburettor, generator and ignition components). Parted out this way and originally made from a desirable model of car (one that is now popular with restorers) you MIGHT make several hundred dollars, but you would destroy a tiny bit of agricultural history in the process.

The real value in a complete doodlebug is how well the conversion was done, was it a "factory" style machine assembled from a kit (Sears Roebuck, Staude, Wards, Thieman, and a few dozen others made them), or was it built slap-dash as an ill-fitting and poorly performing contraption? If it is difficult to start, uncomfortable or dangerous to drive and runs poorly, that will obviously bring down the value compared to a well thought out and executed machine.

Naturally, a family connection would overwhelm any of these concerns; a doodlebug built by your grandpa's own hands to get his farm through the Great Depression- no matter what the end result was- would be PRICELESS!

Doodle bugs are unique creatures. I have one and the value is making me smile and remember the stories my dad and relatives use to share about it. The one I have started live as a 1928 Model A ford with a Model AA rear end, they also put a chain drive counter shaft in it to slower it down 50%. In the 50s they used it to pull wagons around because it was faster horses and there was only one tractor on a farm. Anyway I bought this one from my moms cousin for 750. Probably too much but! Got it home and put it in the shed, and it sat there for 10 years or more, in 2018 I started to work on it over the winter and it needed the fiber gear that spins thecam. Got that in and started it up but there was a lot of engine noise. This past winter I found that the Babbitt was gone on number 1 connecting rod, luckily I found another engine last summer on Craig?s list. Did a quick check and it was good so I swapped engines, removed counter shaft and got it running again. The starter was then starting Hendrix was acting up so I put in a new gear reduction starter along with electronic ignition, then the engine wanted to over heat so the radiator needed to be fixed along for good measure a new water pump. I had virtually no brakes so off comes the back drums and major cleaning and getting everything freed up so the brakes worked. Next the emergency back was shot, so new lining was needed and riveted back on,, took it out for a drive and it sucks if the road is wet, so I found a set of front fenders and brackets. I put new front tires on it, but need to do something with the back ones yet. It?s fun to drive.

That's the prettiest one I've seen. Just needs a little wider seat with belts for riders .

Yea, I got a seat belt for the driver, but I needed to leave the boat seat. As it was originally the drivers seat...

Black seat it one repurposed from a 1978 Case W14 loader,, got to love it