Restoring tractors!! The money pits some turn into!!!

I have restored several over the years. Some just got tunes up and painted and others a complete tear down. How deep have you gotten on one??

I did my 1972 JD 4020 PS about five or six years ago. It was a complete tear down and everything brought back to new or better. I had a real good year in the repair business the year before and my grand father bought it new. So I did not worry about the cost. I just made it new again. I figured the out of pocket cost when I was done. I had over fifteen thousand in it without any labor. I kind of did a double take when I was done too. LOL I then thought about it. What could I have bought new that was 90 hp for that money??? Nothing that was of good quality. On the plus side that tractor gets used everyday. All of us like how it handles so it does a lot of work.

Now my current project is a money loser and will never be used enough to pay out. My only excuse is I don"t have hobbies or motorcycles so I spend my fun money on my farm toys. That is what I keep telling the wife. LOL

It is a 1958 Ford Gold 981 diesel. I have always wanted one. My Great Uncle had one with a Ford corn picker on it. He harvested all of the families corn for many years with it. Really up until 1970 when my Grand Father bought a JD 95 combine and started shelling some of the corn for the hogs. Any way this one came up last year. I an the first owner other than the selling dealer. That is right they kept this tractor and used it on their lot even after they became just a car dealer. I decided that this piece of history needed keeping. So I took it down the the castings. I rebuilt the SOS trans, Complete engine over haul, Re-manufactured the fuel system complete, Replaced the complete steering system (had the pump removed and control value blocked when I got it), Replace every bearing in the complete drive line, I rebuilt the entire electrical system including a new wiring harness, and all NOS gages including the tachometer. I am down to painting it. You may have seen my posting on the paint and body work forum. I have been having trouble the last few paint jobs having too many dust specks in them when done. So I am getting this tractor painted by a antique car painter. My wife just figured up what I will have in it when done without any of my labor counted. $13,400.

Yes I am crazy for putting this much into a $4000-5000 dollar tractor. I am getting to the point that I hate to work on my own stuff when I want to use/play with it. I have several tractors you have to play with to get them going. I did not want this one that way. I plan on showing it quite a lot starting next year. My wife is going to retire and we are going to shows/travel some.

So what have any of you gone crazy on??? It can be tractors, cars, trucks, you name it. We will all just nod our heads as everyone of us has done it to a degree at some time in our life.

Just gotta do it for the love, not the money. Most of my tractors where my dad's, so they are priceless to me.

Saw a spectacular 851 D sell for 10,500 at big IH auction. Guy came from Indiana to bid on it.
Oh, this was 7 years ago.

This is the way I start most old tractor rebuilds

http://public.fotki.com/DickL/disassembly_of_litt/
copy and paste to view

The tractor that I spent the most money and time on is in the video I just put on youtube today. I posted it on other sites also. A first youtube for me. It is no show tractor as I was not trying for a standard show type tractor. I wanted one to show off with.
Allis Chalmers C

who cares what it cost if you like to do it just do it there is a real sense of pride turning something old into new again money can not buy everything thats just my opinion

I did a complete restoration on our Super C several years ago. Took EVERYTHING apart and replaced what needed to be replaced. Not sure what everything cost, don't know if I even want to know! A good friend, who is very conservative and watches every penny he spends, commented the entire time I was doing it how I was wasting my money. He smokes cigarettes and drinks beer socially. I always told him at least I have something to show for the money I "wasted".

Have not touched the transmission, or the rear rim/tire's and im into my H about 4.5k

Have you ever kept track what it costs to go up north fishing for a week? The cost is staggering.

I've got too much in my WD45. It was bought new by my great uncle, then my dad farmed with it. I didn't get into the trans or rearend, but overhauled the motor and blasted and painted every single part, about 6 or 7 years ago. At least it's a wide front with factory power steering. It will never be worth what I have in it, but it's not like I'll ever sell it either. I'm not even a big Allis fan, but I had to do this one. Surprised my dad with it on that year's father's day. It was worth every penny.

$5000 in my Oliver 88 without my labor. Did a complete everything on the engine and threw some high dollar paint on it. Runs like a top and it had darned well better! Jim

I have easily spent $5K on overhauling a D17 diesel. So far, everything mechanical from the flywheel forward is in like new condition. Still got to fix noisy bearings in the final drives before I do any painting...

This was my 1949 WF Allis-Chalmers, a few years ago.

I am glad to see that I am not the only one that gets into them deep. I have a good friend that smokes and drinks beer. He teases the H out of me over what I spend on tractors. I figured out what his smokes and beer cost for a year. He is spending $3000-3500 going up in smoke and down the drain each year. Plus he gets the health problems with the smoking. Makes my hobby look cheap.

Have a good work week. I hope my friend gets well soon. I am getting tired of driving his truck every day. Moneys good but my old body just can"t take the beating like it used too. So keep above the dirt.

I dont know if Im going to tear into the transmission by the way. Its shifts fine and doesn't pop out of any gears. I am however going to pull the final drives off and put new bearings and seals in them.

I got almost $20,000(don't ask)in the 1256.and its not even restored!just a 'user'

have a friend with a 1256 she is getting uel in the oil must be just a seal right??

My down fall is my motorcycles. I don't really keep a running total of what I spend. It will probably scare me, and my wife may find it. My last project was my 47Indian chief, before that it was my all time favorite my 37 chief. I am now in the process of restoring a 36 inline indian four cylinder. As for my tractors, they are just workers. I do plan to restore my Dad's Farmall F 12. So many projects not enough time left to complete them all. stan

Yep,seal on pump shaft.Easy fix,must pull the pump to repair.not to expencive.I once bought a 1026hydro cheap because of that very problem.

I found my great grandfathers 1951 JD B. He bought it new in early 52, then sold it in 64. I located it but couldn't agree on a fair price to get it back into the family. After my son passed away in 2008, the owner understood I would then be doing a memorial on the side since my son originally wanted to restore one. I paid the price of the replacement parts the owner had already bought and he delivered the tractor. Since, I have placed $4,300 in new parts into it with a full mechanical restoration. A true "restored" tractor is more than just a paint job. Anyone can repaint a tractor, it takes a little more talent to rebuild and restore one.

I'd love to see a picture of it.

I don't see any problem with what your doing. You said it well in your second paragraph "what could I have baught new that was 90 hp for that money?"

I have an old JD 730D and I work it. I doesn't need overhauled, BUT if it did, I would do it. Say it costs me $15,000 to overhaul the entire tractor. Well, now I have a basically "new" 60hp diesel tractor for $15,000. What's wrong with that????

This is it, almost done...still need to finish the fenders. Bought a pair for a WC, mounts need to be redone for the WF.