- Thread starter ADB60
- Start date
Allan in NE
Well-known Member
Isn't what I "feel", 'tis what I know........highern' a cat's back.
966 cost me $20K and the 686 ran in at $14K. :>(
Allan
966 cost me $20K and the 686 ran in at $14K. :>(
Allan
Stan - Florida
Well-known Member
An old timer told me once to multiply the purchase price by 10 and that would be pretty close.
He was right.
Stan
He was right.
Stan
Jim in Ma.
Well-known Member
I work at a Working farm museum part time here. We have only done implements (not a tractor yet).I have had very good luck with volunteers. Also from businesses with help for things like parts. There are a lot of talented people out their more than happy to help.
As a non-profit we do give tax credit for any donations. We have a list of people wanting to help. Some of them only take care of the animals and others are working on grounds maint. or repairing equipment.
As a non-profit we do give tax credit for any donations. We have a list of people wanting to help. Some of them only take care of the animals and others are working on grounds maint. or repairing equipment.
Welding man
Well-known Member
- Location
- West Virginia
Some museum quality restorations are not what they appear. I talked to a fellow once that owned an automobile museum. He told me that even though most of the cars he had, looked better than they did when they came off the showroom floor, not all of them were that good mechanically. Some wouldn't even run,some didn't have brakes,etc.They were just to look at.
To restore an old tractor one must take a long hard look at it,
Meaning, number 1 the complete condition of the tractor.
2 Dose the motor need to be rebuilt, 3. gaskets replaced, 4. all fluids replaced, 5. axel bearings replaced, 6. wheel bearings replaced tires replaced.
6. replaced all lights or repair them, 7. replace the battery {if needed}. 8.Replaced the wiring harness {if needed} 9. Replace water pump {if needed} 10. Replace or fix radiator, 11. replace or rebuild hydraulic pump
{if needed}. 12. Replace fan belts if needed. 13. Replace steering gears if needed. 14. Replace seat if needed, 15. Replace steering wheel if needed.
16. replace seat spring and shock if needed. 17. replace muffler if needed.
18. rebuild crab if needed. 19. new points if needed, 20. new plug wires if needed.21. degrease, sand blast. 22. paint.
I call it the domino effect , you fix one thing and something eles needs fixed.
Having said this it could cost you as little as degrease and sand blast and primer and paint May be $1000.00 if you do it your self to may be $3 to $4000.00 and more: it just depends on how deep your pocket and how far you want to go.
I hope I did not scare you out but I have completed many and it will vary from tractor to tractor and owner to owner.
What ever the case may be, Take your time and be patient and it will turn out ok, and it will be something you will be proud of;
GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, AND BE CARFUL
JR FRYE ; E,T,S
ELDONS TRACTOR SHOP
SweetFeet
Well-known Member
Stan - Florida,
That percentage sounds about right...
We paid $200 for our 1931 Farmall Regular - and figure we will have about $2,000 into it before it is running. (And that does NOT count a paint job, because we are keeping it rusty).
Never plan to sell it, so we are ok with spending that amount - but would not want to restore them for resale purposes as one would go broke.
That percentage sounds about right...
We paid $200 for our 1931 Farmall Regular - and figure we will have about $2,000 into it before it is running. (And that does NOT count a paint job, because we are keeping it rusty).
Never plan to sell it, so we are ok with spending that amount - but would not want to restore them for resale purposes as one would go broke.
Stan - Florida
Well-known Member
Well, my info source was right more than once, wasn't he. Mine actually went a little over the 10X figure, but by the time my tractor moved on to a better home I had about $200 per year in it over a 20 year period.
Cheaper than any of my other vices, eh?
Stan
Cheaper than any of my other vices, eh?
Stan
Robert Major
Well-known Member
Hi
I have a different way to look at this why not just go into mechanical driveable restorations , Rather than high price paint jobs. To do a proper paint job can be 3-$4000 plus depending on time and materials. Seems to be a bit of a turn towards people wanting to see running/driving as found tractors now.
Half these fancy tractors a guy sees with million $ paint jobs never looked that good new. The guys got so much in it he can"t use it because he"ll cry if it gets scratched or dinged.
Half the fun of doing this is the running and using it !
If your a museum I"m guessing you"ll be closing the doors soon if you want high $ restoration tractors in there. Maybe start being nice to local collectors with them, and hope they leave you a few in wills L.O.L.
There have been a few to many tractors round here in estate sales,made way less than the tires , the last few years.
Regards Robert
I have a different way to look at this why not just go into mechanical driveable restorations , Rather than high price paint jobs. To do a proper paint job can be 3-$4000 plus depending on time and materials. Seems to be a bit of a turn towards people wanting to see running/driving as found tractors now.
Half these fancy tractors a guy sees with million $ paint jobs never looked that good new. The guys got so much in it he can"t use it because he"ll cry if it gets scratched or dinged.
Half the fun of doing this is the running and using it !
If your a museum I"m guessing you"ll be closing the doors soon if you want high $ restoration tractors in there. Maybe start being nice to local collectors with them, and hope they leave you a few in wills L.O.L.
There have been a few to many tractors round here in estate sales,made way less than the tires , the last few years.
Regards Robert
Tractor restorations are a little like part time farming- you want to keep the output low, that way you won't lose so much money.
There are a few guys who make money restoring/ building cars, but the only way is to know the market for the finished product, and start with a car thats going to be worth over a hundred grand when finished. I don't care how frugally you restore a '50 Plymouth 4 door, you're gonna lose your shirt.
The problem with tractor restoration is that with only a very few exceptions, like UDLX Molines or 3 digit Oliver GMs or some of the hi-crops and orchards, there just aren't very many with a final value that exceeds the cost of restoration.
If you're going to restore grandpa's H, it better be for love, not for profit.
There are a few guys who make money restoring/ building cars, but the only way is to know the market for the finished product, and start with a car thats going to be worth over a hundred grand when finished. I don't care how frugally you restore a '50 Plymouth 4 door, you're gonna lose your shirt.
The problem with tractor restoration is that with only a very few exceptions, like UDLX Molines or 3 digit Oliver GMs or some of the hi-crops and orchards, there just aren't very many with a final value that exceeds the cost of restoration.
If you're going to restore grandpa's H, it better be for love, not for profit.
Cost is dependent upon what means by restoration, which, for some folks, is (maybe) a pressure wash and a coat of cheap paint over everything (tires washed with laquer thinner).
Other folks insist upon rebuilding everything that is not just right, repairing all leaks, adjusting everything to factory specs, and a proper prep, primer, paint and decal job.
Your tractor had better be a family hierloom if you plan the latter. You will loose your shirt if you try to make money doing this for others.
Dean
Other folks insist upon rebuilding everything that is not just right, repairing all leaks, adjusting everything to factory specs, and a proper prep, primer, paint and decal job.
Your tractor had better be a family hierloom if you plan the latter. You will loose your shirt if you try to make money doing this for others.
Dean
showcrop
Well-known Member
Robert I would say that your way is by far the most common, as opposed to different. Three of my old ones look good and work good and they get used plenty. But how many can you run more than 500 hours per year? So I decided I wanted to make one "better than new" so I did, and I just may do another one. Just because I can.
Old weldor
Member
A friend of mine is a retired IH mechanic. He restored his super c, did everything himself, including paint. He had every bolt out of it, replaced most of the bearings as the tractor was completely worn out. It is now better than new. Has DuPont Imron paint. All new tires. He has over $7000 in it. He told me he would be lucky to get $3000 for it and that probably would be hard to do. So you see it is not a profitable hobby if you do it right. But he is very finicky and wouldn't shortcut anything.
The last one I completely "restored" was a JD 4020. I had over 20K in parts alone. If I had charged normal shop rate it would have been over 30K. Like others have posted the definition of "restored" really makes a big difference in what gets done an the cost.
I have seen many tractors get a Dupont overhaul and sold as "restored".
I have seen many tractors get a Dupont overhaul and sold as "restored".
I have a 2 dvd set showing how they took an MF 135 which was a bit tatty but no where near scrapper and they totally restored it. I too wondered how much it cost so I emailed the producers of the programme. The reply was £14,000 so you can double that for dollars.
I once saw a restored IH 674 that had a similar amount of money spent on it. Now that was a case of "Throwing good money after bad"!
I once saw a restored IH 674 that had a similar amount of money spent on it. Now that was a case of "Throwing good money after bad"!
I have a 2 dvd set showing how they took an MF 135 which was a bit tatty but no where near scrapper and they totally restored it. I too wondered how much it cost so I emailed the producers of the programme. The reply was £14,000 so you can double that for dollars.
I once saw a restored IH 674 that had a similar amount of money spent on it. Now that was a case of "Throwing good money after bad"!
I once saw a restored IH 674 that had a similar amount of money spent on it. Now that was a case of "Throwing good money after bad"!
Most museums operate under limited budgets, so they don't have unlimited amounts of money to spend on "remanufacturing" every piece of every unit in their collection. They probably have to make do with cleaning the outside and a new paint job so the static displays look nice to most visitors.
Aaron Ford
Well-known Member
700 bucks for my MF65 and 7000 worth of receipts when I was done. It is NOT restored. Restoration would have been near double. Add my time and all the stuff I got for free into that and the cost grows. I would hate to know.
Aaron
Aaron
Donald Lehman
Well-known Member
A complete motor overhaul, 2 rear, a front tire and a front rim, no paint on a JD 420 set me back $3400 and change, including labor.
Oc-4 crawler: complete tear down to the bare frame and start over, no paint, $13,600 including labor, to restore it to like new mechanically.
15 years ago 1955 4 wd: complete motor overhaul, replace a bunch of hydraulic lines, replace one PS cylinder, $13,000 +.
These are all working tractors. Can't imagine what it would cost to restore them to showroom condition.
Oc-4 crawler: complete tear down to the bare frame and start over, no paint, $13,600 including labor, to restore it to like new mechanically.
15 years ago 1955 4 wd: complete motor overhaul, replace a bunch of hydraulic lines, replace one PS cylinder, $13,000 +.
These are all working tractors. Can't imagine what it would cost to restore them to showroom condition.
Hard question to answer. I have an M Farmall that a total, fix everything that needs attention wouldn't be too bad. The engine is fine with good compression and no leaks. Transmission is good. But it's gotta have new rubber this year. That's worth more than the tractor. So between a few little things, the tires and paint you could go well over 4K. On my Ford 8Ns both have good engine, one with about 20 hours on a rebuild. Those you could do for 3-4K each. Now these figures in a professional paint job (but not the most expensive paint and the prep work being done before hand). I know a guy that has 3K in the paint on a Farmall H. Here, that's a 1500 buck tractor. His restoration was total. He's got about 8K in it. But he drove that H home new in 1948 when he was 12. I can understand his attachment.
Rick
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