OT? Almost a Tractor

This is a "doodlebug" my wife's uncle built back in the 50s. This was a very good one, utilizing a model A engine coupled to a Ford 2 ton 4 speed tranny and "worm gear" rearend.

This one is a Chevy utilizing 2 3 speed car trannys in tandem with the original car rear.
Not such a good one. This belonged to a friend of mine. He is the driver and I am the passenger in this photo taken about '56 or '57. Altho I remember him using it once to pull a single section spring tooh harrow (drags), he used it mostly for transportation. The trannys (especially the 2nd one, "heated up" pretty good when being worked like a tractor. He traveled about a lot until the troopers told him not to. I'm not sure what the penalty might have been if he had continued, he wasn't old enuf to have a license to take away. LOL

Neighbor had a similar one when I was a kid- it was an Erskine. Found out later it was a cheaper division of Studebaker.

Erskine was a nice car.Designed by the soninlaw of old man Studebaker.Buddy of mine bought one a few yrs ago for 200 bucks.Collector in Neb. gave him 10k for it a few months later. Hoss

Mom's parents had one made from a Model A that they used for a few years even after buying their Farmall A new in 1942. An old neighbor had another Model A one that he used up until his death at nearly 80 a couple of years ago. Still a few "woods cars" from that era used around here in the back woods of the Adirondacks where there's lots of logging and sugarbush roads and not many cops, but age has taken its toll over the last 20 years or so, both of the cars and of the people still using them, where most will now use an ATV. Still, with big tires and bar chains, it was amazing the mud those old cars would go through--enough to stop most modern 4x4's in their tracks.

Is that seat setting on rocks? Sure coulda used a backrest!

Gene

could also use a steering wheel, wouldnt want to stop fast with that one!!

Some friends of mine had one built out of a 40's IHC 2 ton truck. It used two 4 speed truck transmissions that were hooked together. The frame was shortened a lot, and the rear end was bolted solid to the frame. There was a short drive shaft between the rear transmission and the rear end. The rear tires were duals, with chains that I don't think they ever removed. In back, there was a huge concrete block that had been cast to give the unit some weight for traction.

Usually the rear transmission was kept in compound or low, and the tractor would go pretty slow. I think it pulled 4 plows very well. With the rear transmission in high gear, the tractor would go WAY fast, or at least it felt like it, with no rear suspension. The brakes were not real good and with the fairly large flathead 6 engine, it was not really very economical to farm with and it did not have a governor. But it was what they had, so they used it until they got a real tractor. My friend's Dad had built it more or less out of stuff he had sitting around and he really didn't have much money invested in it. Us kids sure had fun messing around with it!

I have always thought it would be fun to build something like that tractor. Maybe some day, I sure have most of the parts already. Fun to think about it!