1961 Ford Light Industrial 40303

[Jim.UT]

Imagine my surprise when I spotted this Ford tractor parked permanently on display outside the Lucky13 Bar and Grill in downtown Salt Lake City.

At first I thought it was just an 801 painted red, but once I got the car stopped and walked back for a better look, I started to notice things like the front axle, HD radius rods and of course the model number.

I was told the owner of the establishment inherited the tractor from his grandfather. It was brought directly from the estate settlement to the corner bar and parked there. The only thing that has been done to it since then is the addition of the flame-thrower exhaust.

I was told it still runs and I guess they fire it up for the visual effect at night if the "mood" is right!

The most interesting thing I found was the rear wheel center sections. They are wheel weights. Not just weights bolted on, but the center disks themselves act as wheel weights.







I've never seen these before. I have a light industrial owners manual and cast iron rear wheels are mentioned as an option. I don't know if that's what these are or if these are some sort of aftermarket addition. The rims appear to be standard 6 loop rims. In looking at the photos I now seem to notice some numbers on the outer edges of the center disks/wheel weights. I may go back and see if I can read what those numbers say.

The link below shows all the pics I took. Most of them are pretty boring....just date codes and other details that I noticed were different from a standard ag model that I'm more familiar with.
1961 Light Industrial pics

 

[awhtx]

The J307 doesn't look like any date code I've seen. It looks like there may be a ??7C to the left side of the photo.
 

[Jim.UT]

Alan, I assumed it was a replacement engine from a "57 800. If you use the same date format as the axle trumpets, J307 would be Sept 30, 1957. I didn"t take a photo of it, but the casting code on the other side of the engine block was EAF6015-something (forgot what letter was after that). If I wander into that neighborhood again, I"ll give it another look.
 

[Ultradog MN]

Pretty cool Jim.
Thanks for the pics.
I've never heard of or seen them before.
You sure wouldn't want to lose any of those special lug nuts would you.
 

[Kirk-NJ]

They are off an Ind HD model. My brochute sez wheel weight disc adds 1200 lbs. So I would assume 600 each. Not an EZ tire to move around if you have to take them off. At least with the pie weights you can take off some weight to make it more managable. Thanks for posting the photos.

Kirk
 

[Tony Jacobs]

Hello Alan , Since Jim did not post a picture of the casting number I would say it is a CONN6015J block , but a 1967 replacement engine . If it was a 1957 the date would be larger and higher up on the side of the block as most EAF6015 blocks are . I have also never seen a 310609 block dated in 1957 always beginning in 1958 . Thanks Tony
 

[Tony Jacobs]

Hello Jim , I guess I did not read down far enough because I did not see this post . You are correct in assuming the date and that is a very late EAF block and I have never seen the smaller date like that on them blocks . As for your question about the wheel weights they are very rare and usually on the HD Industrial tractors as Kirk said I have a set on one of my 1801 tractors and have only seen 6 or sets in the last 25 years, and my set looks the same as these ones . Ford Sales manuals list them as an option for 1958-1960 HD Ind tractors but who knows where they came from or when they were installed as any dealer could have had them in stock and wanted to get rid of them, or added on at any other time for that matter. Thanks Tony
 

[awhtx]

Tony & Jim,
I guess I should have been more specific- the shape of the date code plate is something I've never seen on an engine block and the code itself is not the same format as any block date code I've seen.