Thoughts on if the old girl is worth fixing? 1950 ford 8N

[sprowler0]

Dad and Grandpa restored and sold the 39 by spring of 92. After Grandpa died the following January dad found that tractor had changed hands 3 times and no contact for the last person. It had been in the family for almost 30 years by then. It was a regret. It's good you popped the timing cover.

My great grandfather bought this new, to work the potato field in Appleton, ME. As unpractical as it is for me to really have at the moment, I couldn't let this piece of my family just go to the wayside!

 

[gears]

Keep after it sprowler, you'll find as the kids grow up they'll recall the times you worked with them/took them along running the tractor - even if it was just chugging around the neighborhood.

 

[sprowler0]

Update. She lives!!! New distributor, cleaned a sticky valve on #1 cylinder and she fired right up. Waiting on a new exhaust currently. Had to replace the manifold as well since it had a hole on the exhaust. Carb kit cleaned up the high end as well. Im thinking I may soon need a coil as it starts to not run so great when it warms up. The kids love it lol

 

[mhb@ufe]

The tractor was most likely purchased at Payson's farm machinery in Union Maine which is now Union Farm Equipment. I worked there for 40 years and this is a list of 8N's sold there.

Paysons Farm Machinery is now Union Farm Equipment Inc. in Union Maine
1948
95828-95837-95778-95845-102152-100373-110764-110774
1949
95825-110657-110756-120912-120927-120928-120932-176105-176237-176759-176957-177604-177013-177025-186736-186737-186742-186745-186746
1950
177036-186713-186739-186748-245713-245759-245782-245785-268862-268861-268678-268683-268684-268685-268687-268576-268721-296678-296738-296743-296744-296747-296752-296757-289497-314046-317104-317050-317110
1951
268727-317101-333553-333558-333560-333561-333567-333569-333570-382073-382253-382433-382507-382568-398713-398721-398727-398730-398718-406055-406197-406237-406239-406240-406264-406267-398700-405289-406734-411934-413755-416325-416406-416484-421360
1952
481740-481768-481789-481794-481735-481755-492180-492339-421334-421350-421366-421368-421372-421377-443909-445844-445883-445884-445898-445901-480939-481649-481706-481726-500561-500554-500602-492397-492411-492418-500533-500540-500548-500595
1953
492392-492393-445837-500490-500534-500559

These are the 8N serial numbers in the order they were sold according to the hand written ledger.