Well, not exactly. I attended an auction yesterday that had this 9N tractor listed on the sale bill as being 9N tractor number 73, being an extremely rare
early 1939 model and rumored to have even been owned by the Henry Ford Museum at one time, but that was all B.S. From the pictures the auctioneer had posted
online that was pretty clear, but the tractor did have a few interesting pieces on it that you could see, so I thought I'd pop over and check it out for myself.
When I got there I made a beeline for the lean to that held it and a couple of other tractors (a nice Ford 4000, a Farmall ''A''). My quick take was that it was
probably a 1940, built before #12500, but with a post-1943 block, even though the serial number (stamped on the pad above the core plug...) Clearly said 1939
9N #73. Too bad the font- as well as the format- was all wrong! The gauges were cheap aftermarket items, the generator was off some other Ford and the non-
front zerk spindled axles had been cut short where the adjustment bolt holes were to fit a homemade front bumper. It had a repo front aluminum grille, but it
was held on with some plumbers strap and sheet metal screws drilled through the corners of the grille and doglegs (which were welded to the hood!). On the plus
side, and despite the dogleg welds, it had a very nice (steel-damn!) hood with snap-in lid, a nice 4 spoke wheel with a Sherman steering dampener under it, a
Hupp auxiliary trans and a Howard 2 speed rear. The rear rims seemed solid and the 9.5 x 32 tires were in great shape. The oil was clean and the antifreeze
seemed fresh.
Standing near the tractor, I listened in as a few of my fellow tractor ''experts'' were discussing its rarity and possible worth (''Jay Leno should buy it.'')
and then heard about all the tractor pulls he entered it into over the years (so much for that Howard being any good...). When the auctioneer got to the tractor
he quickly backtracked on its claimed authenticity, saying that he had heard from a few collectors via the phone and by email (maybe youre reading this?) that
told him it wasnt authentic and that it was now only being sold as a ''Old Ford 9N, that runs.'' and nothing more.
Well, I didnt bring a trailer, but I can always use a Hupp and a good set of 32 inch rims and tires! I started the bid at 500 and stayed in until 1200.oo, then
dropped out. Then it was down to 2 guys and the bidding stalled at 1500.oo when one guy gave up and walked away, but then, in a suprise move, HIS WIFE jumped in
and kept bidding until she got the tractor at 1800.oo.
As Rick Springfield said about Jessie's Girl, ''Where can I find me a woman like that?''
After they bought it I got to talking to them and it turned out that they stopped at the auction on a whim and decided to buy a tractor right then and there
because they had ''Always wanted one'', but didnt really know anything about them. I gave them a quick rundown on what they had bought and showed them how to
start it. It ran roughly on 2-3 cylinders which wasnt too surprising as the over-rich exhaust plume smelled of extremely stale gas. They were thrilled- even
more so when I raised the lift and moved it a few feet! Then it stalled. The gas was off and it ran out of fuel. I showed him the shut off and how it worked,
then told him to jump on and start it, which he did. I told them good luck then went to follow the auctioneer as he continued selling because he was getting
close to a set of 2N steel wheels I was interested in. Later, the new 9N owner helped me load them wheels in my truck and I gave him a tractor parts catalog I
had in my cab and wished him good luck again- he's probably going to need it, but he and his wife sure were happy about buying it in the moment! I wished I
woulda gave them my number...
All in all the auction wasnt a wash- I didnt have to make a second trip across state hauling a trailer, but I did get those 2N wheels, which have very little
wear to them. The front steering bands are unworn and the rear lugs are still crisp-cornered and sharp. I guess whoever had them converted back to rubber tires
the minute WWII ration restrictions were lifted! I also bought a couple of radiators (unpressurized 9n, later 1000 series), and a few boxes full of tractor
puller trophies from the hundreds that were at the auction. I really have no need for them, and my wife REALLY has no use for them, but I'll take them to the
next tractor show I set up at and give them away to any kids that want them- they love them!
early 1939 model and rumored to have even been owned by the Henry Ford Museum at one time, but that was all B.S. From the pictures the auctioneer had posted
online that was pretty clear, but the tractor did have a few interesting pieces on it that you could see, so I thought I'd pop over and check it out for myself.
When I got there I made a beeline for the lean to that held it and a couple of other tractors (a nice Ford 4000, a Farmall ''A''). My quick take was that it was
probably a 1940, built before #12500, but with a post-1943 block, even though the serial number (stamped on the pad above the core plug...) Clearly said 1939
9N #73. Too bad the font- as well as the format- was all wrong! The gauges were cheap aftermarket items, the generator was off some other Ford and the non-
front zerk spindled axles had been cut short where the adjustment bolt holes were to fit a homemade front bumper. It had a repo front aluminum grille, but it
was held on with some plumbers strap and sheet metal screws drilled through the corners of the grille and doglegs (which were welded to the hood!). On the plus
side, and despite the dogleg welds, it had a very nice (steel-damn!) hood with snap-in lid, a nice 4 spoke wheel with a Sherman steering dampener under it, a
Hupp auxiliary trans and a Howard 2 speed rear. The rear rims seemed solid and the 9.5 x 32 tires were in great shape. The oil was clean and the antifreeze
seemed fresh.
Standing near the tractor, I listened in as a few of my fellow tractor ''experts'' were discussing its rarity and possible worth (''Jay Leno should buy it.'')
and then heard about all the tractor pulls he entered it into over the years (so much for that Howard being any good...). When the auctioneer got to the tractor
he quickly backtracked on its claimed authenticity, saying that he had heard from a few collectors via the phone and by email (maybe youre reading this?) that
told him it wasnt authentic and that it was now only being sold as a ''Old Ford 9N, that runs.'' and nothing more.
Well, I didnt bring a trailer, but I can always use a Hupp and a good set of 32 inch rims and tires! I started the bid at 500 and stayed in until 1200.oo, then
dropped out. Then it was down to 2 guys and the bidding stalled at 1500.oo when one guy gave up and walked away, but then, in a suprise move, HIS WIFE jumped in
and kept bidding until she got the tractor at 1800.oo.
As Rick Springfield said about Jessie's Girl, ''Where can I find me a woman like that?''
After they bought it I got to talking to them and it turned out that they stopped at the auction on a whim and decided to buy a tractor right then and there
because they had ''Always wanted one'', but didnt really know anything about them. I gave them a quick rundown on what they had bought and showed them how to
start it. It ran roughly on 2-3 cylinders which wasnt too surprising as the over-rich exhaust plume smelled of extremely stale gas. They were thrilled- even
more so when I raised the lift and moved it a few feet! Then it stalled. The gas was off and it ran out of fuel. I showed him the shut off and how it worked,
then told him to jump on and start it, which he did. I told them good luck then went to follow the auctioneer as he continued selling because he was getting
close to a set of 2N steel wheels I was interested in. Later, the new 9N owner helped me load them wheels in my truck and I gave him a tractor parts catalog I
had in my cab and wished him good luck again- he's probably going to need it, but he and his wife sure were happy about buying it in the moment! I wished I
woulda gave them my number...
All in all the auction wasnt a wash- I didnt have to make a second trip across state hauling a trailer, but I did get those 2N wheels, which have very little
wear to them. The front steering bands are unworn and the rear lugs are still crisp-cornered and sharp. I guess whoever had them converted back to rubber tires
the minute WWII ration restrictions were lifted! I also bought a couple of radiators (unpressurized 9n, later 1000 series), and a few boxes full of tractor
puller trophies from the hundreds that were at the auction. I really have no need for them, and my wife REALLY has no use for them, but I'll take them to the
next tractor show I set up at and give them away to any kids that want them- they love them!
