9N Paint

[ras440]

I just found a 1939 9N #9N32166 in the foothills of Western Colorado. It was painted yellow. I know they were all supposed to be painted grey, but there is absolutely NO evidence of a re-paint job. Someone would have had to sandblast the crank handle (even in the ring groove) for this to be a re-do. I've turned this thing inside out looking for a grey speck and there is none. Has anyone ever heard of factory yellow paint on a 9N?

 

[Kirk-NJ]

No original yellow and no '39 at that serial #.

 

[Den N Ms]

Ras440, Serial #9N32166 it looks like you have a 1940 9N there.Look under places like the air cleaner mount bracket for original Gray paint.

 

[ras440]

(quoted from post at 14:10:50 05/06/16) Ras440, Serial #9N32166 it looks like you have a 1940 9N there.Look under places like the air cleaner mount bracket for original Gray paint.

Thank you! A month ago, I knew absolutely nothing about an 8N/9N/ or a 2N. I just retired and wanted a project, so bought a 1953 Ford 620 (better double check the numbers) for the front end loader and what I thought was a 39 9N for scrape metal price. They were both headed for Recla Metals. Neither run...but in time? I did look under the air cleaner mount and it is yellow. What I am now thinking is that this 9N tractor was part of a Colorado Fleet purchase for the State Road Dept. and were probably ordered yellow? Who knows, but anyway they will soon be grey. My 9N has the aluminum dash but not the aluminum top cover. Clutch feels good/ brakes work/ starter turns over/ no fuel line or carb yet.
Gas tanks really clean/ thats the good so far. The bad is that someone hit and bent the front axle assembly which slightly bent the struts on both sides. If I cant find them will have to try the torch? Something to do.... 8)

 

[ras440]

Make that a 1956 Ford 600 # 620-103754 ?

(I better quit talking and start buying parts. The 620 steering doesn't turn at all.)

 

[Benj R]

I do not know if they were painted this way from the factory,but here in Canada I have had several
early 9ns that had yellow paint on them. Besides tractors used in construction, some were also used
for the war effort. I only have a picture of one of my hoods, after a lot of scraping,RCAF appeared.
I also found a neat picture of a early 9n on the net being used by the war effort.

 

[ChadC]

Awesome picture! Love seeing that!

(quoted from post at 19:59:43 05/06/16) I do not know if they were painted this way from the factory,but here in Canada I have had several
early 9ns that had yellow paint on them. Besides tractors used in construction, some were also used
for the war effort. I only have a picture of one of my hoods, after a lot of scraping,RCAF appeared.
I also found a neat picture of a early 9n on the net being used by the war effort.

 

[Dell (WA)]

ras.......congratulations, you have the "braggin' rights" to 1940 9N. (10233-45975) That and $5 (cheap) will gittcha cuppa kauphy at Starbucks. Donuts extra. As fer the YELLOW paint, 9N/2N's were used as aircraft tugs on WW2 flattops and Pacific Island landing fields. Little small fer WW2 bombers.......historian Dell

 

[Colin King]

What a great photo! Thanks for posting.

Colin, MN

 

[ras440]

1940 was quite the year: Roosevelt was elected for a third term, the Blitz was on, gas was 11 cents a gallon, average income was @ $1700 a year and this now poor pathetic 9N of mine cost around $550. I paid $200 for it and now you want me to up my cost to $205 by going for coffee at a place I would never go? I'm sure if I showed any coffee house a picture of my tractor they would take pity on me and the coffee and donuts would be free. 8)

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

Well, some clarification to the previous postings needs to be made. First, ALL 9Ns and 2Ns came from the Rouge plant painted Ford Dark Grey (M2888 paint number) and none were painted anything else at the factory. Now, if a city, county, municipality, golf course, or other private organization purchased a tractor or a fleet of tractors, often they wanted them painted yellow or orange or blue for highway use and such. This was left up to the local dealer who handled the purchase order to repaint them. Next, there was an Industrial tractor model available with a HD bumper and some other items but it was also a factory standard paint finish -M2888 Dark Grey. There were a few 2N War Time tractors built, but again, all with original Ford Dark Grey paint. The Ford-Ferguson Moto-Tug was first sold to the US Navy in April, 1943, built on the frame and engine of a 2N Model. Heavy armor plating, hydraulic brakes, and a Pintle hook but no PTO were all supplied by outside vendors. Records show there were a little over 10,000 units of the Tug built and that's it. Most were used on carriers and airfields to pull and push planes around with. After the war they were offered commercially to airports and such and you could get them in olive drab, standard Ford Grey, or the Moto-Tug Lusterless Ocean Grey paint schemes. When the Korean Conflict broke out, many were revamped for service only now painted a safety yellow. Tugs are hard to find and hard to get parts for to restore. That picture of the yellow 9N from Canada is indeed an early 9N Industrial Model -note horizontal bar aluminum grille and the Heavy Duty Industrial bumper. But it was not painted yellow at the factory. The local dealer and/or distributor painted it.

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)