Have you ever damaged something in the restoration process?

[Alexander1997]

I'm finishing up step 1 of restoring my heirloom 1951 VAC Case... Which was redoing the entire fuel system (replacement tank, carb rebuild, new line, new strainer bowl, etc.) step 2 is going to be replacing the radiator. This last weekend I started on removing the radiator from the grill and I'm not sure how I did it, but I must have let the screw driver slip and put about a 1" scratch near one of the bolts in the grill. The bolts are incorrect and someone had just slapped them in there to hold it together. It looks like someone had gotten flat head screws from a hardware store and just went with it.. So it wasn't an easy removal. But this is my first restoration ever and I'm kicking myself hard for doing this. Has anyone else done something similar while trying to fix something up? I guess breaking bolts and scratches are bound to happen on old iron. Hopefully when I get the tractor sanded and painted, my screw up will be hidden.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Only broken bolts and scratches? You're doing good.

 

[SkipperII]

I'm finishing up step 1 of restoring my heirloom 1951 VAC Case... Which was redoing the entire fuel system (replacement tank, carb rebuild, new line, new strainer bowl, etc.) step 2 is going to be replacing the radiator. This last weekend I started on removing the radiator from the grill and I'm not sure how I did it, but I must have let the screw driver slip and put about a 1" scratch near one of the bolts in the grill. The bolts are incorrect and someone had just slapped them in there to hold it together. It looks like someone had gotten flat head screws from a hardware store and just went with it.. So it wasn't an easy removal. But this is my first restoration ever and I'm kicking myself hard for doing this. Has anyone else done something similar while trying to fix something up? I guess breaking bolts and scratches are bound to happen on old iron. Hopefully when I get the tractor sanded and painted, my screw up will be hidden.

If sanding doesn't take it out, a little body filler will. That's just a minor oops. We have all made some.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

once you start cutting floor mats out of mudflap before you start the project you know you have scratched enough restored tractors with the rocks in your shoes to be overly cautious. most bolts removed will need some sort of attention. At least around here anyway. Just don't get discouraged if something major happens most things can be found or made although you will pay for the learning experiance. I split a cast wheel collet as a teenager. cracked a radiator tank as an adult who knew better. Im sure I will think of 10 things today as I'm working today that I forget now. Things happen. Taking your time and doing your best to save what you can is all anybody can do. sometimes there's actually relief in that occurring as you finally have the stupid thing off and can call around to the local yards looking for one. You can beat yourself up that you broke a piece or you can take heart that if it wasn't for you this one would be sitting out in the grove with a split block rusting away.

 

[Alexander1997]

once you start cutting floor mats out of mudflap before you start the project you know you have scratched enough restored tractors with the rocks in your shoes to be overly cautious. most bolts removed will need some sort of attention. At least around here anyway. Just don't get discouraged if something major happens most things can be found or made although you will pay for the learning experiance. I split a cast wheel collet as a teenager. cracked a radiator tank as an adult who knew better. Im sure I will think of 10 things today as I'm working today that I forget now. Things happen. Taking your time and doing your best to save what you can is all anybody can do. sometimes there's actually relief in that occurring as you finally have the stupid thing off and can call around to the local yards looking for one. You can beat yourself up that you broke a piece or you can take heart that if it wasn't for you this one would be sitting out in the grove with a split block rusting away.

Thank you. I'm 26 and this VAC is my first restoration. I also own a '48 MM ZTU in another barn and I'm working on getting the engine free in it, because it's next. Good looking John Deere as your profile picture.. I've always been a big fan of unstyled JDs. An unstyled Deere and Oliver are on my wishlist.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Great grandpa had an sc as his first tractor with the steering arm out front. My wife accuses me of wanting a tractor for every letter of the alphabet I’ve got the first three down. There’s a late A and a super c with the old B.

The rest get more difficult I think a z and an r in yellow would be pretty cool. So far they each have a “justification” implement and task attached so I think a red m or a John Deere d is probably next for the generator.

We are very close to the home of your Oliver’s they are a wonderful tractor way ahead of their time. We just walked through the Charles city museum for the first time ever a few weeks ago and it’s pretty cool to see the old dyno sled preserved and they have a bunch of old fleetside tractors, hart parrs and a mm udlx with the cab

 

[matthies]

My wallet !! LOL

 

[Fixingfarmer]

We can't take it with us might as well keep mine empty.

The OP hunting for the Unstyled Deere will have a pretty easy time finding it. It will be more money than the later B that would have cylinder reliefs easier to start. and possibly electric start and lights. They are cool though it was fun to mow the lawn with the woods and then the rear mount. He also sounds like he has 2 good projects to work on for awhile.

 

[Alexander1997]

Great grandpa had an sc as his first tractor with the steering arm out front. My wife accuses me of wanting a tractor for every letter of the alphabet I’ve got the first three down. There’s a late A and a super c with the old B.

The rest get more difficult I think a z and an r in yellow would be pretty cool. So far they each have a “justification” implement and task attached so I think a red m or a John Deere d is probably next for the generator.

We are very close to the home of your Oliver’s they are a wonderful tractor way ahead of their time. We just walked through the Charles city museum for the first time ever a few weeks ago and it’s pretty cool to see the old dyno sled preserved and they have a bunch of old fleetside tractors, hart parrs and a mm udlx with the cab

That's cool! Do you have grandpa's SC? If you're in Iowa, you're in Moline turf, so finding an R or Z should be fairly easy. The Rs are cool little tractors and don't bring a ton. Molines are scarce here in the deep south (I'm in Georgia) and I had just loved the way a ZTU looked, ever since I was a kid. I also thought it would be cool to have something yellow in a sea of red, blue and green. The VAC was not something I would've tracked down the way I did the ZTU. When my grandfather found out I had bought the Z for restoration this year, he told me: "Go ahead and get that Case going too. It's yours as soon as it cranks." So, off I went on the Case journey and I've honestly enjoyed it so far! I'm trying to delegate and so the ZTU is just sitting under the barn right now until the VAC cranks again.. Then hopefully when I've gained sufficient ground on both of them, I can start seriously thinking of an Oliver or unstyled JD. I love how "bare bone" an unstyled JD is, just like you mentioned.. Really makes me think of some depression era farmer living off his land. I could talk about this stuff all day though.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

No my uncle has the sc it sits in a corner of the shed not running he doesn’t seem interested in fixing it and I’m not willing to poke the bear over it unless it gets brought up it’s getting sold. We got the plow that went with it.
When you get those two running you will find the green parts acquisition to be much easier. Less hunting less shipping even down where it’s warm I’m sure. I had 4 choices of a synchro range drum for a 4640 that’s split to choose from this afternoon. That is where green will be king and ih will be close behind.

I’ve never ran a utu to try that style of hand clutch. It means you wouldn’t be scared of a deere. Also like the split 2 cylinder a piece blocks mm had makes things easier to remove and assemble I’m sure. I was curious on your vac do you use a lot of cnh stuff through a dealer like the super c gets or do you visit here a lot? What are your resources I try not to mention too many of the other competitors to this site but was just curious if the parts manuals are online on that side of case I’ve been in the construction side with skidloaders and wheel loaders and the super c has been easy to find.

 

[Mike Oz]

once you start cutting floor mats out of mudflap before you start the project you know you have scratched enough restored tractors with the rocks in your shoes to be overly cautious. most bolts removed will need some sort of attention. At least around here anyway. Just don't get discouraged if something major happens most things can be found or made although you will pay for the learning experiance. I split a cast wheel collet as a teenager. cracked a radiator tank as an adult who knew better. Im sure I will think of 10 things today as I'm working today that I forget now. Things happen. Taking your time and doing your best to save what you can is all anybody can do. sometimes there's actually relief in that occurring as you finally have the stupid thing off and can call around to the local yards looking for one. You can beat yourself up that you broke a piece or you can take heart that if it wasn't for you this one would be sitting out in the grove with a split block rusting away.

Very true. I had a friend who worked on heavy machinery. He was telling me one day about holding a long bar while someone was striking the end of it with a sledge hammer. He was working on tracks or a tranny or something. I asked him “ weren’t you afraid you were going to break something major?” He just looked over at me casually and said “ Mike…it was broken when I started fixing it. “

I have to tell myself this sometimes if worry of messing up prevents me from starting a project. Or immediately after I expand the scope of repairs on a project.

 

[kenbob]

Put a screw driver right into the radiator of a 63 ford pickup I was re-habbing, not restoring. A glob of jb weld on the outside and bars stopleak on the inside. Going on 25 years and still holding.

 

[Mike Oz]

Run her till you smell smoke or hear glass break! It's often like you said, it's from the hip repairs required by necessity that often out last well thought out plans. I believe sometimes it's all in what a person can deal with mentally. Too many times I've over thought, over disassembled and just plane done too much, all so I can not have to worry about will it hold. Or will it strand me or ruin my work plans.