Modern Oliver lore

[denverslim]

Hi Oliver guys. I just wanted to post a bit of a blog to introduce myself.

I hang out on the Case forum these days as I am restoring a newly acquired ’65 Case 830 and the fellas over there have been really good at helping me with my problems.
I’m Keith Fullmer residing in Denver, and what I have in common with you guys is, I own a 1947 Oliver Row Crop 70.

(Pics)

I got into old tractors from knowing an older gentleman, a neighbor of mine who passed on due to a stroke a couple of years ago. Here’s the post I put on another forum.

An older buddy of mine had a stroke last Sunday--never gained consciousness and passed away Thursday.
This guy loved and lived Oliver tractors.
He was familiar with the history of the Oliver company and would always tell me about it, never forgiving the partners who to this day, he believed ran it into the ground and sold the pieces.
He had worked an Oliver in the field during his younger days, becoming at one with the tractor, developing the skills that were needed to do all the maintenance and indeed, the rebuilding, right out in the field with primitive tools.
He had moved to the city decades ago and had a small two-car garage where he had thrown the cars out in the street and rebuild two Olivers (a 77 and a super 88) beautifully in his little garage. He could not say the word "Oliver" without a smile coming to his face and a twinkle showing in his eye. Once, at a tractor sale, I was looking at a Farmall. He would just sigh and walk away. When I asked him what the differences were, he just looked at me, got a real serious look on his face, spit on the ground, and said, "man, that's like comparing butter to oleo!" Lol.
A few times when I would kid him about having what seemed like more affection for his tractor than his wife, he would say, "Hell, I spent a LOT more time with my tractor than I ever did to with my wife!"
He age was slowing him down in recent years, making it harder for him to wrench on the "big iron", but his desire never lacked.
Oliver may not know it yet, but they're gonna miss this guy.
RIP, Don...slim



After an appropriate amount of time, some guys in the local tractor club got together, and at his wifes’ request had an auction and sold all his tractors and parts. I ended up buying the 70 at auction. (got caught with my hand in the air trying to run up the price. Lol...slim


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[Anonymous-0]

Keith, You sure have a nice looking OLIVER 70 there,I am sure it will serve you well,they were good machines,have fun with it,enjoy it. Your friend DON from Mich.

 

[chucksoliver77]

Keith, welcome aboard. That is real nice looking 70, it really looks nice finished in meadow green, our 48 70 rowcrop was painted orange when my father bought it new and when it needed to be rebuilt they painted it just like yours. This could be the start of nice green collection, Chuck

 

[Row Crop]

Wow. Beautiful 70 you got there. I wish I could find those type of hubs so I could put pressed steel wheels on mine.

 

[rocko]

Beautiful tractor Slim. Nice to hear the whole story behind your tractor and obviously special realationship with the man who rebuilt it. Good to know it is in good hands. Good luck with your Case project and thanks again. Rocky.

 

[rrlund]

They just don't come any prettier than that one. Wish I could fall in love with my 70 enough to make it look like that.

 

[olliekid]

great story about a passionate oliver enthusiast. I hope you keep the 70 a long time as a memory of him.

 

[Larry NEIL]

Beautiful restoration job on that 70! My favorite of the Oliver line as all the neighbors ran them when I was a boy.

 

[Lee E.]

Just a follow up comment on the orange Oliver 70.
A few Row Crop 70s were painted orange at the factory for the industrial dealers. The decals were black just as the real 70 Industrials. The one we sold at our dealership came without a power lift, otherwise it was equipped just as an agriculture Row Crop 70. I can"t remember whether the serial number tag identified it as an Industrial tractor or if the serial number was in the sequence of the Industrial 70 or the Row Crop 70s. Hopefully someday someone will find an orange Row Crop 70 and bring it to an HPOCA National Show.

 

[chucksoliver77]

Lee, Our 70 came from The Ellis Tiger Co. in Gladstone, NJ and they were an industrial dealer. It came with a front end loader, belt pulley. PTO and the mechanical lift. It also had the big fenders on it. This tractor no longer exists, Chuck

 

[Anonymous-0]

Man, thats a good looking machine. Mine looked that good about 12yrs ago, but it has been in near constant use since resto was completed. Its just to good of tractor to let sit around. Im 1 of them die hard Oli guys too, the RIGHT green flows deep. Keep that tractor!

 

[oleclint]

Larry, I am wondering where you grew up at,I grew up at Elgin. Our local Oliver dealer was Northern Ill. Supply Co. at Dundee ,Ill. I can remember when they started in busines.Hope to hear from you. Clint.

 

[Ande]

Hi Keith,
Followed you over from Case,great tribute to a good friend,we all have those,and its hard to see how this all works but I guess this is life.
Thanks for sharing this,and even thou I'm a Case collector,Oliver made great equipment.
Ande

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hi Keith, I followed You Over Also ,,,thereis sumthin About havin sumthin that a loved one owned ,, the spirit lives brighter in our hearts ,,.My Dads 51 DC will never Leave here,.I have a respectful regard for all the rainbow of colors in the neighborhood..and a special regard for oliver green , moline , and allis .although i am a hard headed case man thru and thru

 

[C. Amick]

I followed you over here from the Case forum to read your story. It was worth the trip.