My New 1937 John Deere A tractor (Pict's)

[Beatles65]

Here is the story.
I posted a want add on craigslist about wanting old John Deere tractors to see what I could find in the area. One of the first to call was a man who lived about 30 minutes away from me. He told me of an old John Deere A tractor that his grandfather had purchased new back in 1938. After receiving pictures through email I figured it was worth the drive to go and see the tractor in person. So today after I got out of class I went on a little trip to check the tractor over. I arrived and looked the tractor over and for the most part it was in as described condition. Like I said before, the tractor was purchased new by this mans grandfather and was used up until the 1970's and then was placed in the shed as the back up tractor. About 10 years ago the grandson pulled the tractor out of the shed as it was falling in on it and brought it back to his garage in hopes of one day restoring it. He never got around to it and decided to sell it so he called me and told me of his tractor.
The tractor is stuck but he said that once he pulled it into the garage he put penetrating oil into the cylinders. The wheels are cutoffs where the original steal was cut down and rims welded on. During the time of it being used as one of the main tractors he said that his grandfather added a power-trol to the back to replace the original hydraulic setup. The tractor will most likely need a full restoration. It is in need of new tires and a radiator cap and another front rim. He was asking $650 for the tractor so I counter offered $450. I then told him that I could give it a great home and it would be properly restored, of which I intend to do. He then counter offered $500 so we settled in the middle at $475. It looks like it will be a really fun project. My dad had been saying that he would like me to get an Unstyled John Deere so now I have done just that. The transmission goes into all the gears and the High/Low shifts back and fourth as does the PTO lever. I have everything for it but the one front rim and the radiator cap so it is a fairly complete tractor. It is serial number 461694 so if one of you John Deere gurus with your great wisdom could please tell me the build date and when it was shipped and what was originally on it that would be great.
Once the weather gets nicer and the snow starts to melt I will go and pick up the tractor.
Check out the Pict's and tell me what you think.
Thanks for reading!
From Nebraska,
Andrew Kean.

 

[combinekid]

looks like a great project! Someday I'd like to restore an unstyled JD too. I've got plenty of projects in line though and right now I'm currently restoring a 1956 JD 50 so it could be a while... At least that tractors been in a barn or grage for the last several years that'll prob save ya some money on repairs. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Patsdeere]

Looks good to me. If you need a rim I have one. Email is open.

 

[AnthonyU]

I wouldn't touch that tractor as far as restoration... you have to remember that tractors only come like that once spray it down with some wd-40 and you will really see the beauty come through those decals on the hood will pop right out there are plenty of places you can find used parts that match the patina of your tractor to keep it all original, that tractor is what you call ALL ORIGINAL!!!!!

 

[Dandy Dave]

I restored a 1939 A about 20 years ago that was a lot worse. I take it the Carburetor is in the box on the seat. Jogging my memory, It should be a DLTX 18 for that vintage of JD A. My 39 A still sports a Wico AP Mag. Some of these also came though with a Fairbanks Morse type RV if I remember correctly. Most have been changed though the years to a Wico C or X. looks like yours has the type X and it is a very good Mag. Hopfully she will free up easily of you will need to pull the head. I wish I took pictures of my 39 A when I got it, But It was so ruff, and so much stuff was missing, I thought it would never run again. I kept pecking away at it for 3 or 4 years, and next thing I knew, I had a restored and running tractor. I also have a 1937 BO on iron running and restored. Been a while since I posted here, but growing up on a farm with the green and yellow, it grows on you and never goes away. Good luck with the 37 A. Dandy Dave!

 

[Greenday]

Lucky Dog!

 

[A GURU]

Andrew
I've not responded to your many posts before, simply read and watched with great enjoyment and I must say a good bit of envy. I have tried on a number of occasions to try to stop the destruction of some very nice 2 cylinder tractors right at the scrap yard (where I sometimes work, on material handlers). Had to show the post you had, to my wife, about you making a connection with one of the scrap haulers for first shot at any green stuff. I was envious of your shot at being able to do that, but at the same time so relieved that someone is doing what I wish I could do to prevent the stuff from meeting it's doom at the scrap yard. I don't have the money to do it anyway, just wishful thinking. You keep doing what you can to save the stuff, and keep posting, even though it makes me a little jealous to watch : )
As for the tractor, it is right down my alley. The only way to get the detailed info on the tractor is to obtain a research document from Two-Cylinder Club, there is no register for unstyled A's in print. It cost $35 per document (serial number) and you have to wait about 6-8 weeks to get it. If you are interested in doing that and are not a member, e-mail me and I will gladly help you out. I can give pretty accurate build date estimates that are for the most part mathematically based. Serial number 461694 was built about 7/29/37 (a Thursday) give or take a day or two. 37 is a little more difficult to estimate because there are 168 tags missing from the serial number range for that year. I don't have anymore details for you than that, and no one else will either with regards to specifics of that serial numbers' history. Myself and many others on here will be able to tell you if and what parts are correct or incorrect to that serial number if you need to know.
I would be very much interested in the maincase heat code number and the cylinder block heat code number for the records that I keep on unstyled A's, if you wouldn't mind sharing them with me.
Good find. Good luck with it. Restore it, keep it like it is, doesn't matter to me. Just keep it from ending up in little pieces.
By the way, I grew up in northeast Nebraska and now live in northeast Colorado. I may have seen it before, but what part of Nebraska are you from?
P.S. I do have about 10 acres of flat open space that can quickly be converted to your overflow yard.

 

[Beatles65]

A GURU,
Thanks for the reply and all the great info on the build date. Once I pick up the tractor I will get you the info on the crankcase and cylinder block.
As to where I live, I live just outside of Lincoln, Nebraska, on an acreage Southwest of Lincoln by the little town of Denton, Nebraska.
At the rate I'm going I might need that 10 acres as overflow. hahaha.
Thanks for everything!
From Denton, Nebraska.
Andrew Kean.

 

[A GURU]

Hey that would be great if I could get those numbers. I know you said the powerlift had been changed to a power-trol. If it was just the valve body that was changed then maybe the lift housing is still the original. If the lift housing still has a serial number tag, and it is somewhere around the 38000 mark, then that would likely be the original lift. Anyway, whenever you get the tractor, and get time to send the info that would be great. If you need any further info on where to find these numbers, just e-mail and I'll let you know.
Had a rather odd coincedence this morning, in that I was also in contact with someone on the east coast, who was sharing info with me on their tractor. Theirs being #461731, only 36 digits apart from yours, and half a country away.

I grew up in the Norfolk area and had relatives to the west in Tilden, Oakdale, and Neligh. The relatives I had in Tilden moved to the Lincoln area in the early 70's. They had a hog operation near where you live in Pleasant Dale. The last name was Hovelshrud. They're all gone now, so maybe you never knew them. Small world.
Thanks again. Talk to you sometime soon.
Tim Asmussen