whats your opinion

[n8terry]

I have read several opinions about tractor restorations. I have noticed that a lot of times there are comments about a dupont overhaul ie a paint job called a restoration.

I recently had an experience where a guy showed me reciepts where he had $10,000 in a tractor from mechanical repairs. To complete the tractor, it would need new rear tires and a paint job. I heard this tractor run before the major engine rebuild, it ran perfectly, no smoke, idled down real smooth.

He offered it to me for $3000 less than he had in it. I turned it down cause the tractor wasn't worth $7000 even if I put new tires on it and had painted it.

What I am getting to is, this tractor didn't become more valuable to me just because it had a bunch of money put into the engine that didn't need it. It would be a show tractor that probably wouldn't have a total of more than a few hundred hours put on it for the rest of its life. A total restoration is nice, but if it isn't needed, why do it.

If someone wanted to sell me a brand new $20 dollar bill for $25, it would be the same thing.

thanks for letting me express my opinion!

 

[Anonymous-0]

Few years back, I looked at an 8N that had been completely gone through... started and ran perfectly... nice paint, etc. Guy's asking price seemed reasonable to me at the time (although I don't recall the exact amount)... considering the tractor should run for the rest of my lifetime. Anyways, that tractor sold before I could get the cash... guy told me not to worry, he had another one that would be in as good or better condition and would be ready soon. I passed this guy's place twice a day and kept a pretty good eye on what he had going... sure enough, after a couple weeks, another Ford tractor appeared. Over a couple days, I saw what he was up to. The "complete overhaul" on this one consisted of changing the oil (he left the old oil in a bucket under the tractor over a week-end... don't remember ever seeing blacker, more foul oil drained from something that was still running)... and shooting a coat of paint over what ever grime was on the tractor. When it looked as if he was done, I stopped in and talked to him about it. He told me it too, had been completely gone through and was a great machine! He wanted more for this one than the first one that really had been completely rebuilt. I confronted him on the "penzoil rebuild"... he got ticked and told me I could take it or leave it... so I did... got in my truck and found my first Farmall down the road a ways. Guess I would agree that putting a ton of money into an engine that doesn't need it doesn't make much sense, but it really angers me to think that someone would do a tune-up, change the oil, paint over dirt, grease and grime and call it a complete resto AND have the nerve to ask high dollars for it. Guess it's buyer beware??? JMO, D

 

[glennster]

i guess its just a matter of to each his own. if you do it because you enjoy it, more power to ya!!i enjoy fixing up old stuff, whether its a tractor, odd ball lawn mower, car, truck, gun, tool, whatever. personally, i am not interested in the 100 point restorations, you wind up with a museum piece. i prefer getting em cleaned up, fixed up, field ready and enjoy putting the old girls back to work. shure it would be nice to have a showpiece, but for me, if i cant use it, it doesnt mean much.

 

[steveormary]

Gone thru, huh?? That sets me to thinkng that what that means is they drive it in the front door, thru the shop, and out the back door.

steveormary

 

[Mike M]

I can show you a pile of receipts too,but unless you can trust me how do you know they were for that tractor ? And if you do trust in me than you really don't need the receipts do you ?

I have put tons of money into tractors myself,but I do my own labor on about everything,my own machine work and really shop around for a deal on my parts and use good used when I can. The end result is a great tractor with alot less in it than if you just go out and buy everything new. Some people don't shop around ? but I guess alot of them don't need to either. They can just pay top dollar for whatever whenever. They still might end up with a great tractor if whoever did the work did it throughly,but at a WAY HIGHER price.

And the more tractors I have done the more I am compelled to tear completely into each one because of all of the "stuff" I find wrong that I'm glad I caught early. Amazing what you can find if you look.

 

[Hills of TN]

Terry, a man's choice of tractors is kinda like a man's choice in women - you may not agree with the other man's choice, but if it brings him happiness in life, how can we say his choice is not a good one? I have seen men choose a "trophy" wife that had no brains, no personality, and few other redeeming qualities - but their choice seemed to make them happy.

(just my humble, uneducated opinion aided by an overdose of eggnog)

 

[ericlb]

well there isnt any money in just pedling tractors, hopefully there wont ever be, or they will go the way of the colector cars, take ford mustangs, barrett sells 69 mustangs to rich dudes these days for over a hundred grand, i owned a 69 gt back in the late '70's, drove the crap out of it, souped it up, then sold it for 2500 bucks to the next guy, now the average guy cant afford to play the game,most of us who play in tractors do so because we like tractors either for the memories of days gone by, or because it was a family tractor, or maybe we just like to tinker with a machine that it doesnt take a 20 something with a computer to figure out, [ stress reliever] you can buy a old hulk for a few hundred [ if it doesn;t say jd on it] and then spend ten grand or more on a machine that isnt worth 4 on a real good day or go buy one already fixed up for less then the guy has in it or get took by a con man handy with a pressure washer and a case of krylon, buyer beware, but most tractor folks are older, honest people, and the real reason we may do it is that its just plain fun

 

[dej(Jed)]

In my opinion it basically comes down to common sense. There are a lot of people who don't have any. I see it all the time. They pay way to much in the first place and when they finally realise it they are looking for someone to bale them out. Darn expensive lesson.

 

[Waterloo]

N8terry,
I have completed several detailed restorations on two cylinder John Deeres. These tractors were totally disassembled and checked for problems. The transmission generally receives a few new bearings. Engines are rebuilt with new pistons, cams are reground, etc. Most of these tractors have been completed for a personal collection. However, I have sold many of these tractors and have had no problem getting my money back for them. Over 90% of the tractors noted above ran good and were driven into the shop before they were disassembled for restoration.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

Restore to me means taking it back to it's original use and condition. That means making it look reasonably good and able to return to the field. If you have to put a rug down just to climb on the deck so as not to scratch the paint...that to me is not restored, more like "preserved".

 

[dave guest]

Terry I am with you all the way. What a tractor is worth has little to do with money invested. Same as cars, houses, guns, coins, etc. That is why I really try to determine value and never pay too much. There are few exceptions. Some of the cars and tractors, motorcycles I have bought "restored" were worse than "as is". But price was adjusted. Just write a figure on paper with your phone no. and tell him when he is ready this is what you will pay. This may sound illegal but in 1977 I bought 2 houses on land contract with zero interest. Lawyer said "no way". I said where the next law office. He said sit back down.