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A n array of photos of ones I have! I Need to get the group pic made!

I haven't been posting much lately. Life's been keeping me pretty busy. But I recently traded in a vehicle and got a Dodge Grand Caravan for a daily driver. Needed some storage in the back for tools and stuff. So I built this subfloor with a trap door. Decided to do something a little extra on the door and freehanded a emblem and etched it out. Then painted it up. Still got to put the handle on and touch up paint around the door. But figured some of y'all would like to check it out. Hope everyone here is doing well.

SHE'S A RUNNER!!!!!

I have no idea what I have anymore...

Here’s one from a few years ago, since then I think I’ve added three more.

Hey everyone, just dropping in to say hi and that after all these years the design of the black hood actually makes sense. I never really cared much for this model, till mowing with her tonight and stopped to watch the sun set. All the questions in the world today, this one was answered. I hope you guys are all out there just taking a moment to kick back and enjoy.

Hello All, my Grandfather J. R. Kiely of Garrard Creek WA, owned a feed store with his father starting in the 1940's and up into the 1960's shortly before I was born. The store started out in Centralia WA along with Fords Prairie General store and ended up moving north to the state capitol in Olympia. During the 1950's while my Grandfather was running the store he took on a Panzer tractor and Gibson tractor dealership. He also sold various other equipment including milking machines of which we still have one in a crate from the store. Anyway when he was ending his dealership he had a left over model A which never sold. He sold several of the 4 wheeled but not much 3 wheeled. Out here in the PNW people like to do their own home logging and a small 4 wheeled tractor fit the bill better, than a crop set up. Back in 2004-2005 my grandfathers farm came up for sale in Olympia WA and was going to be turned into a housing development. I was helping my father clear of the remainder of the properly when we found the old Panzer in the middle of a very large blackberry patch. It was completely rusty, both rear tires were rotted off and one rear rim was rusted through. With the only paint remaining was under the seat and under the chain guard, I used those to get a color match from a local Coast to Coast hardware store that was still hanging in there at the time, its been closed for years. I reconstructed the left side rear rim from a lat 1990's Dodge Caravan spare doughnut tire. Those spare rims are 16 inches by 3.5-4 inches and have the correct 5 lug bolt pattern. They have a disc brake offset so I had to cut the center out trim it and then re-weld it into the center of the rim. It does lack the old hub cap clips and I was not able to save the hydro fill tubes as they were rotted, but those are not use anyway. Amazingly the original General 4.80/4.00-8 front tire survives to this day but I only fill it to 35 PSI because if the cracks. I initially was just going to clean off the rust and repaint the tractor for a yard display but after only one day of soaking the cylinder with penetrating oil the piston came unstuck and the engine turned over. I decided to re-ring, lap the valves, re-seal the block and re-build the carburetor. The engine ran and did okay for a couple years before it developed a coil issue. I torn the tractor back apart with the intention of getting it running again but never did. It sat in pieces until a month ago when I finally got around to getting it running again. Here are some videos

At the hospital we had this cantankerous roll up over head door at the trash dock like this: No motor just a chain. Big mohambie!! One day the boss asks me and another guy named Terry to go up to the dock and lube up everything on it. We went after lunch with a 16ft step ladder and went to town. We just get finished and here comes Tess. Tess worked in the kitchen, was in the Navy about 65 yrs. old and cussed like a sailor. She had a cart load of trash. Before we had a chance to say any thing she grabs that chain and gives it a big yank. The bottom of that door shot up and went all the way up with that chain just a hummin! Scared the crap out of her and she started screamin and swearin! Terry had to pick me up off the floor I was laughing so hard!

I’ve told this story before on here but my Dad bought his ‘78 C-161 from the neighbor when it was about a year old because the neighbor was aggravated that the rear seat pan broke almost immediately. Dad installed a metal pan and never looked back. This thing mowed grass in the summer and pushed snow in the winter for 30 years on the steep hills of my folk’s place before dad passed away. He was very particular with his stuff but he never did anything special to it other than regular maintenance and it still runs and operates great today. I was fortunate enough to end up with it. The first picture is how it looked when I brought it home after I cleaned it up and the latter is how it looks today. I kept everything so I could put it back to original if I ever wanted to.

Still a nice tractor. Long story here So I'm up north and this gal called Alice Acht stops in. I kid you not Dan she was just missing the erberg. I'm up nort so Ciiinnndddaaayyy comes to the door in her pj's in a towel at 2pm. She was sweating like a ho in church doing chores and takes an early shower. Alright then Alice proceeds to tell her she notices red tractors in my yard and noticed a few at plow day. So she asks my wife if we would be interested in her tractor... a . So Cindy let's me know and one day Alice shows up at my door at 730 am and I'm still in my skivies and morning coffee attire. How's that for a visual Silvia? I pay the taxes here so enter at your own risk! Anyhoo Cindy, Poo Poos and I take the 70 mile run to go look see. I says what do you think you have to have for it? "I just want to get rid of it before it breaks and nobody can fix it" I'm yer man I says and got it for gas money. You 🤡 s do the math. EB might have to take his shoes off tho. Like @Achto 's rat LR I have not a clue what to do with it... tractor heavy don't ya know @Pullstart just couldn't pass. Came with a deck and BONUS ... TL36. Bonus arm rests... heard tell they don just grow them on trees anymore! OK 'nuff yakin... pics...more on the obvious repo later. I place it as '74.

Never cared for the black hoods at first either, then I got one. Needless to say it grew on me quite fast. The "C" series tractors have become one of my favorite's. The flat spot on the black hoods also works great to set your gym bag on while you cruise from the camper to the showers when your at a show.

So my 856 had a hole in its dash. Don't ask me how it got there, it was there when I got it. Didn't like looking at it every time I got behind the wheel so...... I got me a WWII ammunition gauge to put in its place !! Not really.... it's just a refrigerator magnet but way cooler to look at then a hole !!

Math??? Really @Ed Kennell??? It’s Friday, the sun is out, and I just got done hooking up a trailer for afternoon cruises with the Littles… now I need to go get my calculator…

Got my “recycled” lawn trailer tacked up. Will finish it up when it cools off a little.

315 and LT-1137.

1/2 way to a roller. Would have had the back tires mounted on the rims, and in fact did have one mounted, and bead set, but the bead still leaked. So, I ordered some tubes which I should have tomorrow. So far reassembly is going well.

I’m a Briggs fan. They seem to exhibit a much higher tolerance to sitting for long periods of time without developing any ignition troubles. I don’t know how far back it goes, but Briggs was using solid state ignitions a long, long time ago and well before we saw them gain complete acceptance by other engine makers. Dad bought a 211-4 new in 1987. It has a vertical shaft, aluminum bore 11-hp Briggs engine. I think we put about 2000 hours on it with no problems other than the oil pan gasket developing a leak. With maintenance, they are very durable engines. There has been quite a bit written on this forum about the C-161-twins and the stillborn C-171. Worth a search. Twin cylinder engines were the next logical upgrade to garden tractors in the 1970’s. Deere, Sears, Cub Cadet, Simplicity, et al were adding them to the lineup. It was only logical that WH would as well. They are comparatively much smoother running and pleasing sounding than the big one lung Kohlers. The Kohler KT series had developed a questionable lubrication starvation reputation about the same time WH was to launch the C-171 with the twin cylinder KT-17. Timing was on WH’s side and they instead substituted the Briggs 16 hp twin thus creating the C-161. I suppose they could have borrowed the Onan from the D-series but it was likely either incompatible in some way or too expensive. I’d suspect the latter. I think the fiberglass hood was intentional and planned from the get go for the C-171. WH was not in the habit of sweeping changes and massive investment and most likely viewed a compression molded FRP hood as a cheap way to provide clearance for the larger engine and its attendant muffler and it would concomitantly offer some visual separation of the twins and the singles. Best of all, it permitted leaving the rest of the tractor unchanged. After a couple years of the KT’s exploding on competing tractors Kohler had evidently convinced WH that the bulk of the problems were either avoidable or had been worked out, and WH released the revamped blackhood lineup to include the C-175. The KT engines were less problematic in the transverse mounting arrangement used by WH compared to the longitudinal arrangement in competing makes, but they were far from bulletproof. Eventually the Series II supplanted the original engine and things got better for everyone. I think the C-161 Twins hold a special place for collectors as they represent a significant milestone in being the first twin cylinder, classic format tractors. And these first black hoods don’t suffer from rusting under the paint that seems to plague other WH products from the same vintage. It’s been a while since I tore a tractor apart, but i think they also were on the tail end of nut-and-bolt construction compared to wider use of speed fasteners too. Something funny to think about is that many times when Wheel Horse wanted to do something new or special they turned to Briggs and Stratton. Lever Steer preferred engine? Briggs. Specialty models like the Commando 800, A90, GT-2500, SB’s, and Work Horses? All Briggs. And of course the preponderance of vertical shaft machines were Briggs powered. Steve

Every. Single. Day. I do live me a happy life!! Niiiiice pic!!

Yyyeeeaaahhh.... She's uhhh.... "Old s'kool" We have a couple guns. The Paint Department likes her rollers.

Yah Mike ... evidently her husband, long passed, had worked at Kohler She only lived a stones throw from Kohler Prolly got it for the price of Dan's Hatz. Runs pretty darn good but the whole tractor needs a bath big time which it will get and eventually EBs new to list.

Finally box is complete and pretty much full. Been working out of it already. Needless to say it weighs a ton.

Back half of one of these….. Hesston Front Runner. I picked this back half up from a guy just to make a trailer out of. The Hesston in this picture I recently sold. Had to thin out my herd.

This guy was not very well known in ‘98. Jimmie Johnson. His first time ever in a circle track car was in my FIL’s ride. Then he got his own! Same parade as above…

My cousin is a Hot Rod'r through and through. He and his girl finally tied the knot and had a little party at his place. My cousin owns the Chevy II and the 57 Chevy. He built that 57. There isn't a piece on that car he didn't assemble with his own 2 hands. Even painted it. Other cars were his friends. 57 Chevy wagon,, 67 numbers matching Corvette,, 40 something Olds. Even served Hot Rod Wine !!

857 and an 875 pushing some white stuff around. Won't be long now fellas.

Mowed today…315-8

Get her a tractor with an attachment she can use....

In that case, I forgot my Senior was still over there Uncle Jim!

Also, if you plan to liquid fill the tires I think it is best to use tubes rather than having the liquid directly against the rims.

I had a 161 with the Briggs twin come thru my herd and it was a great tractor. B hood in fiberglass. Problem with it was blew oil out one side breather in copious amounts. I think the one @Pullstart had did the same thing. I feared the worst and figuring the rings bad sold it. Couldn't finger out why on only one jug. Did mow with it several times and probably should have kept it and showed it some love but just too many other irons in the fire. Your not alone in your favor with Briggs powered GTs Doc. We got a pal in our bunch who is a a Simplecity fan which are all Briggs. He recently restored a Case with a Kohler and has issues with it that often has@Achtoand I baffled.

I used the Firestone tires from miller tire for a couple of my tractors. I like the look of these but everyone has their own preference.

Tractor heavy Tom. Says the guy who ain't gotta clue how many he's got...

Oooo…a Magnum. I like it!

If you are going to pull the rod cap you might as well get some Plastigage green and know for sure what clearance you have.

I found this sign cleaning out the garage. I found it in my father in laws shed during the clean out. It had been painted over pretty thick. I cleaned it up on the sander at work today and it looked cool. I thinks it’s fitting. 😁

I love little trailers with big tires. Mine are so wide it will NEVER leave ruts in the yard !!

Sold my Vette about 5 or 6 years ago…kinda miss just cruisin in it. Sold it right as it hit 100,000 miles. Bone stock: 5.7 and a 6 speed manual.

Not to be outdone by @Achto 's mutant LR madness...

That looks like Ben Hur’s chariot!!! Love it!!!

Got some stuff done yesterday and it was time to set a spell... EB and BBT relaxed for a few minutes and had an adult beverage.

I bought my first a couple months ago. Keep telling the wife I need one for every attachment. I just get dirty looks.

My dear mr. Parsons you did a marvelous job on thease hubs.and a rather good job of matching the paint too.by the way the color i'm using is rustolium regal red,if you were wondering. Thank you so much.

Sounds way too solid for it to be a tappet. Balance gear or rod to crank. Pop the pan and you can tell pretty quick. Look for pieces in the pan. This came out of my engine and it was running!

Go back to my picture of the 854 - I used loaded AG's all year long - better steering for plowing... AND, if you find the 4 speed has costly damage - do consider a swap of a later 6 or 8 speed. The 6 speed is easier to do - ask @Handy Don. I did the 8 speed from a 1979 C81 donor on that 854 pictured - NO regrets!

It has already been running and it's not hellish loud but definitely a ticking noise. You can bench start it but don't run a 60" deck through heavy grass with it just yet

You're gonna pull the head I'm sure. When you have the head off, put your finger on each valve and the piston and make it make the noise. You might feel it. I presume it makes a hellish noise when it runs also?