76c12091520h 3,714 #1 Posted yesterday at 04:12 AM (edited) About 30-35 years ago, a customer walked into our dealership and asked my dad if he'd be interested in buying a Wheel Horse tractor. Dad says lets go take a look. He goes outside and all he sees is a Dodge Caravan in the driveway. The guy opens up the liftgate and proceeds to unload this little guy. Dad asks how much ? He thinks he paid maybe $50.00 bucks for it. Needed a new transmission pulley , a recoil , and all the guards were missing. Pushed it off to the side , and eventually shoved off to a corner of the shed. Last summer I told dad to get it out and get it running. He did , installed the new recoil , new axle seals, rebuilt the carb, new points. And then I took over; the hood needed major surgery ( all the spot welds holding the 2 pieces together were busted, tank straps were cobbled on , bottom hood mount was gone ), we located a NOS belt guard, NOS muffler, NOS deck assembly, NOS air cleaner, new cables, etc...I had to paint the hood and some of the other replacement pieces, so I blended the paint into some of the surrounding areas in an attempt to keep as much of the rest of it original. Just like the Kohler powered equipment of that era , the engine is now a completely different color than the rest of it due to different paint processes. Edited yesterday at 05:54 AM by 76c12091520h 4 13 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Easton Rich 448 #2 Posted yesterday at 04:21 AM Wow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JCM 9,900 #3 Posted 20 hours ago Excellent job as usual Brian. Nice work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 63,408 #4 Posted 19 hours ago Looks wonderful! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 49,751 #5 Posted 17 hours ago (edited) 9 hours ago, Easton Rich said: Wow. Look famiiliar Kev??? I had a all original one just like it that I scored in the UP. No where's near that shape tho. Traded it to @Pullstart for a 701 motor. Had the best running Clinton even after it sat. I think it was @wallfish that suggested that was a 401 that was a stripped down with those tires no tool box & a cheaper Clinton (at the time) for a budget price to entice buyers into an affordable rider. I would imagine it could have been accessorized. Know anything about that Brian? We actually worked it to drag brush to the pile and was the hit of the day with @PeacemakerJack 's boys for a ride around at the first plow day. Even plowed with it. Edited 17 hours ago by WHX?? 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 63,408 #6 Posted 17 hours ago 15 minutes ago, WHX?? said: Look famiiliar Kev??? I had a all original one just like it that I scored in the UP. No where's near that shape tho. Traded it to @Pullstart for a 701 motor. Had the best running Clinton even after it sat. I think it was @wallfish that suggested that was a 401 that was a stripped down with those tires no tool box & a cheaper Clinton (at the time) for a budget price to entice buyers into an affordable rider. I would imagine it could have been accessorized. Know anything about that Brian? We actually worked it to drag brush to the pile and was the hit of the day with @PeacemakerJack 's boys for a ride around at the first plow day. Even plowed with it. Mostly true. Somehow he traded it to @Lil’ Pullstart for my 701 motor 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
76c12091520h 3,714 #7 Posted 17 hours ago 45 minutes ago, WHX?? said: Look famiiliar Kev??? I had a all original one just like it that I scored in the UP. No where's near that shape tho. Traded it to @Pullstart for a 701 motor. Had the best running Clinton even after it sat. I think it was @wallfish that suggested that was a 401 that was a stripped down with those tires no tool box & a cheaper Clinton (at the time) for a budget price to entice buyers into an affordable rider. I would imagine it could have been accessorized. Know anything about that Brian? We actually worked it to drag brush to the pile and was the hit of the day with @PeacemakerJack 's boys for a ride around at the first plow day. Even plowed with it. As far as I know that information is correct regarding that model. Basic, stripped down model. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 63,408 #8 Posted 15 hours ago 1 hour ago, 76c12091520h said: As far as I know that information is correct regarding that model. Basic, stripped down model. My baby girl has grown up a bit in the last couple years, but she had a fun time at Uncle Jim’s trail riding with us, wrenching on tractors, then running the quad and discing up the fire roads and garden. Her work entitled Uncle Jim to a trade that I lost a 701 engine, and she gained the 401 sans rear tires. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 17,156 #9 Posted 13 hours ago 4 hours ago, WHX?? said: I think it was @wallfish that suggested that was a 401 that was a stripped down with those tires no tool box & a cheaper Clinton (at the time) for a budget price to entice buyers into an affordable rider Not me. Some 401s did come with the Clinton engines on them but that would most likely have been from a shortage of Kohler K91s at the time of manufacturing them. They were churning out too many tractors! I believe the cost of a Clinton and a Kohler would have been comparable cost at the time. The Clinton certainly isn't an inferior engine like the Tecumseh was. Fenders were put on Suburbans from the factory but were an option for the RJ-58s. But that being said, I'm sure some dealers would remove them or change stuff if a customer wanted a less expensive tractor. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 49,751 #10 Posted 12 hours ago 34 minutes ago, wallfish said: have been from a shortage of Kohler K91s at the time Makes sense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
