Let the restoration begin

[Duff 206]

Oh - and I know how every part on this tractor works - except the carb. Those things still seem like magic boxes to me.

Greg, your work is terrific - make no apologies to anyone for what you've done!

As to carbs, yup - they were created in Merlin's Magic Shop somewhere back in the days of King Arthur before they even knew that some day there'd be a thing called an internal combustion engine. My hat is off to all the guys here who can work on them and get them operating properly. I just gave up on two of mine and sent them off to Brian Miller last week. Pricey, maybe, but my sanity is worth something!

Duff

EDIT: Oh - the round things in the picture below have something to do with the seat suspension, if I'm not mistaken.....but you've probably figured that out by now.

[ol550 830]

Whoever designed the black hood needs beaten. There are so many nooks and crannies on that hood I don't know if I will ever finish it.

Didn't the black hoods happen during the AMC years? Remember the Pacer

and Gremlin and a few other oddities? Mike

[wheelhorse656 20]

:thumbs: Hats off to you!!!! Its looking great! I cant wait to see it with the hood on!! cant wait to see the next one you do!! :D

[hm12460 53]

Well Greg, are we ready to tackle the 416?!

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Whoever designed the black hood needs beaten.

[dgjks6 6]

Well Greg, are we ready to tackle the 416?!

Getting there. I do go to the garage every day and stare at it. Hopefully the post will not be as entertaining because I will have some idea what I am doing.

[dgjks6 6]

Whoever designed the black hood needs beaten.

[mavfreak 11]

Whoever designed the black hood needs beaten.

[dgjks6 6]

So I thought the next post would be the "its done", but alas it was not meant to be.

The hood turned out worse than I thought with a lots of orange peel and the clear coat looking rough so I thought I would teach myself to use rubbing compound and a random orbital buffer ($20 at walmart).

I had 25 minutes to work before the kids got off the bus. Turned out worse than I thought. The finish is super smooth now, but duller than the rest of the tractor.

I just need to get it done, so I bolted on the headlights and put the hood on.

Interesting fact - the headlights only work when the hood is open.

But lots of pics today.

This is the puch list:

1-fix wiring to headlights

2-put on decals when they get here

3-adjust PTO - I think I may need to replace the bearings

4-attach rear hitch

5-Use it to work!!!

[rmaynard 15,436]

I feel your pain with the hood ordeal. I am restoring my B-100, and I am in the middle of trying to straighten out all the little highs and lows in the surface of the hood. I am not a body man, so I can only use the experience gained while doing my last hood (which didn't turn out the way I would have liked), and a few adult evening classes in body repair that I took over 20 years ago. Sometimes I think "just forget it, make it a worker". Then I think "I can do this", and I start all over again with the hammer & dolly, putty, sandpaper, primer...do it again...and again...until I finally get it right.

So, don't give up on that hood. You've come too far, and the rest of the tractor looks great. :wh:

[B-8074 19]

You really did an awsome job. On the hood, did you follow the compound with a polishing glaze?

[dgjks6 6]

nope. So after using rubbing switch to polishing compound?

[Irv 115]

The lights only work when the hood is up because your not getting a good ground in the down position. Try wiggling it around. :thumbs:

[puddlejumper 67]

Got to much paint on it! , scratch some off where it hinges so it can ground your lights in the down position. Just kidding looks great and its about over

[dgjks6 6]

Got to much paint on it! , scratch some off where it hinges so it can ground your lights in the down position. Just kidding looks great and its about over

You are correct sir. My problem is too much paint. When I open the hood the hood stops scratched the paint of the hood where they touch - and its grounded and the lights go on. My plan is to remove the hood (after all I need to take everything on and off 3 times for some reason anyway) and remove the paint between one of the hood holders and the hood. There was no paint there originally, but since I painted each piece before I assembled it there is no metal to metal contact on the hood.

So when I think nothing at this point can get complicated I am wrong again. I went to remove the bolts that hold on the PTO brake bolts. Well, when tightening them I stripped the threads on one. The bolt would spin but not come off. Having never ran into this situation before I tried the first thing that came to my mind. Force. Well that didn't work so out came the hack saw and I cut the top of the bolt off.

Then I tired force again, and that didn't work.

So out came the hack saw again and I cut off the side of the bolt

Then I tried to add force again, and you guessed - that didn't work. So I cut off the other side - and guess what...

it worked

Now I just need to go buy new bolts, set the spacing, keep my fingers crossed, and hope it works.

Oh - and I did an experiment. I used polishing compound and half the hood:

Looks better - so I am just going to finish the hood and live with it (and the paint runs and chips)

[dgjks6 6]

OK - I am almost there, but I got one more question.

Where do these go?

[dgjks6 6]

And now for you viewing pleasure I present the worlds most expensive 1981 Wheel Horse c-85. It is 99.9% cosmetically done and 100% mechanically done,

First Pics and Videos

and videos

[url=http://s343.photobucket.com/albums/o447/gkovac/?action=view

[JimD 3,345]

Greg, this has been a most interesting and entertaining project. I would highly recommend it for the best of all time Redsquare threads. You have done a masterful job, and made us laugh along the way. Hat's off to you on this project. Well done!! :thumbs:

[wheelhorse656 20]

Greg, this has been a most interesting and entertaining project. I would highly recommend it for the best of all time Redsquare threads. You have done a masterful job, and made us laugh along the way. Hat's off to you on this project. Well done!!

I couldent have said it better myself!!! Way to go!!! :D

[massey 118]

Well done, your perseverance paid off. Now mow, mow, mow.

[Horse'n Around 22]

Woo Hoo,you did it You did a fantastic job on it,my hats off to you!

I kind of hate to see this thread close... its become almost a tradition. Im really going to miss your updates and the details of your triumphs over every it seems like conceivable problem that you could have run into. You went thru a heck of a lot and now you have a real beauty to show for it and you did it all!

John

[bitten 134]

:thumbs: :D

[dclarke 4,032]

absolutely fantastic job! thank you for posting your project, i always enjoyed following along. good luck with it.

[rmaynard 15,436]

Winston Churchill said: "Never give up, never give up, never, never, never give up", or something like that.

I know there were times when you were ready to throw in the towel, but you stuck with it.

Beautiful job.

[rmaynard 15,436]

Let me see if I can help with the decals:

Uni-drive goes on the back of the tranny:

Parking brake decal goes here:

Tach-A-Matic goes on here:

I'm not sure where the other one goes. Need a C-85 owner to chime in on that one.