Sparky-(Admin) 21,289 #1 Posted December 27, 2011 Alright guys. I have no painting skills, no welding skills and no fabrication skills. I love seeing posts of guys who have brought a rusty hulk back to showroom shape but never have one to show myself so.... lets post up some pics of yer rusty, cobbled up, homemade, mis-matched but loved machines! Lets keep this for machines that are still in service. This is a chance for us rusty tractor owners to show off our junk and brag!! Here's mine. Its started out life back in 1966 as a 656. It ended up at my neighbors house and when I showed an interest in a short frame tractor he gave it to me. It was missing a motor, belt guard and a few other items. It sat outside uncovered for almost three years before it was moved to the garage for an inspection. I started out thinking I would restore it and did slap some paint on it but without those skills I mentioned in the beginning of this post it was gonna look crappy so.....it got a 5hp Honda yank start with a 3" drive pulley for just a bit more speed. The original tires/rims it came with were the skinny ones which were swapped out for 16x6.50x8's up front and 23x10.5x12's on the rear. The rears came off a GT-1800 so they are the nice deep rims and the rear thread is nice and flat. The aluminum light weight Honda doesn't help keep the front end down so 2 cast iron pipe flanges are bolted into each front rim. There's a trail in the woods behind my house that's about a mile long and I take the dog out on it almost everyday and probably 3 or those trips each week are done on this tractor. The Honda starts easy, sips fuel and if its idling I can hold a conversation on my cell phone. This winter she'll get rear weights and chains so I can still do the trail in the snow. Mike............ 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,124 #2 Posted December 27, 2011 Kinda like your rat rod Mike? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,403 #4 Posted December 27, 2011 Okay Mike, here's mine. Started out with this...the remains of a B-80 and a C-160... Ended up with this. A cobbled together B-100 8-Speed. Now I know it's not a rusty pile of junk anymore, but it started that way. But my daily worker is this... 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rollerman 290 #5 Posted December 27, 2011 This is my short frame based "mutt", I built is similar to my 1055 useing the same spec K241 with the shallow oil pan, modified the belt guard & rear fender for the big block engines off set, added a rebuilt Raider 10 pinnion trans, 520H forward swept axle, 520H wheels all the way around. It's far from pretty, but everything came together & it works really good. It handles the 50" mid mount blade pretty good too. (edit...I should add that the parts I used to make this tractor were VERY rusty, E tank & paint do miracles) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sorekiwi 761 #6 Posted December 27, 2011 This was 2 years ago, she looks a lot worse now! B80 4 Speed with whatever spare engine I have lying around, at the time of the picture she had a 16hp, presently she's got a 12. I'll probably be plowing with her tomorrow morning. And this is how my Ranger looked when I dragged her home: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TT-(Moderator) 1,131 #7 Posted December 27, 2011 I'll add my 1056. The day I got it: Now: Brillo padded & WD-40'd a few times, and a different set of tires has been it - except for a few oil changes and a new battery here & there. It's been here a long time and will be the last tractor to leave - if it ever comes to that. Wanna see it at work? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Suburban 550 28 #8 Posted December 28, 2011 Great thread and neat tractor, Mike. It's alot of fun and it takes alot of time and patience to bring them back to where you want them. Here's two of mine that were brought back to life, one for show and one for work. The Suburban 550 when I brought it home After alot of hard work 753 i bought on e-bay for the motor Didn't have the heart to scrap it, so I pieced it together to make it a 753/854 worker 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sscotsman 148 #9 Posted December 28, 2011 I wouldn't call mine a "rusty clunker"..but she is clearly in the "semi-rough original condition" category! my 854: Bought her from a fellow RS member earlier this year.. im now considering leaving her in this condition (for now) and looking for a RJ or a Cub Cadet "original" to restore instead.. only because the 854 is my "worker"..I actually need her to mow the lawn! and I can only restore in the summer months..(my garage isnt practical to heat for winter-time working) Terry, what is your "brillo pad and WD40" technique? what exactly do you do? im curious..my 854 could probably be spruced up a bit.. thanks, Scot 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TT-(Moderator) 1,131 #10 Posted December 28, 2011 Terry, what is your "brillo pad and WD40" technique? what exactly do you do? im curious..my 854 could probably be spruced up a bit. Lightly scrub over the painted surfaces with a Brillo pad or fine steel wool and liquid dish detergent. Once it dries, WD-40 it and wipe off the excess - if you want. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Kuhn 1,554 #11 Posted December 28, 2011 Here is my 401. The wheel rusted out and fell off while I was driving it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 993 #12 Posted December 28, 2011 i have a 308-8 that threw a rod years ago,way before i had a computer so a replacement was near1800 back then,i didnt know about buying a block,but the crank was toast too,cam shaft,every thing so my local shop said buy a whole engine,well that was way too much and in my opinion 8 hp is too small for my needs,the orig motor only lasted 10 years and i maintained it all the way,i have greased it every oil change and it shows,all the joints are good,deck spindles sre mint too,anyway i put a 13 hp honda in 1996,and loved it since,(im a true kohler guy though,if i could have any engine given to me it would be the k or magnum 16hp)im now on my second honda,i didnt tighten the air filter once and alot of dust got in and from there she went down hill,when i joined the square it got me back into my horse and i got another honda for it,its my mutt and it was my first from new,and it will be the last to leave,which will be never 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smoreau 658 #13 Posted December 28, 2011 Ok, this is my rusty GEM that I got from Kelly last spring, its a 74 c160 auto (aka the Mt. dew tractor.) This tractor is actually low hours, around 425 as the hour meter fell off this summer. It runs so smooth and has lots of power, just very rusty! The hood has been changed as I was going to start restoring it, but haven't gotten that far. It cut my grass all summer and will go to my brothers for snow blower duty this winter. I haven't got around to restoring it yet, but someday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelly 1,029 #14 Posted December 28, 2011 I've had a few, and still have a bunch of rusty ones, here is some I have redid in the past few years. Not real rusty but beat bad and drilled full of holes broken rod in engine, here it had a brush paint job over the rust, I paid $25 for it. And how it looks now Another we fixed up this one is very rusty, we changed the frame it was almost rusted in half, motor seized tight, another $25 buy and how it looks today this is a rattle can job, but everything was redone mechanically on it. and now The last was this one, it was a parts tractor, but my daughter liked it so we redid it. and now 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
philpjuk 19 #15 Posted December 28, 2011 My problem is that I am careful with money! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
71_Bronco 1,072 #16 Posted December 28, 2011 Lovin the pics guys. Nice to see the "workers" and not just the pretty ones. :handgestures-thumbupright: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mowerman1193 32 #17 Posted December 28, 2011 Well this seems to be the only pictures I had on this new laptop...This is a $50 tractor that I picked up for parts about 7 years ago..Thought the motor was locked up when I first got it but upon taking it about the motor rolled over once I took the starter off..went and took the started off the other ( working tractor ) put some fresh gas in and it fired right up and ran better than the other one, LOL...Its a 1983 GT 1642 8 speed..Attached to it is my ( what was NOS never used ) $75 tiller.. Kevin 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcole 36 #18 Posted December 29, 2011 Well here's my old girl it's a 75 c-120 special with a 13hp Honda clone it's a good old worker and it never let's me down . . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wh-jason 32 #19 Posted December 29, 2011 this is my worker, i believe it started life as a c-121. this is what it looked like when i brought it home after saving from a guys scrap pile, i paid $50. after a little (maybe the understatement of the year) work, here it is with an 18 hp briggs, new ags, and parts from at least 6 different models of wheel horses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 21,289 #20 Posted December 29, 2011 after a little (maybe the understatement of the year) work, here it is with an 18 hp briggs, new ags, and parts from at least 6 different models of wheel horses. Now thats what I'm talking about. Great lookin worker! Mike.......... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyhawkTL 19 #21 Posted December 29, 2011 Restored my dads tractor - just have too many good memories with it. (It pitched a rod when he was driving it - thank goodness - and during the rebuild I learned about the "Tecumseh H55 oil pump issue". Now it sports a slinger rod. Think the guys in Heaven read this? 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Martin 2,131 #22 Posted December 29, 2011 well heres the rustiest one ive had so far, my 1054. while i really liked the way the rebuild turned out, i was really hesitant to pull it apart, and sometimes i wish it was still that rusty patina. theres just something about that 'old' look.......... here it is in its new skin.... 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Retired Wrencher 5,435 #23 Posted December 29, 2011 :USA: OK Mike I will jump in for a few picks.here is the currant project that I have. with little sister next to her. Gary B.... how this to this so far this one was a pain the A... but it is a nice looking worker now. I hope u enjoyed the pictures. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseDrawn 1 #24 Posted December 31, 2011 Sparky, You asked for it. It's been in another thread to be Identified. Motor sure looks familiar!!! Amazed at what power the little honda five makes. Was towing a utility trailer out front and ended up riding a wheelie right up the side of my work van. Front and back wheels against the van hitch on the ground and motor still running by the time I got up to shut it off. Had to add two weights to the front to hold her down when towing. Weights were the most expensive venture on this tractor. Sometimes have to throw a 50lb bag of mix n fine on the hood too. Learned to leave the trailer jack wheel on the trailer as a wheelie bar. Just crank it up enough to get it off the ground. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 21,289 #25 Posted December 31, 2011 Sparky, You asked for it. It's been in another thread to be Identified. Motor sure looks familiar!!! Amazed at what power the little honda five makes. Yep, those little Honda's are great! Mine will haul me up most any hill in third even with the slightly oversize drive pulley. Good lookin machine!! Mike 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
