Traded a Horse for a Monkey

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

A monkey ward that is! This thing has the look and what a beast it is! It is in decent original shape, just all the decals are faded off. I know it's made by gilson and probably a 66 or 67 model. Anyone have a manual for it? Needs a good fuel system cleaning and some electrical work. Anyone else here have one like this? Don't find a whole lot about it on the old interweb. There is a manual on ebay, but i don't really want to pay $45 for a copy. Anyway, i'm looking forward the bringing this thing to life!

 

And as the title states i did trade a horse for this. Am i crazy? lol

 

[oliver2-44 9,752]

They are solid and cool looking. There's a later Wards/Gilson at a small mower repair/salvage shop in LaGrange, Tx near our farm.  It's currently on the Austin Clist for sale for $125. it been there at least 10 years sitting out in the weather. I've looked at it several times but i see rust and water in too many places.

......O, there auta be a song..."Water in the Transmission" 

[WHX?? 48,815]

interesting piece, looks like a Kohler so shouldn't be too difficult to get running. Steering wheel looks like a large diameter two spoke common to our horses of the era. Front tires look to be RJ/Burb style. I like it!

Try GTtalk for more info/manual on it Mike.

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

1 minute ago, WHX21 said:

interesting piece, looks like a Kohler so shouldn't be too difficult to get running. Steering wheel looks like a large diameter two spoke common to our horses of the era. Front tires look to be RJ/Burb style. I like it!

Try GTtalk for more info/manual on it Mike.

 

Definitely the same steering wheel and cap as horses and similar front tires. They even say Montgomery ward on the side! Already posted in GTtalk  

[ebinmaine 67,502]

Round fenders. Square Hood. Bug eyes. Short-back seat. I like it!

 

Looking forward to seeing any work or tinkering you do on this one.

 

I think you did a fair trade for a horse on that.

 

 

[benji756 341]

Last summer while visiting my daughter and son in law in chicago we took a boat tour of the city, we went by the old monkey ward warehouse and our guide told how the order pickers used to go around on roller skates and pick the orders to be shipped out, I thought that was a pretty interesting story and he also told how he had a person who worked there when they were younger on one of his tours and she confirmed the story.

[WHX?? 48,815]

10 hours ago, Mike'sHorseBarn said:

 

Definitely the same steering wheel and cap as horses and similar front tires. They even say Montgomery ward on the side! Already posted in GTtalk  

The tires say monkey wards on them? That's somethin I would have never figured! Will have to hop on GT site to see what they have to say about it, ther are some hardcore & knowledgeable  tractor guys ther. 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

I had a 71 Gilson built Montgomery Ward's tractor for a while...mine had a 14HP Briggs on it that set with the flywheel facing the rear...was a very solid built and heavy little tractor...never could get the Briggs to run right...finally gave up and sold it 

Edited October 24, 2018 by Professor1990
dumb phone autocorrect

[953 nut 55,229]

I owned one of those for about a half hour!

I was at a show and had an 855 I was selling. A buyer came along that insisted I had to take a trad-in and he met my lowest acceptable price so I loaded it up and headed to his house, put the old Wards garden tractor on the trailed and back to the show I went. Before I had parked there was a fellow wanting to buy the Monkey Ward,        sold it to him for $ 100, shortest time I ever owned a GT and the best profit I ever made on one.            

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

I haven't gotten it running yet. Previous owner said it sat outside for some time and hadn't run in quite a few years. I believe it because the carb was full of goo and so was the tank. Tank is soaking in lacquer thinner as I type this. Carb has been freed up and rebuilt. New points and condenser, old points were pitted beyond filing. Waiting on a new coil. Water had gotten in the top and rusted the plug wire fast so when the new coil gets here I'll make a new wire. Good news is that it turns over so it should run, just not sure if it'll smoke or not.

 

Dick I wouldn't trade this for a $100 bill! I think it has the look man! Lol

[953 nut 55,229]

9 hours ago, Mike'sHorseBarn said:

Dick I wouldn't trade this for a $100 bill! I think it has the look man! Lol

Only reason I was selling the 855 was to make some room in the shop. The Wards was a good looking GT but just didn't fit my plans.

Edited October 25, 2018 by 953 nut

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

Haven't given an update on this for a while. Had to put a whole slew of new parts on it from water damage leading to corrosion and rust. Intake valve ended up being stuck too. Apparently someone thought it would run on old gas so the intake valve had a lot of gummed on gas around it causing it to stick, but I got it freed up. Seats looked real nice. Gas tank got cleaned out and treated with POR 15. Anyway I got it running real nice. Had an issue with the belts so I replaced all four drive belts and now the clutch is smooth as butter. One last problem is that it isn't charging. I had to put a new voltage regulator on it because the old one was full of water, so it has to be the starter generator. I took it off last night and will take it to get rebuilt tomorrow.

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by Mike'sHorseBarn

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

What about the trans? Is it similar to the

WH ? Is it geared about the same?

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

2 minutes ago, The Tool Crib said:

What about the trans? Is it similar to the

WH ? Is it geared about the same?

 

It's a 3 speed peerless. A peerless model 1200 to be specific and it is slow as molasses in January even in high gear full throttle lol