Restoring part of my childhood

[dells68 7,498]

After too many years of neglect, I decided it was time to redo my Dad’s 1973 Ford LGT125.  I mowed with this tractor when I was barely old enough to reach the pedals.  We used it up until I was about 21 and moved and didn’t think we could use it.  Long story short, it sat behind a building for 25 years until I decided to try to give it some life.  My grandfather owned a Ford Tractor dealership and originally sold this one new.  My dad was a salesman and did deliveries for him.  This one was repossessed and Dad was able to buy it for the payoff.  Back to the tractor.  I brought it home, soaked the cylinder with penetrating oil, cleaned the points, replaced the coil and condenser,  cleaned the points, rebuilt the carb, and bypassed the wiring.  She turned over 4or 5 times and fired right up!  The hydro is still even good.  I’m in the process of cleaning the engine, frame, and trans for paint.  I lucked out and found two LGT165’s about 1 1/2 hours away for $350.  One runs great,  it doesn’t charge - regulator not hooked up a and the other is good for parts.  All in all not a bad price for two tractors, one with a good running 16hp Kohler and all the parts I need to use on Dad’s tractor.

[oliver2-44 9,729]

@dells68 Interesting to hear you have Ford Tractor blood in the family.  My dad worked as a Ford Tractor mechanic in the 50's. Then I worked there in high school, 74 and 75.  One of these days I should find a 74 or 75 Ford 16hp auto LGT to remember my tractor shop days That was where I overhauled my first Kohler.  The timing gears gave me hell as the shop didn't have the special alignment tool. 

Edited April 6, 2019 by oliver2-44

[dells68 7,498]

8 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

@dells68 Interesting to hear you have Ford Tractor blood in the family.  My dad worked as a Ford Tractor mechanic in the 50's. Then I worked there in high school, 74 and 75.  One of these days I should find a 74 or 75 Ford 16hp auto LGT to remember my tractor shop days That was where I overhauled my first Kohler.  The timing gears gave me hell as the shop didn't have the special alignment tool. 

Some of my best memories as a child are of playing in the showroom, watching work in the shop, climbing on the new tractors and driving the old trade-ins.  I’d love to have any of those - Fords or the used trade in other brands - today.  Those are the very tractors that turn up at our club’s summer show each year.  Takes me way back!!

[Pullstart 62,834]

My uncle always had a painted up 9N at his house.  He would wheel and deal and throw in my cousins or aunt if the deal was right, but never got rid of that Ford tractor.  He even had some dozer crawler thing that was only found in some museum in The UK.... and his barn.  Traded that one for a junky old boat.  He always had that 9N.  We are both Chevy guys, even though last I knew he had an F-150 but I never watched that Ford tractor leave.  I don’t know why I feel like I need one, maybe it’s where our roots were planted.  Maybe it brings us back to “Our Mayberry” where I used to ride my own Honda 110 three wheeler from our place to theirs down an old dirt road in 1st grade.

 

Cheers to that old Ford, and your pappy’s pappy Dell!  

[Mikey the Monkey 697]

those lgts are great tractors too. dont see many of them. i saved one from a hedgerow and a collector from long island drove several hundred miles to our house to buy it after i got it running nicely. id like to have an open sided ford lgt someday. liked the style of those 70s ford farm tractors 

[ebinmaine 67,420]

All good stuff.

I love hearing these stories and the tractors that "connect" us.

I'll be here enjoying this thread.

 

[dells68 7,498]

@pullstart, Kevin, you and I have a lot in common it seems.  You mentioned a Honda ATC 110.  Guess what I have stored in the back corner of my garage - yup a 110!  I haven’t ridden it in years and we left it outside until the cables froze up.  It would need a lot of work, but I just can’t get rid of it.  Lots of good times on that thing.  I remember that guys who were used to riding motorcycles had a rough time controlling it, since your balance is completely different.  Several of Dad’s friends and family members flipped it or ran through the creek trying to turn!

[Pullstart 62,834]

5 minutes ago, dells68 said:

@pullstart, Kevin, you and I have a lot in common it seems.  You mentioned a Honda ATC 110.  Guess what I have stored in the back corner of my garage - yup a 110!  I haven’t ridden it in years and we left it outside until the cables froze up.  It would need a lot of work, but I just can’t get rid of it.  Lots of good times on that thing.  I remember that guys who were used to riding motorcycles had a rough time controlling it, since your balance is completely different.  Several of Dad’s friends and family members flipped it or ran through the creek trying to turn!

 

I said I rode it... I didn’t ever say how straight the handlebars were!  My cousins had 250’s and a sandy bermed track in the woods.  I either had to keep up or get out of the way, so it was pushed pretty hard quite often.  6-8 years back I hopped on one and couldn’t believe how much it had shrunk since the last time I rode one!

[ebinmaine 67,420]

-IT- 

30 minutes ago, pullstart said:

shrunk

??

Yeah?

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Hahaha, yeah that,

it was nice Times even at Racing or Jump with them...

 

 

Love the Memories with and on my Quadbike....😎

Plenty of Fun while drivin..

 

 

By the Way @dells68 it is really time to refresh the blue Ford.

I hear him screaming for some Seattime...

Edited April 6, 2019 by Tractorhead

[dells68 7,498]

Yup those early atcs were a blast.  As a 10 year old kid getting a brand new 1983 Honda ATC 110, I thought I was in high cotton!  Dad and I were talking about it the other day.  He gave $1300 to Santa to bring me one.  That was expensive for a toy back then!

 

The little Ford will get a repaint soon.  I’m close to painting the engine and chassis now.  I also got a nice set of decals for it from George Bradish.  Can’t wait to doll it up!

[dells68 7,498]

Finished cleaning the he frame, engine, and trans today.  Put a good coat of black before I quit to burn brush.

[dells68 7,498]

 It much progress lately.  I’ve been busy trying to keep up with things at school and outside now that Spring is here.  I did get a chance to work on the grille tonight.  The original was pretty rusted all over - through in some places.  I have the grille from the parts 165, but somebody broke the top brace mount brackets clear off.  So, I decided to cut the old brackets from the original and weld them on the solid one.  I did have to pound out a few dents and put a skim of body filler on them.  Probably won’t get another chance to work until this weekend.  Oh well, a little progress is better than no progress!

Please ignore my ugly welds. I’m using a flux core and it doesn’t seemlike it’s getting hot enough to do a nice job lately.  Might be time for a new one.

Edited April 10, 2019 by dells68

[ebinmaine 67,420]

5 hours ago, dells68 said:

Might be time for a new one

Oh no... Not a new tool... Oh what ever shall you do...

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

5 hours ago, dells68 said:

 It much progress lately.  I’ve been busy trying to keep up with things at school and outside now that Spring is here.  I did get a chance to work on the grille tonight.  The original was pretty rusted all over - through in some places.  I have the grille from the parts 165, but somebody broke the top brace mount brackets clear off.  So, I decided to cut the old brackets from the original and weld them on the solid one.  I did have to pound out a few dents and put a skim of body filler on them.  Probably won’t get another chance to work until this weekend.  Oh well, a little progress is better than no progress!

Please ignore my ugly welds. I’m using a flux core and it doesn’t seemlike it’s getting hot enough to do a nice job lately.  Might be time for a new one.

i know what you mean I have the old Sears fluxcore that dad bought new in the late 90s just doesn't have the zip as those 480 volt units at work...but I'm kinda digging this one from HF...https://www.harborfreight.com/unlimited-200-professional-multiprocess-welder-with-120240-volt-input-64806.html... Should cover everything but the blue wrench...btw my best friend back home had/has one of those Ford LGTs made by Jacobson so parts can be found in an orange shade of red.

[dells68 7,498]

Jacobsen made Ford’s mowers for them.  They were a very well built machine.  Sadly, Ford’s pricing made it quite difficult for dealers to move them, most often selling them at near cost.  Ford didn’t understand why dealers didn’t want to push these machines.  Yes, they would far outlast big box machines, but people wanted cheap, not quality in lawn and garden tractors.

[Pullstart 62,834]

That grill looks like it is Bumble Bee’s friend...

[Sarge 3,463]

For some of that sheet metal work - I actually prefer to use 1/16" stick electrodes in the 7014 flavors. The bead goes down extremely fast with little damaging heat input as long as you keep them short and quick. They have a tough learning curve but work great compared to trying to use a flux core Mig.  For better control - I cut the rods in half and clean the needed ends properly, then, have at it in short bursts. I have welded entire sheet metal storage boxes clear down to 20ga. out of flat sheet stock with those rods, no warpage at all. 

 

Sarge

[dells68 7,498]

I spent the better part of today working up the garden at Dad’s and planting potatoes with him.  When I got home, I used a paint removal wheel and cleaned up the donor seat pan and gave it a coat of etching primer.  Sorry, no pics.  I also cut two replacement foot rest pads from some rubber matting I had ordered, since there are no replacements available.  This week I managed to source new taillights, headlights, ignition switch, and ribbed tires and tubes for the front.  I hope to paint the fender pan this week so I can begin reassembly.  Hopefully more progress this week.  

[dells68 7,498]

Inching my way there but by bit.  Grille now has some Ford blue on it and the fender pan is painted.

[19richie66 17,500]

Nice job Dell!

[rjg854 11,360]

lookin' good 

[Pullstart 62,834]

On 4/16/2019 at 9:36 PM, dells68 said:

 



 

 

“I know Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots.”  - Dell’s Ford Tractor

[dells68 7,498]

Little more progress over the past couple of days.

[dells68 7,498]

The bottom front left hand corner of the hood side was almost rotted away from standing water.  I had to cut the rot out and make a new corner and weld in a new bolt that serves as an adjustable locator pin.   Don’t judge the welds, I’m still using my worn out flux core, but did get good penetration.  Should be good for another 40 years or so😁.