Ford Model A Tractor

[Bill O'Brien]

Now this is a bit different!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150478715637

This is a 1931 Ford Modal A conversion tractor as sold by Sears and Roebuck. It has been completely restored to museum quality, it still has the steel wheels and cleats, but the wheels have been covered in rubber. The paint and stainless grill are excellent, the engine runs well and has a 2 carb Zephyr manifold.

 

[2manycars]

I had one of those a few years ago, and sold it to a local museum. While I had it, I took it to a farm show and harrowed a field. A rough ride with the big cleats on the rear tires.

 

[Keith True]

There were a lot of those built around here.The man I used to work for built a lot of them with new kits before/during the war.I know of quite a few of them missing all the running gear,the worst part is they are all missing the drive pinions.My old boss explained that after the war and real tractors became affordable here the A conversions would be stripped and the chassis with the big wheels would become hay wagons.Also,he said a lot of the pinions got broken if the builder did not make the rear end rigid enough.Some conversions instructed you to block and clamp the rear end without removing the spring,some had you remove the spring and mount the rear end rigid to the frame.Some of the ones I have seen were Sears,Planet,Farm-Hand,Alstack,New Age and New Way.The most popular here were Sears,for obvious reasons,and Farm-Hand because they were sold by the local man.You could take your A over there and drive your tractor home a week later.Almost every hunter here can tell you about one in the woods near me,all have the lower halves of the wheels rusted away.

 

[Chris in WNC]

"museum quality" usually means it looks good but won't run worth a hoot.

still looks interesting, and the buy-it-now price wasn't too scary.

 

[MikeK]

The speed equipment on it is interesting. I've never seen an 'A' doodlebug or tractor convert with a hopped up motor. With that dual downdraft and scary looking external gear reduction at the rear, I bet you could scream down the crop rows at 11 mph.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

I too would like to build one and will hopefully get to it one of these days. Only I want to use '28/29 cowl, a AA transmission with a PTO and put a pulley on the back so I can "belt it up" to stuff.

Also, I want to use a Smith compressor head on it. ( Don't really know why other than it would be cool to drive the "sandblaster" up to the pile of stuff I want to blast, load it up on the back of a trailer, and then pull the whole mess up into the field. )
((Also because I like the sound of a "Poppin' Johnny" at the tractor shows and maybe this would sound kinda close? ))

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