Desert Classics...1926 Ford Model T Farm Tractor Conversion For Sale
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SOLD
This is the cutest and most novel Model T Ford farm tractor conversion I have ever seen. My friend the owner said he bought this tractor conversion from a man there in Wyoming about 30 years ago. He said the guy who he bought it from was a retired blacksmith who used it to pull a horse drawn mower to cut 2 acres of alfalfa hay every year for a few years. My friend is a really great guy with a lot of interesting things but it is a shame he could not keep this gem inside. I wish he would have blocked it up out of the dirt so that the wheels did not corrode. The climate here in Montana is relatively dry so things don't rust much unless they are in the dirt or have water trapped somewhere in them. An auctioneer friend here claims that even when it rains here, the wind usually blows afterward and "blow dries" the items outside. If you have been been looking for a nice "blow dried" Model T Ford tractor conversion to restore - here is your chance to own a very special and interesting one. This tiny tractor has a 37-1/2" rear tread and measures only 4 feet wide overall to the outside of the final drive chain covers. It is 4-1/2 feet tall to the top of the dash and about 5-1/2 feet tall to the top of the steering wheel. It is only 9-1/2 feet long without the hitch or 10 feet long including the hitch. The I-beam hitch is actually a Model A Ford front axle that has been straightened and then bent in a large square U. This U-shaped hitch fastens to each end of the "dead" rearnaxle with clamps so that very little stress from pulling a load is exerted on the tractor chassis. I have seen at least a couple of dozen or more different Model T Ford tractor conversions in my life so far but I have never seen or heard of one anything like this conversion. Every conversion I have ever seen either has an auxilliary transmission of some sort or a Ruckstell two speed axle. I have no idea who made the rear wheel drive conversion kit for this tractor so please let me know if you have any idea who manufactured those parts. Some manufacturer was very crafty in making this tractor conversion. The "dead" rear axle shaft was bent in an inverted square U to clear row crops and is mounted so that it is free to pivot ahead and back. The metal chain covers are 22" high by 40" long and are adjustable relative to the castings bolted to the brake backing plates. These covers not only cover the final drive chains but also position the rear axle ahead and back which in turn tensions the 1" pitch standard #80 roller chain final drive chains. I have both of the original chains but they were rusted and very stiff. The previous owner cut them off with a cutting torch so the rear wheels would turn freely so he could move this tractor easier. The castings that bolt to the Ford rear axle backing plates are a close fit but one can see that two extra holes have been drilled in each Ford brake backing plate so that the castings will bolt securely to them. The rear wheels measure 36" in diameter by 5"wide and have 2 rows of 8 spokes each in each wheel. These spokes are 9/16" in diameter. These wheels are in excellent condition but have been in the dirt in relatively dry Wyoming for over 20years and have some significant rust pitting on them where they were in the dirt. I used a welding chipping hammer to knock all of the loose scale off of them and found no rusted through or even thin spots anywhere on them. I would restore them by using an air powered de-scaler on the rusted spots followed by sand blasting. If one used a bit of filler on some of the more corroded spots before painting them, they would look really nice when done. The lugs are about 2" square by about 2" high and are all present and in very nice condition and have a part number cast on them. The drive sprockets are 7 tooth and in turn drive 60 tooth sprockets on the rear wheels for a reduction ratio of 8.57 to 1. The 36" diameter rear wheels are 20% larger in diameter than a stock Model T 30" diameter tire so that acts as a mild over drive. These two factors make for an additional speed reduction of 7.14 compared to a stock Model T. If you assume 40 mph to be a reasonable top speed for a Model T, then 40 divided by 7.14 results in a top speed of 5.6 mph which is plenty fast for a tractor on steel wheels. The Model T engine running at a speed equivalent to 30 mph would make this tractor a speed of 4.2 mph which would be just fine for pulling a horse drawn mower. The front axle is a beautifully arched stock Ford Model T item that some blacksmith sweat blood over about 70 years ago and formed into a 10" or 11" arch in order to clear crops as well as make the tractor reasonably level from front to back. The bracket that holds the front axle in place was made from a piece of high carbon railroad rail which is difficult to weld to and was broken when I found this tractor. I fabricated the bracket which is on the tractor now but the original borken one which had been welded numerous times is included. The front axle tie rod has been cut and extended with angle iron in an arch that maatches for arched front axle in order to clear row crops. The front wheels are 21" Chevrolet which bolt to the stock Ford Model T wood wheel hubs with 6 bolts. One rim is missing and the one rim has rusted through on the side flanges from setting in the dirt for many years. The one 21" split rim that is on the left front wheel has been welded where it was originally split. This would make it impossible to mount a tire on this rim so I suspect that this tractor was used at least some of the time without any rubber tires on one or both of the front wheels. At first thought, it seems that it would be terrible to drive a Model T without tires but one must remember this was a tractor, not a car, and steel wheeled tractors were commonly used through the 1930's and even into the 1940's. The frame is a stock Model T frame that has not been shortened or lengthened. I can find no cracks, breaks or damage anywhere on this frame. A foot long reinforcement was welded inside each frame rail where the rear axle brackets attach. These are hard to see in the photos because they are under the gas tank. The Ford rear axle and differential assembly is clamped to the bottom of the frame on each side using a pair of u-bolts and a wood filler block to keep from crushing the frame. The front of the "spool" that holds the drive shaft pinion roller bearing fastens directly to the back of the Ford transmission. A 6" diameter by 9/16" thick lathe turned adapter ring does this job very neatly. The stock Ford steering gear works fine but the steerigng wheel is missing the rim and one spoke. I installed a fairly good 1916 or earlier square brass radiator on this tractor since it had no radiator when I bought it. I also have a marginally rough alluminum 1915 or early 1916 Model T Ford hood that I have shown on this tractor in some of the photos. It needs some work to make it fit better. I have a fairly good 1915 - early 1916 hood former that I will give to the new owner when I find it. I have thousands of square feet of storage filled with things so don't expect me to find that hood former right away. I could lookk a week for it and still not find it but will find it someday when I not looking for it. I will keep the new owner's name, address and contact information and contact them when I find it. I would sugest you consider it to be a bonus whenever I find it and not an immediate part of this deal. The engine was stuck when I got this tractor. My friend claimed that he turned it over a couple of years ago. I realize that that "couple of years" could actually be 10 years or 15 years or even more. I drained about 2 quarts or about 30 years of water from the engine so it will likely have some corrosion problems inside but the oil pan appears to be good with good mounting brackets and is not rusted trough yet. The engine block number is 5,267,927 and the block casting date is 9-18-21 so the engine is of later 1921 vintage. All 3 of the transmission pedals still moved when I got this tractor and I oiled them up a bit to help preserve them. Description written by Bob Woodburn of Bozeman, Montana. For sale $6,000
This is the cutest and most novel Model T Ford farm tractor conversion I have ever seen. My friend the owner said he bought this tractor conversion from a man there in Wyoming about 30 years ago. He said the guy who he bought it from was a retired blacksmith who used it to pull a horse drawn mower to cut 2 acres of alfalfa hay every year for a few years. My friend is a really great guy with a lot of interesting things but it is a shame he could not keep this gem inside. I wish he would have blocked it up out of the dirt so that the wheels did not corrode. The climate here in Montana is relatively dry so things don't rust much unless they are in the dirt or have water trapped somewhere in them. An auctioneer friend here claims that even when it rains here, the wind usually blows afterward and "blow dries" the items outside. If you have been been looking for a nice "blow dried" Model T Ford tractor conversion to restore - here is your chance to own a very special and interesting one. This tiny tractor has a 37-1/2" rear tread and measures only 4 feet wide overall to the outside of the final drive chain covers. It is 4-1/2 feet tall to the top of the dash and about 5-1/2 feet tall to the top of the steering wheel. It is only 9-1/2 feet long without the hitch or 10 feet long including the hitch. The I-beam hitch is actually a Model A Ford front axle that has been straightened and then bent in a large square U. This U-shaped hitch fastens to each end of the "dead" rearnaxle with clamps so that very little stress from pulling a load is exerted on the tractor chassis. I have seen at least a couple of dozen or more different Model T Ford tractor conversions in my life so far but I have never seen or heard of one anything like this conversion. Every conversion I have ever seen either has an auxilliary transmission of some sort or a Ruckstell two speed axle. I have no idea who made the rear wheel drive conversion kit for this tractor so please let me know if you have any idea who manufactured those parts. Some manufacturer was very crafty in making this tractor conversion. The "dead" rear axle shaft was bent in an inverted square U to clear row crops and is mounted so that it is free to pivot ahead and back. The metal chain covers are 22" high by 40" long and are adjustable relative to the castings bolted to the brake backing plates. These covers not only cover the final drive chains but also position the rear axle ahead and back which in turn tensions the 1" pitch standard #80 roller chain final drive chains. I have both of the original chains but they were rusted and very stiff. The previous owner cut them off with a cutting torch so the rear wheels would turn freely so he could move this tractor easier. The castings that bolt to the Ford rear axle backing plates are a close fit but one can see that two extra holes have been drilled in each Ford brake backing plate so that the castings will bolt securely to them. The rear wheels measure 36" in diameter by 5"wide and have 2 rows of 8 spokes each in each wheel. These spokes are 9/16" in diameter. These wheels are in excellent condition but have been in the dirt in relatively dry Wyoming for over 20years and have some significant rust pitting on them where they were in the dirt. I used a welding chipping hammer to knock all of the loose scale off of them and found no rusted through or even thin spots anywhere on them. I would restore them by using an air powered de-scaler on the rusted spots followed by sand blasting. If one used a bit of filler on some of the more corroded spots before painting them, they would look really nice when done. The lugs are about 2" square by about 2" high and are all present and in very nice condition and have a part number cast on them. The drive sprockets are 7 tooth and in turn drive 60 tooth sprockets on the rear wheels for a reduction ratio of 8.57 to 1. The 36" diameter rear wheels are 20% larger in diameter than a stock Model T 30" diameter tire so that acts as a mild over drive. These two factors make for an additional speed reduction of 7.14 compared to a stock Model T. If you assume 40 mph to be a reasonable top speed for a Model T, then 40 divided by 7.14 results in a top speed of 5.6 mph which is plenty fast for a tractor on steel wheels. The Model T engine running at a speed equivalent to 30 mph would make this tractor a speed of 4.2 mph which would be just fine for pulling a horse drawn mower. The front axle is a beautifully arched stock Ford Model T item that some blacksmith sweat blood over about 70 years ago and formed into a 10" or 11" arch in order to clear crops as well as make the tractor reasonably level from front to back. The bracket that holds the front axle in place was made from a piece of high carbon railroad rail which is difficult to weld to and was broken when I found this tractor. I fabricated the bracket which is on the tractor now but the original borken one which had been welded numerous times is included. The front axle tie rod has been cut and extended with angle iron in an arch that maatches for arched front axle in order to clear row crops. The front wheels are 21" Chevrolet which bolt to the stock Ford Model T wood wheel hubs with 6 bolts. One rim is missing and the one rim has rusted through on the side flanges from setting in the dirt for many years. The one 21" split rim that is on the left front wheel has been welded where it was originally split. This would make it impossible to mount a tire on this rim so I suspect that this tractor was used at least some of the time without any rubber tires on one or both of the front wheels. At first thought, it seems that it would be terrible to drive a Model T without tires but one must remember this was a tractor, not a car, and steel wheeled tractors were commonly used through the 1930's and even into the 1940's. The frame is a stock Model T frame that has not been shortened or lengthened. I can find no cracks, breaks or damage anywhere on this frame. A foot long reinforcement was welded inside each frame rail where the rear axle brackets attach. These are hard to see in the photos because they are under the gas tank. The Ford rear axle and differential assembly is clamped to the bottom of the frame on each side using a pair of u-bolts and a wood filler block to keep from crushing the frame. The front of the "spool" that holds the drive shaft pinion roller bearing fastens directly to the back of the Ford transmission. A 6" diameter by 9/16" thick lathe turned adapter ring does this job very neatly. The stock Ford steering gear works fine but the steerigng wheel is missing the rim and one spoke. I installed a fairly good 1916 or earlier square brass radiator on this tractor since it had no radiator when I bought it. I also have a marginally rough alluminum 1915 or early 1916 Model T Ford hood that I have shown on this tractor in some of the photos. It needs some work to make it fit better. I have a fairly good 1915 - early 1916 hood former that I will give to the new owner when I find it. I have thousands of square feet of storage filled with things so don't expect me to find that hood former right away. I could lookk a week for it and still not find it but will find it someday when I not looking for it. I will keep the new owner's name, address and contact information and contact them when I find it. I would sugest you consider it to be a bonus whenever I find it and not an immediate part of this deal. The engine was stuck when I got this tractor. My friend claimed that he turned it over a couple of years ago. I realize that that "couple of years" could actually be 10 years or 15 years or even more. I drained about 2 quarts or about 30 years of water from the engine so it will likely have some corrosion problems inside but the oil pan appears to be good with good mounting brackets and is not rusted trough yet. The engine block number is 5,267,927 and the block casting date is 9-18-21 so the engine is of later 1921 vintage. All 3 of the transmission pedals still moved when I got this tractor and I oiled them up a bit to help preserve them. Description written by Bob Woodburn of Bozeman, Montana. For sale $6,000
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