So my Dad's got this doodlebug...

pretty cool! guess i better stop and ask about the one sitting in my area.

 

Doodle bug races at the next Billetproof or HAMB event? Gary

 

My Uncle in Minnesota had a Model T that was transformed into a ripsaw for cutting logs, before WWII. Sometime in the early '50s, he took that Model T and made a doodlebug out of it, once he found a more powerful engine to run the ripsaw. I remember seeing that in a shed on his property in 1976. Looked like it had not run in ages, but he put some fuel in it, spun the crank and BOOM! it fired off like it had been run a day ago. I need to call my cousin one of these days and see if it's still on the farm.

Brings back some cool memories...!

 

A friend of mine who collects old tractors has several of these. One I really liked had a 32 grill shell, hood and cowl. Also a V-8 flattie with trans. and a narrowed front axle. It was really cool. Walked by them all the time and never even thought about taking pictures of them. When you get into old tractors you never know what you will find. I was there one day and noticed a pile of what looked like fence posts and after looking closer they were model T frame rails, a whole pile of them, that got forgotten about since all the small farms have been combined into one and all the fence rows are coming down to make bigger fields..

 

Funny you say that because a couple years back there was a thread on here about a members grandfather that dirt track raced "Doodlebugs" This was a regular class like modified etc.being from New England and raised around these home built tractors I would have never guessed that one of his grandads race cars was a real racer and not a hopped up tractor!he even had video of his grandad driving one of his racers around his property. I've seen pictures of farm fencing done with model T frame rails in Farm Collector magazine haven't seen one for real though

 

X2. Major grin factor...

 

Nice! I have a '30 Doodlebug I'm working on. It's cut down with a TT Ruxtell rear axle. I hope to wire it and get it running one of these days.

 

Looks like a '28-9 headlight bar, on a later A, '30-1, too cool a bug!

 

I want one of those one day. It would be a blast. Here's one from an older thread here that looks really cool.

 

Who says rat rods are something new?

 

64Cyclone, that is a factory built Worthington, they all looked like that. The Model T Ford based ones with the wide Golf Course wheels are really neat looking. Bob

 

Well guys and gals, this just turned into a full on restoration. I pulled the old motor out and Dad says "might as well tear it all down" because he wants to "do it up nice"

Heres how it looks now.

Heres is a shot of the front leaf spring pivot. It almost looks like the crossmember was from a kit or something, notice the front motor mount isn't like your standard A motor mount. Also the crossmember was bolted in rather than rivited.

The tranny stuck in neutral

Here a shot of how the rear axle is tied into the trans. I know it shows diddly squat, i'll post more pics when I get that boot off.

 

That is an early '28 front crossmember. The pivot that was added does look like it came from a kit. Thanks for the pics.

Reece

 

As much as I love the doodlebug, I have to admire the mild-custom '53 PowerMaster back there with
the filled doors, wide whites and the Buick fender ports. Sorta gave me a Lewis Grizzard moment!

 

The radiator shell and cowl are from a 1930 Passenger car. The shortened chassis is a 28-29 evidenced by the bumpers, front 21" wheels, steering column and wheel. The rear is a 30-31 AA unit with wire wheels from a 28-29 AA.

A classic doodle-bug in every way. Fun for the grandkids in the yard and around the place but no road travel.

 

They are very rare atleast in Sweden
beacuse ford swaped them at no cost
beacuse they cracked

 

What you didn't notice in that pic is the '56 Olds headlight treatment, and the '56 Packard tail lights.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=516827

 

Thanx for the pictures, eager to see how the rearend is connected to the trans. Amazing how we get so worked up over something like this, maybe it's like having a Time Machine & we're kids or at least teen agers again. Not trying to steal your thread just sharing pictures. Pat

 

The 1st picture didn't show up, farm engineering at it's best, Pat

 

I've got one of these,but made from a Crosley,,,must have been used on a golf course,but no wide tires..looks like a large tool box for the hood and side panels..

 

You still see those sitting around on farms on the back roads in the PNW. As several said they were originally built as depression era farm tractors. A little easier to hook up to the rake than a team of horses. I don't know if my grandfather ever had one here on the farm but he bought his first "brand new tractor" in about 1948 A Farmall C that my youngest brother still has and uses.

 

It's kinda funny those things found.....when not looking.

 

Funny I was humming the song from Deliverance.

 

Thats a Worthington tractor, look them up. My buddy has a stash of them.

 

Sure looks like an early 1928 with the solid engine mount, a shot of the ends will confirm that. The wheels are 1930-31 if they have 19 inch tires. Bob

 

My uncle Bob made a doodlebug.
I was told the engine was a 1928 chevy, the transmission was some Ford product and the rear end had massive wooden spoked wheels. I was about 12 when I found it in his back field. The engine was seized due to a stuck exhaust valve. I replaced the valve and ran it all throughout the woods. The radiator leaked. My dad advised me to use pepper to stop the leaks. Another uncle suggested that eggs in the radiator would seal the leaks. The doodlebug didn't run too well but it sure had a distinctive odor. My aunt reclaimed it about twenty years ago. I believe that it was sold shortly thereafter.

 

Hit a farm auction a couple years back that was loaded with cool stuff.

This one even had a nice roadster cowl. Think it brought about $600.






And this conversion...


This T had a Ruxstel axle.


This Crosley based rig had Briggs & Stratton power.


How bout a farm use pick up?


This place was just loaded with cool stuff and I didn't even bother getting pics of the over 100 tractors out in a field...
The complete album is below if your interested.
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/Ramblur/Lithia%20auction%201-23-10/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ20

 

post 87 the second picture down shows the gear drive conversion on the rear end nicely,You can see the small gears that bolt in place of the cars wheels. What you might not notice is that the rear end has been turned over to correct the rotation otherwise you'd have 1 forward speed and multiple reverse speeds because of how the rear drives those big outer gears. Sears and Montgomery Wards sold these conversion kits out of their catalogs with instructions on building your "tractor"

 

There's one similiar sitting in a yard here on the eastern shore of MD. Been there for a long time. Maybe i'll take a pic and post it since it's next to the road.

 

Great find, Keep us posted with the tear down and pic's.
Doodlerodz on here has had a couple of these and he is a good source of info.
Do a search on the Hamb there are a couple threads.
Also google. In your neck of the woods there are clubs and events.