Up north here, we nicknamed those converted model t's "doodlebugs". maybe a search under that name will show you some conversions. i even saw a GMC bus hacked up to a yard tractor. probably the best one of those "eyebrow" year trucks has looked. another time, saw someone had cut a t off at the firewall, to convert the front end left over to a generator that could be towed around. so if you want some old iron to fool around with...
I love old tractors! We have an "Antique Farm Equipment Show" here each year and you can see some real cool stuff. Here's a video I shot a few years back, somewhere around the middle you will see this crawler that looks to be made from an 8-N with a V8 60 in it, one of my favs. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2bRZE72ndZo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2bRZE72ndZo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
olivers are down right sexy .......... if this isnt hot rodding i dont know what is hahahah beside international have that slick TURBO emblem that would make most late model imports jealous
These are at the Connecticut Antique Machinery Museum in Kent, CT. Well worth a visit. http://www.ctamachinery.com/ Love old farm machinery. Slim
it wasn't just a day or two ago that somebody on here was bitching about all the O.T. posts and directly referred to posts about tractors as being O.T. I find it hilarious that a thread about tractors is the headliner for the day.
I agree Bob. To answer the threads question, I'm still going with no.Tractors were not the birth of hot rods.
These are real cool. There are a bunch of folks who rest or those and other construction equipment. As for doodlebugs, there were many conversions, but most were done on the fly. I have seen photos of a Duesenberg that was converted into a doodlebug, using a couple large rocks as ballast. Great fun. Don't know if I still have the pic of that Dusenberg, but I'll see if I can find it....
Birth of the hot rod? yep, if not, then not far from it, at least to the 'common' man. For those of you who love to collect books, and read about the history, you will be amazed at the similarities, do a search on the early ford tractors, and all the variant's people created, for refference, get this book... http://www.amazon.com/Book-Tractors-Model-Model-Encyclopedia-Plus/dp/0760326363 It certainly offers a perspective of early hotrodding that is forgotten in the modern world Cheers, Drewfus
I don't know if early tractors qualify as hot rods or not, but they sure are cool. I was driving a tractor way before I ever drove a car.
Agreed. Very much. I was at a guys collection a few weeks ago that we do Pinstriping for and had the same thoughts. These things look like Hot Rods! Here are some shots I took for that very reason. Enjoy. Nothing like standing INSIDE a wheel and striping the spokes! ...and I also LOVE the little dozers.
Cool post! My grandfather recently gave me my great grandfathers 1938 Case RC. My great grandfather traded a team of horses for it back in 1939 & my father helped my grandfather restore it back in the 1970's and I'm going to pass it down to my 16 month old son Henry in the future. My grandfather is in his early 90's and is still enjoying life. Chris Oh yea, and you can pop a "wheelie" in a tractor when your 10 years old.......wanna' know how I know? Haha.
My personal fave; <object width="640" height="505"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a1ThSi1wbqU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></object>
I sent a link of this to my dad he is into old tractor and is currently restoring A H Farmall He sent this to me; The fence rows had many old cars and trucks that could be purchased for $ 10-50.00 and the made in to tractors. The ones I remember were reversed and used to push hay rakes pushing hay in the windrow into the barn. There were many buzz saws mounted on them to cut fire wood and some did use tillage tools; but weren’t powerful; or heavy enough to do much. I helped a farmer cut wood with a buzz saw on a 1932 Chevy coupe. He had a flat pulley on the right rear wheel with a belt going up to the buzz saw fastened on the rear and a wire going to the carburetor for a throttle. These things were really dangerous and many farmers were injured by the big saw blades without any shields. That farm now is home to the Illinois Governor’s College north of Monee.
Speaking of "being a Deusey", some garages back in the day would cut off the back end of a Buick or other luxury car, to make a tow "truck" out of it. that was before a company started making kits for it. I guess the Model AA four banger wasn't always enough Funny where raw material for a car rebuild can be found...
There is a fellow down here in the Tampa area that has a rodded flathead in his Fordson. I might have a pix... looking... Gary
I like hot rods, but let's be serious. A tractor was meant to accomplish work; be it plowing, seeding, raking, lifting, windrowing, powering a thresher, pulling a combine, etc. All necessary for a man, or woman, to do chores, make money, and/or feed his family. I fail to see how a hot rod fits this bill. As far as style, yes, tractor companies began to employ stylists to make their products prettier, striking a somewhat balance between form and function.
Coops, and I believe Cockshutts (Canadian) from the 40s and early 50s had Dodge or Chrysler flathead sixes (230 and I believe 250cid), five speed Dodge truck transmissions and rearends. An old family friend said they would scoot in 5th (road gear).
Here's one of our old tractors a 1942 case Model DI. alot of these were bought by the military as this one was. it was later used at an airport and my dad bought it at a county auction. this one has a high speed road gear and will really move for a tractor
If any of you are in the Middle Tennessee / Southern Kentucky area, a friend of mine has a HUGE collection of vintage tractors, steam engines, threshers and work trucks in Portland TN. He also has several 'kit' tractors, and also Model T based snow vehicles, race cars, etc.
That was one of the better kits, the drive gear teeth are on the outside, the ones with the teeth on the inside would catch rocks on the gears... here's a doodle bug at work.
Me too! and I sure drove them like a hot rod! Later in life when I found out that the old AC model G had only two main bearings I was suprised that it held up to all my "Wheelies".