B Backrest

For fun today I drove my B to work (it's only a mile) and a gentleman stopped in talking to me about it. He stated that they had a factory option of a pad that went on the backrest and he has made a few of them for replicas. 

Sorry, as far as I'm concerned, never such a thing was produced. I have a parts book that has everything that was ever made or put on for the B, C, and IB. This includes every single variant of these models you can think of, and there is no B back rest. Maybe dealers put them on, but as far as I'm concerned, there never was one from the factory. Sure would have been nice though!

only thing listed in the Allis Parts manual is the steel backrest. for both the B and C

I have a 38 B that had a padded backrest that looked like the one in Guy Fays book, but its long gone now.  It had wood backing and "vinyl" (same material as the seat) covering. 

For what it's worth. The seat backs on both of our Bs were padded when I was growing up. Not a factory option if there was such pad. Dad just wraped a burlap bag around it several times and tied it in place with twine.

The serious B driver above had a "Special" seat cover too.

The B shown at the end if this thread:
http://allischalmers.com/new/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17705&PN=2&title=oldie-pics

sure looks like it has a padded backrest too.

I have a piece of literature of advertising a 40 combine pulled by a model B and it shows a wooden back rest on the seat. Wish I could post a picture but can not.

GreenOrange beat me to it.  I have a fairly early "Parts Book and Operating Directions for Allis-Chalmers Model B Tractor", Form TPL-28H that distinctly shows the cushioned seat back (Part No. 207354) on page 49.  It was part of seat group 280850, and was discontinued with tractor  B-12016.  Interestingly, there was more than just the seat back that was different from the later style steel back rest.  The seat frame (205692) and the back rest springs (205694) were different, but the bottom cushion remained the same (205693).  This isn't the first time that I've run into changes in AC equipment that are not documented by later parts books, so I guess the moral is "never say never"...

GreenOrange wrote: Padded seat part # 207354 used up to serial 12016. The early '39 in the linked picture shows it. -John http://www.allischalmers.com/new/forum/uploads/24/Allis-Chalmers1939modelBtractor.jpg

So Brett.....

TPL-28B  "Model B Serial # 101and up" is my earliest B book. It clearly shows a padded seat back in the seat assembly, part #20734. I have tractor B450 in the shop and it's what I believe to be pretty original. It does not have the padded seat back, it has the same metal seat back as all my other B tractors. I have never seen a B with a padded back like the one in the parts book, including any of the Wakashaw B's Ive seen. My B450 also has a cast clutch pedal rather than a welded pedal like most early B's, but it is a different casting than any other I've seen. Just another early production B mystery I guess. How about a radiator curtain, anyone have an original example of those?

    It could be OIL CLOTH it was used for table cloths on the dinner table  REMBER WW2 was just starting no one  ever hered of vinyl then .

The 1937 Wakashaw B did have a wooden seat back and heavier springs than the later B's. 

I was just saying that the back rest was the same material as the seat.  I don't know what the seat is made out of, but it was the standard material.

I was given a 38 B from the original owner, and It had the remnants of a plywood backrest. I asked him if he had the original metal backrest, and he said it came from the dealer with a padded plywood backrest. I have a photo of the day I dug it out of the back of the shed. The motor was stuck. After some newer tires, and rims, a mag rebuild, and a good soaking, it broke loose. The funny thing is that it used to smoke like a house of matches, but after a couple of years of driving it around at tractor shows, and using it as much as possible it doesnt smoke at all. Go figure. I guess a stuck ring may have finally loosened, or a valve guide seated, I dont know, but we did leave the paint alone and just use it in its work clothes.

It's not too late...