Preferences...Stock or Modified

Ok...I've been to a lot of tractor shows, and I'm always excited at seeing something orange in the lineup, and the different configurations that the owner's have done to them. I recently finished a WD45, which I left as close to original as possible, except the fact that I prefer to have the front wheels trimmed in silver and I used F&H 162 weights instead of the AC ones. The gentleman who bought it though, felt it looked better with the fronts solid orange and he wanted original style rear weights. I like my AC's to look stock, but oversized tires and weights on any of them, tend to make me breathe a little harder! I just thought maybe I could get a little kickback on your opinions on this matter...for me, they just need to be orange!

Here's pics of the 45, before and after. Which do you prefer?

Eddie, this is a great topic and an excellent question. I think that if a tractor is extremely rare, all should be done to keep it as original as possible. It's more of a preservation of history than a tractor restoration. A tractor like this should be restored to the last bolt.

Now you take my B or your WD 45. There were a bazillion of them made, so there's less of a need to preserve history. There's little we can do to them that can't be undone if we have a mind to, and plenty of parts around to do it. To that point, the ability to restore it to original is always there. Many farmers back in the day did grainery repairs and modifications to their tractors that made them more functional, or actually improved on the original design. Why shouldn't we do the same with our tractors, and carry on some of the ingenuity and creativity our Grandpa's did?

The most important thing to remember, in my mind, is you have to like your tractor. There was a purple B or C, I don't remember which, posted earlier this week that was very well done. The young lady that was given this tractor loved it. That's what's most important.

You painted your rims silver because you liked it better. It looks great. The man that owned it before you painted them orange. He either liked it better, or was leaning more to an accurate restoration. Both versions look great.

At the end of the day the important thing is that we are resurrecting and caring for equipment from a day gone by. When we take them to shows, caravan's, parades, or plow within site of the highway, we're giving lots of other folks a sense of our rural agrarian history.

To your question of preference? Any tractor that is taken care of, whether in it's work clothes, restored to original, or modified from front to back is my preference. To our good fortune, we get to see lots of them here every day.

Edited by GBACBFan - 04 Sep 2010 at 1:02pm

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Shoot, I like em both. My 45 has rusty looking all silver front rims cause I had a can of rustolium silver when I decided I needed new front tires about 20 years ago. Hey, it's better than no paint at all.

http://www.ae-ta.com
Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF

I like the silver better and painted my C that way. My WD45 got solid orange rims because I was to lazy to Mask and ad a silver rim. I did paint the rears silver of course because they were off the tractor.

There was a B at Hutchinson that was all chromed out (lights, air cleaner, fuel tank strap, generator, ect.) That tractor looked really sharp. Except the front wheels were white and in my opinion the should have been either orange or chrome.

I'm not against a little "Makin it my own". I like the silver touches to the ft rims. I'm pretty sure my series 1 D17 is supposed to be that way. I know it's supposed to be P.O. 1, but I like #2 better and that's what it's going to be.

"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford

my puller the way I liked it evin with custom "factory options, paint sceams"

Well, I'll be the descenting vote, I like the second picture better. Nothing wrong with the first one, but if I have a choice I would buy the second tractor first.

Nice!!!!

Attention to detail is nice no matter what type of vehicle. To me, painted parts n' pieces for detail is NICE, an easy change if wanting to go back to original. BUT, being I'm a custom car guy, I love detail, new idea's, and paint combinations, and would easily accept something like that chrome B model into my corral of Tractors that's fir' sure! (course, I'm a B kinda guy anyway) I guess that's the one that was posted a while back that I couldn't view for some reason. That B is tasefully done, with just enough of the "bright stuff" to set it apart from the others. But, to each his own. That's what keeps our hobbies interesting. Cars, Trucks, Tractors, whatever. If they were all the same, our hobbies would be boring. Its great to see folks be daring and do something different. Keep those detailed Tractors coming boys. So far, there isn't a bad lookin' one outta' the bunch!!

Steve@B&B

Generally speaking, I like all original restorations, but I do prefer the silver rims. It is much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The silver is very attractive.

I like the stuff that people create for their tractor.

now that,s a one of a kind, very nice looking AC

I prefer stock as it adds to the challenge.

CA, WD, C, 3 Bs, 2 Gs, WC, I-400, 914

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