"Restoraion" rant

As a Blue coat alum, I will have to say that when I was working on my tractors, my interest was split six ways to Sunday. I had land judging with homesite evaluation, Industrial Arts (Wood Shop), Sports, and all of my other studies to consider every day. Which is why I am now going back through the tractors I restored 15 years ago due to runs in the paint, leaks, dents in the tin work, and poor decal application. There were kids who weren't participating in all of the above that did a lot better job than what I did, but it left me with three tractors that ran good enough to fire up at the various shows we attended. Now I have some fixer upers in my shed again. I understand where you are coming from as it looks like a lack of attention to detail, but it could also be a lack of time in the day for that individual.

RESTORED, REFERBISHED, OR JUST FIXED UP, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. MY TRACTORS ARE NOT ALL TAKEN DOWN TO EVERY BOLT AND RESTORED, BUT I STILL LIKE TO SHOW THEM & ENJOY TALKING ABOUT THEM . RESTORED??? I DON'T THINK ANY OF THEM CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH THE EXPENSIVE PAINT JOBS THESE RESTORED ONES HAVE. I LOVE THEM ALL .

I am not the best at any of the restore thing. That being said, In my mind there is no reason to be painting over dirt, grease, or other loose debris. A trip to the car wash and $20 does wonders. I understand the tractors not being "Show" condition. I did like seeing orange in the sea of red and green.

My last post on the topics, I promise.  Looking back, I should have never posted what I did the way I did.  It was petty and critical of me to post about an FFA students tractor as a rant.  If I had the parts to donate or knew of a way I could help, I promise I would.  My wife and I have bent over backward to help 4H kids with their horse projects.  I spent 6 years on the committe that ran the county fair show.  My issue with the tractor should have been expressed as an opinion.  Opinions are like elbows...everyone has a couple.  My opinion was and remains the same.  I wouldn't paint it untill it was right.  Not knowing why it wasn't made right should have made it impossible for me to beat up on a high school kid and the organization that helped that individual get that tractor to the fair.  Maybe as collectors we should all go find an FFA chapter or county 4H to make them aware that we would love to help in any way we can keep the old iron running and looking good.  No animated rodents here, just a humble appology.

Maybe the student and ffa adisor are, lets say, frugal. Around here they either hire dimwits that know nothing or over achievers that plowed a wide swath and went broke farming as high school ag teachers. Common sense and the the value of a dollar means nothing anymore, Bill

Seems to me that all the lamenting about tractors and such going to the scrappers we should all be glad that even a bad restoration is preferable to that.

Boogerowen, I don't have an attitude problem.
I'm just NUTS!!!!

Yeh! and if you notice he's a philanderer. Now he's cheating on his first love with sweet little dumpling! Ar least he's not in the closet about it!

When I said Get It that was not ment towards you Fred.
It was for the "Correct Police".
Oops I did it again.
Said police in the wrong forum.
Should have posted in the political section because the police are funded by taxpayer dollars as RickUP might say and that makes it political.

Well, they did better than two of my HS classmates who drove tractors into the shop as juniors and HAULED them out just before graduation, LOL.  

Don't forget High Schoolers are on their parent(s)' dime.  Donations or not, much of the funds needed ultimately come from their parents.  Getting a job is harder today whether you're 60, 30 or 15, and the demands placed on students to be involved in multiple activities, above average classes, and maintain good grades, plus chores at home (city folks have "chores" too, I've learned from my wife) leave little time for work or sleep.  Some parents can't or won't shell out money for every thing the child does, especially if they do not have interest in the child's project. 

They say its the thought that counts. I can't guarantee my allis will be perfect but after putting four years of work into it, I'm happy to see it done. If I don't like it ten years from now I can redo it and do a better job on it. Even if it looks pretty shotty now, someday down the road they might see it and want to make it look better than it is. If it has been repainted in its life and has brush marks, runs, to me its not original so I would like to redo them. if they are truly original, I want to keep them that way unless there isn't any color except brown

Aron, I understand your comment. Maybe instead of claiming to be restored it should be listed as reworked. As a "blue jacket" junior, I took first place with a shop-built 4 wheel wagon in the mechanics division at the local fair. It was built hell for stout and looked good. Made every cut and weld myself. Couple days before the fair and it still needs primed and painted, running out of time, I put a little body filler in a few spots instead of grinding, "That's good enough". A day after the ribbons were handed out I noticed someone had scratched the paint off to reveal the putty. At the time I thought "what a jerk" but in the long run I'm glad he did. I felt like I betrayed the instructor,(wasn't his fault) and I realized I could have done a much better job of "finishing" the project. I have lots of respect for the FFA and 4-H, was a long time member of both, but if we don't point out mistakes to the kids, they will think, "Oh that's good enough". I tell my kids now, if your happy with a "B" then you will never get and "A". You should always be trying to do things to the best of your ability. If we don't push our youth who will?

In my world of tractors, a tractor never is finished.I can always find something else that needs to be done , or can be done to improve it. But there comes a point in time when I just say "It's done enough for now." Although I don't have any tractors that are show pieces, (and I wouldn't take em to a show even if they were) I'm sure that at there first show, they would be somewhat "not quite done", but they would get back   in the shop at a later date and get tinkered on some more. It's a never ending process and gives me something to look forward to. Suppose that maybe this kids think a little like that? Darrel

How right you are.
I like all of mine with original paint and rust.

Other people's comments are a good source of entertainment.