restoration?

I "restored" my great grandfather's allis CA. I use the term loosely, but I took it down as far as I wanted and replaced everything that needed done. The tractor is hardly broke in and everything is still tight and perfect on it. I didn't see the need to rip it the whole way down and rebuild the engine, tranny etc. Now in that sense, I still stand by a restoration is a complete tear down, touch every bolt job. Every one of mine from now on out will get a top to bottom bolt turning before they get the coat of show paint. I worry about mechanical condition first, then paint when everything is replaced. I'm not criticizing those that call restorations when they just repaint them. Sometimes that's all people can afford or have the expertise to do. I just think some people don't realize how much work goes into them when they complain about how hard it was to strip the paint off and paint it. Chances are I'll do that to something in the future just because I have to. I do admire the people that know nothing and do their best to make the best out of what they have. Not everybody has a big air compressor for an air sprayer and have to settle for spray cans. I'm only 20, but I know quite a bit (not trying to get on a high stool by any means, I still have a lot yet to learn) and if anybody reading this wants a little help with that project, speak up. I'm sure I'm not the only one here that feels that way and would help you out

Reese92PA said:

Not everybody has a big air compressor for an air sprayer and have to settle for spray cans.

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Have patience.

the first few tractors I painted waswith a 2hp / 4g pancake compressor.. the ones that people use for fraiming nailers. I plumbed in a 15g air-up tank, and used a 9$ chinese store gun.. back before harbor freight was around.

I'd let the comp run to build pressure, then let it cool.. then paint. painte dthe tin in hanging sections.. so i wouldn't have any stop / starts to build air in the middle of a piece of tin.

on the cast it wasn't noticeable, just feathered in and went.

somewhere alongthe way i had to rebuild the compressor head and valves as I wore it out I guess.. but i still got it, and it still works fine. it's my tire fill compressor i keep inthe garage with a couple flex hoses. that old gun is now a primer only gun..

just takes a lil patience sometimes..

It all depends on the origional condition and what the planned use of the tractor is. My motto is - if it is not broke - don't fix it and why make work for yourself at great expense, afterall, if it is reliable and drives well. If it is going to be used at home, take part in ploughing matches or working demonstrations, reliability is paramount including repairing oil leaks. A top level paint job using filler on the castings, 2 pack paint looks great, but not origional as the tractor would have been lucky to have received more than 1 coat of paint with primer being an option (my Chamberlain comes into this catergory with only 1 top coat) The tidy-up on this consisted of a clean down, sand back where required, a prime and one topcoat and a new set of tyres. A few oil seals got replaced also. One day when it is not earning it's keep any more, it will get a more thorough going over as using a slasher regularly knocks the paint work around with stone chips.

Guys and Girls,
Good thread!
I am on my first big tractor restoration. Allis WD. I think it will be a combination of fixing things that are damaged or worn and getting the mechanicals back to good working order. It will not be a perfect tractor. Cleaning most of the metal to bear metal and then prime and paint. Not sure I will do a complete engine tear down. (still have to do some checking on that). I have seen a lot of tractors so nice I would not want to drive them But they sure do look great and are very easy on the eyes at the shows. I want the WD to be reliable and functional. I will be getting it dirty and doing some wood hauling. I have so many things to touch on it that it will be a big project and I will learn a lot! Looking forward to learning a lot from the folks on ATF!
FYI My percent completion seems to be about 25%. Some dis assembly , some repairs, some paint striped, some repainted, some reworked items.
When I did my last Cub and implements I did a good job on the mechinicals but my paint work could have been better.
Regards,
Chris

i came across some "restored" tractors for sale before and when i asked what they all did for the resto they just said "cleaned up and painted" then they wanted 4 times more then the tractor was worth just because it looked good. ive done tractors both ways. like my nuffield, it ran good, drove good, ect so i cleaned it up got all the correct tin and lights then painted it. realy was one of the dumbest things ive ever done. 2 years later the engine went! torn down again paint gets messed up. 2 years after that trans bearings went, tare down again paint gets more messed up. ill probably never repaint it again just keep using it. if i would've went threw the complete tractor rite from the git go it'd still look good. our farmall H was torn down cleaned and painted. finished it up the day before our show, the monday after the show #3 piston let go and we had to tow it home. leason learnd never again will i do one without goin threw it from bumper to bumber

wizzard said:

what would your defintion of a resto be?

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I think the term "restoration" brings about a "Catch 22"...Technically Webster defines "restoration" as: "to bring something back to its former condition".
To me that means to me that to do a "restoration" factory specs must be adhered to on all components: shafts, bearings, engine internals and rubber (if so supplied) not necessarialy using factory supplied parts.

However, here is the Catch 22...anyone that is physically and financially able to bring a machine back to those "factory specs" is not going to settle for the type of paint job that typically came out of the factory. That person is going to do top notch on the paint and sheet metal, even smoothing rough factory casting marks then cover everything with clear coat after 2- 5 coats of paint that in many cases could cost more than the tractor itself did when new.

So is the tractor "fully restored" or not. Factory specs were followed on the mechanicals, but the parts that show (paint) clearly is NOT to original specs.

If you consider factory specs when you do one, do you have to follow ALL the specs, or just the ones you want, then do better than spec on the rest ???

I personally don't consider paint and plugs and minor repair to be a restoration any more than anyone does, I consider that just a re-fresh.

However I don't consider a total mechanical rebuild without paint a restored one either. Now, I am just confused......doggone it Wizzard !!!

By those terms, I have never "restored" anything as time and money always block the plans, so I concentrate on making whatever I am working on a functional and reasonably reliable piece of machinery accepting that to play with the old stuff, you gotta be prepared to make repairs. Just hopefully not too often.

I don't think it really matters anyway (unless you are in a concourse restoration competition), I think its just whatever trips your trigger...and remember there are a lot of triggers out there.

(By the way, I don't know of any concourse competitions for tractors anyway.) So I think we are all good !!!

Hummmm? Guess I like the term "refresh" as it better allpies to my work.
I remember what I was going to say: (Getting old you know)
At one stage in my life I owned a 1955 Crwon Victoria steel top. Nothing better than a refreshed driver, but was a lot of work to get to that point. I went to a international show featureing 1954 thru 1956 Fords. In one class there was a 55 that had been restored and lots of goodies added and tons of chrome work done. (The guy owned a chrome shop) Many of the parts were rechromed several times to get them perfect. Very nice unit! It was beat out in the 500 point class by a good original car that had nothing done to it. The guy with the chromed up 55 almost cried.
Competition can make you better and understand the details on a score sheet. Although sometimes the bueaty is in the originality, the patina, the wear, the family heirloom, and qualitys and cant be entered as a check mark on a score sheet.

Friend of mine brought his 1929 model A doodel bug to our tractor show. never unchained it off the trailer. Its very rusted and rough wasnt able to be started. The grass was worn to dirt around it from folks gathered around during the 3 day show!

I just like old stuff. Rusted/busted or fully restored all are OK with me This Forum is one of the places to hang out and talk about that kind of stuff! Thanks to those that keep it going!

Regards,
Chris