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Search and Rescue

8931 Views 19 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  missouri massey man
26

I posted a shot or two of this old Fordson sitting in the woods at my much older brothers house and said I'd get some more when I bring it home....

Started by digging below the axle so the chainsaw can be used to cut the small 6" diameter tree below grade.

Picked out the little 026 and put a worn out chain on it because I know there will be plenty of dirt to cut and probably a whack or two on the rim or axle....by the way, good call. Prophecy came true on both counts... :? :? :? :?

Whack a little here...chomp a little there, covering myself with poison ivy chips and the occasional spray of dirt and oh yeah, the sparks from the axle too. :lol:

I'd backed the gooseneck in and hooked up the 8,000 lb winch but Mother Nature was trying to reclaim this valuable piece of machinery because it was sunk enough in the dirt to drag the truck and trailer backwards, so the OLD fellow on the 580 Case suggested we tug it up by the axle to rip it from the constrains of Terra Firma.

No match for the power of a mighty Case 580, the Fordson broke free without even a creak or a moan....

Notice how I manage to keep my GOOD side pointed to the camera.... :lol: :lol:

Think this old Fordson EVER got up on her back wheels before ???? I'd bet not.

Wheels rolling for the first time in close to 40 years... This was sitting here when I came home from the USMC in '75.

Gotta stop and give the old gal a break...actually my brothers radiator popped a cork this week and he had to go for a quick refill before continuing. It must be 'catchin' because my 580 also blew out last fall....but THAT's another story.

Time to hook up from the other side and drag it a bit closer to the gooseneck. Kinda hard to wind in around so many trees and I kinda like my fenders like they are.

Here we are, real close to the ramps now.

I guess we could drag this around on plow day...look at the way those spades are churning up the yard !!!! Maybe hook up to the disc next....

We'd slipped this thing into neutral but the back end just won't budge loose.

Bona Fide proof this is really a Fordson and NOT a rusty old John Deere...

Just couldn't get her lined up just right, so my much older brother just picked up the back end and shifted it over a bit.

Boy I like the push button winch....up she comes creeping off to the side a bit. I think here I stopped and hooked the snatch block to the front right side of the trailer to shift it the other way.

Almost to the break over point, just about there. I think my son in law's finger is getting worn out from snapping pictures....

She's sure fighting us all the way...It's almost like she didn't wanna move to a new home.....Just about now, the differential broke free and the rear wheels began rolling across the trailer deck. WOOHOO !!! About time, I say.

I shoulda reset the snatch block to fully divert the direction of pull as it didn't shift it enough like this...The front wheels are stuck in a slightly left direction. I didn't want to put too much pull against the fairlead or maybe ball up the cable on one end of the winch. Oh well, we're getting there.

No big deal, we just lifted the front over with the loader and set it closer to straight.

See, the old gal didn't stand a chance so she should NOT have fought so hard.

Bound down and ready to roll, ramps tied down, binders all around. I'm only going 3 1/2 miles, but hey accidents happen at the most unexpected times, don't they!!!

Just a shot of her former home...maybe she won't be so homesick if I stick a pic on her gas tank.

Just what is it that makes an otherwise normal person have such a great desire to wrestle with an un-yielding hunk of junk ????? :? :? :? I just can't figure it out....

OOOPS, we dented the gas tank. Dang it, now I gotta fix that before we can start it !!!
I'll post a few more later....it's supper time now !!!!
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What a great story!!!!! Doya think I'll live long enough to see this running :lol: :lol: :lol:



G
Very cool. Felt like I was right there helpin ya grunt to get her up there. Hope the SIL's finger is recovering well.

Thanks for the journey. Lookin forward to more Sir.
Sure didn't want to leave the spot she's called home for so long. ;)
How long did it take to get it out, loaded, and home?
G
BigDaveinKY said:
Sure didn't want to leave the spot she's called home for so long. ;)
How long did it take to get it out, loaded, and home?
By the looks of it I think he must have went straight there from the tractor show :lol:
Wow, what a labor of love to rescue this tractor. I'm with Ron, thoought I was there. Whew, I'm sweating and tired. If I'm ever stuck somewhere or missing, I want you guys lookin for me........
I guess you're up for a challenge. Better man than I. I'll be watching for future posts, should be interesting.

Kirk
5

Supper is over, so here are a few more...Another cool thing, these round spoke rims are for rear rubbers !!!

Here's the toolbox my brother hung on the wall back in the '70's. Pretty good shape, I'd say.

This and a few other cool items were stuck inside.

He'd also hung a spare manifold on the wall at the same time... It's got a tiny crack, probably work ok in a pinch...

O heck, where'd this picture come from???? My brother just put the last screw in this new carport at 1 p.m. and look what he did by 1:20 !!!! Must be real NICE to be retired !!! He just did the "H" a couple years ago and the MH 55 stuck from sitting and he just got it back together a little while ago, not redone or anything recently. Behind both the red ones is a (shhhhh) GREEN one... a JD 70 .....
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BigDaveinKY said:
Sure didn't want to leave the spot she's called home for so long. ;)
How long did it take to get it out, loaded, and home?
Big Dave, it took longer for me to edit the pics and figure out what to say than to get the old gal out of the woods and loaded. My SIL and myself left home at 10:45 on Sunday morning a week after Jr.s show and were pulling in the driveway by 12:10.

Mike, I don't think I'll ever do anything with it, other than hook it to an old iron wheeled road grader next to the driveway and drive by it and smile a bit on the way to and fro.

And Ron, yes, my SIL's finger has recovered quite nicely....I know, because I saw him give it to a guy just the other day.!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Bad joke, sorry. :oops: :oops: :shock: :shock:
Love those old Fordsons. It's neat the way you can look at them and see a direct lineage through the Ford tractor family.
Great photo's Wendel. I to felt like I was there. I must say you are a tractor magnet. My wife shakes her head at my three! Great find. I don't see how you find the time. Gerard
Just now read this very interesing story and couldn't stop until the end .
One question Wendell " why are you whispering around about a John Deere",
Some people on this ATF appreciate John Deere for who they are. :lol: Me for one since it was the only new tractor my husband every brought. So you don't like the color green??? :oops: :oops: :shock: :shock: :D :lol: :lol:
Great story and a nice photo sequence.Another great tractor save from the high furnace.
I notice that the 580 CK got a welded patch on the right arm of the loader,got the same repair on my 530 must be a weak spot.

westazur
bettyp said:
Just now read this very interesing story and couldn't stop until the end .
One question Wendell " why are you whispering around about a John Deere",
Some people on this ATF appreciate John Deere for who they are. :lol: Me for one since it was the only new tractor my husband every brought. So you don't like the color green??? :oops: :oops: :shock: :shock: :D :lol: :lol:
Oh MissBetty, I like ALL of them, but I really enjoy picking on all you JohnDeere fellows....I guess its because my blood is red and Masseys are red too, so I feel almost related to them. :lol: :lol: :lol: My "Uncle Woody" story on the JD section proves that I like those old noisy poppin' johnnie sounds, yes ma'am, I do. :D :D :D
ASEguy said:
Great photo's Wendel. I to felt like I was there. I must say you are a tractor magnet. My wife shakes her head at my three! Great find. I don't see how you find the time. Gerard
Hey Stranger !!! How've you been Gerard ??? Haven't seen you in a ****'s age. I think about you everytime I have to dodge around that old AC 'C' that I parked in the way behind the shed....and... I really don't have the time, but kinda like Forrest Gump says...."Junk happens". Well that's not an exact quote, but you get my drift !!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Stop by one of these days, I probably have a few questions for a man of your accomplished abilities, sir.

Westazaur, I think you are right about the 580 loaders. I've seen that on a few others as well. Mine however is a one owner, bought it from a cousin that bought it new in '73 and it has not been abused or overworked. Fortunately, my loader is in real good shape.
Sorry I'm late on this post but between work and everything going on outside I haven't had much time for my slow typing. I sure am glad to see you got this one home. Really enjoyed the pictures. Are you still thinking of setting it up with your pull grader? I think it would look good.
Hey Stranger !!! How've you been Gerard ??? Haven't seen you in a ****'s age. I think about you everytime I have to dodge around that old AC 'C' that I parked in the way behind the shed....and... I really don't have the time, but kinda like Forrest Gump says...."Junk happens". Well that's not an exact quote, but you get my drift !!! Stop by one of these days, I probably have a few questions for a man of your accomplished abilities, sir.

Pretty good Wendel. Hope you are ok. When I saw that truck I just knew you loaded another one. I about lost my coffee on that plow comment. I'll stop by after things cool down a bit. Got a timing belt to do today and maybe just maybe I'll fire up my 8N. Gerard
Liked the pix. Going to post the "after" pix next week? I was raised on red power but like all colors and have used quite a few of them. Can't remember ever using a Ford however. Don't remember anyone in the neighborhood having one. Maybe one but I think it was a Fergie not a Ford. Vern
Can't tell you how many times I have looked at this group of pictures!!! Mike did a super job of documenting the resurrection and now he can also document its restoration. I am looking forward to seeing them. It looked like it would have taken a full day of work to have removed her. But no wonder with your mechanical know-how, you and our older brother accomplished it in a very short time. Your MUCH older sister would loved to have been there!

The Alaskan
That's AWESOME that you decided to join the forum !!!! Look around, I'm sure you will like what you see and please comment on any topic you like !!! You must go to " Down Around the Campfire" and give a quick introduction. Then they'll find out who you REALLY are... :D :D :D :D Thanks for the favorable comment on the recovery.
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