Kevin Martin’s recent classic hood ornament post jump-started my brain: I recalled seeing a lovely, circa-1950s Nash hood ornament on something rather unusual–but what is it? Don’t worry folks, this is not a CC Clue; you can satisfy your curiosity in just a minute! But before clicking, take a guess–what is it? Ready? OK, let’s see…
Yes, it’s a tractor. I am not really conversant about vintage lawn tractors, but I suspect even Paul may have had a bit of trouble identifying this one. I have a feeling the entire thing is homemade.
I can picture a farmer out near Orion or Kewanee–let’s call him Ted–on his back porch, after a hard day’s work, looking at Uncle Bob’s old rusty Crosley in the back forty. After several bottles of beer, he decides to do something with both it and all that scrap metal out behind the barn. By four ‘o clock the next morning, this odd mode of transportation had become the result. Fifty-odd years later, someone brought it to a car show in East Moline, and here we are.
In addition to the engine, this tractor (can’t really call it a lawn tractor; although it is sized like one, there isn’t any lawn-cutting equipment aboard) sports Crosley gauges, steering wheel, and (I think) rear wheels. Not to mention that lovely Nash hood ornament which first drew me to it!
That big lever looks like it might be for raising and lowering a snow plow. Maybe Ol’ Ted built this back before the days of easily-ordered snow blades for pickups. You have to love the old-school farmers. A winter with not much to do, some skill and a heated workshop could result in some really cool stuff.
Drat, from the teaser photo I was really hoping it was Duffy Livingston’s Eliminator. What a CC find that would be.
Great little home brew tractor. The neighbor kids at my uncles farm used to have a similar looking tractor/go kart thing that used a Model T transmission. This would be about 1990, so they were probably the youngest people in the world at that time who knew how to drive a Model T.
Looks like it may have started life as a Jacobsen Chief tractor???
I don’t know but it looks like she is cold..