Restoring A Tractor

A Weekly 4 Part Series by Dan Peterman
Part 4

When painting, consider the money already spent on the project. We use top quality rather than try to save a few dollars at this point. Specifically, we use automotive-quality Martin Senour paint that is computer matched to the original John Deere color, be careful when buying paint to make sure you get the right shade. Most paint "chips" are not exactly right. We don't know for sure why, but tend to think that as lead was removed from paint there was some difficulty in retaining the original shade. Today a perfect match can be made when dealing with a top-quality supplier.

A few final thoughts regarding restoration: You must stay focused and think through the process. Plan ahead, and deal with one project and one function at a time. That's not to say you can't have more than one thing going, because you may have a schedule to meet. Just make sure you mentally shift gears when going from one task to the other. Re-focus and re-think as needed, or you'll be the victim of having "too many irons in the fire."

Our most recent project is a "730" Standard diesel, electric start, that on the surface looked pretty good. Due to neglect, the engine had become stuck, or "frozen" as some prefer. The owner decided he could break the engine loose by pulling the tractor and engaging the clutch. The engine is still stuck, but he did manage to break some teeth in the transmission. We have a lot of stories to tell and experiences to pass along.