It’s not often a project gets completed after any time off.
I am a procrastinator to the nth degree and have always had a hard time finishing what I’ve started. I remember a project in high school art class where we were working with charcoal and I had to show the shadows of the inanimate objects, the light reflecting off of them, etc. Mom is a good mama and she framed this piece of “art.” It should be titled “Incomplete Project No. 1 of 93432885” as it pretty much described the future.
Working on tractors or old trucks has always been something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing with Dad. It was a great bonding experience (after I moved out) and it really started with one tractor in particular – the G.
I am a sucker for a 2-cylinder John Deere… I don’t know if it is the rhythmic sound of the engine or if it is more so the fact that most of the John Deere’s have a hand-clutch. (I’m a sucker for those especially!)
I first fell in love with the 2-cylinders when we were in Denton, NC, at the Southeast Old Threshers Reunion show when I was close my daughter Abigail’s age (she’s 14 now, but I was definitely younger if memory serves). We had taken an old 1937 Unstyled-B John Deere to the show to display that year and the late Mr. Brown Loflin hired me to drive the golf cart around to the various exhibits and play these cassette tapes detailing the running exhibits and their history.
The parade time rolled around and I couldn’t find Dad anywhere. I needed to drive through that parade and there wasn’t anyone to crank the B for me! One thing to note about this B of ours… it’s a hand-crank… You turn the flywheel over and hope to all things holy it fires up.
Well, my impatient self decided to give it a whirl myself. So I turned the gas on, made sure it was out of gear and the clutch was disengaged, gave it some throttle, grabbed the flywheel with both hands (mind you, I was all of about 95 pounds too) and pulled down and left with all my might.
Honestly, I don’t know who was more surprised when it finally turned over and sputtered to life – the older men around me, Dad when he saw me in the parade, or myself. But that was it… I was in love with a 2-cylinder and a handclutch. So much so that I went to my last day of 8th grade at Whitewater Middle School on an Unstyled-A John Deere! Got smoked in the face from some trash that blew out when we (Dad of course) had to adjust the carburetor but it was worth it!
Fast forward several years later and I’m in college. Dad had let me drive this one tractor that year and I loved it… handclutch, 2-cylinders and much faster than the old B (speed was a relative term, but you get the idea).
He asked if I wanted to help him restore it and I said YES!!
We started breaking it down. One afternoon, as we were about to remove the radiator off of it, there was this horrendous smell of absolute death. We looked for dead critters all around us and the barn and found not a single thing to place the blame on. As we started to remove the waterneck, we noticed something I had never thought about and was a first for Dad too – a dead snake… and some mummified mice.
A DEAD SNAKE… AND SOME MUMMIFIED MICE.
There was a lesson learned that day… snakes can’t move backwards. And I will think twice about removing radiators from here on out.
We broke the motor down eventually. I remember going to hang out with my now-husband after Dad and I had worked one evening. I was covered in grease, dirt and grime and had busted knuckles (because I’m notorious about smashing my hands on something). But after that, my memory seems to fade.
The recession hit, college took over, weddings, babies, and life just had other priorities. So the G sat in the barn in the exact same spot for ages.
Then one day, some tractor angels came and started working on old projects with Dad.
I’ve said it many times, but most of Dad’s newest friends are now younger than I am. And they’re motivated!
Daniel Perkins and Sam Chason asked me one day what I would rather them work on next of my “things” at the farm – the old ’65 4-door Falcon or the G.
No hesitation at all – the G.
She was coming back to life! Like Frankenstein’s monster… but much prettier.
Over time, these angels have brought the G back to life and have made her one of my favorite projects to date.The angels I speak of are Daniel Perkins, Sammy, Sam & Austin Chason, Glen Roberts, Greg Thompson, Darryl Coleman, Nolan Harp, John Collis, Ben Maddox. Each one of these guys contributed in ways I will never be able to repay them for!
(pictured below: Rick taking the G on it’s maiden voyage after over 2 decades)
I wish I could have been there to work on things with them, but I was working on things for the Heritage Days and it never worked out. But the progress pictures and videos made my whole summer! I loved getting to see it all take place and watch the G transform into the running beauty she is today. Especially since the pedestal wasn’t even attached when they started!
These guys have brought more joy and life into so many things here on the farm and I am forever grateful! In fact, Wednesday nights is devoted to them working on tractors and trucks… and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you to my tractor angels for making this project the success it is!!
And now… it’s my turn to take her out for a spin.
by: Stephanie