I was wondering if there would be much interest in a "restoration" thread. there have been many MANY build threads for our fieros over the years. i was wondering if anyone would be interested in a thread of a complete rebuild/restoration of a 1944 John Deere LA aka "Little John"? if there is interest i will continue this thread and document the entire restoration process (lots of pics). if there is no interest than there is no point in taking up Cliffs space on his servers, and we will let this thread die a peaceful death.
Thanks Will
IP: Logged
08:16 AM
PFF
System Bot
cliffw Member
Posts: 35951 From: Bandera, Texas, USA Registered: Jun 2003
I would think there would be interest. I don't farm but appreciate old machinery. Tractors are a part of history. How 'bout some tease pictures? What it looks like now and what it should look like. Maybe some Little John history.
I, for one, would enjoy seeing a build thread on this. When I was a kid, I spent summers on my grandfather's farm, and he was a "John Deere Man". He had an A, a B, and a 720 diesel. My first real driving was done on the B. My grandfather told me that if I could start it, he'd let me drive it. It had no electric starter...you had to make sure it was in neutral and the brakes were set, open the cylinder petcocks and adjust the throttle, then spin the flywheel to start it. It took me several attempts over a period of time, but finally one day, I got it started, so he took me out in the pasture, showed me what to do, and turned me loose. Shortly after that, I learned to park it on a hill so that the next time I wanted to drive it, all I had to do was let it roll...
I, for one, would enjoy seeing a build thread on this. When I was a kid, I spent summers on my grandfather's farm, and he was a "John Deere Man". He had an A, a B, and a 720 diesel. My first real driving was done on the B. My grandfather told me that if I could start it, he'd let me drive it. It had no electric starter...you had to make sure it was in neutral and the brakes were set, open the cylinder petcocks and adjust the throttle, then spin the flywheel to start it. It took me several attempts over a period of time, but finally one day, I got it started, so he took me out in the pasture, showed me what to do, and turned me loose. Shortly after that, I learned to park it on a hill so that the next time I wanted to drive it, all I had to do was let it roll...
my grandfather also had a "B" he did the exact same thing to me. thats how this tractor got its name "Little John" because we called the B "Big John".....
Ok here is some history on this tractor. My greatgrandfather bought this tractor brand new in 1944 to be exact May 8, 1944. He ordered it with cultivators and a 14" single bottom plow for $648.54. how do i know this... i still have the origional bill of sale . My great-grand dad (GDD) back then owned the largest farm in Monroe, MI (4500 acres). This unique story starts on the day it was delivered to the farm... my grandfather (21 years old then) was the only one on the farm when the tractor was delivered, my GDD wasat the co-op delivering corn. my grand dad had the great idea that he would start working the field while his dad was at the co-op well needless to say that in May around the farm everything was really wet. my grand dad didnt get more than 20 feet before he got it stuck. well he was worred about getting in trouble so he tried to get it out himself, which only caused it to sink even worse. by the time my GDD got home the tractor was stuck up to the seat in mud well needless to say my GDD never got to see it "new". well lets jump a few years to the time my GDD passes away and my grand dad gets the tractor and the farm. (1955 or so) the farm is not doing so well due to larger farms going up all over the place and lack of good help. my grand dad endes up selling most of the farm (down to about 800-1000 acres) they have bigger and better tractors to do the farming and this little LA is now only used for "yard" work and a little tractor for the kids the learn how to drive.
Now just to show how anal my grand dad was about some things... this little tractor has never seen rain except for comming back from the field or work area to be put away. my grand dad sold the rest of the farm in 1975 due to his diabetes and the lack of money in crops back then.
now to jump to recent times (1990 to present). when i was a kid i would go over to my grandparents house as all kids do and "play" with the "toys" ie this little tractor. my grandfather everytime that he would get done using the tractor he would turn the gas vavle off and run the carb dry (important later) also he would always put a tarp over it to keep it "clean" (didnt do much good, but helped). well in about 1995 or so my grand dad started to get sick and his health declined. and also us kids got older and didnt go over and play as much. so this little tractor sat in the corner of the barn (on sand) for many years (12 to be exact). well my grand dad ended up passing away in 2003 from his declining health. my grandmother ended up selling the other bigger tractor "Big John" to a local farmer. Before my grand dad passed away he asked me if i wanted to have the tractor. i said i would love to. we always talked about fixing it up, but my grand dads health never really let him. since he passed i have never really had time to get the tractor due to personal matters. however this past spring my grand mother said something to me and my dad that she was going to give the tractor away to the man that took the other one. me and my dad about had a heart attack. we told her no she cant do that. it has been in the family since new!!! well i finally went and picked it up a couple weeks ago and started restoring it. i didnt know much about these little tractors so i decided to do some research. i have found out alot of info and have met some great people in my hunt for info. i didnt realize but these little tractors have almost as big of a following as we do here on PFF.
Even though i am NEVER going to sell this tractor i inquired about its value. i was talking to a collector down in ohio about my tractor and he started to ask me some quesitons. Is the origional serial tag on the rear casing? Can you still read the numbers on the engine block? Origional tires? Bill of sale? Origional hand painted decails on the plow? Cultivators? anything rusted through besided battery tray and exhaust?? after i answered all his questions he told me he would write me a check for $10,000 sight unseen. i about fell out of my chair. but i declined because of my family history with this little thing. and this is were we are today. starting to gather up info, random parts, and begining restoration.
If any of my story is confusing, sorry, trying to go off the top of my head while i am here at work . if you would like something explained more let me know and i will do my best. also if you would like me to continue with the restoration thread let me know and i would be more than happy to do so. Any and all questions are welcome.
Thanks for reading and i hope you enjoy.
Will
IP: Logged
10:44 AM
blakeinspace Member
Posts: 5923 From: Fort Worth, Texas Registered: Dec 2001
Absolutley one of the finest reads I have had the pleasure of viewing.
Took me back to a different era, as I am cooped up in this cubicle...
A well deserved (+) to you.
edit- well never the heck mind... I got you sometime before. No comments on the 'reason' line... but I'd lay money it was because I like your writing style!
[This message has been edited by blakeinspace (edited 07-20-2007).]
as i reread my post above i forgot to mention the suprise that me and my dad encountered when we went to pick up the tractor... as i said the tractor sat in the back corner of the barn on sand for 12 years, never moved, or touched, except for about once a year the spark plugs would be removed and some oil dumped in the cyl and cranked over with the hand crank. when we picked up the tractor it had settled in the sand above the bottom of the rims. we pulled it out with a chain and attempted to fill the tires with air (not expecting much as i thought they were rotted through. as i put air in them they all held. i was amazed. well as we blew the dust off and going through the barn to gather the parts for the plow and cultivators (also finding the origional umbrella in perfect shape ) i got the idea... lets try to start it. since it has a magneto (sp?) i didnt need a battery. so we dump a little gas in the tank. turned on the gas and check the oil. all good. so we hooked up the chain to the explorer and attempted to pull start it.... after only about 20 feet of pulling it, it started!!!!!! not only did it start but it ran like it always did, idled perfect. so all those years of my grand dad shutting off the fuel to clear the carb allowed this tractor to come back to life with little effort. my grandma was in tears because she it was like my grand dad came back to life through this little tractor. i drove it around the yard for a little bit remembering sitting on my grand dads lap as i did when i was a little kid. i loaded it up on the trailer along with everything else to go with it and i told my grandma that the next time she sees it, it will look just as it did when my grand dad got it stuck in the field (she also worked on the farm, dated my grand dad at the time).
im sure i will have more things to add as i remeber them so bare with me
at this point i am cleaning it up (lots of engine degreaser). i still wasnt sure if i was going to do a total restoration (paint) because i wasnt sure i was going to be able to get origional decals. well after some phone calls and internet searching i was able to locate a person that bought the origional John Deere prints and machines and is authorized my JD to reproduce them (10% goes to JD). so since i am going for a 110% ORIGIONAL look i decided to get them ordered and do a complete restoration. more pics here is what it looks like after a GOOD power washing hey looky there, there is some green paint under all that dirt and here is the origional umbrella, in perfect shape here are the cultivatiors, also going to get restored here is the 14" single bottom plow, agian also going to get restored more to come....
here is the last time the tractor will be running for quite a while... me unloading it from the trailer. a pic of me in a moment of enjoyment my grandfather was a great man and had alot of good ideas, however he was also very VERY cheep. he would find ways to make things work without spending any money. he fixed everything with clamps and JB Weld... as you can see in the pics of the exhaust.
sorry for the amount of pics in a short time. i only have a few more but i will post them on monday as i am out of town this weekend for a family reunion. as i said before about thinking that the tires were rotted but they werent... well i found out why. this tractor was built in 1943-1944 which was during WW2. during the war rubber was limited. what john deere did is that they made a synthetic material (nylon, plastic, and rubber) to produce their tires. the good thing about these tires is that they are resistant to rotting!!!!! AWSOME!!!! i was told that they do dry out and will crack if left long enough. my tires have a little bit of cracking. since i want to go all origional i inquired about the best way to condition them. what i found out the best thing is... petrolium jelly. now imagine me going into the store and getting about 5 cans of jelly, needless to say the cashier looked at me kinda funny. i couldnt help but to say "ohhh i gotta fix my rubber." . so i spent all day with a paint brush and covered the tires making sure to get down in ALL the cracks no matter how small they were. and yes i was also covered in it when i was done. i also began to do searches of where i could find parts for a 63 year old tractor. thank god i found a place that has AWSOME prices and is only 5 hours away (Trenton, OH). this man only works with John Deere L series (L, LA, and LI models) i went and got all of the parts i needed so far (pics and details later). after i got home i then began the dismanteling of "Little John" (pics later) and that brings it to where i am today. i will post more pics and detailed info when i am back in town on monday. agian if anyone has any questions or need something cleared up let me know and i will do my best.
I agree, Will...it's an excellent thread, and I'll be watching for regular updates. I've given you a + rating for this thread...not only are you preserving a bit of history, but also a bit of your family history. Keep up the good work, and I'll be looking forward to more installments from you!
This is a great thread. Wow, a one owner 1944 John Deere tractor. One family owned anyways. Origional bill of sale, origional umbrella, origional attatchments. Awesome. $10,000.00 sight unseen, ,? Unbelievable but believable. I can not imagine what one restored would go for. Speaking of which (disclaimer...I am not an expert), keep everything you replace or remove. Even the origional bolts go a long way for purists to consider something truely origional. Naturally, some bolts may need to be changed to ensure structural/mechanical integrity but even save the old ones.
Question, a little off topic. The first, and only tractor I have driven (operated with a brush hog) was also a John Deere. It was also an oldie. It had dual front steering wheels on a single verticle steering shaft. My friend, the owner, called it a johnny popper. Any idea what year that was? Looking forward to your rebuild.
There are alot of guys who research family trees, or hold family reunions, but not to many who will restore a family heirloom like your GGD's little tractor. Way to go. You'll be a legend in your family.
yes i was planning on saving everything, down to the origional sparkplugs, fan belt and all items that could wear out over time is getting replaced with new, in order to preserve the origional items. im not sure what model you are talking about but i have included a link to a webpage that has the history and pics of all the John Deere models. maybe you could find what one it was there. The name Johnny Popper was a name that was given to the 2 cylinder tractors made my JD because of the "popping" that they made while running, kind of sounds like the old "HIT-N-MISS" engines.
Heck, I have been away from home for awhile. I can't reference my computer. When I can, I will toss a little funny into this mix. See, more than a couple Jeepers have used the John Deere paint theme. Harley Davidson, John Deere, Jeep, Fiero ( ), Can it get anymore American ? 'scuse me, I need to wipe the tear from my eye, .
Sorry for the delay in the update. i will be able to get everyone caught up to where the tractor is today. Here is the front of the engine with all the shields off (keep note of how the front plate on the engine looks) here is a pic of the engine with the exhaust/intake maniflod off. if you look closely you can see that i broke the stud off on the right side but it wont be to hard to get out as i still have about 1.5" of stud still sticking out (you will see in a next pic) this pic is the top of the engine where the coolant enters the engine (no waterpump) you can also see the stud i broke off. suring my research i found out some interesting things about some of the parts. first the steering box (in pic below) is from a ford model A and the clutch is also from a ford model A (modified to fit)
here is a pic of the origional serial tag found on the rear housing. i have a replacement being made to preserve this one. you can also see the rearend stamp. i went though and got all the numbers off the tractor and they all match. i figured they would as this tractor has not been tore down before. here is another pic of the dismantleing... if you look closely you can see the driveshaft comming out of the engine... no universal joints.... JD was amazing at making tractors affordable, and making them easy to work on in the field, while still making them reliable . JD's "universal" consisted of a peice of reinforced rubber 1/2" thick. ill show a close up pic later on. notice the front of the engine now... much cleaner (engine degreaser and a toothbrush). still ALOT of cleaning required, then sanding and cleaning and sanding, and so on (i hope im not to anal
here is the engine comming off the frame. i had my future father-in-law help me with this as i DID NOT want to damage the oil pan (not replaceable). here is the frame of the tractor without the engine, ahhhh more dirt to clean...
i will have more pics comming today (new parts and more detailed pics. if anyone wants a specific pic let me know and i will do my best.
thanks for reading Will
IP: Logged
10:19 AM
PFF
System Bot
cliffw Member
Posts: 35951 From: Bandera, Texas, USA Registered: Jun 2003
This is great stuff! I have a 1942 Ford 2N that I want to restore, but I can't stop using it long enough to tear it apart! They sure don't make 'em as good as they used to. Have fun!
here are some pics of the radiator. i have to have it redone due to leaking and extreme buildup inside due to sitting for years. there is only one place known to have the ability to reporduce these. near dayton OH. ill be shipping this out today. wont know the cost until after it is all done... here is the new battery tray, bracket, and cover. the only one was rotted out. this one is an exact duplicate of the origional.
i told you how anal i was going to be on this being origional... well her are some springs that i had made due to not being able to find ones that i wanted... here are some of the random parts that i have taken off of the tractor. these will be cleaned up, repainted and reinstalled. air cleaner assembly gas tank (great condition) rear drawbar
lower "roll pan" here is the main engine cover here is the front grill, some sanding done. it is in ok shape. i will do the best i can to straighten it up. if i cant get it to look as i want then i can also get this part reproduced. here is the reproduced starter rod, origional was missing here is the remaned exhaust/intake mainifold. the port that is pointing up connects to the exhaust elbow and muffler (pic to follow) and the carb connects to the port pointing to the bottom of the pic.
here is a pic of the remaned exhaust elbow and muffler here is the fender and driveshaft cover (started sanding) here is a pic of the cleaned up frame (still have to do sanding) here is a pic of the rubber "universals". you can see how simple and effective these are...
here is a pic of the engine. as i was cleaning it i broke through the freeze plug. good thing too as i would of been horrible to get the tractor all finished and have to tear it apart to fix this. and also it was good because when i went to the JD dealer i found that there is only 40 left world wide and no one else makes these at this size that i have found. here is a pic of the seat. it is not the origional however i am unable to locate the seat pan so i am going to redo this one until i am able to locate one in good condition. if anyone knows of one let me know.
a little bit off topic... i was wondering if you guys could keep an eye out for a particular model tractor for me... it is a John Deere Model "62" made in 1936-37 area. i have included some pics as they are not very popular tractors. if you know of the location of one and the owner is willing to sell it let me know, as i am going to be in the need of another project. here are some pics of what they look like....
they are the only tractors that have the JD emblem formed in the front as showned in the pics and there is also one on the back of the rear diff.
****** THERE WILL BE A VERY VERY NICE FINDERS FEE PAID IF YOU FIND ONE**********
PM me with any info if you have any.
Thanks Will
[This message has been edited by wriott (edited 07-24-2007).]
IP: Logged
02:22 PM
PFF
System Bot
tesmith66 Member
Posts: 7355 From: Jerseyville, IL Registered: Sep 2001
Are you a member on Yesterday's Tractors? I always find good info there. I also have a 47 Dearborn 19-8 loader that I need to restore. Sure wish I lived closer to you.
Are you a member on Yesterday's Tractors? I always find good info there. I also have a 47 Dearborn 19-8 loader that I need to restore. Sure wish I lived closer to you.
no im an not a member... what is the link??? IL isnt that far. i am always down in Gifford for a horse show, only about a 6 hour drive for me. (now a days anything under 12 hours seems "short")
IP: Logged
07:32 PM
Jul 25th, 2007
tesmith66 Member
Posts: 7355 From: Jerseyville, IL Registered: Sep 2001
here is the frame of the tractor without the engine, ahhhh more dirt to clean...
It's amazing to look at these pictures. You stop and think about how complex today's tractors are, and then you look at this, and see just how simple they were back then. And yet, they were durable and dependable. Makes you wonder just how much of a good thing technology really is..
IP: Logged
10:28 AM
tesmith66 Member
Posts: 7355 From: Jerseyville, IL Registered: Sep 2001
no im an not a member... what is the link??? IL isnt that far. i am always down in Gifford for a horse show, only about a 6 hour drive for me. (now a days anything under 12 hours seems "short")
I'm another 3+ hours southwest.
IP: Logged
01:01 PM
Jul 27th, 2007
cliffw Member
Posts: 35951 From: Bandera, Texas, USA Registered: Jun 2003
awsome looking Jeep. and yes that link will come in VERY handy... + for you.
Sorry for the lack of updates, i injured my back pretty bad on sunday (4-wheeler accident) im all good but i should have more pics and updates in the next few days... ill keep everyone posted
This is a nice break from some of the other threads that get posted here. I found this while looking for something and remembered this thread, thought you might like it for an avatar or sig or something...
.JPG)
.jpg)
. My great-grand dad (GDD) back then owned the largest farm in Monroe, MI (4500 acres). This unique story starts on the day it was delivered to the farm... my grandfather (21 years old then) was the only one on the farm when the tractor was delivered, my GDD wasat the co-op delivering corn. my grand dad had the great idea that he would start working the field while his dad was at the co-op well needless to say that in May around the farm everything was really wet. my grand dad didnt get more than 20 feet before he got it stuck. well he was worred about getting in trouble so he tried to get it out himself, which only caused it to sink even worse. by the time my GDD got home the tractor was stuck up to the seat in mud 
well needless to say my GDD never got to see it "new". well lets jump a few years to the time my GDD passes away and my grand dad gets the tractor and the farm. (1955 or so) the farm is not doing so well due to larger farms going up all over the place and lack of good help. my grand dad endes up selling most of the farm (down to about 800-1000 acres) they have bigger and better tractors to do the farming and this little LA is now only used for "yard" work and a little tractor for the kids the learn how to drive. 
. if you would like something explained more let me know and i will do my best. also if you would like me to continue with the restoration thread let me know and i would be more than happy to do so. Any and all questions are welcome. 
) i got the idea... lets try to start it. since it has a magneto (sp?) i didnt need a battery. so we dump a little gas in the tank. turned on the gas and check the oil. all good. so we hooked up the chain to the explorer and attempted to pull start it.... after only about 20 feet of pulling it, it started!!!!!! not only did it start but it ran like it always did, idled perfect. so all those years of my grand dad shutting off the fuel to clear the carb allowed this tractor to come back to life with little effort. my grandma was in tears because she it was like my grand dad came back to life through this little tractor. i drove it around the yard for a little bit remembering sitting on my grand dads lap as i did when i was a little kid. i loaded it up on the trailer along with everything else to go with it and i told my grandma that the next time she sees it, it will look just as it did when my grand dad got it stuck in the field (she also worked on the farm, dated my grand dad at the time). .JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
but it wont be to hard to get out as i still have about 1.5" of stud still sticking out (you will see in a next pic).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
. JD's "universal" consisted of a peice of reinforced rubber 1/2" thick. ill show a close up pic later on..jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_1.jpg)
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
_1.jpg)
_1.jpg)
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
