Loves of my life but we grow old.

[alleyyooper]

I was a farm boy and loved tractors, still do today.
All I was looking for in 1986 was a antique farm tractor to pull. My brother in law belonged to a pulling club with some good rules I felt to keep antique pulling tractors from just for those with lots of money to spend. Before pulling you first weighed in then was corraled, then you were dynoed. You could only dyno 19 HP per thousand pounds in the class. That kept any souped up tractors for the most part pulling againest pure stockers.
The JD A , B & g guy didn't like it so well because they had to pull most times could only pull in the 9000 pound and up class because they were running power blocks.

So I found a Massey Harris 44 gas sitting forlorned like at a JD Dealer in Caro Mi.

It could pull in the 4500 pound class along with IH M's, Oliver 70's and other tractors produceing from 40 to 45 HP.
Well this sorry looking tractor held promise as it started and run fine. had some home made hubs because the old cast Massy ones had broken along the way. the PTO shaft had been remove by some one for some reason along the way also and the hole covered with some plateing.

Remember the tractor has to dyno and needed a PTO shaft. The search begain with the sales guy at the same JD dealer ship saying he had a 44 diesel Special going to auction mid week in St Louis Mi.
I made arrangements to take the day off work to see if i could buy the Diesel which had a seized engine.
I won the bidding and got it. top picture.

Now I have to get it the 80 miles home. My new pick up had not came in yet and Dads truck wouldn't work with my trailer. So with dads truck and brother in laws trailer I got it home with several problems along rhe way.
then the parts could not be used because dad said it was to nice to become a parts tractor and Wife agreed.

Al

 

[alleyyooper]

As we are driveing narrow dirt country roads on week ends glassing fence rows and back behind barns we ran across some nice complete Massey Harris tractors. Kare said you should just start a collection of Massey's.
The 3d Massey to join the collection was a Massey 30 162 cid L head engine.

The 30 was to heavy in stock trim to make the 3500 pound class but a Massey 101 Junior could with the same 162 cid L head engine.

It is the one in the picture with the diesel. I bought it from a fellow in Ohio, who worked on my wife to buy her a model 81.

On th eway home from Ohio close to Mothers day I ask what you want for mothers day she say a tractor. I knew she ment the 81. I bought her a 1946 Model 20 with a wide front end 140 cid L head engine. My Massey books said that was one rare tractor. Well it isn't all that rare as thought as the engine is a trans plant not orginal.

Near tractor top picture

What I would have given back then for a digital camera.

One snowy cold windy Febuary day Kare spots a fender she is sure is a Massey behind a fallen down barn. I take a look and am sure she is right. Turn down the the road the barn is on and turn in the drive. Knock on the door and man answers and yes it is a Massy Harris back there, planed on fixing it after looseing a piston but had not gotten around to it [ Many will tell you that but 15 years later it still sits rusting away] but might sell it for the right money. I say I want to go look at it, he says the snow is deep and wind is blowing strong but it is up to you.
so I wollow the snow some places waist deep to get to a Massey with the engine torn apart hood and grill in part of a pile at the rear. Engine is just a mess and will cost a bunch to bring back to life. He came out there which I did expect and says how much will you give me for it. I say the engine is really bad water has gotten in the cylinders and into the oil pan. the dip stick is frozen in as you can move it a little and feel some thing hitting stopping it from comeing out. He says lets go back to the house and talk about it. I say I am going to see if I can get a look at the rear tires or just offet $50.00 as is and store it till spring when I can get a truck and trailer into it. He says well I don't know if i should let it go that cheap. So I say OK i guess i am not intrested can't see the rear tires their stuck in the dirt. Rims may be bad along with the engine. I stat for our Jeep and he says 50.00 wil do and you can come in the spring to get it.
Got All the parts for my pulling tractor. I got it together and Dad took it over. the first pull he took a second and after that several first seconds and a couple of thirds.

All that summer it was dyning at 43 to 46 hp I figured the pressure effected it and some times the state of tune.

At that winters club meeting to ad or subrract rulls to the pulling club the members were lax and many didn't attend. The HP per 1000 pound rule was voted out and a new rule was put in place, you just had to look stock. the next summer the JD boys were fat on a hog happy as they were winning every class from 4500 pounds to thr 8000 pound class. What they were to blind to see is every pull had less and less tractors pulling till there were only about 10 JD's pulling and by August the club had went to nothing.

Now days a country fair may have a tractor pull, the JD guys don't do very well againest the modified but looking stock IH M and those Olivers.
We stopped going after the 3 event.
I was takeing 6 tractors to tractor shows even when dad got to old to help load unload and carry chains and binders.
You can't leave them on the trailer they will just walk off in a huff you know.
Dad alway enjoyed driveing them in the prade of equipment and talking to people about when he farmed with a 44, a 30 a 44-6.
After dad passed away I started skidding takeing so many to shows. I would just take 2 one for me and one for Kare. Finally That got old always having to make sure and put the chains and binders away. and after they at one show jumped the started and moved a tractor pulling the rotor out so the tractor wouldn't start.
I just quit going to shows even. I have lost count for sure but think I have 22 Massey Hareis tractors from a 1938 101 a 1946 101 Junior all the way up to a 1956 Massey 333 ans a 1957 massey Harris 555 diesel, A 1961 Allis D17, and a 1965 Ford 5000 gas.

Dad pulling my 33.

1954 Pacer plowing snow.

1957 555 Diesel.

1949 55 Massey gas.

model 81 and pacer on the trailer at a show.

1938 101 and 1951 model 30 on trailer at a show. Bottom is the 1953 44 butane. Yes massey called them butanes.

top is Kares model 20 mothers day presant and bottom is my 22 standard from Canada.

I almost for got I have a IH H that was given to me also.


Al

 

[alleyyooper]

So after nearly 11 years I buy a classic car from my mother in law. It is in great shape except for the paint. I had started trying to get mom to sell it to me in 2011 when she had me move it out side from the grarage so her oldest daughter could put her juntk there when she moved in.

Finally August 16th money changed hands and the title was signed over plates bought.
Just short drives on nice days the rest of 2016. 2017 saw us attending the weekly evening car shows in near by towns.
Then our first all day car show was Porth Huron Mi all day car show. How strange it was to pay a fee to show our car and so many strange people walking rhe streets looking at the cars and trucks for free.

I was having over heating issues all summer and kept working to iron the problem out but still attended a bunch of shows. Got our first trophy at Sandusky Mi fal show. Most orginal 1985 or older car/truck. we will not win that his year I believe because it was painted during the winter.


New shiny car hood.

Still it is nice starting the car in the morning, turning the radio on and the AC getting on th eroad and setting rhr cruise and driving to a show. People still stop and talk of the day their mom or dad had a Buick like ours. Or a elder couple like us who remember their Buick Lesabre.
I do not have to hide chains and binder from theifs, don't have to move ramps to fit this tractor and that. I just got to old for all that stuff.

Today I enjoy the tractors around the place, plow up the garden plot work it up with another, haul for wood to the house and just pure plain and simple take it for a drive around the place because I can.

Al

 

[MH81]

Nice fleet of Red and Yellow
The 38, did it have the badge?

Glad you're still enjoying the shows, and I agree that chains can age a man

 

[alleyyooper]

Yes the 38 had the badge and it also excaped the retro fit of the brake pedals.

. A l

 

[KennyP]

Great story! Thanks for sharing

 

[Cvans]

Enjoyed your story Al. Thanks for posting it.

 

[cjet69]

Nice collection of tractors. We only have one Massey Harris in our herd. Its a model 44 also.

 

[alleyyooper]

What year 44 is that? I see you have also had to repair the intake manifold. That is common with the OHV engines.

Al

 

[cjet69]

Its a 1951 and the manifold had been welded when we got it.

 

[Red Tractors]

I enjoyed reading about your Massey's and like you, started kind of the same way, one by one until the shed was filled to the rafters. I'm now at that age when I'm thinking of reducing the herd. Thanks for the story.

 

[alleyyooper]

Thanks for the reply.


No we didn't get the most orginal trophy this year as I figured. A 1984 Regal T type got it.
We got this instead for our class 1975 to 1985 best non or restored luxury class.




Al

 

[Karliek]

I read somewhere you might have a Massey E8. I'm down in the Kenosha area, my dad Fred was a collector and in the Massey group. I have his Massey Executive 24 Deluxe and a Massey 6 garden tractor (rear engine) and I'm really wanting to add the E8 or E7. Any chance you know of one? Here's a picture of my M24. Can't find a deck for her though.

 

[MFDAC]

I read somewhere you might have a Massey E8. I'm down in the Kenosha area, my dad Fred was a collector and in the Massey group. I have his Massey Executive 24 Deluxe and a Massey 6 garden tractor (rear engine) and I'm really wanting to add the E8 or E7. Any chance you know of one? Here's a picture of my M24. Can't find a deck for her though.

Unfortunately, Al (Alleyooper) passed away a few years ago.

DAC