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It’s been a busy couple o’ days… busy in a very good way. After meeting up with Ryan in Florissant for some wheels, a steering box, and lunch: [SinglePic not found] we drove back and mounted the straight axle under the front of the Dodge pick-em-up. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pics while workingl, but Ryan’s ’38 is very similar (although full bodies) and pictured below: [SinglePic not found] Today we drove around most of Colorado Springs chasing down some parts and did some minor work on the ’35 Ford Mordoor. I’ve got to keep my camera handier. Workin’ on cars; Lots of laughter; Good Times.

There are Ford tractors. Why not a Chevy tractor?

Knowing GM, if Chevy made a tractor they would’ve used the same off-the-shelf parts they use for everything else. The only difference between a Chevy truck and a GMC (besides the additional $1500+ for GMC) is the rebadging & trim: Firebird/Camaro, Cavalier/Sunbird/Skylark/or load down that same anemic 88hp with heavy accessories and call it a Cadillac Cimarron.

If Chevrolet went into the tractor business, building four-wheeled work-horses from their already existing pile of schtock – unlike the two-wheeled tractors made by Harley – they might’ve looked something like this:

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I showed all the parts I used to make the tractor fuel tank in a previous post and the pieces for the brackets were included in the beginning of that write-up. Today I was able to get around to making those brackets.

I started out by taking the 2″ flat and bending it to match the inside of one of the four ”J” pieces cut from 1/4″ plate, welding it in place as I went along.

Then I took that assembly and welded the other side of the 2″ flat to another one of the “J” pieces. Like so: (notice the persuader)
 
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The tractor still needs a fuel tank and I haven’t been able to find something I like that fits. There’s space between the rails in the back but I want to leave that for PTO drive and some other accessories. Since the only other available space is to hang it on the outside of the frame-rail in plain view, I wanted something that didn’t look like a piece of pressed tin.

Here’s the parts I’ve put together:

• 12″ Pipe 20″ long – it’s every bit of 5/16″ thick O  
• 2 – 12″ circles cut from 1/4″ plate (tank sides)
• 2″ NPT short nipple (filler neck)
• 2″ pipe cap (filler cap)
• 4″ x 1/4″ x 12″ flat (drilled for filler neck, sending unit & vent)
• 1/4″ pipe x 2″ & 1/4″ elbow (tank vent) more in picture than actually used
• and an old Chevy sending unit w/ fuel pick-up tube
  
• Flat stock and “J” shapes cut from 1/4″ plate in top picture are for the mounting brackes

Cut a 12″ x 4″ rectangle hole centered in the side of the pipe for the flat connection plate:

Yes Ken, it would’ve been easier to just drill some holes in the pipe for the filler neck & vent and be done with it. It would’ve been even easier to strap a jerry-can to the side of the tractor; but it wouldn’t have been quite the look I was going for. :-)

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