I've been to Oklahoma to visit an uncle, and just got back to Southern Illinois last night. I went by way of Iowa and took Mom along to see her brother, and we had a great trip. One of the highlights was checking out this old F-14 my uncle fixed up. He bought it from the original owner after the son of the owner alerted my uncle that it could be purchased, "Probably for $25 or $30." My uncle visited the old boy and at the right time in the conversation brought up the tractor and offered $30. The old boy said, " I couldn't do that.....I'd have to get at least $35."
The motor has new sleeves, pistons, and bearings, and the head has been rebuilt. Driving it is a punishing experience on the cherty soils around my uncle's place, so it rests in the barn dreaming of the Iowa corn fields where it used to earn a living. I am back to live blogging now. My uncle has no internet at his place, so I have been away from e-mail and the blog. Blogger lets you post ahead, so I loaded up before my trip to keep the blog fresh. Boxes of chainsaw parts arrived while I was gone, so I am going to do some rehabbing on my saws, and go cut some wood.
That tractor is an indicator that there might well be other goodies in that barn! I'm glad it's in good hands.
ReplyDeleteI think there had been an F-14 on the Modesto ranch early on, but it was history by the time I got there in '75. I remember some of the ranch hands talking about it. There were a couple of International TD-18 crawlers there which had six-cylinder engines which started on gasoline and then were switched over to diesel when they were warmed up; however, one was dead when I got there, and the other blew itself up shortly after and I never got to run it.
Glad you had a good trip! - gsc1039
My uncle left the farm he grew up on to learn electronics, and after a stint in the army he worked with radar equpment during the 1950's and 1960's. Stuff so secret he still does not talk about it. Now he has goats, chickens, and enjoys a secluded lifestyle. Thanks for writing!
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