J.H.Boland Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 (edited) I first started this thread back in 2017 in the Chevrolet trucks forum. A friend told me about an old Chevy truck stored in a shed on a tobacco farm about 30 miles from home. Following his lead,I drove down a narrow back road to the farm described. The owner, the grandson of the original owner, took me into a two car steel garage,half of which he still used. There was a dividing wall of crates,oil drums,boards,etc. between the halves of the garage.The car,he said,is in there. I had to climb over the wall of stuff, almost to the rafters,to look down on the Chevy,which hadn't moved since 1931. It took four years of haggling (I think he was just lonely) but finally in 1972 a deal was reached. It was pretty exciting to dig open the garage doors and roll it out on its' rims, with the wind blowing 40 years of dust off it's body. We loaded it onto a borrowed trailer and started for home. We didn't get far until I spotted things falling off it ! A closer inspection found that it was packed full of walnut shells, and these were what was tumbling out. Restoration took seven years, with many miles traveled to swap meets looking for scarce parts.I had to decide whether to restore it back to it's original touring car configuration or restore it as found..Whoever did the conversion was quite meticulous in it's modification,right down to the roadster top.I decided to leave it as a truck. It was completed in 1979. The first photo is as purchased.The second is of it's first test drive,ca.1977,and as it appears today. The John Deere logo was added a few years ago ,I thought it would be fun to crash a local two cylinder John Deere club meet with a period service truck. It's been welcome at a number of Deere shows since. Some of you have seen these pictures before. I just rediscovered the test drive photo last night,and thought you might enjoy a retelling of the story. Jim Edited March 29, 2020 by J.H.Boland (see edit history) 10 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfudd Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 What a great story! I hadn't seen these pictures before, so thank you for showing them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 17 minutes ago, oldcarfudd said: What a great story! I hadn't seen these pictures before, so thank you for showing them again. Ditto! Great story and fantastic looking truck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 (edited) Found a picture of the garage the Chevy was in. Look closely and you can see bullet holes in the side of the garage.Apparently there was a rabbit hutch there and the farmer took a few shots at a dog trying to get them.The bullets went through the back of the Chevy as well. Edited March 29, 2020 by J.H.Boland (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 54 minutes ago, J.H.Boland said: Found a picture of the garage the Chevy was in. Look closely and you can see bullet holes in the side of the garage.Apparently there was a rabbit hutch there and the farmer took a few shots at a dog trying to get them.The bullets went through the back of the Chevy as well. ... but didn't wipe out 'da waskally wabbit? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 3 minutes ago, Marty Roth said: ... but didn't wipe out 'da waskally wabbit? Don't know.They may have had Hasenpfeffer stew that night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 One simply cannot go wrong with John Deere Green on anything - even if it's a wheelbarrow. Terry Wiegand Way Out in Windy Doo Dah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 48 minutes ago, Terry Wiegand said: One simply cannot go wrong with John Deere Green on anything - even if it's a wheelbarrow. Terry Wiegand Way Out in Windy Doo Dah Right on Terry, but in fact the color is 1958 VW sumatra green. It's just accidentally very close to John Deere's early color formula. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I take exception as to engine color on my 1925 master. 1 hour ago, Terry Wiegand said: One simply cannot go wrong with John Deere Green on anything - even if it's a wheelbarrow. Terry Wiegand Way Out in Windy Doo Dah Can't tell from the photo but the spark plug wires were also green molded rubber insulation. By the time I cleaned everything there was quite a bit more John Deere green on the head, block and crankcase. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 But will it run on two cylinders Larry ? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Wow. Really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 I have told people for years that there are only three things in this life that are worth a solitary dime - and they are GM, JD, and HD. Not necessarily in that order though. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 2 hours ago, Terry Wiegand said: I have told people for years that there are only three things in this life that are worth a solitary dime - and they are GM, JD, and HD. Not necessarily in that order though. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas I've never owned a motorcycle (back injury made riding difficult),but I grew up with GM and JD. Dad bought his first JD,a used '39 AR,in 1950. It's still around and restored.I still have his last one,an '86 2550 with only 2500 hours on it. The first photo shows Dad and I with the AR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 The only sound that beats a 2 cylinder JD is a Merlin powered aeroplane at takeoff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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