NGC - Interesting projects

[SIR REAL ED]

I saw this beauty a few days ago, and it reminded me of how much I have wanted to build one since I was a kid.

Lack of garage space has prevented that from ever happening.  Perhaps someday a smaller project based on a shaft drive motorcycle and a smaller garden tractor will be part of the future.

Farm Show magazine featured hundreds of great projects for decades.

a more sophisticated version of what I saw:  https://www.thedrive.com/news/38001/the-4wd-international-harvester-trucktor-is-real-and-yes-you-can-buy-it

[ScepticalScotty]

What I would love to build had I actually a proper garage, would be a Floyd Fronius GOAT or BUG. Both ultralight, stick and rudder gliders. Quite a few GOATS have been built around the world now. Also, unfortunately, the UK aviation regulations are particularly unfriendly to such gliders, classing then not with hang gliders and paragliders but with full size sailplanes. The late Fred Hoinville had a almost messianic fervour for getting people in the air cheaply in Australia, and had a 30ft max wingspan fixed in his mind. He died in the 60s, but the dream has been realised now.

[cliffrod]

Now I’m envisioning the mash up of the typical Farm Show ….ummm.. creativity.. with building flying machines out back in the shed.  Sometimes a little regulation and oversight is actually a good thing when there’s other innocent people within “Hey y’all- watch this” range.

We never submitted it to Farm Show, but Dad was quite proud of the snub nosed 1959 GMC V6 log truck- known as the Silver Streak for its silver paint brushed paint job-  on which we installed a old New Holland Forage wagon box that was driven by the pto.  The box was free (Guzzi content) if we removed it from the chassis.  We actually got two of them, one to install and one for parts.  It sure was easier & faster than shoveling 3000lbs of silage by hand at 5AM & 4PM every day- just drive along the feed bunk and run silage into it.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Like the "500 hp Powerstroke Ford 8N" that I saw a video of the other day, the "trucktor" doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

[SIR REAL ED]

Like the "500 hp Powerstroke Ford 8N" that I saw a video of the other day, the "trucktor" doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I kinda doubt that inventing a better mouse trap was the point of the exercise.  More likely, it was just tinkering for the sake of tinkering.

Using lathes and milling machines would be considered cheating cause most farmers didn't have em!  Purists used only ox-acetylne torches and stick welders!

The "tructors" I seen both in print and in person, remind me of the kits for either Ford model A's or T's that were sold back in the day.  Really cool backyard design.  Replace the hubs with pinions, bolt on some steel wheels with internal ring gears.

https://www.farmcollector.com/tractors/model-a-ford-turned-tractor-the-sears-thrifty-farmer-tractor-conversion-kit/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxHSxbGUzoY

The later and more sophicated production version was the Minneapolis Moline Comfort Tractor.  I think they were too expensive to sell well back in the day, but would make a great ride to a car show today.  IIRC, a pristine example was worth well over $100k about 10 or 15 years ago.

[SIR REAL ED]

one of my buddy's father built a Doodlebug back when I was in high school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxUFqcu_dTQ

[SIR REAL ED]

https://www.farmcollector.com/tractors/model-t-fords-zmlz14janzbea/

Wild Guzzi content:
“Any layman can attach the Forma-Tractor to the Ford in less than one hour,” company promotional material claimed, “and remove it in 15 minutes without in any way marring the car.” One selling point for many of these conversion attachments was how easily they could be put on and removed, allowing farmers to do tractor fieldwork during the week and drive the car to town on Saturday and church on Sunday."

That's what the Moto Guzzi salesman told me!  Honest!