World's "First And Only" Chevrolet Tractor

World s First And Only Chevrolet Tractor AG WORLD Ag World FARM SHOW has featured quite a few tractors over the years powered by Chevy engines But they have always been repowered machines where the original engine had been replaced     That s not the case with this one-of-a-kind Chevrolet tractor owned by Dale Hall of Mount Washington Ky It was originally equipped with a Chevrolet 216 cu in engine and a 4-speed transmission and manual shift two-speed rear end          The tractor is a one-of-a-kind prototype without a pto hydraulics belt pulley or power lift of any kind All those features would ve been added if the tractor had ever gone into production notes Hall     He acquired the tractor in 1991 when he answered an ad in a local paper about a truck for sale When he went to see the truck he happened to see an old tractor in the barn Right away he knew it was unusual so he bought it and left the truck     The previous owner remembered seeing the tractor sitting idle on his neighbor s farm when he was a kid Upon asking about the tractor the young man was told he could have it He later did some research into the unusual tractor     After World War II ended a deaf and mute man named Nutter built the tractor in his garage hoping to interest General Motors in manufacturing it It was well known that the company wanted to get into the tractor business He used a 1 1/2-ton Chevy truck engine transmission and rear end - common parts that he thought would help keep the production cost down When the prototype was finished someone from Chevrolet in Detroit came to look at it Unfortunately the company s plants were all operating at full capacity in the post-war boom so no deal was ever worked out     When he got it the tractor s engine block was cracked so it sat in his garage for 10 years Two years ago his wife urged him to put the tractor back together so he started working on it      I ve tried to restore the tractor to as near its original condition as I could says Dale It runs now and I ve taken it to a couple of shows The tractor had sat out for so long that you couldn t even tell what color it had been One day I discovered that it was painted dark blue when I took the tractor apart and saw the top part of the rear end housing I got the paint code number so I was able to get the original color duplicated at a local auto paint shop      The tractor is equipped with side covers that fold up like the ones on a Model A car However they were all beat up and rusted I don t have them fixed yet The hood is hinged at the rear with a latch at the front so it can be raised for service     Dale says that because the tractor has a truck engine and transmission and 36-in high tires it s geared too high and needs another gear reduction between the rear end and the rear wheels          Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dale Hall 1516 Bogard Lane Mount Washington Ky 40047 ph 502 538-7213

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