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9-N Ford Does 50 At Drag Strip
When Del Shafer fires up his 9-N Ford to drag, it's not for fieldwork. With its Corvette engine, Shafer reports hitting 50 mph in a 1/4 of a block or so.
"I don't know what the top speed would be. I am scared to open it up," admits Shafer. "It's my Blue Ribbon tractor. With the original Ford over-and-under
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9-N Ford Does 50 At Drag Strip TRACTORS Antiques 28-5-26 When Del Shafer fires up his 9-N Ford to drag, it's not for fieldwork. With its Corvette engine, Shafer reports hitting 50 mph in a 1/4 of a block or so.
"I don't know what the top speed would be. I am scared to open it up," admits Shafer. "It's my Blue Ribbon tractor. With the original Ford over-and-under transmission, it can get out and move."
To ready the tractor for the 327 engine, he had to lengthen the hood about 1 1/2 in., which he added just ahead of the hood door for gas tank access. Because the axle was attached to the oil pan of the original engine, he also had to build a new frame for the front end. He started at the transmission and went forward, using 1/4-in. wall, 2 by 2-in. steel tubing. The front wheels were replaced with Ford pickup spindles and Mag wheels.
"I made my own bell housing adapter to hook the V-8 to the transmission," says Shafer. "If you wanted, you could take the 327 out and put a Ford engine back in without any more modification than removing the adapter."
The bigger engine did require a little additional cooling, which Shafer accomplished with a small fan. He welded a bracket to the radiator shroud and bolted the fan in.
He also had to bend the steering arms to clear the headers, which came from a Chevelle. Other modifications to the engine include a RV cam and boring out the cylinders to "30 over" (30,000ths of an inch over original). He also installed 4-in. exhaust pipes with the mufflers inside.
Another change to the tractor gave it its name. The gas tank for the big engine is a Blue Ribbon beer keg that sits behind the driver. He also had to add shocks to the front end to reduce hop when he fired up the big engine.
After beating several cars in drag races, Shafer now has the "hot" tractor up for sale. He is already planning his next engine swap, a Cadillac engine in an H Farmall. Shafer wants $3,500 for the little Ford, which probably isn't bad for an antique tractor with both field and road potential.
"You could still plow with it, if you didn't mind your dirt ending up in the neighbor's field," says Shafer.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Del Shafer, 208 N. Cliff Ave., Sioux Falls, S. Dak. 57103 (ph 605 338-1525).
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