Garden Tractor Converted Into Mini Unstyled Deere B

Garden Tractor Converted Into Mini Unstyled Deere B AG WORLD 29-1-23 Cal Zeerip was restoring a 1938 Deere B unstyled tractor when he found a 1968 Deere 140 garden tractor that had caught on fire. He decided to also make a miniature replica of the B using the garden tractor's frame. "I tried to make it look as close to an unstyled B as I could. I had a lot of fun building it," says Zeerip, of Holland, Mich. He replaced the original rear tires with bigger 8.00 by 16 ones off a small Kubota tractor. He removed the original front wheels and installed 6-in. high, narrow front wheels. He made a tricycle-type steering system by lengthening the steering shaft and installing a vertical spindle with a shaft in it. The tractor still has its original steering box and steering gear, as well as the original Kohler 14 hp engine, hydrostatic transmission, rear axle, and rear end. The seat came off a real unstyled B tractor as is the air cleaner. He made the muffler from metal tubing. The tractor's frame is original. He installed a new fiberglass hood designed for a Deere 140, cutting 4 in. off the front end. The tractor has its original hydrostatic control lever. The throttle is off an unstyled B, as are the brake pedals. "When I take it to shows, people often ask me where I bought the parts I needed to do the job. They're surprised when I tell them I had to make most of them," says Zeerip. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Cal Zeerip, 46 Old Mill Drive, Holland, Mich. 49423 (email: customjohndeere@yahoo .com).

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