Love Story Made This Rare Case Extra Special
Clint Evans’ RC Case is exceptional for lots of reasons. It’s one of only seven prototypes made in 1936 with wide front ends and over-steering. A one-owner tractor, it required minimal restoration. If that wasn’t enough, the owner insisted Evans pay her only what she and her husband paid out in cash for it in 1937.
“The RC is a rare tractor, but it’s the story behind it that makes it special,” says Evans.
In 2010, Evans was working on oil drilling rigs in Colorado. On his off-time, the antique tractor collector would drive the back roads. Because of the job, he always pulled a trailer and carried a winch for tractors that wouldn’t start along with an air compressor.
One day he had followed an old road until it turned into a little-used driveway that ended at a set of old buildings. The house looked abandoned, but he noticed what looked like an old Case tractor parked in an open shed.
He walked up to the house, and an elderly lady came to the door. He introduced himself and explained he was driving by and saw the old Case tractor.
“You’re a liar,” the lady replied. “There’s no road to drive by on, just my driveway.”
Evans apologized and agreed she was right. He had simply followed an old road that ended at the house. However, he was interested in the tractor.
“If you want to look at the tractor, go ahead,” she said. “I’ll get the paperwork.”
Evans checked out the tractor, not recalling ever seeing anything quite like it. When he returned to the house, she had the receipt for the tractor she and her husband Henry purchased in 1937.
“It was our wedding present to each other,” she said. “We were married in 1936 but had to save our money until we could afford to buy it.”
The receipt listed a price of $631. It gave them a $200 credit for a pair of black mules and a cash payment of $431.
“You can have it for what we paid,” she said.
Evans pulled out his wallet and handed her $640. She looked at it and said, “I told you I’d take what we paid for it. The mules were a gift from Henry’s grandfather. You can’t put a price on a gift.”
She handed back $200. She then told him the rest of the story. Henry’s father had gifted them 15 acres of field as a wedding present. With his new tractor, he went out to plow the field, using the plow he had pulled behind the mule.
“I heard the tractor stop, and he came back to the house a cussing,” she recalled.
“Remember that old stump in the field?” he asked me. “The mule always went around it, but the tractor didn’t. It busted the rear tire.”
Henry had to quit farming that fall and get a job in town to pay for a new tire, which is why the old Case had one lug rear tire and one knobby. For the next several years, things were better, and they added two sons to the family.
Then in 1942, Henry was drafted. He parked the tractor in the shed before he left, and there it stayed. He died on the beaches of Normandy.
“I couldn’t crank it to start it, and neither could my boys when they were younger,” she recalled. “By the time they were big enough, it wouldn’t start, and one tire had gone flat.”
At one point her sons wanted to sell it for scrap, but she wouldn’t let them. She did let them take the fenders. Her sons had since died, and the tractor sat in the shed until Evans drove by.
“Can I give you a gift of the $200?” he asked her.
“A gift has to be returned for something better, and I have nothing,” admonished the woman.
“How about if you cook me a dinner?” he asked.
She agreed, and as he loaded the tractor, he told her he would be back in a few weeks. Weeks turned into six months, and when he returned, she wasn’t there. Windows in the house were busted out, and it was truly abandoned.
Evans took the tractor back to Texas, where he discovered how rare it was. The restoration was straightforward. Radiator fluid had frozen and busted a hole in the bottom. Mice had built nests in the block and the radiator. The magneto was fine, but the carburetor needed work. Evans opened up everything and flushed it out. When he put it up on blocks, one front wheel wouldn’t spin. He discovered a leather piece behind the wheel bearing had dried out. He put in a new seal, and the bearings worked fine.
“It drives like a new tractor,” says Evans. “It steers like a dream, but it takes about two blocks to turn it around.”
Evans has had offers for the old tractor, including an invitation to loan it to the Case IH museum in Wisconsin. He has no intention of parting with his unique RC Case with its one-of-a-kind story.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Clint Evans, 114 State School Rd., Gatesville, Texas 76528 (ph 505-592-2734; cnbevans@centurylink.net).
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Love Story Made This Rare Case Extra Special TRACTORS Antiques Clint Evans’ RC Case is exceptional for lots of reasons It’s one of only seven prototypes made in 1936 with wide front ends and over-steering A one-owner tractor it required minimal restoration If that wasn’t enough the owner insisted Evans pay her only what she and her husband paid out in cash for it in 1937 “The RC is a rare tractor but it’s the story behind it that makes it special ” says Evans In 2010 Evans was working on oil drilling rigs in Colorado On his off-time the antique tractor collector would drive the back roads Because of the job he always pulled a trailer and carried a winch for tractors that wouldn’t start along with an air compressor One day he had followed an old road until it turned into a little-used driveway that ended at a set of old buildings The house looked abandoned but he noticed what looked like an old Case tractor parked in an open shed He walked up to the house and an elderly lady came to the door He introduced himself and explained he was driving by and saw the old Case tractor “You’re a liar ” the lady replied “There’s no road to drive by on just my driveway ” Evans apologized and agreed she was right He had simply followed an old road that ended at the house However he was interested in the tractor “If you want to look at the tractor go ahead ” she said “I’ll get the paperwork ” Evans checked out the tractor not recalling ever seeing anything quite like it When he returned to the house she had the receipt for the tractor she and her husband Henry purchased in 1937 “It was our wedding present to each other ” she said “We were married in 1936 but had to save our money until we could afford to buy it ” The receipt listed a price of $631 It gave them a $200 credit for a pair of black mules and a cash payment of $431 “You can have it for what we paid ” she said Evans pulled out his wallet and handed her $640 She looked at it and said “I told you I’d take what we paid for it The mules were a gift from Henry’s grandfather You can’t put a price on a gift ” She handed back $200 She then told him the rest of the story Henry’s father had gifted them 15 acres of field as a wedding present With his new tractor he went out to plow the field using the plow he had pulled behind the mule “I heard the tractor stop and he came back to the house a cussing ” she recalled “Remember that old stump in the field?” he asked me “The mule always went around it but the tractor didn’t It busted the rear tire ” Henry had to quit farming that fall and get a job in town to pay for a new tire which is why the old Case had one lug rear tire and one knobby For the next several years things were better and they added two sons to the family Then in 1942 Henry was drafted He parked the tractor in the shed before he left and there it stayed He died on the beaches of Normandy “I couldn’t crank it to start it and neither could my boys when they were younger ” she recalled “By the time they were big enough it wouldn’t start and one tire had gone flat ” At one point her sons wanted to sell it for scrap but she wouldn’t let them She did let them take the fenders Her sons had since died and the tractor sat in the shed until Evans drove by “Can I give you a gift of the $200?” he asked her “A gift has to be returned for something better and I have nothing ” admonished the woman “How about if you cook me a dinner?” he asked She agreed and as he loaded the tractor he told her he would be back in a few weeks Weeks turned into six months and when he returned she wasn’t there Windows in the house were busted out and it was truly abandoned Evans took the tractor back to Texas where he discovered how rare it was The restoration was straightforward Radiator fluid had frozen and busted a hole in the bottom Mice had built nests in the block and the radiator The magneto was fine but the carburetor needed work Evans opened up everything and flushed it out When he put it up on blocks one front wheel wouldn’t spin He discovered a leather piece behind the wheel bearing had dried out He put in a new seal and the bearings worked fine “It drives like a new tractor ” says Evans “It steers like a dream but it takes about two blocks to turn it around ” Evans has had offers for the old tractor including an invitation to loan it to the Case IH museum in Wisconsin He has no intention of parting with his unique RC Case with its one-of-a-kind story Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Clint Evans 114 State School Rd Gatesville Texas 76528 ph 505-592-2734; cnbevans@centurylink net
