Has anyone here restored an old Tractor?

That machine looks sweet! How do you like the 444? I've never driven a 444, just the big cam 400.

 

It runs great for me, not much low end power but as long as I keep it between 1500 and 2100 she goes good

 

Looks nice. 444 got a bad rap, from what I recall. Had to get the step timing right, or something like that. My Dad was a big fan of them.2 speed axles? On top of it. Never saw a set up like that. That’s pretty wild.

 

Here’s mine. 1980 flc120 , 12.7 Detroit ,13 spd, 3.42, Front disc brakes ,300”wb. Needs paint, but very reliable, let me down once in 17 years (ecm) but I stay on top of maintenance. Runs everyday, 650 mi today 100k gross.

 

Um, not sure what you're used to, the only truck I drove with low end power was a Mack, but that's the "operating range" of a non-castrated Cummins. I believe it was the twin turbos that caused some problems. I heard of owners replacing it with one big turbo, with much better results. The 362 was the king of cabovers, "long nose cabovers" we called them, because they were as nice ( almost) as a conventional. They were nice trucks.

 

I'm continuing to save up to purchase an older 70s-80s 359EXHD or 359 with a Cummins 400 Big Cam. It seems scarce to find one that is mostly original for a reasonable price. All the trucks I've come across so far have been chromed out and dropped and stretched asking upwards to six figures for, or they're old farm trucks that may take six figures to get DOT road worthy.

I plan on buying something along those lines outright in cash and getting a 53' step deck to pull.

 

Right place at the right time. A member here bought a truck and the guy GAVE him a tired, round dash 359 for free. You probably won't find many originals advertised, they are all behind or inside some farmers barn, but sometimes it happens. That's not true about 6 figures to get roadworthy, I don't think. Most, if not all need motor work, and that could be a good thing. I'd say, and I may be out of touch, but $10g's buys an old Pete road tractor, maybe $10 to make it right. Farm I worked at a while back, the farmer bought a tired 379 sleeper Pete, very tired Detroit, for like $4grand. He wasn't concerned about the motor, he just used it to pull his crap tanks to the field.

 

I found my 87 359 with a 3406b and 13spd for 8k and drove it 1,200 miles home! Putting around 10k in parts and tires into it and a ton of my time but it's going to be very reliable.

 

I'm not worried about motor work in buying an old farm truck. I see NTC400s for sale at around $5000-7500 online with new overhauls. It's the suspension work, electrical wiring nightmares, and gutted interiors that sounds like a bigger headache than engine/tranny work as I lack experience in those departments.

I would consider a mechanic CAT motor as well, but I just enjoy the simplicity of Cummins. Even in my 2017 International Pro Star I drove until a month ago, I know where everything is, I know how the emissions systems work on it. I take a look at a Detroit in my 2021 Cascadia now and all I see is a huge mess of everything just bolted on where it fits. Have absolutely no experience with a CAT.

I see some nice shed kept 359s on truck paper for $35-50K range.

 

Let me know when you get a big cam 400, I have a few buttons that would wake it up a bit...